XYZOLOG


Millions of years in the future, light years from Earth, lies
the planet Fairis. Once a thriving Earth colony. Fairis is
now a desolate wasteland populated by only two strange 
species, bioengineered by Earth scientists. Existing on a
diet of pure energy, taken from every available source, they
were soon responsible for the extinction of their unwitting
creators. Now they battle for supremacy. XYZON versus DEOTUM,
locked in eternal conflict. Which will survive? Only you can
tell...


GAME SCENE

The game screen looks down onto the planet's surface. Ruined
remnants of the lost human civilisation litter the landscape,
influencing the behaviour of XYZON and DEOTUM.

XYZON    A red, spherical single-celled creature.
DEOTUM   Green star-like creatures, enemies of the XYZON.
QURAMZO  Energy reservoirs on whichs the XYZON must feed.
LOID     A vertical pylon which deflects the XYZON.
GRAIN    Convex structures which XYZON may climb if it has
         sufficient momentum.
ZETA     Concave structures down which XYZON rolls
         uncontrollably.
LOOR     Energy released when XYZON undergoes cell division.
         Kills DEOTUM.

(ZX-Spectrum version has not colored sprites)

PLAY INSTRUCTIONS

You control the XYZON, using joystick or cursor keys.
The joystick must are: Sinclair 1, Sinclair 2, Kempston.
The XYZON is subject to the laws of gravity: whilst
it may be manoeuvred around the screen in any direction its
actual path will be affected by any slopes encountered. You
will also find that the XYZON has inertia and will not
respond to a change in control direction immediately.

The object of the game is to devour the energy held in each
QURAMZO on the screen. A fully charged QURAMZO glows red;
when the XYZON passes over one, its energy is transferred
and the glow disappears. When all QURAMZOs have been
discharged the play moves on to a new part of the planet's
surface, with a different pattern.

The DEOTUM attempt to prevent the XYZON from reaching all
QURAMZOs in a pattern; contact with a DEOTUM is fatal to the
XYZON. The only form of defence available to the XYZON is a
release of LOOR energy. You may trigger cell division by
pressing the fire button or space bar, as appropriate. The
resultant devastation will be dependant on the energy charge
held by the XYZON. Cell division destroys the XYZON, so be 
careful to maximise its effect. The DEOTUM will regenerate
after a time.

The game is over when all XYZONs are lost.


SCORES

Points are awarded for the following events:

Collecting energy from a QURAMZO       200 points
Destroying a DEOTUM               200-5000 points