        A    CCC   EEEEE  SSSS     W   W IIIII L     DDDD      IIIII IIIII
       A A  C   C  E     S         W   W   I   L     D  DD       I     I
      AAAAA C      EEE    SSS      W W W   I   L     D   D       I     I
      A   A C   C  E         S     W W W   I   L     D  DD       I     I
      A   A  CCC   EEEEE SSSS      WWWWW IIIII LLLLL DDDD      IIIII IIIII

                            Aces Wild II Version 1.0

                              by Mbeanis N. Alzin
                             mbeanis@mindless.com

Aces Wild II is the second of a series of high quality levels for Sqrxz for
the TI-85 Calculator.  Aces Wild I consists of four levels.  It was created
on July 6, 1998, and is entirely copyrighted, including this text file.


BRIEF OVERVIEW
--------------

These are four levels for the experienced player.  Although they are hard,
ample extra lives have been added so that the player should not very often
encounter a Game Over message.  The longest and hardest of these levels is
level four.  Aces Wild II contains no hidden spikes, no necessary enclosed
jumps, no necessary rainbow jumps, and no game traps (this means that Sqrxz
is never stuck in a place where the game must be restarted).  I find these
tricks to be evidence of a lack of creativity in level design.


LEVEL ONE
---------

The Exposition.
Sqrxz recieves one extra life upon descent into this new world, with the
chance of getting another by a difficult jumping manoeuver.  Sqrxz may die
repeatedly on the spikes in an attempt to bolster his extra life count at
this point.  Then be sure that both of the hedgehogs have gone off to the
right before directing Sqrxz down to the floor.  After this, jump over the
three green men, then jump on them as they run to the right.  Quickly run
back out of the spike tunnel and the let the last two grren men run under
Sqrxz, and finally run past the three green men before they rise.  The rest
of this level is easy enough.  Two notes: When the first lever is in sight,
Sqrxz must jump out and back onto the tile so that the bat will appear,
enabling Sqrxz to reach the lever safely.  Similarly, when the exit door is
in sight, Sqrxz must jump very far toward the spikes and back so that the
blob will appear and fall down to infinity before Sqrxz lands just in front
of him.


LEVEL TWO
---------

Compartments.
Upon starting, Sqrxz must bounce off the first green man he lands on, then
jump off the back of the second green man under foot, followed by a jump off
of the blob.  If sqrxz doesn't bounce first, then he lands on the hedgehog,
if he bouces twice, then the hedgehog lands on him.  Then Sqrxz can take two
extra lives, or continue.  The upper lever is mandatory, the lower lever is
optional, but the level can be completed beginning at either point, and to
the best of my knowledge, neither seems easier.  Sqrxz then avoids a bat,
three green men, a few spikes and he comes to a third lever.  This marks one
of the hardest parts of Aces Wild II.  I won't discuss how to complete this
part from a far approach, but once the player has died and restarted atop the
wall.  Sqrxz must wait for the bats to approach a little bit.  Then he must
walk off and land squarely on the last bat, then he jumps off of the third
green man, then the first in line, then the last in line, and finally out in
front of and onto the first bat.  This should put Sqrxz atop the wall of
bridge tiles.  Sqrxz must cause all these tiles to disappear, so that the
green men may follow him to the wall on the next screen.  Be sure that Sqrxz
jumps across all these bridge tiles that line the bottom, because a gap in
the bridge of more than one tile will prevent the green men from following
Sqrxz, and he requires the green men in order that he may jump up high to
reach the gap in the far wall.  Then run through the wasted space, and the
last two screens of the level are easy enough.


LEVEL THREE
-----------

Par Two.
This is an easy level.  Anyone who has struggled with the level "Hard Metal
Edge" will have no difficulty in getting past the first set of spikes.  Then
the blob must be used to reach the upper level, and a jump off of a bat will
bring Sqrxz to a simple pit.  Two green men are visible running back and
forth.  Sqrxz must jump off one of them in the first compartment, the other
in the second compartment, and jump twice before the green men return to third
compartment.  This is acheived by jumping at the farthest bridge tile and the
bridge tile just after the last spikes, thereby leaving no gap of two spaces
for the green men to fall through.  A lever is found.  traverse the
treacherous bridge sequence, passing another switch along the way, dying a few
times, and ultimately reaching the exit.


LEVEL FOUR
----------

I can't believe how long it is!
The first screen is a strategy and timing exercise.  Be careful with the jump
over the spikes off the bats- it will be very frustrating the first few times.
But somehow there is a swith there with an extra life (sort of).  Advanced
players will have no trouble with the diagonal brick patterns, the spikes
under the four extra lives, or round bat pit.  once the third lever is
reached, Sqrxz may die a few times trying to cross the broken bridge, but
have faith, it is possible.  Then manoeuver past the enemies and up to the
fourth switch.  Stand as far to the right on the precipice as possible, and
take a leap of faith to the platform below.  Then climb the portculises, but
be sure to leave a path for return, release the green man above, and return to
the lower ground, where Sqrxz uses the green man for a high jump up the far
wall.  Hit the switch, grab the extra man, and brace yourself for another
difficult part.  jump to the bridge, past the bats at first, and onto the
first solid tile.  Allow as many bats to pass you going right as possible,
then jump across them and onto safety.  Work thorugh both portculises and down
to the next switch.  One death at least is probably necessary.  This part may
be completed by first closing the portculis, then when the bats approach, jump
three times against the wall on the left, landing on the first, third, and
fifth bats sequentially.  Then jump on the fourth bat he passes to the right,
jump hitting the tile above, and off the last remaining bat.  Then take the
lower passage.  Sqrxz must die once here in flipping the switch.  A couple
simple tricks later, Sqrxz will find himself at the first sign of earth
terrain in the whole world.  Those who know the secret can get the extra lives
and bypass an encounter with the hedgehog.  Finally comes a somewhat tricky
part with two green men and lots of spikes, followed by a thank you message
amidst a few spikes.  That's all.


NOTES
-----

The reason I chose the name Aces Wild is on an alphabetical basis, no other
reason, so don't ask.  The program takes up about 1300 bytes, so it's pretty
small.  Thank you for playing, and feel free to distribute the zip file, un-
modified, and with this text file.  Thanks to Jimmy Mardell for adapting this
wonderful game for the TI-85.  Also feel free to adapt this world and Aces
Wild (the first one) to TI-86 format, and rezip it with this text file.
Sorry the text file is so long.


UPCOMING RELEASES
-----------------

Aces Wild III is already in the works, and anybody who gives me any kind of
feedback by email (mbeanis@mindless.com) will recieve by email the early
version of Aces Wild III, before it is posted anywhere else.  I use Jimmy
Mardell's level editor for DOS which was included with the Sqrxz zip file.


(C) 1998 Mbeanis N. Alzin

