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BUBBLE ESCAPE (1/31/04)
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Copyright 2001 - Taurus Media Games
http://www.taurusmedia.ca


Thanks for trying out Taurus Media's very first interactive computer game. I hope you enjoy playing it as much as I enjoyed creating it.


Requirements to Play
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- Windows 98/2000/NT
- 10 MB of free memory
- 400Mhz Pentium III or higher
- 96MB RAM or higher
- DirectX 6.0 or higher
- a good responsive mouse*


Note:

Bubble Escape was designed on a 600 Mhz Pentium III PC with 128 MB of RAM. The above requirements are a minimum. Though depending on PC configuration, it may be possible to play this game with other PC specs.

* Having a good responsive mouse is important for this game because it uses the mouse extensively. Using mice that have poor clicking response times will detract from the game experience. Bubble Escape is a fast paced action game that requires a lot of mouse clicking. So be prepared. :-)


PROLOGUE
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  In a land far away, there exists a futuristic metropolis called BoblinLand. The inhabitants(Boblins), have quite sophisticated intelligence and have evolved their city into a highly durable and efficient bubble city. No Boblin is safe outside of their protective domes.

Throughout the years Boblin have enjoyed a very prosperous life without things like crime, disease, warfare, poverty, and all those other 'plagues' that seem to infect other worlds. They have achieved a sense of global peace. 

One day though, this false sense of security was tested. An outside force, looking to overtake and dominate other worlds, threatened the very existence of BoblinLand. Without warning, Boblin were being abducted sporadically. The sky was literally littered with bubbles escaping the city. 

Promptly, the Boblins turned on their Alien Defence System. They had hoped that this super weapon would never have to be used. But being the intelligent Boblin they were, they built the weapon just in case a time like this might happen. And they vowed only to use it in the extreme of circumstances.

Well, the time had come. The ADS was activated and Boblin were promptly being rescued. At the same time, many Boblin were lost. The ADS was not a perfect machine, but it got the job done. Boblin all over BoblinLand were so scared wondering when their time was up. They raced about the city madly, trying to escape the force of the alien ships. There was no hiding from the alien threat.

It seemed all hope was placed in the hands of their Controller, an omniscient being who governs the lives of all Boblin. All they could do now, was pray that their mighty Controller would be able to save all of BoblinLand and restore peace as it was.

The fate of the Boblins is in your hands. Mighty Controller.



HOW TO PLAY
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Objective:
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To capture as many Boblin as possible, before time runs out.


Game Play:
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Use the mouse to aim your shots. You have to pop the bubbles that have Boblin trapped inside. Once popped, the Boblin will fall to the ground. You have to then capture the boblin before it falls to the ground and dies. Every level is different with different time limits and different amount of Boblin required. Every area has a BONUS level. The second level of every area will allow you to get a special bonus upgrade if you successfully clear it. If you fail to clear a bonus level, you will still be able to proceed to the next level, but without an upgrade.

Another thing you will notice is that different areas have different colored bubbles and Boblins. Whenever you encounter a new colored bubble, be prepared for a different challenge, as the bubble will move differently than previous ones. Capturing more advanced bubbles leads to bigger points. You also get even more points for capturing any EXTRA boblin. Those points also increase depending on the kind of bubbles they were.

Be prepared for actual encounters with the aliens. At the end of each stage you will have to defend the city from the aliens themselves. They teleport spaceships right above the city and start bombing it with firelike weapons. Upon impact, they will ignite, causing a fire in BoblinLand. Don't let too many of these fires break out, or you fail to protect the city. 

If you are a little rusty and feel like you are pressured by the time, just initiate Practice Mode and you will be able to practice shooting bubbles in a virtual simulation without worrying about the time and how many Boblin you have to rescue. There are no constraints in  Practice Mode. So fire away and brush up on those skills.

Controls:
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	Left Mouse:	laser shot	(pop bubbles with this)
	Right Mouse:	capture bubble	(rescue Boblin with this)

	ESC key:	(exits Practice Mode and other screens)
			(prompts to exit game)

        F1 key:		(activates the info screen)
	'-' key:	(music off)
	'+' key:	(music on)
	P key:		(pause game)




TIPS AND TRICKS
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<>  Try experimenting with the mouse buttons. There may be a better way to shoot and capture Boblin. 

<>  Faster bubbles are hard to catch. Try different strategies at popping them. There is always a better way.

<>  Capture Bubbles have a dual purpose. You should be able to figure what this is. Without knowing, you could have a tough time with the aliens.



A WORD FROM THE CREATOR
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I want to thank you for playing Taurus Media's very first interactive computer game. I spent a great deal of time and effort trying to make a game that has a lot of quality to it. I hope that you notice this 'quality' when you play it.

The game concept itself didn't take too long to figure out. I sat back one day and started trying to come up with a game idea that is both somewhat original and fun to play. I first started thinking about past Nintendo games that were simple and addictive. I thought of Bubble Bobble, and remembered how much fun I used to have with it. Well, hence the idea about bubbles came from that game. Everything else just fell into place after that.

The game was going to be a very simple game at first, but I evolved it into a game that has some sort of plot and has a dramatic feel to it. One of those 'save the world' routines. Well I think all in all, the game came together very well. I hope you enjoy playing it as much I as I enjoyed making it.

And yes, it really was a 'one man show'. I created all graphics and animations. I did download some freeware sound effects and MIDI tunes, but aside from that, the game is 100% Taurus Media. 

If you have any questions or comments, I'd be happy to hear from you. Just write to my e-mail address found on my website. The URL is located at the top of this page.

Thanks for playing!!!


SPECIAL THANKS
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Thanks goes out to all my friends who supported me, and everyone else who made this game possible. Especially Mark Overmars, the creator of "Game Maker", the program I used to make this game.

Thanks to all!

- SANDOR FEKETE
President

Copyright (2001) - TAURUS MEDIA GAMES
http://www.taurusmedia.ca

