THE GROWING PAINS OF ADRIAN MOLE ================================ "Welcome to the second computer game to feature the contents of my diary - is there no such thing as privacy? Such is the price of fame I suppose. The aim of the game is to make me as popular as possible with everyone. You make decisions for me through multiple choice questions. Now I am more mature, life is even more complicated and I have even more decisions to make, so there’s a lot of text in there and some very nice illustrations too. Some may think it’s a game; I prefer to think of it as a sort of quest for the Meaning of Life - not easy to find in Laurel Close, Leicester! So good luck, being popular as well as an intellectual is not so easy. I should know, I’ve spent all my life trying!" Adrian Mole INTRODUCTION Playing this game will take you through eighteen months in the life of Adrian Mole. When you have loaded the first part of the game, following the instructions below (under the heading Using the Program), you will see that as you progress through the days in Adrian’s diary you will be asked to make choices for Adrian. Press a number from 1 to 3 to choose one of the options suggested. Pressing key number 4 will display the command and help system menu. This gives a list of the additional features in the game and full instructions on how to use them. THE GAME Whether you have read Sue Townsend’s best - selling books or not, you should have no trouble guiding Adrian through the trials and tribulations of school and family life! Knowing the books won’t necessarily give you an advantage: in the game, familiar scenes may well have a new twist. There are a number of random elements included so each game may be different. Adrian’s view of the world is unique and entertaining and you help make decisions about all aspects of his life. He is surrounded by colourful characters and you will need to consider carefully the best way to impress them! Your ultimate aim is to make Adrian as popular as possible with everyone and at regular points in the game your score will appear as an indication of how well you are doing. (You could, of course, play it the other way and try to make Adrian as unpopular as possible!) USING THE PROGRAM The game consists of a number of separate programs. Please see the cassette label for the position of the different parts of the game. Each program covers a few months of Adrian’s life. When playing the game, press SHIFT (or RETURN on an Atari) to continue when the game pauses. LOADING THE GAME To load and start the cassette version of the game, insert the cassette in the recorder and ensure that it is fully rewound. Set the tape counter to zero if your recorder has one. Then follow the instructions below, don’t forget to press RETURN or ENTER after each command. For Amstrad disc versions, please see disc label. Type LOAD"" and start the tape. WHEN THE GAME STARTS, DON’T FORGET TO STOP THE TAPE AND DO NOT REWIND IT. Stop the tape when each program has loaded and restart it when it is time to load the next program. When you reach the end of a program, a message on the screen will ask you if you want to go to the next program. Type YES and press ENTER or RETURN. Start the tape on PLAY and press ENTER or RETURN twice. The next program loads in the same way as the first one. Remember to stop the tape when the game starts again. You do not need to play the whole game through from the beginning, but may load each part separately. To permit this, there may be a couple of short loader programs between each part. These will be ignored when you are chaining on from one part to another, so do not assume you have a loading fault if your computer does not immediately load the next part. If you have a tape counter on your recorder, make a note of the reading at the end of each program. This will be useful if you want to start in the middle of a game, so you can rewind to the exact place on the tape. LOADING ADVICE You shouldn’t have any problems loading this game, but if you do have try the following: Try the other side of the cassette, if possible. Load another game from your recorder to check everything is connected properly. Vary the volume and tone setting on the recorder if you can. Clean and demagnetise the recorder (following the manufacturer’s instructions). If you can, try another recorder. SAVING THE GAME While playing the game you can save your current position (so that you can turn the computer off, yet return later to the same stage in the game). To do this, insert a spare, blank cassette in the recorder. Type 4 instead of 1-3 when asked to make a decision on behalf of Adrian Mole. This will display the command and help system on the screen. Type SAVE press the RECORD and PLAY buttons on the recorder, and press ENTER or RETURN. (If the program asks for a "file name", type any short word and press ENTER or RETURN.) If the tape doesn’t move press ENTER or RETURN again. When a message appears on the screen to tell you the save is completed, stop the recorder. RELOADING When reloading your saved game, make sure the section of the game you saved from is loaded into the computer. Type 4 instead of 1-3 when asked to make a decision for Adrian then type LOAD and press ENTER or RETURN. (If the program asks for a "file name", type whatever name you used to save the position and press ENTER or RETURN.) Rewind until you are at the beginning of the saving tape and press the PLAY button on the recorder. Press ENTER or RETURN. When a message appears on the screen to tell you the load is completed stop the recorder. The saved game position will appear on the screen. Game Design: Pete Austin Programmed by: Pete Austin Pictures: Joan Lamb Transport to your computer, adventure system and graphics system: Mike and Nick Austin Program copyright ©1987 Level 9 Computing Published by Virgin Games Ltd. Additional text and story lines for the game by Pete Austin Based on The Adrian Mole Diaries by Sue Townsend Copyright © 1982, 1984, 1985 Sue Townsend First published in Great Britain by Methuen, London Ltd. Drawings Copyright © 1982, 1984, 1985 Caroline Holden Produced by Mosaic Publishing Ltd. Virgin Games Limited, 2-4 Vernon Yard, Portobello Road, London W11 2DX Made in England. All rights of the producer and of the owner of the work being produced are reserved. Unauthorised copying, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting of this cassette is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for errors, nor liability for damage arising from its use. WARNING: These programs are sold according to VIRGIN GAMES LTD'S terms of trade and conditions of sale. Copies of which are available on request. © 1987 VIRGIN GAMES LTD