Isa Brave - ZX Spectrum

Available December 1st.

Autor: Tom Martín 

Music : Joss 

Tester : Vida Extra Retro, Javi Ortiz, Juanje Juega y Alberik 

Thank you very much to everyone who in some way has collaborated and helped make this game possible.

Important:

In this game we compete against the clock; Each life lost subtracts three units of time, so the most important thing will be to try to advance through each screen as quickly as possible without losing too many lives. The "restart" key allows us to start the same screen without a time penalty. When we reach the last 10 time units, there will be no time penalty for losing lives.

What can kill us:

• Falling from great heights (pink border)
• Spikes, lava , poison darts and own bullet (red border)
• Enemies (yellow border)

Objects:

• Levers: When touched, they activate old gears that cause changes on the screen. Sometimes they can be reactivated and sometimes not. It is not advisable to shoot them.
• Stone blocks: Can be dragged; The cracked ones break easily and sometimes avalanches occur.
• Floors: Some may be slippery
• Water: Softens falls.
• Key: Useful if a door is closed.
• Ammunition: Valuable refill for our revolver.

Enemies:

• Skeletons, ants, and piranhas: Move from left to right, vulnerable to bullets.
• Wasps: Fly across the screen, die from your shots, but this makes them more aggressive. Maybe they calm down if they manage to sting you once or several times.
• Spirits: Invulnerable to your shots.
• Spiders: Can be used as an elevator by climbing on their abdomen, but stay away from their lethal jaws. Bullets stun them.

Tips:

• All screens can be completed without shooting, so it is highly advisable not to waste ammunition and use it where it really saves a lot of time and energy.
• Many screens have additional exits, which are useful because when we lose a life, we start the screen where we entered last time. So sometimes, overcoming certain obstacles or enemies only needs to be done once if you exited and entered the right place.
• Plan the screens well and don't go in blindly; many of them have multiple solutions, and sometimes it's easier than it seems at first.

History:

I'll narrate some events that occurred not too long ago. Although the memories are clear in my mind, expressing them will be challenging due to the unconventional nature of these experiences. I know that for you, readers, believing them will be even more difficult than writing them is for me.

I only hope to plant a reasonable doubt in your minds, however small, before you accuse me of being a liar without further consideration.

I won't reveal my name, as I don't think it's necessary. Besides, my credibility would be questioned, and I don't want to lose the hard-earned good reputation that I have.

The incredible events I'm about to relate took place in the summer of 1933 when I was working on an assignment from my government: mapping some newly discovered islands in the middle of nowhere a few weeks earlier.

The archipelago consisted of a group of indeterminate islands, separated by several miles.

It was the third day of work in truly arduous conditions. Part of the equipment, including measurement devices, fuel, and provisions, was lost due to a series of errors and bad luck. The heat, humidity, mosquitoes, and fevers were beginning to affect most members of the expedition.

I thought a break with my beloved Supermarine S.6B seaplane wouldn't hurt. After just 40 minutes of flying northwest, I spotted a small island that didn't appear on our maps. It was covered in vegetation and high cliffs, an example of unexplored wild beauty.

I decided to fly over it, and on a second pass, I could barely make out some structures trying to stand out from the dense, tangled foliage where they were located. Next to them, a lake that seemed ideal for landing.

"But who could resist," I thought, "exploring ruins that may have gone untouched by any human for centuries or even millennia isn't an everyday opportunity."

And here begins the implausible part of my story. The building was immense. Who could have built such a massive temple in such a remote place? Although abandoned, its state of preservation was acceptable. In front of me, a visible entrance to the interior...

That's how I found myself in the first chamber, stranded and not understanding how the entrance I had just come through seconds ago had disappeared. Maybe I stepped on a trigger or perhaps due to a dark force, but the door had suddenly vanished, blocked by several-ton stones.

All I could do was move forward in search of another way out. What I discovered there is totally inexplicable, even insane. Every time I left a chamber and returned, all the objects broken or displaced by me returned to their original state and location. It was as if I couldn't leave any trace of my presence there.

Moreover, I knew I wasn't alone. I heard footsteps, clicks, moans, and other indescribable noises around me. My suspicions were confirmed soon...

A hostile fauna spread throughout the area. Giant bugs! Wasps, tarantulas, and ants the size of a person moved among the shadows, waiting for the opportunity to attack me. My revolver was effective against wasps and ants, but my bullets barely stunned the spiders.

Besides, I didn't have much ammunition, and I learned that shooting wasn't always the best option; wasps became more aggressive if I killed one of their companions, and tarantulas could be used as elevators as long as I stayed away from their jaws.

To make matters worse, the place was full of cliffs and traps carefully arranged to eliminate unwanted visitors. I had to use all my ingenuity to avoid them, move debris, and activate springs to advance in rooms that seemed impassable at first.

As I delved deeper into the place, the experiences I lived became increasingly surreal: skeletal guards wandering, vengeful spirits flying, and lava spouting through the floor crevices...

In addition to all this, I realized that my time was limited. No one knew where I was, help would never come, so I couldn't stop. There was no time for regrets; I had to keep moving forward, and quickly...

Thanks a lot, I'm glad you like it. Greetings