Wraith
v0.5

by Tom Livak

Copyright (c) 2005, Tom Livak.  All rights reserved.

1) LICENSE

This game is freeware.  You may distribute verbatim copies freely, 
provided that this unmodified readme file accompanies the ROM file.  
You may not sell or modify the software without written permission 
from the author.  The software is provided "as is", without warranty, 
and the author will not be held responsible for any use or misuse of the
software.

2) INTRO

This is a game I wrote for the PD Roms 3rd competition for the NES. I wasn't 
able to complete everything I wanted on time, so there are a few things 
missing.  There's only two levels, and no music and not many sound effects 
yet.  Completed features include powerups, several types of enemies,
animated terrain and parallax scrolling.  Make sure you play through both
levels to see everything!

3) STORY

In the distant future, mankind is at war with Carcossians.  The war has 
lasted for generations, but the Carcossians' superior forces and firepower 
have begun to wear on the determined earth forces.  The tide of war is 
turning, and something must be done, or mankind will be lost.  But there 
is hope.  A new device, dubbed the Wraith engine, allows a ship to be 
cloaked in a subspace field, allowing it to pass through solid matter
unharmed.  So far the device can only work on a small ship and for 
limited period of time.  Earth forces believe that a small vessel fitted 
with the wraith engine may be able to break through Carcossian defenses to 
perform a tactial strike against one of their bases.  As Toliv Pisan, one 
of Earth's top pilots, you have been chosen to pilot one of the Wraith 
ships and attempt a solo strike against a heavily guarded Carcossian base.

4) GAMEPLAY

Control your ship using the directional pad.  Fire using the B button, and 
cloak using the A button.  While cloaked you cannot be harmed, but you can 
only remained cloaked as long as you have energy, which is constantly
depleted while cloaked.

Your ship is also equipped with high grade plasma bombs.  Normally a small 
ship like the one you'll be piloting wouldn't be able to escape the blast 
radius after launching one.  However the Wraith engine will allow you to 
use a bomb and remain unscathed.  To use a bomb, cloak and press the B button.

You can also pick up power ups.  There are extra bombs (max 10), 
extra lives (max 10), extra energy, shields (protects you from one hit), 
speed, wide shot, and energy reduce (makes cloaking use energy more slowly).
You can't pick up power ups while cloaked, and are hard mode if you shoot
a power up it will be destroyed.  You can gain extra powerups by destroying
certain groups of enemies!

There are three levels of difficulty.  The main difference between them
is the starting number of lives and bombs.  On hard mode you additionally
have less energy and you'll have to avoid shooting power ups.

5) COMPATIABILITY

This game uses MMC3 IRQs and timed code to display the status bar, so using 
an accurate emulator is important.  I recommend the latest version of 
Nintendulator (0.95 at the time of writing).  Nestopia also worked well.  Most 
other emulators will play the game correctly, but you may notice some graphical 
problems with the status bar.  I haven't been able to test on a real NES yet.