Step 1: Place the CD containing the Sinistar: Unleashed Two Level Preview in
your PC's CD-ROM drive.
Step 2: Make sure that you have 250 MB of free space on your hard disk.
(Installation temporarily requires 250 MB. The preview only requires 120 MB once
installed.)
Step 3: Double-click the Sinistar: Unleashed Two Level Preview Installer icon.
Sinistar: Unleashed will be installed in a folder on your hard drive, a
Sinistar: Unleashed shortcut will be placed in your Start menu, and a Sinistar:
Unleashed icon will appear on your desktop.
Step 4: When the installation is done, click the Finish button to exit the
installer. When you do so, the Video Mode Selector window will appear on your
screen; use this window as described in Configuring the Game below.
--------------------
CONFIGURING THE GAME
--------------------
VIDEO MODE SELECTOR
You must configure the game's video settings before you play the game. When
you install the game, the Video Mode Selector window automatically appears when
you finish installation. Use this window as follows:
Selected Driver: Choose the accelerator your computer uses from the Selected
Driver drop-down menu. 3Dfx Users Note: You can run your 3Dfx board using
either the 3Dfx Glide driver or the Direct3D driver. Select 3Dfx Voodoo to
use the 3Dfx Glide driver; select Voodoo2 Direct3D to use Direct3D.
Selected Device: Unless you chose Primary Display Device for your Selected
Driver, you can skip this setting. If you chose Primary Display Device, then
choose Direct3D HAL for this setting (the RGB Emulation option is not active in this preview).
Selected Mode: Choose the video mode you wish to run the game in.
Number of Video Buffers: Select the number of video buffers to use. You must
select a number of video buffers within the capabilities of your accelerator
board. If you don't know your board's capabilities, then the 2 buffers is
usually a safe setting.
Save Settings: When you have selected your video settings, click the Save
Settings button. This will save your settings and exit the Video Mode Selector.
Exit: To exit the Video Mode Selector without saving any settings you made,
click the Exit button.
You can use the Video Mode Selector to change your video settings. To run
the selector, quit the game, click the Start Menu, open Programs, THQ, and
Sinistar Unleashed, and then select Video Mode Selector from the menu that
appears. Use the window as described above.
-------------
GAME CONTROLS
-------------
Joystick: Keyboard:
Movement Controls:
Yaw Left Move Stick Left Z or left cursor
Yaw Right Move Stick Right C or right cursor
Pitch Up Pull Stick Back X or down cursor
Pitch Down Push Stick Forward S or up cursor
Roll Left Rotate Stick Left A
Roll Right Rotate Stick Right D
Throttle Throttle or Slider Shift
Clutch Button 2
Strafing Controls:
Strafe Up Hat Up
Strafe Down Hat Down
Strafe Left Hat Left
Strafe Right Hat Right
Fire Controls:
Fire Mining Laser Button 1 (Trigger) left Ctrl
Fire Secondary Weapon Button 4 or 6 Spacebar
Select Missiles 1
Select Cutting Laser 2
Select Sinibomb 3
Select Previous Weapon [
Select Next Weapon ]
Select Best Weapon \
Targeting Control:
Target Everything Toggle B
Long Range Radar Controls:
Radar Zoom In K
Radar Zoom Out L
Other Controls:
Toggle 3rd & 1st Person Views 0
Toggle 1st Person & Zoom Views 9
Previous Inventory Item Q
Next Inventory Item W
Use Highlighted Item Button 3 or 5 E or Tab
Pause Pause
Main Menu Screen Esc
Help F1
---------------------------
PLAYING SINISTAR: UNLEASHED
---------------------------
The Distilled Evil, a race of space-dwelling creatures, and their slaves, the
Sporg, are creating the ultimate bio-mechanical weapon: the Sinistar. If
they succeed, they'll unleash the Sinistar against your universe, in a cosmic
rampage of conquest, plunder, and destruction. You must stop them.
In this preview, you pilot your ship through an asteroid field that contains
Sinisite crystals. The enemy is feverishly working to energize a jumpgate.
Workers mine the asteroids for crystals, which they carry to the gate.
Warriors and turrets of various kinds and sizes protect the workers, guard
the gate, and patrol for intruders. When the gate is filled with energy, the
Sinistar erupts forth, and you must quickly destroy it or die.
Your ship requires Sinisite crystals for health energy and to power most of
its weapons and all of its special items. You can use your mining laser to
blast apart asteroids, releasing the crystals they contain. Fly over a
crystal, and your ship will eat it.
The ship's maw or mouth is between the wings facing forward. Burst weapons
emanate from the maw. On the ship's upper wings are missile tubes. Thrusters
are contained in the tail.
