BoboBot
Documentation

WHAT IS BOBOBOT?

BoboBot is a multi-level one-player action game starring "BoboBot," the robo-monkey. It's played with the keyboard, or optionally with a joystick, uses Xlib to display graphics, and optionally uses Sam Lantinga's "Simple Direct-Media Layer" to play music and sound.

THE STORY

An evil force has begun taking control of Earth, and it's your job to stop it. To do this, you must travel the globe and defeat eight evil bosses to get access to the evil force, wherever it is hiding. As you defeat these bosses, you also gain special weapons and abilities.

REQUIREMENTS

BoboBot is for X-Window. You need a UNIX system to compile the source code and run the program. You need an X display (a Linux box, a UNIX workstation, or an X-Window server for a PC or Mac) to see the game and interact.

You need a Linux system to play with joystick and/or sound and music.

BoboBot was developed under RedHad Linux on a 133MHz Pentium PC with 16MB and later with 64MB RAM. A generic game pad controller and a 16bit Sound Blaster sound and game card were used during development.

To compile BoboBot, you'll need a C compiler ("gcc" was used during development, and is recommended), and "make". Xlib needs to be installed, of course. A joystick driver and the SDL (Simple Directlayer Media) library are required for joystick and sound.

INSTALLATION

Compiling

See the INSTALL file.

Where Do I Get The Libraries?

Vojtech Pavlik's excellent Linux Joystick Driver can be downloaded from:

http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~vojtech/joystick/

The Simple Direct-Media Layer and SDL_Mixer libraries (for sound and music) can be downloaded from:

http://www.libsdl.org/

X-Window Icon

If you'd like to add "BoboBot" to, say, "GoodStuff" for FVWM, or set a default icon in WindowMaker, feel free to use the included "bobobot-icon.xpm" image.

I used this in my ".fvwmrc" file:

*GoodStuff BoboBot .../bobobot-icon.xpm Exec "BoboBot" exec .../bobobot

Where "..." is the path to the files on this computer.

I also have this line, which makes the icon appear when I minimize the "BoboBot" game window:

Style "BoboBot" Icon .../bobobot-icon.xpm

Where "..." is the path to the icon on this computer.

STARTING BOBOBOT

To begin a game, run the "bobobot" executable.

Arguments accepted include:

• bobobot some.display:0.0

  Open a window on the display specified, instead of the default display (taken from your "DISPLAY" environment variable).

• bobobot --nomusic

  If sound and music are compiled in, this will disable music. You will hear sound effects only.

• bobobot --nosound

  If sound and music are compiled in, this will disable sound effects. You will hear music only.

• bobobot --help

  Show a very brief help screen to remind you how to play, and quit.

• bobobot --version

  Show the version of "bobobot" that you're playing, and the versions of SDL and the joystick driver supported, if they were compiled in. Then quit.

THE TITLE SCREEN

When you begin a game of BoboBot, after a spending a few moments loading graphics, the "BoboBot" title screen will appear.

Press [SPACE] or any fire button on your joystick at any time to begin a new game of BoboBot.

Press [Q] at any time to quit "BoboBot" completely.

A few different graphics will show up on the title screen, some of which give tips on playing!

THE GAME

Level-Selection Screen

When you start a new game, you'll see the level-selection screen. There are 9 rectangles on the screen (three by three) and a pulsating selection cursor.

At this screen, you choose which part of the world (hence, which boss) you wish to travel to.

You can select any of the 8 outer levels. The center box represents the evil force's level. You cannot get to that level until you've beaten the 8 other levels.

Use the [ARROW] keys or the joystick controller to move the selection cursor over the level you wish to play. Notice that at the bottom the name of the place and the name of the boss appear. Over the selection cursor, an image of the boss will appear.

(Note: Once you've beaten a level, you can't go back. This is represented by the level's box being greyed out and a big red slash going through it. If you place the selection cursor over it, you'll see the word "DONE" instead of its boss.)

