mick and Mack's Global Gladiators by Virgin Author: DJ Tigresa and MC Pantera Email: djtigresa@classicgaming.com, mcpantera@classicgaming.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It’s time to save the environment! Choose one of two ultra-cool McDonald’s characters to help in your fight to stomp out toxic waste while learning to recycle. Warm up your Super Soaker to blast the slime and mutant creatures. Collect A (M) throughout each level to qualify for the recycling Bonus Round with extra lives. This is as close to Sonic as anyone has gotten. Gameplay is quick and fun, with bright graphics and incredibly smooth animation. The characters have major amounts of personalities as they chew gum and spin their guns on their fingers. It’s a one-player, side-scrolling action/adventure with a medium to high level of difficulty. Challenge five stages with three levels each. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TIPS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Every level plays the same. The only difference is an increasing number of enemies and tougher terrain. Memorize the ter rain of each level as you play so you can avoid the dangerous areas later. Never leap off a ledge and hope to find land below, because often there won’t be any. Always check out the land below before jumping for an Arch (M) in mid-air. You can look down a short distance by pressing down on the control pad. Collect 75 Arches (M) to qualify for the Bonus Round, where you must grab falling items and place them in the proper container. There are less than 100 arches on each level, so grab every one you see. Many of the arches will be out of reach, but within sight. You can reach every one that you see, so explore the surrounding areas for hidden steps or launching slime. Always fire rapidly while walking to knock out creatures and intercept flying slime shot towards you. Each time you shoot the gun, you’ll be knocked back a few inches. Be careful when firing rapidly while standing near a cliff. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stage 1: Slime Jungle ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STAGE 1-1: This is basic training for what’s ahead. Try to grab every Arch you see. If you can’t jump to it, jump around in the area to find hidden steps, which flash with white light when you touch them. Once you find one step, try to jump straight up to find more. There are also ledges below Arches sometimes, which you can jump to and use to reach Arches further over. Other Arches can be reached by the Slime Launchers that shoot you up when you stand on them, allowing you to jump extremely high. Check out the cool ani mations. Stand still and wait to view a few different poses and tricks. Also, when you’re standing on a hidden platform, move near the edge. Awesome! When you’ve given up the search for Arches, head to the upper-right and run through Ronald’s checkered flag to end the level. The Arches that fall from the sky at the end of the round are collectable for points, so don’t let go of that controller! BONUS ROUND: The longer you play the Bonus Round, the faster the garbage will fall. If you don’t pick up an item fast enough, the round ends. All three buttons serve the same purpose — to throw away the garbage — which unfortunately means you can’t jump. Watch for an Extra Life to fall, which is in the form of a block with your face on it. It’s okay to let it hit the ground, but don’t leave it there too long or it will disappear. STAGE 1-2: There’s a tricky Extra Life near the beginning of this stage. Go to the right about four screen widths. There’s a high ledge where you can jump to see the Extra Life block, and a thorny yellow rose to the right. Go down the hill and hit the Checkmark (down arrow), then climb straight up from the Checkmark and blow up the pollution machine. Go to the next ledges at the right to find a Slime Launcher next to a daisy. Step on the Slime Launcher and jump left as you’re launched to land on the first Arch. A hidden platform is directly below it. Now jump across to each of the Arches to the left, being careful to land straight down on them to find the hidden platforms. As you go further to the left you’ll see the Extra Life. Be warned: the red Arch directly before the Extra Life does NOT have a hidden platform below it. If you jump to it, you’ll fall to the ground and never be able to find the hidden platforms again without the Arches as a guide. Jump over this last Arch to reach the Extra Life. The rest of this stage is the same as the last. Shoot rapidly and don’t make any long jumps without knowing the ter rain below you. STAGE 1-3: There’s a Heart (full energy) near the beginning at the top. Look behind some bushes for a hidden Slime Launcher that will help you reach it. There are many beanstaiks in this area, which are all firmly planted into the ground. If you’re on a high ledge and want to risk a fall, it’s best to guide yourself to the base of the beanstalks. There’s an Extra Life in the second to the last beanstalk on this stage, which happens to be con veniently above a Clock for extra time. Climb to the top of the screen near the end to search for the two items. Jump to the Clock from the ledge below, which will land you on a hidden platform, then jump straight up to grab the Extra Life. Now that’s helpful! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stage 2: Mystical Forest ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STAGE 2-1: A Heart (full energy) is about six screens to the right from the beginning, on the top of a tree stump. There are some tree stumps with chewed sections at the top (probably those darn beavers!). This section of the tree collapses when you stand on it, and even if there’s land below, you’ll still fall and lose a life. Jump on and off them quickly. Another Heart is near the halfway mark, and can only be reached by jumping from treetop to treetop. STAGE 2-2: A Heart is located about five screens to the right, about halfway down a tree, and another Heart is just three or four trees further to the right, at the top. STAGE 2-3: Search high near the beginning for the first Heart, and along the river banks below, about halfway through, for a second Heart. If you choose to use the turtles as stepping stones in the water, cross quickly — they soon flip over and kick you off. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stage 3: Toxitown ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STAGE 3-1: Plenty of new enemies, which happen to move faster than previous enemies. Beware of flames that shoot out from furnaces throughout this stage in an easy pattern. Stay near the top of this first area to find a Heart, then walk to the right and fall straight down to find another Heart. A third Heart is near the bottom, about halfway through this area. A fourth Heart (!) is near the end at the top, but the pipes near it make it only accessible from the right side. Hidden Platforms are below a long row of Arches in the air directly above the end, and a Clock (extra time) is between the last two. STAGE 3-2: There are Hearts near the halfway mark at the top and bottom of the screen. You can climb the Chains in this area to reach higher ledges and items. STAGE 3-3: A Heart is located above a conveyor belt to the right of the first Checkpoint. Hidden Platforms below Arches near the end lead to a Clock at the top of the screen. A second Heart is near the end, located on the bottom floor of this area. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stage 4: Arctic Wastes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STAGE 4-1: This level is more linear (only one floor), which makes it easier to explore and grab every Arch. Watch out for Polar Bears that run at you and slide across the ice. A Heart is cleverly hidden in the mesh of metal at the top of the first hill. You can’t miss seeing the sec ond Heart in the sky about halfway through this level, but the Extra Life at the right might escape your view. After grabbing the Heart, climb back to the top pipe next to where the Heart was and go to the right. A line of Arches stretch across the screen to the right, and Hidden Platforms are below each (hmmmm, this seems familiar!). To the right about two screens is a Heart buried in the snow, but partly visible. STAGE 4-2: This level is also very linear, allowing easy collection of 75 Arches for the Bonus Round (and a chance at an extra life). You’ll have to climb up many ice platforms at the center before being able to con tinue to the right. The Hearts are in plain sight, except for the second, which is located down a high tunnel leading left (a dead end). STAGE 4-3: There’s no need to wony about col lecting enough Arches for the Bonus Round, since there isn’t one available after this level. This is the finale, and it’s filled with plenty of enemies. There are also a lot of Checkpoints, which helps. At the end you’ll reach a ledge with icicles hanging from it. Jump to the right, but be ready to guide your kid to the nar row platform below. You’re bound to notice the Ice Boss in front of you — his face is on the side of the mountain. However, you may not have noticed his friend behind you. Stand near them and jump high while rapidly shooting. Their faces cringe and eyes open wide from pain caused by the anti-toxins shot by your gun. Watch the top of the screen for falling icicles, and shoot any approaching birds first before worrying about the less-threatening faces. When one face closes up, turn and concentrate on the other. For your enormous efforts, you’ll be treated to a cool little ending.