You have a Mining Laser, a Cutting Laser, Long-Range Missiles, and Sinibombs for
weapons, plus Health, Boosters, and Shields. In the full game, as you play, you
can gain additional, powerful weapons, like the Lightning Bolt, and special
items, like an Orbital, which flies beside your ship and fires on enemies.
Pulsing veins on the surface of the ship surface indicate its health. As the
ship loses health energy, the color of veins descends through the spectrum to
a deep red-- use crystals you've gathered to increase your ship's health.
Use any of your weapons to attack the Distilled Evil and Sporg. Use Sinibombs
to attack the Sinistar and to destroy crystals around a jumpgate. Battle your
way through each level until you reach your final confrontation at the center
of the Sinistar universe.
STARTING THE GAME
After you've installed Sinistar: Unleashed (see above), double-click the
Sinistar: Unleashed icon on your desktop to run the game. (You can also run
the game from the start menu. Click the Start Menu, open Programs, THQ, and
Sinistar Unleashed, and then select Sinistar Unleashed from the menu that
appears.) When you run the game, the Main Menu Screen appears; select New
Game from the menu to start play.
THE MAIN MENU SCREEN
The Main Menu Screen appears when you load the game. During play, press the
Esc key to go to the Main Menu Screen. Gameplay automatically pauses when the
Main Menu Screen is open. From this screen, use the up and down cursor keys
to choose:
New Game. Press Enter to begin a new game. On the New Game Screen that
appears, use the up and down cursor keys to select how tough a challenge you
want: Easy, Normal, or Sinistar (most difficult). Then, press Enter to begin
play (or Esc to return to the Main Menu Screen).
Quick Help. Press Enter for a brief tutorial on how to play the game. Press
Esc to return to the Main Menu Screen when you're finished with the Quick
Help Screen.
Configuration. Press Enter to open the Configuration Screen.
Load Game. Load Game is not active in this preview.
Save Game. Save Game is not active in this preview.
Multiplayer. Multiplayer is not active in this preview.
Resume Play. Press Enter to leave the Main Menu Screen and resume play of
the game. (You can also resume play by pressing Esc from the Main Menu
Screen.)
EXIT. Press Enter to exit the game.
VIEWS
You can play the game in 3rd Person, 1st Person, and Zoom Views, switching
among them as you like. Press 0 to toggle between the 3rd Person and 1st
Person Views. Press 9 to toggle between the 1st Person and Zoom Views. (If
you press 9 while in 3rd Person View, you switch to 1st Person View.)
3rd Person View: You start play on each level in 3rd Person View. Your ship
is centered near bottom of screen, and you view it from a perspective above
and behind the ship. On the screen, you see what is in front of your ship --
asteroids, crystals, the jumpgate, workers, turrets, warriors, the Sinistar.
1st Person View: When you enter 1st Person View, your perspective moves to
the front of the ship, seeing what the ship itself is seeing. (In 1st Person
View, your ship's wingtips become translucent so you can see through them.)
Zoom View: From 1st Person View, you can enter Zoom View, seeing a close up
view of distant objects directly in front of your ship.
FLYING YOUR SHIP
Use the ship's thrusters, controlled by the joystick's Throttle (or Slider),
to control the speed of your ship. Push the Throttle all the way forward to
move at maximum normal thrust; pull it all the way back to stop, hanging
motionless in space. You can also get an extra, temporary speed increase by
using the Boosters special item. Unlike the thrusters, however, the Boosters
consume crystals.
Use the joystick to maneuver your ship. Pull the stick back to pitch your
ship up; push forward to pitch down. Push the stick left and right to turn
("yaw") your ship left and right. Twist the stick left and right to roll left
and right. (Note: To use the roll feature, you must have a joystick that is
capable of twisting or rotating.) Physics affects your ship -- for example,
your ship's speed affects its maneuvering, and you can make tighter turns at
low speeds than at high speeds.
Press and hold down joystick button 2 to use the clutch. Normally, when you
change the facing of your ship, you are changing its flight direction. When
using the clutch, you can change the facing of your ship while keeping the
course you were flying before using the clutch. This is handy, for example,
when you want to keep your present course yet face backward to fire on
enemies pursuing you.
MINING SINISITE CRYSTALS
You can mine asteroids to release the crystals they contain. Use your primary
weapon, the mining laser, to blast asteroids -- get an asteroid in your
crosshairs and press the joystick trigger to fire the mining laser. As you
blast an asteroid, some crystals it contains may be released. (You can smash
an asteroid completely to pieces through repeated firings.) You can also mine
asteroids using your other weapons, although keep in mind all other weapons
cost crystals when you use them.
Fly your ship over crystals tumbling through space, and your ship will eat
them, storing them for later use. Your ship can eat almost any crystals
except those that have been transformed to energize the jumpgate (you can see
these transformed crystals in orbit around the gate).
