ZARLOR MERCENARY

Take NO Prisoners!
"It may be a dirty war a little war; maybe even a stupid war; but its their war-and they're willing to pay. pay big."

Agents in this business have never been real refined. This guy was no exception. His hair was slicked back like the wet pelt of a Yorlthian sweat weevil, and his suit was exactly what the fashion conscious zarlor was into. He could almost pass for respectable Al most.

But I liked what I heard. coming from him, it was almost poetic I'd made the mistake of showing up on time and already had three tanks in me when he skulked in and started to whisper his proposal. Even though we knew that every ear was straining to hear our conversation, the other patrons tried not to look Interested.

Territory wars I'd done before, no problem there. Both sides were rich-mining, hydroponics, datatrade-but both were lousy fighters. Their dirty little war had been hopelessly deadlocked for years but, like most rich cultures, they were both too proud to hire outside help... professional help.

Until now.

I liked the zarlors' plan. It was clean: not all-out war; just a series of six surgical strikes at key industrial and commercial sites on Yorith, the Mendicant's home planet. The idea was to collapse their military and disrupt the economy just long enough for the zarlors to land their prefab bases and get dwellings established In the disputed areas-the fabulously mineral-rich outer planets of their star system. I was hot for a job and the deal was right: a solo job, orbital shot, completion bonus, and I could pick my own equipment.. and money. Lots of money. There was nothing to say but Yes.

As I left the bar, an Angklon sitting at the bar spat at me and hissed "zarlor Mercenary!"

And I guess that's exactly what I am.

Getting Started

Zarlor Mercenary is a fast-action extraterrestrial battle simulation for one to four players. Follow the steps listed below to start the game:
1. With your Lynx system switched off insert the game card as described In the Lynx owners Manual.
Warning: Do not touch the game card connector pins Do not expose the contacts to static or extreme heat Do not bend, crush, or attempt to clean the game card.
2. Press ON. The Zarlor Mercenary title screen displays.
3. Press A or B to move on to the character Selection screen.
4. Press right or left on the joypad to select the desired character in the flashing window. There are seven characters, each with a special weapon all his own. When the desired character appears, press A or B to select that character and begin play.

Optional Game controls

To enhance play, the following optional game controls allow you to modify the display, and pause and restart the game:

Playing the came

The object of the game is to destroy Mendicant craft, cities, buildings and other strategic targets. If you do well, you will be paid richly. Earn enough zarbits to buy extra warships and more sophisticated weapons.

You begin the game with a fleet of warships The number of warships in the fleet depends on the number of players in the game, as shown below: 
One player	Four warships
Two players	Three warships each
Three players	Two warships each
Four players	Two warships each
Control your warship with the joypad. Press up to move forward and down to move back. Steer by pressing right or left. To fire your cannon, press A. If your ship is equipped with a Laser; press B to fire it. If your ship is equipped with a Megabomb, release it by pressing Option 1.
In a multi player game, each player's warships are a unique colour. Players work together to destroy the enemy. If one player has a little trouble with the concept of teamwork, a few quick blasts from the dreaded Back Stabber will provide an unforgettable lesson.

The Health Indicator on the right edge of the screen shows the condition of your warship.

When the indicator is green, your ship is in great shape. When the indicator is yellow, the ship is in poor condition. When the gauge flashes red and the dreaded Destruct Alarm blares in your ears, your ship is in danger of exploding. When the indicator runs out, you're toast.

There are six missions, each with its own unique targets and hazards, ranging from sophisticated intergalactic war machines to panicked soldiers Some targets are worth more than others, but blast everything-it's what you're paid to do As you fight through each level, watch for Power Globes. Hitting a Power Globe will provide a very helpful weapon to aid in the fight.

At the end of each mission you will be able to visit the Mercenary Mercantile, a speciality shop specifically designed for the warrior who needs everything. complete all missions and you will be led to the National Vault to receive your much deserved reward.

Action window the battle zone zarbits your current money total.

Ships Remaining shows the number of warships left in your fleet. You lose a ship each time your Health Indicator runs out. When you lose a ship, you also lose one of each type of weapon in your arsenal.

Mega Bombs remaining shows how many mega bombs you are carrying. You begin the game with one mega bomb.

Health Indicator shows how much damage you have sustained. when the Health Indicator hits the bottom, you blow up.

To win the game, you must complete six different missions. Each mission has its own hazards and targets.

CADMAR DESERT. Mendicants have built massive factories and pipelines throughout the cadmar Desert. Unconfirmed intelligence reports say the Mendicants are building a mysterious superweapon. Your objective: cripple the Mendicant war effort by blasting their factories and obliterating their pipelines while looking for the truth behind that rumour.

MESORT SWAMP. The mushy swamplands of this awful planet are perfect for hiding Mendicant bases and factories. Inaccessible by land and guarded by grotesque swamp monsters, these targets can only be hit from the air. Knowing this, the Mendicants have set up what they think is an unbeatable protective shield of powerful weapons but they didn't expect someone of your expertise.

DOCRIT SEA. The Mendicants fully believe their water-based factories are safe. After all, water is such a rare element in the universe that very few planets have navies and those ships that do exist cannot make the trip through the galaxies. And the Mendicants, of course, are confident that they can protect these valuable sites from the air.