Press [SPACE], [RETURN] or any fire button to enter that level. Once there, you can't return to the level-selection screen until you've defeated the entire level! (Or, of course, if you give up or lose and begin a new game.)

Press [Q] to give up. You will be asked if you're sure. Press [Y] to quit back to the title screen, aborting your game, or [N] to keep playing and remain in the level-selection screen.

Game Screen

The game is seen from the side. You are the little monkey (BoboBot).

Health

At the upper left is a green health meter. As you get hurt (by bumping into, or being shot by enemies) your health goes down, the green being replaced by red. When your health runs out, you lose a life.

When you've beaten a level and gained a new weapon, whenever that weapon is selected, you'll see it's ammunition meter on the very right of your health meter. (An image of the weapon will be in the center of this meter.)

Note: your default weapon is unlimited, so no ammunition meter appears when you have this weapon selected.

When you've reached the end of a level, and are being faced with the level's evil boss, his/her health meter will be displayed next to your meters.

Lives

At the upper right the number of lives you have are displayed. (A number next to a little monkey head.) You start with 3 lives and when you reach 0, the game is over.

Special Screens

As you travel through different environments in the levels, you'll come across the following:

• Wavey, underwater screens
• Snowy screens
• Dark screens, where you can only see the area immediately around your character
• Flickery screens, where there's a broken lamp which causes the screen to flash between lit (normal) and dark

Moving Around The Screen

To move BoboBot, use the arrow keys or the joystick.

[LEFT] - Face left, move left
[RIGHT] - Face right, move right

The longer you hold left or right, the faster you run.

Remember this when you need to jump a long way... you will probably want to get a running start!

Also know that you can maneuver in mid-air with the [LEFT] and [RIGHT] arrow keys. Just know that if you turn the other way, or let go of both keys, you'll STOP moving left or right, and just fall straight down!

To jump, use the [SPACE] key or the [A-Fire] button on your joystick.

You can only jump when you're standing on a solid surface.

The longer you hold the jump, the higher you jump. Sometimes, you DON'T want to hold jump as long as you can. There are many tricky spots where you'll bump your head if you jump too high, and won't be able to land where you need to (usually falling to your doom).

Using Your Weapon(s)

BoboBot can have up to 9 weapons.

The first is your standard bullet. You start with this weapon, and never run out of ammunition.

The other eight weapons are gained as you defeat levels.

To shoot, press the [Z] key on the keyboard, or the [B-Fire] button on your joystick.

To go to the weapon-selection screen press the [TAB] key on the keyboard, or the [C-Fire] or [D-Fire] button on your joystick if you have one.

(NOTE: You can't change weapons, and therefore can't get to the weapon-selection screen, unitl ALL of your bullets are off of the screen!)

While in the weapon-selection screen, press [UP] and [DOWN] to select a different weapon, and [TAB], [SPACE] or [RETURN] or any fire button to exit the weapon-select screen and return to the game.

Some weapons are aimable. If you're not holding any direction, you'll shoot the way you're facing. Otherwise, aimable weapons will shoot in the direction you're pressing on the arrow keys or the joystick.

Different weapons have different effects. Some do damage, others affect enemies in other ways (for example, "Ice Blaster" freezes the enemy for a moment).

After you've gained a new weapon, if you have a chance, practice with that new weapon to understand how it works.

Note that some enemies require a different number of shots, depending on what weapon you're using. Some enemies aren't even affected by some weapons! (Your bullet will ricochet off of them.)

Moving Around The Level

You start at the left on the first screen of the level, and maneuver your way through the level one screen at a time. Usually, you're headed to the right, but sometimes you need to jump up to a screen above, drop down to a screen below, and even go left.

Often, but not always, you can go back to screens you've already visited. (Sometimes you just can't reach, and sometimes the game just won't let you go back.) If you didn't destroy all of the enemies on that screen, they'll be there waiting, so watch out!

