Joe and Mac
Typed out by tsr
NES-CJ-USA
Joe and Mac (tm)
Instruction Manual
Data East(r)
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Introduction
Millions of years ago, before the 'Big Freeze' covered our planet's deserts
with ice, a cavedude's life was not an easy one.
These were the good old prehistoric days when "rock and roll" was just rock
and fast food was dinner you couldn't catch. Although life was hard, it still
had its good side: lots of berry juice, brontoburgers, dino races and cave-
women!
Then one sunny day, while Mac was out hunting for dinosaurs, a bogus bunch of
Neanderthal nerds ransacked the village, drank all the berry juice, ate all
the food and kidnapped the cavewomen!
This means war! Now, Joe must single-handedly take on the whole jungle to
rescue the beloved cavewomen!
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Prehistoric Fact: The term 'Neanderthal' was the name given to the first human
fossil recognized to have belonged to an earlier type of man.
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Using the controller
- The Control Pad gives control over direction
- Buttons A & B control jumping and shooting.
- Combining the use of both the Control Pad and Buttons A and B enhances the
jumping and shooting functions.
Start Button:
Press to start the game, or during play to pause the game. Press again to
restart the game.
Button B:
Press Once to release weapon.
Hold Down to charge weapons.
(Note: Recharging the weapon too much at once can result in Joe being unable
to defend himself.)
Button A:
Press to jump.
Control Pad:
Press Up and Button A to jump higher.
Press Down to crouch.
Press Right to run right.
Press Left to run left.
Control Pad Up, followed by button B:
Throws the weapon directly upwards.
Control Pad Up, followed by button A:
To jump higher upwards, and somersault.
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How to play the game.
Joe & Mac takes place within the primitive realms of an era long gone; the
treacherous regions are abundant with hungry predators and scheming savages.
The game consists of 5 levels featuring 10 varying unexplored territories of
prehistoric wilderness. The object of the game is to lead our courageous
cavedude, Joe, safely through these perilous provinces in search of his
humble homestead's wandering women.
Points are accumulated by triumphing over any enemy who prevents your prog-
ress, and by collecting food and extra weapons which are sometimes revealed
along the way.
Every kingdom has a mighty ruler, and to successfully clear every level, Joe
will need to battle with each area's Lord of the Landscape. These Bosses have
all been elected to defend their differing domains because they are the big-
gest and most fearsome of all lifeforms. If Joe isn't strong enough, or is
without his most powerful weapons, he'll be likely to end his mission as a
dino-snack!
Prehistoric Fact: Dinosaurs were a group of reptiles who lived on earth for a
total of 140 million years from approximately 200 to 65 million years ago.
Meat-eaters were called Carnivores and plant-eaters were called Herbivores.
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Starting the game
Insert the game pak into your NES unit and turn the power ON.
When the Title Screen is displayed, press Select and Joe & Mac's Option Screen
will be displayed, which allows you to adjust certain aspects such as the
number of players.
Use the Control Pad arrow keys to move up and down the desired options and
then press Select to alter the indicated option:
- 1 or 2 player game mode.
- With or without music.
- With or without SFX (Sound Effects).
The game can be played by one player, or by two players alternating turns.
In addition, you can choose to play the game with or without music, and with
or without sound effects.
After you have selected your options, press the Start button to return you to
the Title Screen, where you can begin play.
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The status panel.
The status panel located at the bottom of the screen keeps track of each play-
er's score and shows the 'energy' reserves of both Joe and each level's boss.
Joe begins the game with 16 energy units on the left-hand energy bar. The
Boss's energy units are displayed on the right-hand bar.
Each player alternates playing the character of Joe, and starts the game with
3 lives. Once these lives have been lost, the game is over. After a loss of a
life, the screen will advise you of the remaining lives you have before you
restart play.
Extra energy is gained by picking up food and weapon collectibles.
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Prehistoric Fact: Coal is a well-known energy source today, but did you know
that coal is made of prehistoric plants? They became layers of rotting plant
material when they died, called peat; then after the water and gases were
squeezed out by the weight of rocks, the peat turned into hard, dark coal!
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Scoring
Points are awarded as follows.
Direct hit of any enemy (except Bosses): 100 points.
Complete defeat of any enemy (except Bosses): 500 points.
Direct hit on a Boss: 1000 points.
Picking up a re-energizing food collectible: 1000 points.
Picking up an alternative weapon: 2000 points.
Every level completed: 10,000 points.
Every 200,000 points scored: One extra life.
(Note: All of Joe's enemies differ in the number of hits required to defeat
them.)
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Cave-dude collectibles
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Weaponry
Defeating an egg-carrying Neanderthal reveals an alternative weapon available
for Joe's use (providing he actually collects it), and also adds an extra 2000
points to your score.
No respectable cavedude would ever be seen without his heaviest club or trusty
tools, and Joe is no exception!
Joe's choice of weapon depends upon whatever he picked up the last time one
randomly appeared; but remember, some weapons will weaken Joe's energy levels
much quicker than others.
Here, we list the types of weapons which you'll find on the way, all of which
will assist him in rescuing the cavewomen.
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Prehistoric Fact: For over one and a half million years, weapons and tools
were only made of stone, wood and bone. Men learned to make metal ones by
melting copper and pouring it into stone molds for spear and axe heads, only
9900 years ago.
