Airhawk


Group file includes: Airhawk, Zhawk, Zasmload


Version: 1.0 for Ti-83


Author: Matthew Roberts (meroberts@chesapeake.net)


Let me warn you first off that this game is BIG. While Zhawk itself takes up a
little less than half of free memory, it needs the other half to execute in. You
can store and run other, smaller programs on a Ti-83 with Airhawk on it, but
Airhawk itself will not run.

Gameplay:
	Pretty straight-foward. Hit any key (other than 2nd and Alpha) to get past
the opening screens. Select your level of difficulty. Difficulty does not change
the composition of the levels, it only can stack the cards in your favor by
giving you more powers and lives to start out with. This game was designed
originally with the difficulty permanently set to 3, but if you can't handle that,
the other settings can help. Not with your pride, though.
	During gameplay, 2nd fires your only weapon, the machine guns. Quit (MODE)
pauses, and if hit repeatedly, exits to the start of the level you are on and
finally to the home screen. The directional keys move your plane. You can hold
down more than one directional key at a time to move in two directions at once.
	The idea is to take out 5 of a certain type of item in each level. In level
one, you have to shoot out the center section of each bridge crossing the river,
and make it to the end of the level, to win. If you reach the end of the level
without getting all five targets, you will restart the level and lose a life.
(The lives you have remaining appear in the upper-left hand corner of the screen,
the number of hits you can take is in the upper right. A number "9" in the upper
right shows you can take at least 9 or more hits before you die.) The tanks do
return fire, and they are not bad shots. Dodge as best as you can, and sink as much
lead into the tanks as you can in the meantime.
	Some tanks have power-ups inside. A square with a "P" inside means it will
increase by 1 the number of hits you can take, whereas a "b" inside the square will
increase your firepower by one. You will be able to tell when your firepower
increases! You have to destroy the tank to get at whatever powerup it may contain.
Finding the bullet power-ups is almost essential to completing those levels with
any bullet power-ups in them. Experiment, shoot every tank you can until you know
where they are and can get to them easily.
	Every other level is a "boss" level. In these levels, you do not have to
destroy anything; you just have to make it to the end. (However, it would be a good
idea to destroy some bad guys on the way.) There are six levels total: 3 regular, long
levels and 3 short, boss levels. The go in this order:

1. Desert
2. Desert boss
3. Water
4. Water boss
5. Europe
6. Europe boss

	Because of memory limitations, this game has precious few ammenities. I would
have liked the levels to be fuller and with more tanks, and have a cool ending sequence,
but 27k of RAM is not much. Sorry.

Known Bugs
	I have not personally experienced any bugs in the version you now posses. The game
should run pretty solidly. It is a good idea to clear the memory before you put the game
on, and try not to put too much else on it. The game will set it so that a blank line
appears under the small text you type on the graph screen. To reset this, if it is a
problem, reset the calculator. At several points in the game, wherever you are on a
screen where you must hit a key do continue, DO NOT LET THE CALC APD (Automatically
Power Down). You could very easily have to pull the batteries to reset the sunsequent
crash.
	I have heard of instance of Airhawk clearing your memory during play. It shouldn't!
If it does do that to you, I apoligize and I don't know why that would ever happen. Please
send me an email telling what the calc did, what level and where in the level you where
when it crashed, and any other pertinent information. I would be happy to fix the bug
(if one is found) and post a version update.

Thanks for tolerating Airhawk's ludicrous memory demands!