INVENTORY
Your ship's inventory is displayed on the lower right of the screen.
Crystal Storage Bar: The large bar in the left-center of the inventory
displays the crystals the ship has stored up. The number on the left of the
bar displays the number of crystals you have available; the number on the
right displays the total number of crystals that may be stored on the ship.
Secondary Weapons Slots: Above the crystal storage bar are 8 slots for the
various secondary weapons the ship may have. (If the ship has a secondary
weapon, the weapon's icon appears in its slot. Otherwise, the slot is empty.)
Each weapon is assigned a key; press its key to select the weapon (see
Weapons below for further details). When you select a weapon, its name
appears above the icon bar. If you have enough crystals to fire a weapon, its
icon appears in gold; if you don't have enough crystals to use it, its icon
appears in bluish gray.
Item Slots: Below the crystal storage bar are 8 slots for the various items
the ship may have. One item can be selected at any one time. Press Q to
select the item to the left of the currently selected item; press W to select
the item to the right of the currently selected item. When you select an
item, its name appears below the icon bar. Press E, Tab, joystick button 3,
or button 5 to use the item. For example, select the ship's Health and press
E to spend crystals for health energy. If you have enough crystals to use an
item, its icon appears in gold; if you don't have enough crystals to use it,
its icon appears in bluish gray.
Ship Status Indicator: To the right of the crystal storage bar is the ship
status indicator, a circular area with an icon representing your ship. The
indicator displays your ship's health and any specials you are using:
Health: The color and amount of background shading filling the space behind
the ship icon indicate your ship's overall health. As your ship's health
decreases, the level of shading drops and the color changes -- just like the
veins on the ship itself do to display the ship's health.
Boosters: A booster symbol appears beneath the ship icon while boosters are
active.
Shields: A blue circle rings the ship icon while shields are active.
WEAPONS
Your ship has one primary weapon (its mining laser) and can have up to eight
secondary weapons (three are available in this preview). There are three
categories of weapons:
Unguided energy weapons deliver their power to their targets via beams or
rays of energy. Energy weapons are effective against the Sporg and Distilled
Evil. The jumpgate and the Sinistar, however, are impervious to energy
weapons. DANGER! Shots from your energy weapons will bounce off the gate or
Sinistar and can rebound to damage your ship!
Energy weapons are unguided, firing straight forward from the ship. You must
maneuver your ship to get a target into the weapon's killing zone. (You can
also use any energy weapon, not just your mining laser, to blast asteroids.)
Guided missiles deliver their punch via physical delivery systems. Like
energy weapons, missiles are effective against all enemies except the
jumpgate and the Sinistar. Missiles are guided weapons that lock onto a
target when they are fired, homing in on it. (A missile will normally not
target an asteroid but will detonate if it does strike one.)
Sinibombs are special, crystal-packed missiles that can break through a
jumpgate's or Sinistar's defenses and do damage. Sinibombs are only effective
against the jumpgate and the Sinistar. They are guided weapons and lock onto
a jumpgate or Sinistar when they are fired, homing in on it. (A Sinibomb will
not target anything else but will detonate if it does strike an obstacle like
a Sporg fighter or asteroid on the way to its target.) Sinibombs fired at the
jumpgate destroy crystals in orbit around the gate.
The primary weapon, the mining laser, is always available and never costs
crystals to fire. Press the trigger to fire it. It is an unguided energy
weapon.
One secondary weapon is always selected at any time. If a weapon's icon
appears on the weapons bar, press its key to select it:
1 for Long-Range Missiles. Long-Range Missiles are guided weapons. When you
fire Long-Range Missiles, each missile tube on the ship fires a single
missile that can travel a long distance.
2 for the Cutting Laser. The Cutting Laser is an unguided energy weapon. The
Cutting Laser is a powerful but short ranged weapon that can cut its targets
into pieces. The beam fires continuously as long as you hold down the trigger
and have crystals available spend. You can fly your ship to sweep the beam
across targets (including asteroids), blowing them up when you do enough
damage to them.
3 for Sinibombs. The Sinibomb is a guided crystal weapon. A Sinibomb has
short range, so get in close to a jumpgate or Sinistar before firing it!
Secondary weapons always cost crystals to fire. Press joystick button 4 to
fire the selected secondary weapon -- the weapon will fire if you have
sufficient crystals for it. If you have enough crystals to fire a weapon, its
icon appears in gold; if you don't have enough crystals to use it, its icon
appears in bluish gray.
Three shortcut keys help you select secondary weapons:
[ Previous Weapon selects the weapon to the left of the currently selected
weapon.
] Next Weapon selects the weapon to the right of the currently selected
weapon.
/ Best Weapon selects the weapon that can do the most damage.