SEDIMOR DOMES. Hidden in the zarlor Solar System is an insignificant, meaningless, almost unnoticeable little moon - the perfect place to hide Mendicant bases and factories. Hidden in the deep craters and craggy domes of this moon lurk hundreds of killer Mendicants. Only you can stop them from attacking the planets below.

MARDIC LEE. The Mendicants are taking advantage of the radioactive ice caps on the planet Mardi Koldavla. Nuclear Ice reactors dot the landscape, as well as power plants and weapons factories. A huge fleet of Mendicant warships patrols the Ice, ready to protect the Mendicants' newest, most powerful, ultra-secret weapon-a weapon unlike anything the universe has ever seen.

CEDMLTE CITY. The Mendicants are counting on the humanity or-whatever of their enemies. They don't believe anyone will harm the innocent civilians living in their only city on this planet. What they don't realise is that you know that the city Is a scam-there are no innocent civilians living there. So destroy everything.

The Mercenaries

There are seven elite mercenaries who prepared for this battle. Each has his/her/its own unique powers and skills.

SCORCH. A master Laser shooter; Scorch is perhaps the most famous mercenary In the guild. He was burned badly when a laser fireball exploded In his face reconstructive surgeons saved his life by making him half man, half cybersoldier.

XO49. The XQ series robots were created to perform menial household chores, but something went wrong with number 49. A pair of crossed wires turned XO49 Into a deadly war machine. An expert wing cannon sharpshooter; X049 is a quiet, but effective, warrior.

LANDRU. A powerful fire demon warrior; Landru's power shots instil fear in even the most courageous warrior. When this mighty demon is near; enemy targets go up in smoke at an enviable rate.

BRENDA. Brenda may look like an angel, but inside she's all killer. She can fire with such speed that shots seem to automatically leave her cannons. Helped by the mysterious amulet around her neck, Brenda Is a formidable foe and should not be taken lightly.

SPIKE. Spike is a good warrior to have on your side, but his hard life has made him a little paranoid. Since he is always looking over his shoulder; he has become an expert Back Shooter; very useful in a crowd.

REX. This deposed king has made it his life mission to avenge his destroyed kingdom by fighting evil forces everywhere. His favourites weapon are the deadly Side Shooter & he's tough, merciless, and very helpful in a pinch.

XETEROG. A strange creature from an unmapped territory, the Xeterog is best known for his speed. Although nobody likes to look at it, the Xeterog is a great companion in battle, mostly because Xeterogs know no fear. This Xeterog is particularly ugly, though it claims to have been a much sought after bachelor on its home planet.

The Mercantile

At the end of each mission you visit a space port where you can buy and sell equipment at the Mercenary Mercantile. The Merc is run by a crafty ex-soldier who likes to call himself the Merchant of Venus. The buying and selling prices vary, depending on your current level. The screen and list on the next few pages show the available items and a brief description of their uses. 
Speed Up.	Provides greater manoeuvrability and speed.

Wing Cannons.	Powerful cannon on each wing.

Super Shield.	Protects against damage and gradually restores health.

Invisibility.	Hides your ship from other players.

Extra Ship.	Additional space craft.

Power Shots.	More explosive ammo.

Laser.		Press A to fire with pin-point accuracy' at Mendicant ships.

Auto Fire.	Shoot automatically by holding down the A button.

Mega Bomb.	Press 0PTION 1 to damage all enemy ships on screen.

Back Shooter.	Fire at enemies to the rear.

Side Shooters.	Shoot from both sides.

Back Stabber.	Fire to the rear to keep other mercenaries from grabbing 
		all the glory and all the loot. The Back Stabber will damage
		other players while leaving enemies unharmed.
The merchant will only show you those weapons you can afford. To buy or sell weapons, put the flashing box on the merchant and press A to select Buy mode or sell mode The background colour behind the objects is green in Buy mode and red in Sell mode. When you have chosen the desired mode, move the box to the weapon you want. Press A to buy or sell that item. You can only buy one of each weapon type for each ship in your fleet, but you can sell any extra weapons you collect for cash.

While in the Mercantile, you can also give money to other mercenaries. Although you'd like to get rich doing everything yourself, your first obligation is to destroy Mendicants. Sometimes slipping a few Zarbits to another mercenary will give that mercenary enough cash to get the weapon that could help you. Also, generosity can protect you from an unfortunate stab in the back. To give money to another player; move the flashing box onto that player's picture, then press A. Move the joypad up or down to select the amount you wish to donate. When the correct amount appears, press A to transfer the money. To leave the Mercantile, put the box on your picture and press A.

Strategy

Shoot at everything that moves. Shoot at everything that doesn't move.
Learn to anticipate enemy flight and shot patterns. warn where Power Globes appear in each level.
The Merchant of Venus never buys weapons at full price, so don't buy anything you don't really need.
Use a forward cannon and laser together to make your warship a devastating machine.
You can destroy enemy ships by bumping into them. Although this is effective, it also damages your warship and does not earn any money. Kamikaze pilots die young, so do this only as a last resort.
If you decide to use the Back Stabber; invisibility is highly recommended.
Never; I repeat never; give peace a chance!

Scoring

During game play you receive points for blowing away Mendicant space ships and ground targets. Each type of target has a different point value, displayed in the explosion cloud. The more you destroy the richer you'll become.

If you survive Cedmite city, you will receive a bonus of 250,000 zarbits.