User Manual
HEAD
OVER
HEELS
HEADOVERHEELS
Licence
This game is licensed as freeware. This means you can give copies of it
to your friends or put it on web sites in its original, unaltered state - as
it was downloaded from the Retrospec website. You are not allowed
to charge any kind of money for downloading or for any media you put
in on. This includes placing it on pages with paid banners (although
compulsory banners from free ISPs is okay) or adverts. If you want to
distribute it on any freeware/shareware CDs then you must first get the
permission of the two main authors (Tomaz Kac and Graham Goring)
and supply each of them with a copy of the CD that it is featured on.
Obviously, the CDs must not be sold to gain profit, though.
System Requirements
The game requires a PC with at least 128Mb of RAM (256Mb is
recommended) and one of the Microsoft Windows operating systems
(any will do, but newer ones require more memory!) with atleast Direct-X
3 installed. It should run fine on a Pentium 233Mhz or better processor.
However the menu system might be less than responsive on lower-end
computers (although the game will hopefully run fine on systems slower
than 233Mhz with a few tweaks to the options).
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THE MENU SYSTEM
Use Cursor keys UP and DOWN with ENTER to navigate the menus. Alternatively you can
use any controls that you configure yourself. The ESCAPE key will exit the current menu.
MAIN MENU
PLAY THE GAME
This will present you with a new menu in which you can start a NEW GAME from scratch or
load a previusly saved OLD GAME and continue where you left off.
CHANGE CONTROLS
This will allow you to change all controls in the game. Any key can be used for any control.
You can also use any DirectX compliant Joypads or Joysticks that are connected to your
system.
ADJUST THE SOUND
Allows you to choose the sound mode and sound/music volume in the game.
GAME OPTIONS
Will present a new menu with additional game options.
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PLAY THE GAME
With NEW GAME option you will start from scratch. However if you have previously saved
your game then you can choose it from the second menu accessed by the OLD GAME
option. Just select the game you want to continue playing and press Action button.
CHANGE CONTROLS
It is important to utilise this function properly.
Step (a) Move cursor to highlight the required control on which the keys are to be changed.
Step (b) Press ENTER or Action Button (clears the current key).
Step (c) Press the key/pad button/joystick direction required for control (it will be printed
on the current line as it is pressed).
Spep (d) When all keys are selected go to BACK selection to go to Main Menu.
Default Keys (all keys are redefinable) :
Up/Down/Left/Right
- Move through the room
Space
- Jump/Teleport
Enter
- Pickup/Drop Objects
- Jump & Pickup/Drop simultaneously
LEFT CTRL
- Fire Doughnut
RGHT CTRL
- Swap Head/Heels or Join Them Together
ESC
- Quit
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ADJUST THE SOUND
There are 3 distinct sound levels within the game. These are different sound tracks as
opposed to volumes. One may select from:(a) NASTY
- All jingles and game sounds
(b) SO-SO
- Useful game sounds
(c) LATE
- Very few sounds (almost none)
Also you can set the separate volume levels for Background Music and Sound effects in the
game!
GAME OPTIONS
There are several things you can change here. Mainly it depends on how good you already
are at playing the game, how good your computer is and if you want to play the game with
keyboard or joypad.
SHADOWS - The game engine features shadow casting onto floor and objects (this is the
first engine to do so). With this option you can select how accurate you want Shadow
casting to be :
COMPLEX
- Shadows on objects and realistic shadows on Floors
MEDIUM
- Shadows on objects and additive shadows on Floors
SIMPLE
- Only additive shadows on Floors
If your computer is fast enough (over 233Mhz) then we recommend you use the COMPLEX
mode, since it looks the best !
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GAME SPEED - The overall speed of the game. ORIGINAL is the same speed as it was all
those years ago on Spectrum. If you are just starting to play the game you could select
SLOW, if you are already very experienced in it then FAST mode is recommended.
GFX MODE - Here you can select if you want to play the game in FULL SCREEN or
WINDOWED mode. Normally FULL SCREEN is faster, but on modern systems it doesnt
really matter.
TRIPLE BUFFERING - If your graphics card is able to use this option (normally in
WINDOWED mode this option is not available on any card) then you should select it - it will
enable very smooth scrolling for the big rooms. If this is not enabled then a tearing effect
might be present when scrolling.
CONTROL SENSITIVITY - This selects how diagonal controls are interpreted. It is imperative
for full enjoyment that you set this option correctly. If you select HIGH sensitivity then you
can walk in one direction and quickly change it by 90 degress while holding the same key.