In the full game, the power, range, number of gunports, and fire rate of your
weapons increase as you upgrade your ship.
SPECIAL ITEMS
Your ship starts with three special items and in the full game can have up to
eight specials. One item can be selected at any one time. Press Q to select
the item to the left of the currently selected item; press W to select the
item to the right of the currently selected item. When you select an item,
its name appears below the icon bar. Press E, Tab, joystick button 3, or
button 5 to use the item. All specials consume crystals when you use them. If
you have enough crystals to use an item, its icon appears in gold; if you
don't have enough crystals to use it, its icon appears in bluish gray. For
example, select the ship's Health item and press E to spend crystals for
health energy.
Special items available in the preview are:
Health: If your ship has taken damage, use Health to heal the damage.
Boosters: You can get an extra, temporary speed increase by using the
Boosters. Boosters multiply your current speed by a factor, so you get
maximum effect from them when flying at your maximum normal speed.
Shields: Shields surround the ship and can negate or reduce the damage you
take due to enemy fire and collisions.
Your ship's health and use of special items are shown in the ship status
indicator on the inventory, as described in Inventory above.
SHORT-RANGE RADAR
The Short-Range Radar displays targeting information directly in the 3rd
Person, 1st Person, and Zoom Views. The Short-Range Radar displays color-
coded targeting reticules, and the color-coded numbers next to the reticules
show the range to the object. The colors have specific meanings, as shown
below:
White: Current Target: White shows the location and range of the object your
ship is currently targeting. On most settings, the Current Target Reticule
targets the objects that guided weapons (missiles and Sinibombs) will home on.
Light Red: Sporg Warriors, Sinistar, Jumpgate: Light red shows the location and
range of Sporg warriors, the Sinistar, and the jumpgate.
Dark Red: Other Enemies: Dark red shows the location and range of enemy workers
and turrets.
The following key controls the targeting system:
B toggles on or off all-object targeting. When off (which is how the game
starts), only enemies are targeted. When on, the object closest to the center
of the screen in front of your ship is targeted, regardless of what that
object may be. On this setting, the Short-Range Radar will target anything,
including asteroids, crystals, or even the shots that you fire! So be careful
when using this setting; remember that when you fire a missile, it homes in
on whatever is being targeted.
THE TARGETING CROSSHAIRS
Targeting crosshairs help you aim shots from your unguided weapons. Targeting
crosshairs appear directly in the 3rd Person, 1st Person, and Zoom Views as
follows:
If there is a target directly in front of the ship within the maximum range
of the crosshairs, the targeting crosshairs appear on that target.
If there is no target directly in front on the ship within the maximum range
of the crosshairs, the targeting crosshairs appear floating in space at their
maximum range.
The crosshairs will target all objects except shots, missiles, and Sinibombs.
LONG-RANGE RADAR
The Long-Range Radar display appears in the lower left corner of the screen.
A pink inverted "V" icon representing your ship appears at the center of the
display. The display shows what the Long-Range Radar detects. Radar blips
(icons) for detected asteroids appear in white and gray; blips for detected
enemies appear in various shades of red; blips for missiles and Sinibombs appear
in blue. The Sinistar and the jumpgates are large red circles. In this preview,
the Long-Range Radar is set to just one orientation:
Forward-Facing Display is oriented to the direction your ship faces. Objects
behind you show as bright blips with black shadows (asteroids are white with
black shadows, enemies are bright red with black shadows). Objects in front
of you show as dimmer blips without shadows (asteroids are gray, enemies are
dim red). The radar quadrants display whether objects are to the left or
right of your ship and whether they are "above" or "below" your ship. For
example, a gray blip in the upper left quadrant is an asteroid in front of
your ship, to the ship's left, and above the ship, while a bright red blip
with a black shadow in the lower right quadrant is an enemy in behind, to the
right of, and below your ship.
The following keys control the long-range radar:
K zooms in the radar, showing a smaller area ahead of the ship in more
detail.
L zooms out the radar, showing a larger area ahead of the ship in less
detail.
PAUSING THE GAME
To pause the game, press the Pause key. Press the Pause key again to resume
play.
HELP
To see the help screen, press F1. The game automatically pauses when the help
screen is open. Close the screen and resume play by pressing F1, Esc, or
Enter.
THE CONFIGURATION SCREEN
You can enter the Configuration Screen from the Main Menu. On the Configuration
Screen, use the up and down cursor keys to choose:
Game Options. Press Enter to open the Game Options Screen. Use the up and
down cursor keys to select an option, and press the spacebar to toggle the
option on or off. When the Enable Crosshairs option is on, the targeting
crosshairs are active during play. When the First Person Perspective option
is on, you play the game in 1st Person View instead of 3rd Person View. (You
can also change views during play; see Views below.)
