* This document is a translation of most essential sections of the MSX Parodius manual. The GM2 description seems to contain errors,but they are translated as is.

How to Play

  1. One or two players can play this game. Each player plays in turn during a two player gameplay.
  2. Keyboard or a joystick is usable to play.
  3. Select a game type using the cursor keys (or a joystick).
    1P EASY! (one player, low difficulty)
    1P TO HELL! (one player, high difficulty)
    2P EASY! (two players, low difficulty)
    2P TURN SERIOUS! (two players, high difficulty)
  4. Choose a player type. All player type share equal functions and performances.
  5. Press SPACE key (or a shot button) to start game.
  6. A player has three stocks. The stock increases by one person (or vehicle or creature) every 100000 points.
  7. Player that collides with an enemy/enemy bullet/terrain cries and explodes, and loses one person (or vehicle or creature).
  8. The attack method of the player transforms by taking power capsules then activating power up.
  9. Press F1 key to pause game. Press F1 key again to resume the game.
  10. To restart from the point of game over, continue the game by pressing F5 key when the game over tune is being heard.
  11. You can save this game in SRAM of a "Game Master 2" cartridge. Refer to "SRAM Save", page 20.
  12. Game screen

Control

  1. Both player 1 and player 2 use same keyboard when using the keyboard to play.
  2. Player 1 and player 2 use a joystick connected to port 1 (or port A) in turn when using the joystick to play. You CANNOT use any joystick connected to port 2 (or port B).
  3. Following table describes which operations keys to use.
    Operation
    Keyboard
    Joystick
    Move to eight directions
    All cursor keys
    Lever, all directions
    Shot
    SPACE key
    Trigger A
    Power up
    M or N key
    Trigger B

Power Up

(1) Power up, "Average"

When you take a power capsule that appears out of a destroyed enemy, one of the weapon gauges in bottom of the screen lights up, and a currently selectable weapon name shows up. Press the power up button(M or N key, or trigger B) when you see a gauge sign of your desirable weapon is lit.
(The power up capsule shape differs depending on the player type; Tako = octopus liquor, Penguin = fish, Goemon = oval coin, Popolon = monolith, Big Viper = capsule)

Gauge Sign
Power Up Contents
-NOPE-
 Indicates that no power item is taken, or that the applicable weapon is already equipped full and cannot be enhanced.
FASTER!!
 Increases speed. Seven levels of acceleration possible. However, be careful since excessive speedup results nonsense.
NUKE'EM!
 Anti-land missile. Two levels of speed up possible. Please watch closely for the missile shape that differs depending on the player type.
2DEATH?
 Adds diagonal upward attack in addition to the normal shot. Its use is not limited to 2days.
DIE ALL!
 This laser gun ensures safety to the point that enemies will "dye all" of their underpants. The laser length increases up to two levels.
NINJA!
 Mirror images are often used by the ninjas of Iga sect. Up to two persons (or vehicles or creatures) can be applied. Newbies should be careful or will be confused by their own mirror images.
OH GOD!!
 Don't be mad. When chosen, this tasteless power up strips off all weapons obtained so far. (It's hardly worth being called a power up.)
ARMORED!
 Withstands frontal enemy and enemy bullet attacks 10 times. Cannot withstand attacks from rear. Shape of this weapon differs depending on the player type as well. For instance, Tako hides behind the octopus trap vase.

(2) Power up, "Greater"

Also known as Russian Roulette.
Some of the power up capsules cause the weapon gauges to flash rapidly like a roulette when taken. Push a power up button with good timing when your desirable gauge is lit during the flash, then voila!. But do NOT choose "Oh GOD!!" under any circumstance.
Any other power capsule during the rapid gauge flash is ignored.

(3) Power up, "Extra"

Color of a bell that appears out of a destroyed enemy changes every time you shoot the bell. By taking the bell, player powers up in accordance to the color of the taken bell for limited duration.
When this type of power up is active, a power up timer is displayed in rightmost part of the screen.

Color Indication Contents
Yellow (no indication) Destroys all enemies in the screen.
White WARP <> Enables horizontal screen warp. In another word, you can emerge from right (left) screen edge by leaving the left (right) screen edge.
Pale green WARP ^v Enables vertical screen warp. In another word, you can emerge from lower (upper) screen edge by leaving the upper (lower) screen edge.
Cyan STOP Causes enemies to stop for limited duration.
Purple MINE When you shoot a shot button, a chrysanthemum bomb is laid, and will destroy any enemy that arrives to the same height of this bomb.
The bandwidth of this height is called chrysanthemum belt area.
Note only one chrysanthemum bomb can be laid within one screen.
Blue DRILL Offers invulnerability against enemies, enemy bullets and pebbles
Green UP LASER Enables shooting upward dispersion laser.
Red VECTOR Enables shooting frontal dispersion laser.

SRAM Save

You can save this game to SRAM of a "Game Master 2 Cartridge".

(1) Save Procedure

  1. Insert a GM2 into an empty slot (can be any) before starting the MSX power, then start game.
  2. Press F1 key to pause at the point you want to save during the game.
  3. Wait until the pause sound terminates then press S key. The save operation completes instantly, and "SAVE COMPLETED" message appears in bottom of the screen.
  4. Press F1 key to resume game.
  5. When you quit the game, shut down your MSX PC then remove the cartridge.

(2) Load Procedure

  1. Like Save Procedure 1., insert a GM2 into an empty slot before starting up the power, then later start game by pressing a start key.
  2. When you hear a game music, press F1 key to pause, wait until the pause sound terminates then press L key. The load operation is complete when "LOAD COMPLETED" message is displayed in the bottom of the screen.
  3. Press F1 key again, then the game restarts from the saved point by the saved condition.
  4. You can execute Load by the procedures 2. to 3. at any pausable occasion during gameplay.