It is recommended that you select HIGH sensitivity if you are playing with Keyboard! If you
are playing with a Joypad/Joystick it is recomended to select the LOW sensitivity mode so
that you dont accidentaly go into the wrong direction!
IN-GAME MENU
While playing the game you can press the QUIT key and you will be presented with another
menu.
RESUME GAME - Will exit the menu and cancel the QUIT request
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QUIT GAME - Will go back to the main menu and abort the current game.
If you have any Save Games left (ie, you picked up a Reincarnation Fish) then you will also
be presented with another menu:
SAVE GAME - Here you can select any of the free slots (or you can overwrite an already
filled slot), name your game and save it. You can also go back to the previous menu. You
have 6 slots available to fill.
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Online High Scores
When you run out of lives or complete the game the computer will show you Retrospec
High Score Code. You can use this code to enter your score into an online High Score
Table on the retrospec web server. Just write this code down on paper and go to http:
//retrospec.sgn.net/ and follow the instructions there to enter the high score into online
database!
If you want to just copy/paste the code to the browser then you can do that since when the
code is displayed on the screen it is also AUTOMATICALLY copied to the clipboard. The last
code that was shown is also stored in the file HighScoreCode.txt which is put in the same
directory to which you installed the game.
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TROUBLE-SHOOTING
The game will initially start in WINDOWED DIRECT-X Mode. This mode should be availble
on most (if not all) modern graphics cards. However if you are unable to start the game for
some reason then you should try and change the following things before you do anything
else:
1. Try changing colour depth of your desktop mode to either 15 bit (High Colour), 16 bit
(High Colour), 24 bit (True Colour) or 32 bit (True Colour). Also try changing the resolution.
One of these should work with Head Over Heels.
2. If the colour mode/resolution did not work then you should change the graphics mode
of HoH game with the command line switches. You can do this by changing its shortcut
(go to Start Menu -> Programs -> Head Over Heels and right click on the Head Over Heels
icon (the one you use to start the game with) and select Properties. In this window you
can add command line switches at the END of the Target: text box. Just edit this text box
and add the switches (with spaces in front) to it. You should try the -r1 or -r3 switch at
first. If that fails try the -r4 switch - which will turn on the GDI Windowed mode - this is
the slowest solution but it should work on ALL graphics cards, even those which you made
yourself out of bits of tin foil and drawing pins.
Command Line Switches:
-rX
= FORCE Resolution Mode to X , where X is :
0: Windowed
DIRECTX
Mode
1: Full Screen AUTODETECT Mode
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2: Windowed
-bgr
AUTODETECT Mode
3: Full Screen DIRECTX
Mode
4: Windowed
Mode
GDI
= Use BGR Graphics mode instead of RGB (if you get BLUE or different coloured
graphics then use this option - normally when using GDI !!!)
If you want the game to use GDI mode then you MUST set the -r4 switch.
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History Of The Blacktooth Empire
Far, far away from our star Sol lies the Blacktooth empire, an evil empire, four worlds
enslaved by the planet Blacktooth. All of the slave worlds bubble with unrest, but due to
the oppressive nature of their rulers they never reach boiling point, they all lack a leader to
draw the masses of population together.
Blacktooth itself is not any better, a world rigidly controlled by its dynastic leaders for so
long that the populace do not even think about revolution. The peoples of the neighbouring
stars are getting very worried about signs of military expansion from Blacktooth and
have sent a spy from the planet Freedom to see if he can push the slave planets into full
rebellion by finding the crowns lost when Blacktooth took over. The creatures of Freedom
are very strange in that they are formed from a pair of symbolic animals that have adapted
to operate either independantly or, to their mutual advantage, join together as one - Head
saddled on Heels, and indeed these ARE their names and both are highly trained spies.
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The Game
Head and Heels have been captured, separated and imprisoned in the castle headquaters
of Blacktooth. Their cells contain keep fit equipment, including a wall ladder that Head
really must learn to climb. Your job is to get them both out of the castle and into the market
place so they can join up again. From there, the journey leads to Moonbase Headquaters,
where you will have to decide either to try to escape back to Freedom or to be a true
hero and teleport to one of the slave planets to search for its lost crown! To overthrow
the dictatorship on any of the slave planets would be a major blow to Blacktooth and
you could return to Freedom in glory. Of course Blacktooth would probably enslave them
again eventually but it would slow down any expansion plans for now. The populace
of Blacktooth are so heavily oppressed that they would have to see all four of the slave
planets revolt before the Blacktooth crown could cause an uprising. This of course would be
the ultimate accolade, and unfortunately, almost certain suicide.