Key and Button Controls. Press Enter to open the Controls Screen, which sets
the keyboard, joystick button, and mouse button controls controls. On this
screen, use the up and down cursor keys to select a game control and press
Enter to edit it (the control's key or button will turn red). You can clear
the current key or button for a control by entering the control and by
pressing Backspace. To assign a new key or button for a control, highlight
it, press Enter, and then press the key or button you want. To set a second
key or button for a control, enter it again and press the second key or
button you want. (You can set up to two keys/buttons per control.) When you
are done editing the controls, press Esc to return to the Configuration
Screen.
Joystick/Mouse Analog Controls. Press Enter to open the Joystick/Mouse
Analog Controls Screen. On this screen, use the up and down cursor keys to
select a control and press Enter to edit it (the control will turn red). Move
the joystick or mouse in the way you want for this control, and then press
Enter to confirm your choice. When you are done editing these controls, press
Esc to return to the Configuration Screen.
For the Contols Sensitivity option, use the left and right cursor keys to
decrease or increase the sensitivity of the joystick or mouse.
For the Mouse Look options, press the spacebar to toggle this option on or
off. When off, you cannot use the mouse to fly the ship. When on, you can use
the mouse to fly the ship (as well as a joystick, if you have one).
For the Invert Pitch option, press the spacebar to toggle this option on or
off. When you invert pitch, the joystick handles pitch the reverse of the way
it normally does. (For example, inverting the pitch causes your ship to pitch
up instead of down when you push the joystick forward). When you are done
editing these options, press Esc to return to the Joystick and Analog
Controls Screen.
Sound. Press Enter to open the Sound Screen. On this screen, press the Tab
key to switch between the Sound Effects Volume and the Music Volume sliders.
When a slider is selected, use the left and right cursor keys to change the
volume: press the left cursor key to reduce the volume; press the right
cursor key to increase the volume. When you are done setting the volume,
press Esc to return to the Configuration Screen.
Video. Video is not active in this preview. (To change your video settings,
use the Video Mode Selector; see Configuring the Game above. Remember to
quit the game before using the Video Mode Selector, as your changes won't
take effect if the game is running.)
When you are done with the Configuration Screen, press Esc to return to the
Main Menu Screen.
OTHER FEATURES
Scoring is not included in this preview. In the full game, a score tracks your
accomplishments and progress in the game.
If your ship is destroyed on a level, you restart that level. In this preview,
you can restart a level each time your ship is destroyed. In the full game, you
have a limited number of lives with which to destroy the Sinistar peril.
QUITTING THE GAME
To quit the game, press Esc to go the Main Menu Screen, use the down cursor key
to highlight EXIT, and press Enter.
---------------------
UNINSTALLING THE GAME
---------------------
You can uninstall the Sinistar: Unleashed preview as follows: Click the Start button on the Windows toolbar, point to Programs, THQ, Sinistar Unleashed, and click on Uninstall Sinistar.
(You can also uninstall the Sinistar: Unleashed preview using the Add/Remove
Programs feature in Windows. Click the Start button on the Windows toolbar,
point to Settings, and click on Control Panel. When the Control Panel window
appears, double-click on Add/Remove Programs. In the Install/Uninstall tab,
select Sinistar: Unleashed from the list of program names and then click the
Add/Remove button.)
----------
PLAY HINTS
----------
Mine lots of crystals! You're going to burn through them like mad. Yellow
crystals are the most common but have the least crystal energy. A blue
crystals has five times the energy that a yellow crystal has. Other colors
are even more powerful.
When dogfighting the enemy, remember that you can make tighter turns at low
thrust rather than high.
If you need to get out a tight spot, use your boosters to add to your speed.
Sinibombs can destroy crystals around the jumpgate, delaying the entry of the
Sinistar. You can also delay the entry of the Sinistar by destroying workers
(since they bring crystals to the gate to energize it).
Keep in mind that shots from energy weapons and missiles do not harm the
Sinistar. Use Sinibombs to attack the Sinistar.
If you die at any time on a level before destroying the Sinistar, you
reappear at the start of that level.
The second level in the preview is actually Level 7 of the full game, so expect
a tough fight, especially if you're new to the game. If you find this level
tough going, try the following 7-Step Plan for mastering Level 7:
1) Arrive on Level 7 loaded with crystals, as combat begins almost
immediately. So, try not to use up all your crystals fighting the Sinistar on
Level 1. If you have trouble with this, replay Level 1 a few times until you
gain more experience.
2) The turrets can be a big pain, so take them out when you find them. If you
use missiles to do this, a turret can often shoot down your first missile as
you approach it, but a second missile can get through if it is timed
correctly behind the first one.
3) If enemy warriors hang close to you, try sweeping the cutting laser
across them. Only do this at close ranges, and watch your crystal
consumption!
