Back to Reality for the Amstrad CPC Mastertronic, 1986 ---------------------------------------- FAQ/Walkthrough v1.0 by Bromazepam/Nanashi85 Email: spugna@gmail.com This guide is supposed to be used together with the map I submitted to GameFAQs. ---------------------------------------- 1. Special mechanics of the game 2. Combining items 3. The secret hint 4. Basic walkthrough 5. Version history 6. Sharing is caring ---------------------------------------- 1. Special mechanics of the game 1.1 Pulse locks and pulse keys Throughout the map are spread several Pulse locks (PL) and Pulse keys (PK). Every room with a Pulse lock contains a particular enemy that causes instant death. The only way to disable these pulses is to use a Pulse key while standing on the Pulse lock. 1.2 Fuel stations Fuel stations, marked with (F) on the map, are used to refuel the jetpack. To activate them you have to hold the "USE" key while flying below them. Fuel is recovered over time, so you have to stay there until your tank is full. 1.3 Teleport The teleport, marked with (T) on the map, can take you to two otherwise unreacheable areas in the game. To use it you need to be holding either a Teleport Key, marked with (2) or the Immortoport Key, marked with (11), and use them while flying below the star symbol. Using the teleport will consume the key, but coming back from the location you've been teleported to is free. The two different keys take you to different areas. While the Immortoport Key is mandatory to the completion of the game, the regular Teleport Key is entirely optional and can be skipped (for details see section 3 of this guide). 2. Combining items To complete the game you are required to combine certain items. However there are a few combinations that are optional or that cause instant death. For the combinations of Compact Disc Drive, Visual Display Unit and Compact Disc ROM, on the map marked as (14), (15) and (16), see section 3 of this guide. If you combine the Positive and Negative Fuel Cells, (1) and (4), you will get an instant Game Over with the message that "The black hole has crushed the obsidian". If you combine Antimatter with Matter, without having applied the Curse of Immortality to the Antimatter to obtain the Antimatter Immortality, you will get another instant Game Over. The Cosmic Rays, (6), can only be obtained if you are carrying the Atom Stabilizer (12). If you visit that room without the stabilizer it will be "shaking" and you won't be able to get them. I haven't found any other notable combinations, but through experimenting something else interesting could be discovered. 3. The secret hint If you use the Teleport Key (2) you end up in a special area, located in the top-left part of my map. Here you will be able to combine the Compact Disc Drive (14) and Visual Display Unit (15) to get a computer. If you then use the Compact Disc ROM (16) on it you will be able to access its data. At first the disc only offers a prompt. The only command I found that could be accepted is "CAT", which is what old home computers used to display the files on a device. After that you will find out that you can either "LOGON" or "LOGOFF". "LOGOFF" turns off the computer and gives you back control of the character. "LOGON" on the other hand displays the following message: "We have failed! You can succeed. You need earth, wind and fire, warmth, life force and immortality. Swap the poles for real world. Mix anti-matter with matter...... good luck! Redisplay (Y/N)" This message is basically a hint to how to win the game. 4. Basic walkthrough In this step-by-step walkthrough I will only tell you the combinations you need to apply to complete the game. I won't be suggesting when you need to stop to refuel, that's up to you and it largely depends on how much damage you take from enemies. I only suggest you should use a Pulse key once, because all the other times you find a pulse in your path it's easily avoidable. When you swap the poles at the end all the items in the slots get scrambled around. That's why I made sure you are carrying the Antimatter Immortality when it happens. That way you don't have to go find it, and can take it directly to the Matter to complete the game. Get Nitrogen Cylinder (13). Use it on Flask of Methane (7) to get The Mixed Gases. Use them on Diamond Powder (10) to get Primordial Cells. Use them on Incubator (8) to get Incubating Cells. Exchange Incubating Cells with the PK two rooms below (2-PL) and use it to disable that pulse. Retrieve the Incubating Cells. Use them on Cloning Medium (9) to get Cloning Cells. Drop them in (7), where the Flask of Methane used to be. Get Atom Stabilizer (12). Exchange it with Cosmic Rays (6). Go back to (7), where you dropped the Cloning Cells. Use Cosmic Rays on Cloning Cells to get Antimatter. Drop Antimatter in (7) again. Get the Immortoport Key (11). Head to the Teleport (T), in the room with a PK and PL too, and use the Immortoport Key. Get Curse of Immortality (17). Head back to (7), use it on Antimatter to get Antimatter Immortality. Exchange Antimatter Immortality with Positive Fuel Cell (1). Drop Positive Fuel Cell in (3). Get Negative Fuel Cell (4). Exchange Negative Fuel Cell with Antimatter Immortality, previously dropped in (1). Exchange Antimatter Immortality with Positive Fuel Cell, previously dropped in (3). Drop Positive Fuel Cell in (4). Get Antimatter Immortality from (3). Head to (1), the poles will switch. Use Antimatter Immortality on Matter (18). 5. Version history 1.0: the one you're currently reading. 6. Sharing is caring You are free to post this guide wherever you like. Give me credit if you do so. Or don't, I wouldn't care, but keep in mind you wouldn't be a nice person if you didn't.