

                           - Top Hat Willy PC -

                                Version 1.0

                                 Freeware

                      V 1.0 Release Date:  18.8. 2002

                 Copyright OverFlow Productions 1994-2002


            Programming, Graphics And Music by Tero Heikkinen
                 Title Screen, Sprite Graphics And Design
                  by Tero Heikkinen and Petri Heikkinen
                         Font by Petri Heikkinen
                     PC Conversion by Arto Heikkinen
                     Sound Effects by Arto Heikkinen


            Compiled with: DJGPP 2.1 by DJ Delorie

           Libraries used: Allegro 3.12 by Shawn Hargreaves
                           JGMOD 0.98 by Guan Foo Wah


                              Introduction:

  Nowadays a "platform game" means something that scrolls in eight
directions at 50hz speed, has power-ups and jump-on-a-monster-to-
kill-it action. This is thought to be an improvement over
the 8-bit-style platform games such as Jet Set Willy or Monty Mole.

  This is why such games are not made today.
Nobody just does it in the good old style anymore.

  Except now, that is! I have decided to revive the "old school" of
platform games, by creating Top Hat Willy,
the Ultimate in Platform Games Entertainment!


  Improvements over the amiga version of Top Hat Willy include:

 - Multi-colour sprites

 - Background animation

 - Better collision detection between the player and the background
   nasties/collectibles

 - Willy now passes behind some parts of the terrain

 - More varied background graphics

 - Some glitches in Willy's movement fixed

 - The two sound effects were changed(!)


                                Installation:

  Unzip the package to a suitable directory and run the executable
THW.EXE. You will see a selection menu of different sound cards. Press
the corresponding number on the keyboard to select the option that is
most compatible with your hardware. The autodetection option should work
fine in most cases. Or you can disable sound playback completely by
selecting 'no sound'. To change the settings later, just delete the file
'sound.cfg' and run the executable again.

                   System Requirements And Technical:

  A pentium level processor or faster is recommended.
  Sound card is not required, but to hear music and the few sound
effects, you need to have one of the supported models. You will see a
menu selection of these when you first time run the program.
  If you ever need to change the sound settings again, simply remove the
file 'sound.cfg' and run THW.EXE again.

                                 Gameplay:

  When the game has begun, you may control Willy by using joystick
or cursor keys (Press up arrow or any shift or control key to jump).
To use the staircases, you must jump into them (Contrary to
Jet Set Willy, where you had to jump through them to pass them).
  You should avoid all the moving monsters and deadly-looking spikes,
as they are fatal to your health. Also, falling from too great
heights causes death. Nine lives may sound much, but when you see
how tough life is in Willy's mansion, the amount does not seem so
luxurious!
  The Aim of the game is to collect all the trash (flashing items)
from the mansion and the mansion (under)grounds. Willy can't go
to sleep unless this has been done. Perhaps he had a party and the
house mistress won't let him sleep before the junk has been cleaned?
Or perhaps Willy is from a cleaning company and he has been ordered
to a haunted house? Well something like that.
  Anyway, in the true 8-bit tradition, the task is almost impossible.
Only a highly persistent gamer or someone with mental problems can
manage it. Even I haven't completed the game, and I am the author!
The fun comes from trying to beat your, or even better, someone elses
high score (However, I have tested that it is POSSIBLE to complete the
game, so keep on trying... there is something nice in the end :)

                   Keyboard Commands During The Game:

   P - Pause Game            Cursor Left - Move Willy left
   M - Toggle Music          Cursor Right - Move Willy right
   J - Toggle Joystick       Cursor Up - Jump
   Esc - Exit Game           Left Shift, Right Shift, Left Control,
                             Right Control - Alternative Jump keys
                             F12 - Write a screen snapshot


                               Gameplay Tips:

  Because the game is so hard, I have decided to include some tips
to the beginners. I myself have not yet completed the game
(But it is possible, read on).
  My highest score is 113 items collected, which is not nearly all!
The total number of items is 160.

  To achieve a pixel-perfect 4-square jump over a pit:
Place Willy at the edge. note that his posture (frame) is always the
same (legs extended) when standing at the edge.
Jump UPWARDS, and whilst in air, hold down the keys to achieve a
diagonal jump. When Willy touches earth after the jump upwards, he
performs a perfect diagonal jump, with no danger of "slipping" into
the pit.

  Sometimes the best way to jump over a monster,
and occasionally the only way, is to use the direct upward jump.
This is especially effective with fast monsters.

  Monsters with the smallest movement range are often the most hardest
to jump over.

  Remember that most of the "bad" places just require good timing.

  Practice one room at time. After dying once in a room, don't say
"Oh this is hard, I'll go elsewhere", but instead, sacrifice all
your lives if you must, to learn the room. And then you may include
the room into your Master Plan.

 The Master Plan: There are several routes around the map which are
more effective than others. If you don't have a plan, you'll end
up traveling through the same rooms all the time.


                     Advertisement And Other Stuff:

  I said once that I would like to hear if someone completed the game...
Well I received a nice letter from Ohio, USA, stating that the game
had been completed! Quite an achievement! This is the first (and the only)
case I have heard about.

  This game is Freeware. Spread and copy it as you wish but
leave all the files as they are. Please do not use the files in any
other purposes than playing the game.


  Send any comments and bug reports to:   arto_hahmo@yahoo.com

  Visit the OverFlow home page at:        koti.mbnet.fi/~petehe


                *** (C) OverFlow Productions 1994-2002 ***