4) When you're low on crystals, keep moving and firing your mining laser.
With luck, you may destroy or evade enough enemies to get a chance to mine
asteroids for a while.
5) Learn to mine crystals while flying at top speed in dogfights. Yeah,
eat and run.
6) If enemies really gang up on you, use your boosters to run away and
fight again another day, rather than using all your crystals fighting while
greatly outnumbered.
7) Enemy warriors on this level are quick, and using missiles at them
while they're quickly closing in on you is often futile. Missiles are more
effective when they're running from you or when they're hovering near you.
Well, that's seven steps already and we haven't even discussed fighting the
Sinistar on this level, so you're on your own from here. Good luck, and good
hunting!
-----------------------
SINISTAR: UNLEASHED FAQ
-----------------------
How can I find the Web site for my 3D board/driver?
Aopen: http://www.aopen.com/
Asus: http://www.asus.com/
ATI Technology: http://support.atitech.ca/drivers/drivers.html
WHAT TECHNICAL SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE FOR THE TWO LEVEL PREVIEW?
Technical support is not available for this preview, with the exception of
online FAQs and support documents. Please check our web site at
http://www.gamefx.com for updates and new information as it becomes
available. You can send specific queries and problems to sinistar-
bugs@gamefx.com, and we'll do our best to address them.
HOW DO I REPORT A BUG?
Our QA department loves to eat bugs, so feed them with any you find by e-
mailing sinistar-bugs@gamefx.com. Please tell us:
Game version (this is the Sinistar: Unleashed Two Level Preview).
Your operating system (Windows 95 or Windows 98).
Your computer model and manufacturer.
Your CPU speed and type (for example, 233 MHz Pentium II).
Your RAM.
Your 3D Accelerator board info (for example, Diamond Stealth II G460).
Your DirectX and 3D accelerator board driver versions (for example, DirectX
6.1).
Your sound card info.
A description of the bug, and all relevant information about it (such as what
level it occurred on). If you can repeat the bug, tell us how you do it!
WHAT 3D CHIPSETS AND DRIVERS HAVE BEEN TESTED WITH THE GAME SO FAR?
Chipset: ATI Rage Pro Turbo
Driver Provider: ATI Technology
Date: 5-12-98
Driver Version: 4.10.2307
Chipset: Matrox Millenium G200 AGP
Driver Provider: Matrox Graphics
Date: 11-4-98
Driver Version: 4.11.01.1000
Chipset: Riva 128
Driver Provider: nVidia
Date: 10-20-98
Driver Version: 4.10.01.0043
Chipset: Riva TNT
Driver Provider: nVidia
Date: 11-17-98
Driver Version: 4.10.01.0048
Chipset: S3 Hercules Savage 3D
Driver Provider: S3 Incorporated
Date: 12-8-98
Driver Version: 4.11.01.4005-6.13.05
Chipset: Voodoo Graphics
Driver Provider: 3Dfx Interactive
Date: 5-11-98
Driver Version: Glide version 2.46
Glide3 version 3.02
Chipset: Voodoo Graphics
Driver Provider: 3Dfx Interactive
Date: 7-7-98
Driver Version: DirectX version 4.10.01.0016
Chipset: Voodoo Graphics
Driver Provider: 3Dfx Interactive
Date: 7-7-98
Driver Version: Glide version 2.46
Chipset: Voodoo Graphics
Driver Provider: 3Dfx Interactive
Date: 11-14-98
Driver Version: Glide version 2.211
Chipset: Voodoo2
Driver Provider: 3Dfx Interactive
Date: 1-22-99
Driver Version: Glide version 2.54
Glide3 version 3.01
Chipset: Voodoo2
Driver Provider: 3Dfx Interactive
Date: 1-22-99
Driver Version: Direct3D version 4.11.01.0350-2.18
Chipset: Voodoo2
Driver Provider: 3Dfx Interactive
Date: 1-22-99
Driver Version: Glide version 2.50
Chipset: Voodoo2
Driver Provider: 3Dfx Interactive
Date: 1-22-99
Driver Version: Direct3D version 4.10.01.0094-2.16
I GET "ERROR: UNABLE TO LOAD SL_TGL.DLL" WHEN I TRY TO RUN THE GAME.
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
If you get the error "Unable to load SL_TGL.dll" when you try to run the game,
your video is configured incorrectly. Run the Video Mode Selector (see
Configuring the Game section for details). In the Selected Device menu, switch
from the RGB Emulation option to the Direct3D HAL option. Then click Save
Settings and rerun the game.
