Cyclone GBA

Cyclone
General
Author	Quirky
Type	Simulation
Version	1
License	Mixed
Last Updated	2002/11/20
Links
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Source

This is a remake of Cyclone, a multidirectional helicopter game for the ZX Spectrum released by Vortex Software in 1985.

User guide

You are the pilot of a rescue helicopter in the aftermath of a particularly nasty tropical storm. Your mission (you've already accepted it) is to fly around the archipelago collecting all the medical supplies found in the little crates and then bring them all back to Base.

Your helicopter is equipped with a state of the art winch. Ahem. Whenever you fly over a crate, the winch is lowered automatically. When you hover low enough, the hook on the end will get hold of the box and your trusty winch man will reel in the supplies.

Along the way, you can rescue people for bonus points too. Follow a similar tactic to box collection and you'll be racking up the hi scores (which unlock the hidden options...).

Be careful not to get too close to the landscape though, as your copter is especially fragile and one bash often results in catastrophe. You only have 3 lives to begin with, though you earn 1 more every time you complete the mission.

Added to the problem is the cyclone itself - the whirling grey blob (as seen on the map) will hurl your copter out of the sky should you get too close. Your wind gauge warns you of the approaching storm, so pay heed.

Further problems are caused by your allies in the rescue planes - they often fly at such high speed that they don't have time to avoid your slower copter. If you are flying between islands, make sure to keep out of their flight path.

Avoid running out of fuel too - you can refuel for free at any of the landing pads dotted about the islands. Don't spend too long dawdling though, you only have a limited time to collect the crates and return to base.

A tip - you can land almost anywhere, providing it is flat enough, not just on the designated landing pads. Make use of this ability when the cyclone gets too close...

Controls

A - Forwards

B - Show map

L - Change view

Up/Down - Change altitude

Left/Right - Rotate copter

Screenshots

Compatibility

Tested on real hardware using a Flash Advance 256Mb and also on the Visualboy Advance emulator.

Credits

Thanks to:

• Devkit Advance - Jason Wilkins, Jeff Frohwein.
• Tutorials & GBA definitions - Dovoto (@thepernproject).
• Graphics tools (gfx2gba) - Markus .
• Sounds (BoyScout) - Christer Andersson.
• GBA emulators - Forgotten (VisualBoyAdvance), Gollum (Boycott Advance), Bottled Light (Mappy VM).
• Practical examples - staringmonkey.
• Webspace - The Toker.
• Speccy games.

External links

• Author's website - http://www.geocities.ws/quirky_2k1/index.html