CARLING THE SPIDER
==================

Welcome to CARLING THE SPIDER, the first VIC-20 release from Psytronik
Software.  The game is designed to run on an unexpanded VIC-20 computer
and this .zip file contains PAL and NTSC versions of the game in .D64
format.  The .D64 files can be loaded into a VIC-20 emulator like xVic
(which is part of the WinVice package - available from www.viceteam.org).


LOADING THE GAME INTO XVIC
==========================

If you wish to load the game into the Vice VIC-20 emulator (xVic) then
you will need to do the following:-

1) Load xvic.exe and wait for the familiar white/blue VIC startup page
   to appear.

2) Pull down the Settings menu and select VIC settings.

3) Choose the 'no expansion memory box' option and hit OK.

4) Pull down the File menu and choose Autostart disk/tape image...

5) Point it to one of the Carling .D64 files and hit Attach.

The game will now load and run.  Carling the Spider is a joystick
ONLY game so you will need to set up the controls via the Settings
menu (Joystick settings).


THE STORY
=========
Spiders like dark places, and Carling The Spider was no different.
In fact, he was very proud of the vast abandoned mine he called home,
and had lived there happily for many years, undisturbed.

With that in mind, imagine his surprise when he awoke one morning
(or evening, it's difficult to tell when you live underground) to
find his home had been transformed into a high security diamond vault,
littered with traps  and guarded by the ominous automated BALLS OF STEEL!

Carling knew the only way to return his home to darkness would be to
shut down the security system by stealing every last glittering diamond
from each room in the vault.  But with the BALLS OF STEEL getting faster
and increasing in numbers with every room looted, this was never going
to be an easy task ...


CONTROLS
========

Carling The Spider can only be played using a
Joystick (plugged into either joystick port).

Press FIRE to begin the game.

Push the joystick left and right to move Carling.

Press FIRE to make Carling jump.


GAMEPLAY
========

The aim of the game is to collect every diamond on the screen.
Once all diamonds are collected, you must make it to the exit
square to progress to the next screen.  Use the bouncy rubber
blocks to reach higher platforms than normal jumping will allow.
Look out for the BALLS OF STEEL, you will lose a life if they
catch you.  Touching spikes or barbed wire will also cause a
life to be lost. You can win an additional life by collecting
a heart or amassing 100 diamonds.

There are 8 diamond rooms to clear, and 3 skill levels (indicated
by the border colours BLUE, RED and YELLOW).  If you manage to clear
all the rooms on the BLUE level, you will progress to the RED level,
where the BALLS OF STEEL will move faster and appear in pairs more
frequently.  If you make it to the YELLOW level, the BALLS OF STEEL
get even faster and will always appear in pairs, and to confuse you,
the screens will be mirrored horizontally!  If Carling can beat the 
YELLOW level, he will have earned some peace and quiet ...

If you lose all of your lives, the game is over, and you will have
to return to the first room.  Once you reach a new skill level, the
game will remain at that skill level even if all of your lives are lost.


CREDITS
=======

 Game designed and coded by Joe Polygon Dixon

 Cover art by Trevor Smila Storey

 Packaging by Jason Kenz Mackenzie


Published in 2009 by www.psytronik.com.  All rights reserved.