THE GAME LOCKS UP WHEN I USE KEYS LIKE ALT+TAB TO SWITCH FROM THE GAME TO ANOTHER WINDOW. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
The Sinistar: Unleashed Two Level Preview is a full screen application and does
not support the Windows Alt+Tab keyboard shortcut, the Windows key, or other
Windows keyboard shortcuts that cause you to switch windows. (The full game will
support all Windows keyboard shortcuts.) With some 3D chipsets, if you use a
Windows keyboard shortcut (like Alt+Tab to switch to another window from the
preview), you may not be able to return to the game, or the game may not be
playable when you do return to it.
If the preview locks up, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to open the Close Program window,
highlight the "gamefx" line in the window, and click on the End Task button. The
preview will end (this may take a few seconds). You should then reboot your
computer before playing the preview again.
HOW DO I RESTORE THE GAME'S ORIGINAL CONTROLS?
If you change the game's controls (via the Controls option on the
Configuration Screen) and wish to restore the original controls, quit the
game, open the "Sinistar Unleashed" folder on your hard disk, and delete the
following file:
keymap.cfg
When you run the game again, the original key controls will be in effect.
WHY DOES THE GAME START SLOW ON VOODOO BANSHEE AND VOODOO3 BOARDS?
Due to a bug in the current drivers for Voodoo Banshee and Voodoo3 boards,
action in the first second of game play runs very slowly. Things run fine
after the first second.
WHY DO THINGS SOMETIMES LOOK FUNNY WHEN I RUN MY VOODOO BOARD UNDER DIRECT3D?
In this preview, textures sometimes display incorrectly when you run any Voodoo
board (Voodoo Graphics, Voodoo2, Voodoo Banshee, Voodoo3) using Direct3D
drivers. The solution is to use the 3Dfx Glide drivers instead of Direct3D. See
the Video Mode Selector section on how to change your drivers setting for the
preview.
WHY DOES THE VIDEO MODE SELECTOR WINDOW SHOW 3DFX SETTINGS EVEN THOUGH I'VE
REMOVED MY 3DFX BOARD FROM MY PC. CAN I USE THESE SETTINGS ANYWAY?
If your PC doesn't have a 3Dfx card (Voodoo Graphics, Voodoo2, Voodoo Banshee,
or Voodoo3) installed, do not select any 3Dfx setting when using the Video Mode
Selector. Typically, the Video Mode Selector can detect if your PC does not
have a 3Dfx card and automatically will not display any 3Dfx options. However,
if your PC once had a 3Dfx card that was subsequently removed and its software
uninstalled, the uninstallation process may not eradicate all traces of the
card's existence, thereby causing the Video Mode Selector to display 3Dfx settings.
HOW DO I GET MY NVIDIA RIVA 128 (OR 128 ZX) CARD TO DISPLAY MISSING TEXTURES?
Cards based upon the nVidia Riva 128 or 128 ZX chip will sometimes display
surfaces that have missing textures. If you are running the nVidia reference
drivers, you can remedy this by entering the Control Panel (via Settings on the
Start menu), selecting Display, choosing the Riva 128 tab, and making sure that
the "Use Only Square Textures" option is UNCHECKED. If you are running any
drivers other than the reference drivers, consult the documentation for your
specific video card to find out how to change this option. Please make sure
you're running the most recent drivers for your card, whether reference or
manufacturers'.
HOW DO I RUN THE GAME ON A PC WITH A MICROSOFT DIGITAL SOUND SYSTEM 80?
If your computer uses a Microsoft Digital Sound System 80, you must have it
turned ON to play the game. If it is turned off, you will get a "Sound Init
Failed" error when you try to run the game.
WHY WON'T THE MIDDLE BUTTON OF MY THREE-BUTTON MOUSE WORK?
The game does not yet support the middle button of a three-button mouse.
--------------------------------
INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: THE ENEMY
--------------------------------
At great sacrifice, human scouts in ultra-fast unarmed ships have penetrated
portions of the Sinistar universe. From their transmissions and from the
accounts of the few survivors of these missions, Intelligence has prepared
the following briefing for you.
THE SINISTAR UNIVERSE
The Sinistar universe is layered in zones, and you must fight your way
through each level to reach the center. The outer layers are the Sporg zone
-- the Sporg are a space-going species enslaved by the Distilled Evil. The
inner layers comprise Distilled Evil space itself. Sporg space tends to be
well lit and rocky; what little is known about Distilled Evil zone indicates
it is dark and icy.
In many levels throughout the Sinistar universe, the Sporg and Distilled Evil
guard and energize the giant jumpgates for the bio-mechanical Sinistar.
THE SPORG
The Sporg are a space-going species that the Distilled Evil conquered ages
ago. The Distilled Evil redirected Sporg evolution to transform them into a
species of genetically obedient slaves, although a degree of intelligence was
lost in the process. Sporg warriors tend to be numerous and very aggressive,
although they can lack cleverness or subtlety in combat. (Only some of the
Sporg worker and warrior types appear in this preview.)