Egyptus
Once, a long time ago, a craft from Blacktooth got a bit lost while doing a hyperspace jump
and landed on an unknown planet. Here the crew found a primative animal forming a sort
of civilisation that appeared to revolve around wrapping corpses in lots of bandages and
putting them into huge stone pyramids. When they returned to Blacktooth their emperor
liked the sound of it so much that he rebuilt the capital city of one of the slave planets to
resemble the story.
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Penitentiary - The empires prison planet
Millions are imprisoned here. A harsh planet, very mountainous, much climbing, skill
required. The worst place is The Pit, try not to fall into it!
Safari
A densely vegitated planet, mainly used for hunting. The natives live in wooden forts in the
junge, beware traps!
Book World
The emperor is very keen on cowboy books, and has devoted an entire world to a western
library. Only the emperors minions are permitted to read them. Information is rigotously
suppressed in the empire.
Blacktooth
This planet has a large moon with three lunar space stations on it, the larger of these, Moon
station HQ, is the main teleport centre for the empire, with a direction teleport to all the
slave planets. Sometime after the Egyptus episode, the latest Emperor sent out a craft to
find that same strange planet, and after much exploration it was finally located and the craft
landed. However the crew found the people had changed: instead of pyramids they used
castles and houses, instead of wrapping corpses up in cloth, they wrapped living men in
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metal and then tried to turn them into corpses with sharp metal sticks. The Emperor, not
to be outdone by his ancestor, built a huge resplendant stately home on Blacktooth and
used it as his headquaters. This home is surrounded by a small market, and then a range of
impassable mountains. The only way to leave is via teleport to one of the three lunar space
stations.
Head (Headus Mouthion)
This creature is a symbiotic partner to Heels and will normally be found sitting on top of
one. Head is descended from a breed of flying reptile and still has rudimentary wings that
allow Head up to twice his own height and to guide himself though the air.
Heels (Footus Underium)
During Heelss evolution the arms have totally disappeared while the legs have become
very powerful. Heels can jump his own height and can also run very fast.
Reincarnation Fish
The strangest animal in the known universe! This fish likes to be eaten! There have been
cases of it jumping onto plates! But there is more: when you eat one, its prodigious
memory remembers everything about you. Its memory is so good that if you die at some
later date, you will be reincarnated at the very place you ate the fish, and you will even
have the taste still in your mouth! How a fish can remember anything when its been eaten
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has never been successfully explained. You must be very careful to check that the fish is
alive and wriggling as dead fish decompose very quickly and it rapidly turns so poisonous
that a single lick can kill.
WARNING: Even living reincarnation fish taste horrible!
Head and Heels can share the fish they pick up. They can store them for indefinite periods
of time for them to be used when you are in a real jam! Check the SAVE GAME menu to
see how many Fish you have left to be used.
Cuddly Stuffed White Rabbits
The cute toy bunnies magically enhance your powers. The status display at the bottom
of the screen will keep you informed as to which powers are temporarily enhanced. If
Head and Heels are connected when they pick up a Life or Iron pill they will both get the
enhanced power. There are four types:
(1) Two extra lives
(2) Iron Pills (to make you invulnerable)
[Shield icon]
(3) Jump higher bunny. This only works on Heels
[Spring icon]
(4) Go faster bunny. This only works on slow moving Head.
[Flash icon]
If Heels pick up a go faster bunny or Head picks up a jump bunny the bunnies power is
wasted!
The bunnies are coloured differently... you must learn which bunny gives which extra
attributes !
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Hooter
The hooter may be used by Head to fire doughnuts at attacking mosters. This will freeze
them in place as they lick the doughnuts off their faces. The hooter may only be used by
Head and requires a tray of doughnuts to be of any use.
Doughnuts
Tray of six doughnuts are few and far between so dont waste shots. Only Head may pick
up doughnuts. The number of remaining doughnuts will be displayed above the doughnut
icon at the bottom left of the screen.
Bag
The bag may be used to carry small objects around a room. It is essential for Heels to
find and get the bag as it is impossible to get far without it. The object in the bag will be
displayed immediately above the bags icon at the bottom right of the screen. To pick up an
object just stand on top of it and press the CARRY key. It is not possible to drop an object in
a doorway.
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Crowns
Find a crown and start a revolution. At the beginning of each game a screen showing all five
crowns will be displayed. As each crown is collected this screen will be shown again with
the appropriate crowns in bright colour.