Many screens which aren't solid at the bottom can be quite dangerous. Unless it's OBVIOUS that down is the only way to go, avoid falling to the bottom or you'll die!

Some screens are "Checkpoints". If you die, you'll be returned to a checkpoint screen (rather than going all the way to the beginning of the level).

Upgrades and Other Goodies

When you destroy enemies, sometimes a "goody" pops out.

Grab them quickly, because they disappear after a few moments.

Note: Some screens (usually secret ones that you have to look for) already have "goodies" on them. They don't disappear until you pick them up. But, once you grab them, you can't go back to the screen and get them again!

• Banana
  Gives you a little health. (About 8%)

  
  

• Bunch of Bananas
  Gives you a lot of health. (About 40%)

  
  

• Little Bolt
  Gives you a little more ammunition for THE CURRENTLY SELECTED WEAPON. (About 8%)

  
  

• Nut and Bolt
  Gives you a lot of ammunition for THE CURRENTLY SELECTED WEAPON. (About 40%)

  
  

• Monkey Head
  "One-Up!" It's an extra life!

  
  

• ???
  SOME secret screens have "goodies" not listed here! Sometimes you've even got to figure out HOW to get them! Good luck!

If you grab a goodie and it has an affect (for example, your health gets increased because it wasn't at 100% and you grabbed a banana), you will hear a sound and the goody will fly up to the appropriate status display on the screen. (For example, a banana would fly up to the upper left, where your health meter is.)

If the goody has no effect (for example, you grab a banana but your health is already at 100%, or you grab a bolt, but the weapon you have selected is the normal bullet gun), the goody will drop off the bottom of the screen quietly.

Defeating Bosses

At the end of each level is the level's boss. Some tips to defeating bosses are:

• Try to make sure your health is full before you fight a boss.
• Try to make sure your weapons are full, too.
• Watch the pattern of movement and shooting the boss has.
• Notice how the boss reacts to you. Use this knowledge to your advantage!
• Stay CALM!

Some bosses are better fought against with different weapons.

Here's a really big hint!

• Defeat "The Mummy" of Egypt before you try to defeat "Chronoman" of Switzerland!

Eventually, you'll find your own preference of who to beat first, and with practice, you'll whip through the levels very quickly!

CREDITS

Concept:	Bill Kendrick, Melissa Hardenbrook
Graphics:	Bill Kendrick, Marianne Waage, Melissa Hardenbrook
Software:	Bill Kendrick
Sound effects:	Bill Kendrick and others (WAV's and AU's downloaded from many sound archives)
Music:	Title screen: "Welcome Home" by "Lizardking" of Alcatraz Gustaf Grefberg, 1993. Used with permission. gustaf.grefberg@pp.itv.se http://www.itv.se/~a1055/ Antarctic: "Ambient Power" by Vogue of Triton Magnus Hogdahlnd, 1993 Egypt: "Crystal Orbit" by ??? Switzerland: "Crystal Starlight" by ??? Grand Canyon: "Bombtrack" by Amathiew Berthaud 1994 Final Level: "Zak-zaka-zak-zak" by Purple Motion 1994 Level select: "Walk'n Titanize" by Dizzy of CNCD Juha Kujanpaa, 1993. Used with permission. jtkujanp@itu.cc.jyu.fi http://www.jyu.fi/~jtkujanp/ Bosses: "Belewian" by Dizzy of CNCD 1994. Used with permission.
Patches:	Dennis Payne for recoding the keyboard routines more efficiently.
Thanks to:	Sam Lantinga for writing and supporting SDL. Vojtech Pavlik for writing and supporting joystick driver.

(c) 1998-1999 New Breed Software

CONTACT

Comments, questions, suggestions and DONATIONS accepted!

E-mail:	bobobot@newbreedsoftware.com
Website:	http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/bobobot/
Phone:	1-530-759-1019
Postal:	Attn: Bobobot New Breed Software c/o Bill Kendrick 919 Drake Drive #147 Davis, California 95616-0838 USA