The Sporg Strike Warrior is a small warrior, quick and agile. It maneuvers in
typical Sporg fashion: well in positive pitch and rolls, but yaw badly and
have limited negative pitch. It has two forward-firing, short-range energy
weapons.
The Sporg Squadron Warrior is a small warrior, similar to the basic Strike
Warrior, although faster and more robust. Squadron Warriors are capable of
formation flying, and can make mass squadron attacks as well as fight
individually.
The Sporg Heavy Fighter is a more massive version of the Strike Warrior, with
improved characteristics, heavier energy weapons, and the ability to fire
missiles. It tends to operate as a stalker and can attack with missiles at
long range. It will often attempt to avoid close-range combat, forcing you to
chase it down to destroy it.
The Sporg Attack Carrier is a warrior that can carry and launch Sporg Strike
Warriors. It can carry up to 8 Strike Warriors and can launch them up to four
at a time. The Carrier is a slow, sturdy warrior with two powerful 2-gun
turrets. It is difficult to destroy but easy to evade.
The Sporg Battlecruiser is a giant version of a Sporg Attack Carrier. It can
carry up to 32 Strike Warriors and 16 Squadron Warriors and can launch them
up to 24 at a time. The Battlecruiser is heavily armed with 12 gun ports.
In addition to the maneuverable warriors, the Sporg have a series of
independent turrets. These turrets have no propulsion and are stationary
relative to the asteroid field (but can rotate). The Light Turret is easily
destroyed and lightly armed with a single laser. The Medium Turret is armed
with dual lasers, has better fire control, and is tougher to destroy than the
Light Turret. The Heavy Turret is tough and heavily armed with three lasers.
Sporg workers mine the asteroids for Sinisite crystals and carry them back to
the jumpgate, to energize it. Workers are unarmed, except for the powerful
Harvester. The Sporg Slave Drudge is an unarmed worker. It is slow, not very
maneuverable, and easily destroyed. The drudge can mine asteroids, gather
crystals, and transport the crystals to a jumpgate. The Slave Miner is faster
and stronger than the Slave Drudge.
The Crystal Transport is a massive, unarmed worker. It can carry crystals and
is very slow and sturdy.
The Harvester is a powerful armed worker. It can grind up entire asteroids,
storing their crystals for the Sinistar. Slave Drudge and Slave Miner workers
can tow asteroids to the Harvester, and the Harvester can also draw asteroids
to it with its tractor beam. It is believed the tractor beam can be used as a
powerful weapon.
THE DISTILLED EVIL
No scouts have ever returned from Distilled Evil space, and their few garbled
transmissions provide scant details. Indications are that the Distilled Evil
tend to be less numerous than the Sporg, but are more robust and are often
much more cunning and crafty. In combat, the Distilled Evil often shun the
mass attacks many Sporg favor and instead may attack from behind, in hit-and-
run surprise actions.
THE SINISTAR
Intercepted Distilled Evil messages, after immense decryption efforts, have
yielded a few clues about the Sinistar. The Distilled Evil are using advanced
cybernetics technology and genetic engineering to build ultra-powerful, bio-
mechanical, idealized versions of themselves: the Sinistar. At least a dozen
are under construction, each embodying specific Distilled Evil genetic
potentials to their maximum. The Sinistar are designed to use the Sinisite
crystals that are prevalent in the Sinistar universe; these crystals give the
Sinistar immense power and special, energy-repulsive abilities. As the
Sinistar are finished and their jumpgates are energized, they will launch
themselves into our universe on a warpath of cosmic death and conquest.
-----------
LEGAL LINGO
-----------
Sinistar: Unleashed Two Level Preview
Copyright 1999, THQ Inc. All rights reserved.
Sinistar copyright 1982 Midway Games Inc. Sinistar and Midway are registered
trademarks of Midway Games Inc. and used under license by THQ Inc. All rights
reserved. GameFX and THQ Inc. are trademarks of THQ Inc. Software to this game (c) 1999 THQ Inc. All rights reserved. Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks
of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Microsoft, Sidewinder,
Windows, Windows 95, and Windows 98 are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Sound Blaster is a registered trademark of Creative Technology Ltd. in the
United States and/or other countries. 3Dfx Interactive, Glide, and Voodoo
Graphics are registered trademarks and Voodoo, Voodoo2, Voodoo3, and Voodoo
Banshee are trademarks of 3Dfx Interactive. All other company and product names
are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
THQ INC. DEMO END USER LICENSE
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PRODUCT YOU INDICATE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS OF THE FOLLOWING AGREEMENT.
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NOT ACCEPT OR AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT. IF
YOU DO USE THIS PRODUCT THEN YOU AGREE TO ALL THE TERMS OF THQ INC.
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