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Stone Axe:
Joe begins his adventures fighting his oncoming opponents with this sturdy
sample of stoneware, but be warned - they're heavy and don't travel too far!
Flint:
A missile to make your foes flinch; but you'll need to collect more powerful
weapons for your bigger attackers.
Boomerang:
A worthy weapon because it wipes out your enemies before coming back.
Fire:
Throwing fireballs at your enemies is perhaps your most powerful protection.
Stone Wheel:
Rolling wheels into the midst of your opponents without warning will soon have
them flying out of your way.
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Prehistoric Fact: The wheel was not actually invented until 5500 years ago.
The first one was made of wood.
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Edibles for Energy
Joe's battles frequently leave him tired and hungry, so be sure to pick up
some food to sustain his strength.
Destroying ferocious animals and cavedude-eating plants will often reveal a
hidden energy power-up represented by an apple, watermelon or brontoburger.
Besides adding energy, they also add bonus points to your score.
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Prehistoric Fact: Although humans have lived on earth for 2 million years, the
first crops of wheat and barley were only grown 10,000 years ago. Before that
they hunted wild animals and gathered wild fruit for food.
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Friend or foe?
Joe & Mac's friendship was an exception in the bygone Stone-Age days of terr-
itorial fighting. So it's fair to assume that even if a stranger looks and
acts like you, he still probably belongs to that untrustworthy bunch of bone-
heads that caused all Joe's problems in the first place. So be extra cautious
confronting other cavemen.
- Cranium Calvin isn't just carrying a club to help him keep his balance!
- Jogging Jason may seem harmless, but he's several miles-per-hour faster than
you. Stand in this super-sprinter's way, and he'll run you down faster than
a charging Triceratops!
- A boulder a day keeps the cavewomen away!
- If the helirockter's blades don't adjust your hairstyle, rest assured that
the bombs he drops will!
- Don't mistake a caveman's disguise for being a harmless part of the scenery!
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Enemies
All of the varying locations Joe will have to pass through will be fiercely
guarded by hundreds of uncivilized creatures and dangerous plant-forms. And no
territory is ever without its Lord of the Landscape, who Joe will have to bat-
tle before he can move on.
So keep your wits about you and your weapons handy for some of the following
enemy encounters.
Baby Pteranodons
Known to have existed over 135 million years ago, these winged lizards are
flying fiends, with an adult wing-span reaching over 29 feet and a boney head
of horn measuring over 3 feet.
Archaeopteryx
A 3-foot-long crow-sized feathered dinosaur who first existed nearly 200
million years ago, and is now considered to be the missing link between birds
and reptiles.
Zephyrosaurus
A small plant-eating dinosaur (only 8 feet long), whose name means 'west-wind
lizard', known to have existed between 141 to 65 million years ago.
Other dangers also await...
Tyrant Triffids
A mythical man-eating, seed-spitting plant similar to a giant Venus Fly-trap,
with poisonous seeds which can prove fatal.
Helirock Bombs
Fiery packages dropped by Caveman Crowswing from his Helirockter. Whether air-
borne or grounded, they're too explosive to examine closely!
Electric Flying Fish
Anything fishy could be quite a shocking experience!
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Gameplay hints'n'tips
- Although Joe loses energy whenever he collides with an enemy, he is briefly
compensated by becoming momentarily invincible, thus giving him a chance to
escape the immediate situation. This is a great advantage when under mass
attack.
- Remember, Joe can recharge his weapons by holding down Button B - but over-
doing this can exhaust him!
- When fighting any of the Bosses, aim for its head.
- Fire can be Joe's most powerful weapon.
- Bonus food, collected before it disappears, gives both extra energy and
bonus points.
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Completing the hi-score table
If you succeed where other cavemen fear to tread, you will be able to register
your name next to your score in the Hi-Score Table.
Using the Control Pad, move the Stone Wheel until it encircles your selected
letter. Pressing Button A or B will then select this letter. There are 9
spaces available for completing your name, and all letters are selected in the
same way. If you make an error, positioning the wheel over the word RUB and
then pressing Button A or B will erase your last choice.
After your final letter has been chosen, position the wheel over the word END
and press Button A or B to complete your entry.
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Game levels
The action takes place in 10 different stone-age locations, across 5 levels.
Both a mid-level and end-of-level Boss are determined to stop you.
Level 1
The Volcanic Valley of Valor & Its Boss: The Halticosaurus.
Jurassic Park & Its Boss: The Treacherous Tyrannosaurus.
Level 2
The Ocean of Silurian & Its Boss: The Legendary Giant Tyrant Triffid.
White Cliffs of Canbarian & Its Boss: The Grisly Green Pteranodon.
Level 3
The Rapids of Ramapithecus & Its Boss: The Nothosaur.
Kayemenofore Plateau & Its Boss: The Mythical Dacentrurian.
Level 4
Bonesville Basin & Its Boss: The Pachycephalosaurus.
The Waters of Wrath & Its Boss: The Bawdy Blue Pteranodon.
Level 5
The Petrified Forest of Fossileons & Its Boss: The Roguish Red Tyrannosaurus.
Tyranno's Tummy & Its Boss: The Fabled Sagileocorn.