Teleports
Standing on a teleport will activate its machanism, this will sound a warning siren. Pressing
the jump key will cause you to teleport. Not all teleports are two way, some are linked in a
chain.
Springs
Jumping from a spring will give extra height to your jump.
Switches
Simply push the switch to switch things off and on! WARNING: Switching a deadly monster
off will stop him moving but he will still be deadly to touch.
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Conveyor Belts
The rollers on the conveyor simply push you along it. If you wish to go the opposite
direction you have to jump along (if you are Head). They will just make Heels go slower!
Hush Puppies
These are a very strange type of beast, they are increadibly sleepy, in fact they never
wake up and it is quite normal for them to sleep for their entire lives. They are often
used as tables and even used as building bricks. They are a native of Freedom and for
many thousands of years Head and his ancestors have been mistaking them for Heels
and causing so much trouble to the poor old hush puppies they they evolved a defence
mechanism, they somehow learned to teleport themselves away. Nobody knows where
they go but the instant they see any of Heads race they disappear and wont return until
thay are sure the coast is clear.
The Emperors Guardian
The guardian blocks the door to the throne room in Blacktooth castle, he is very dangerous
and he doesnt like doughnuts. Only a true hero may pass the guardian.
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Swop Key
If Head is sitting on Heels the swop key will, on each push, give you control of:
(1) Heels. (2) Head & Heels. (3) Head. (4) Head & Heels.
If Head is not on Heels the swop key will, on each push, give you control of:
(1) Head. (2) Heels.
At all times the character(s) whose icon is lit is under player control. When Head and Heels
are joined together all their abilities are combined.
Life Transfer
When one of the creatures looses all lives and the other has still plenty an autmatic life
transfer will be done. If they are separated when the tragic event happens then 2 lives
will be transferred from the other creature, otherwise (if they are joined) only 1 life will be
transferred !
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Hints and Tips
1. Beginners should aim to escape from Blacktooth and get back to Freedom initially. Only
the very skilled can hope to liberate a planet or two.
2. When you first get Head and Heels in the same location, practice placing Head on top of
Heels and joining them together accurately with the swop key. Both of their icons will light
up when they are successfully joined.
3. Remember Head and Heels are a team. Just because both are in the same room does
not mean you have to join them together, and in fact some problems may only be solved
by separating Head and Heels.
4. Make sure Head learns to climb ladders, this is an essential skill.
5. Both Heelss bag and Heads hooter must be collected at the initial stages for there to be
any chance of completing the game.
6. Find a safe spot and get used to how far Head and Heels may move over the edge of a
brick before they fall, this will enable you to make the longest jumps.
7. Learn the difference in distance and control betwen Heads jumps and Heelss jumps.
9. Make a map.
10. Do not waste doughnuts, they are not easy to find.
11. Display screens such as the Five planets or the Final score may be
aborted by pressing any key.
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12. Do not get confused, only Heels may carry anything and only Head may fire.
13. To discover if there is a room above, pile objects high as possible and jump from the
top. If there is a spring in the room, put it on the top for extra jumping height.
14. If you cant understand a room, try exiting and entering again, watching carefully for any
movement in the room as you enter.
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Credits
Original game written by Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond.
This game is produced by RETROSPEC group. Check out our homepage at :
http://retrospec.sgn.net/
The remake was done by mainly these two people in their spare time :
Tomaz Kac - TomCat@sgn.net
- All Programing (with the aid of Allegro programing library)
- New Room Design
Graham Goring - GrahamG@Zedtwo.com
- All Graphics (pixelated by hand)
Additional work for this remake was done by :
Dorian Black - Mezkal@Mezkal.com
- Both Musical Scores and main part of Sound Effects
Peter Jovanovic - pierre@datagate.co.uk
- Title Picture and Logo
- Web Site Design
- PDF Booklet and HTML design
Ignacio Perez Gil - ZMEIPG@sevillana.grupoendesa.com
- Additional Sound Effects
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The game would not be so good without a plethora of beta testers :
Metka Jostl
James R Curry
Kakarot
Milos Babovic
Russel Hoy
Sir Dave-O
Also big thanks go out to all members of RETROSPEC. Check the messages in the game for
other important notes and additional thanx.
For more information and updates, etc. visit our official homepage at:
http://retrospec.sgn.net/games/hoh/
September 2003
HEAD
OVER
HEELS
http://retrospec.sgn.net/games/hoh/
September 2003
