The Main Menu

There are five (5) options on the main menu: Begin Play, Level Designer, High Scores, How to Play, and Exit. The Begin Play selection is explained below, the Level Designer is described in detail later on in this document.

The High Scores option displays the top five players for each level in the current puzzle set. Usually the current puzzle set will be the "normal" puzzle set, however if you are using the registered version, the high scores file of the last puzzle set played will be displayed.

The How to Play option is a brief overview of the game. It should be enough to get most people started. Reading the full documentation is recommended, however. (But we don't have to tell you that!)

The Exit option should be self-explanatory.

Begin Play

At this sub-menu you can select the puzzle set type you wish to play. The normal puzzle set is found in both versions of this game and contains 20 different levels. Registered users have access to the registered puzzle set which includes an addition 60 levels of play, as well as custom puzzle sets which you or other registered users have created.

Skipping Levels

Each puzzle set can contain up to a maximum of 99 levels. You may skip levels in a puzzle set by entering the appropriate skip code. After successfully completing a level, you are often given the level skip code. This code will allow you to skip over levels you've completed in the past and get right back to where you left off (or got stuck) last time. Not all levels have skip codes! The decision to include a skip code is left up to the sole discretion of the person designing the puzzle set. All levels found in the normal and registered puzzle sets include skip codes.

Level Information

The pre-level screen contains the following information about the level: the person who designed the level, the level number, the level name, the number of spheres in the level, and the number of spheres required to complete the level. The name of the level's author scrolls by quickly before the actual level-info screen. If this level has been created by a member of the Acumen Software development team, the words "Acumen Approved" will appear below the author's name. This is merely a way for you to distinguish between custom puzzle sets made by other users and our own.

Game Controls

Either the keyboard or the combination of a joystick and the keyboard may be used to play this game. You maneuver Micro by pressing the arrow keys or pushing the joystick in the direction you want to walk. The spacebar (or joystick button) is the action key. You can rotate mirrors, turn the laser, or flip a switch by facing the appropriate object and pressing the action key.

Pressing F1 will display a short help box containing keystrokes and their respective action. They are:

F1 - Help

F2 - Sound: on/off

F3 - Musicon/off

F4 - Next song

F - Fire laser

S - Scan mode

M - Display level map

I - Object info

ESC - Abort level

The level map displays a condensed image of the entire level and is very useful in planning your strategies before you actually start moving things. Scan mode allows you to scroll around the playfield quickly without moving Micro. The "F" key fires the laser. Do this only after you've successfully solved the level -- you've only got one chance, so if it doesn't work, it's back to the beginning of the level! Object info displays the name of the object Micro is currently facing (including floor tiles).

The special function keys are self-explanatory. If you don't have the game set up for sound effects, F2 won't work. Likewise, if you don't have the game set up for music, F3 and F4 will not work. Go figure.

Note: If you find that you are unable to complete a level, you can abort it by pressing the ESC key and then restart it from the beginning.

Additional note: After firing the laser by pressing "F", you can increase or decrease its speed by pressing the "+" or "-" keys. Four possible laser speeds are available, the slowest one is used by default.

Floor Tiles

There are 13 floor tile types in this game, separated into two basic categories: low-friction and high-friction. Micro can walk over any floor tile, but he cannot push mirrors or blocks over high-friction surfaces. Low friction tiles have a singular grey shade (light or dark), and occasionally have arrows or a square design on their surface. High friction tiles are comprised of many different shades of white and grey; the direction of the shading is irrelevant.

Game Objects

Micro	Our picture-perfect, purple-skinned, blue-eyed hunk of spherical muscle. He can push mirrors bigger than himself, rotate lasers with ease, and flip switches effortlessly.A word ofadvice: Micro makes a better door than a window -- don't let him get hit by the laserbeam!
Spheres	These come in two flavors: blue and green. In order to be destroyed by the laser, spheres must be BLUE! Use switches to change their colors. You cannot move the spheres (the idea is to bring the laser beam to them). Green spheres will block the laserbeam.
Switches	There are two settings for each switch: blue and green. A switch can be "linked" to one or more object son the playfield, and will have the following effect depending on the object: spheres will change from blue togreen or green to blue and mirrors, tubes, and blocks will change from a blue shade to a purple shade (or vice-versa). Switches will block the laser beam.
Laser	As its name implies, this is the source of the laser beam.There is only one laser per level, and Micro can't move it. He can, however, turn it to point in any of the four directions. Press the"F" key to activate the laser. If the laser beam loops around and hits the laser, the beam will stop-- the source has been destroyed.
Mirrors	Mirrors come in two varieties and four orientations: blue/purple,and up-left/up-right/down-left/downright. Mirrors with blue trim can be turned from leftto right by Micro (not up and down), purple ones cannot be turned. Mirrors redirect the laser beam (duh!).
Tubes	Tubes come in two classic colors and two orientations: blue/purple, and vertical/horizontal. Blue tubes can be rotated by Micro, purple one cannot be rotated. If the laser beam is traveling leftor right, it may pass through the tube if it is in a horizontal orientation, but it will be blocked if the tube is in a vertical orientation. Similar when the beam is traveling up and down...
Blocks	There are two "block" types: one large block that obstructs the laserbeam, and four small blocks through which the beam can pass in between.Also, blockscome in two colors (you guessed it: purple and blue). Purple blocks are fixed; Micro cannot move them. Blue blocks are movable.
One-way Mirrors	Similar to real one-way mirrors where you can see through one side but not the other, these objects only allow the beam to pass when entered from the green end. Micro can push these objects, but they cannot be rotated.
Beam Splitters	Beam splitters divide the beam into two orthogonal beams. That is, if a beam enters a splitter from the bottom OR top, the two resulting beams will travel left AND right. The beam must enter from the green end. Micro cannot rotate these objects, but he can move them.
(4.6) End	of Level

At the end of the level a status screen appears displaying the level number, the level name, the total number of spheres found on the level, the number of spheres required to successfully complete the level, the number of spheres you hit, and the total time it took you to play the level. Additional comments will tell you if you reached the goal (yeah!) or, if not, what happened.

Upon successfully completing a level, the level skip code will appear if the puzzle set designer has included one. High scores for each level are ranked by the number of spheres hit followed by the fastest time (for example, someone who hit 10 spheres in 3 minutes would be ranked lower than someone who hit 11 spheres in 30 minutes). You have the option to replay the last level again for a better time if you wish.

Note: You may repeat any level any number of times. If at first you don't succeed, try and try again. There's no losing!

Windows-95,98,ME,2000,XP,NT

Game Micro Deluxe

Game Micro Deluxe.

Free download game Micro Deluxe (371K)

main page