T-MEK TIP FILE
Version 4.5

New in this version:  Special weapon insights! 
                      News on Nazrac's Galactic Tour!
                      More hidden features revealed!

Welcome to the latest edition of the T-MEK tip file!  This is emailed
to any T-MEK enthusiasts who want to hone their game and kick serious
butt in Atari's hot new game.

------------------------ 
*****WHAT IS T-MEK?*****
------------------------ 

T-MEK is a new coin-op title made by Atari Games.  It currently is
shipping and available for purchase by arcade operators.  T-MEK has a
deluxe sit-down configuration, with custom analog controls and Atari's
new CAGE immersive surround sound system.  Each game cabinet can link
two players in head-to-head play, and permit solo play for lone
players.  Up to three cabinets can be linked for 6-way head-to-head
play.

T-MEK combines the realism and strategy of the best simulator games
with the competitive thrill of fighting games.  The basics can be
learned in a minute, but mastery comes, if ever, after hundreds of
hard-fought matches.  Seasoned players learn to hone their reflexes,
make split-second decisions, use their systems skillfully, and employ
subtle strategies and counter-strategies to defeat their opponents.

The object of T-MEK is to prove one's superiority against all
challengers, rising through Nazrac's tournament ladder until one meets
the supreme T-MEK player-- Nazrac himself.  While you are struggling
up the ladder, other players challenge your rank, resulting in
spectacular head-to-head battles that can rage with up to six players
at once.

In a T-MEK match, you and your MEK enter one of many exotic arenas
with at least three other T-MEK pilots.  You score points by hitting
and destroying other MEKs with your array of blasters, plasma cannons,
and more specialized weapons.  When a player's MEK is ravaged and
explodes, the pilot automatically ejects, grabs a backup MEK, and
jumps back into battle.  When the match time runs out and the twisted
wreckage slides to a stop, Nazrac declares the player with most points
the winner.  The round winner continues in the tournament for free;
the losers must pay a re-entry fee to continue in the competition.

If you defeat a player, you acquire that player's rank in the
tournament, catapulting you towards your final victory.  When your
rank challengers have all been put at bay, you can eventually fight
against the boss of each arena, special underlings to Nazrac.  Unlike
lower-rung battles, these fights are to the death!  If you defeat the
arena boss, you replace him, her, or IT as the ruler of that arena and
the planet it lies on.  A very few players have been rumored to have
been challenged by Nazrac himself, to remind them of their
subordination to him.  Nobody has survived these conflicts.  Will your
ambition tempt Nazrac to call a challenge against you?  If it comes to
that, who will emerge the ruler of the T-MEK tournament and of all the
planets it occupies?


------------------------
*****ABOUT YOUR MEK*****
------------------------

Before each match, you choose which model of MEK to take into battle.
Each MEK has its stronger and weaker points, and each has unique and
powerful weapons and defenses.  All MEKs have a few things in common,
however.

The two control sticks move your MEK through the arena.  Your MEK
hovers above the ground, so you may slide left and right as well as
forward and back.  By pushing one stick forward or back, you travel in
a curve.  By pushing one stick forward and one stick back, you will
spin in place.  Pushing the stick a small distance causes a small
acceleration; a harder push makes you move faster.  Skillful pilots
use the control sticks to produce a wide variety of maneuvers.

The right trigger fires your long-range plasma cannon.  The glowing
hot plasma does heavy damage to MEKs and arena structures.  Your
plasma shot automatically curves to track the player registered in
your lockon cursor.  You may fire your plasma cannon with no
limitation.

The left trigger fires your two short-range blasters.  Your blasters
fire rapidly, but do not travel far before gouging into the ground.
An individual blaster hit does light damage, but their cumulative
effect is deadly.  You may fire your blasters with no limitation.

The right thumb fires your MEK's special weapon.  To fire a special
weapon, you must have at least one offense powerup (shown on the right
side of the control panel).  To get more offense powerups, go through
the blue light beaming down from underneath the floating reload
platforms.  Each MEK has a different special weapon. 

Holding down the left thumb activates your MEK's defensive system.
The defense varies from MEK to MEK, but all have the same basic
effect: your MEK is impervious to weapons.  Your defensive charge is
measured on the left side of the control panel.  When this charge runs
out, your defense will no longer work.  When your defense is not
active, the charge slowly builds up.  Use this sparingly when in
crossfire or when being attacked from behind.  As an added benefit,
while your defense is active you can turn faster than usual.  However,
as long as your defense is active, your conventional weapons will not
work-- your MEK's power is being diverted towards saving your butt.

Your MEK has several systems to help you track your opponents.  When
another MEK is near your sights, your weapon systems automatically
lock on to that player-- a secondary target bracket follows that MEK.
When locked on, information about that MEK appears near your central
target sight: the player's name (written in that player's color), and
the point value of that player (see scoring tips below).  The darker
the color of your opponent's name, the less shield power that MEK has.
Your plasma cannon and some special weapons will automatically home in
on whoever you have locked onto.

Your radar, in the center of your control panel, is a topdown view
with yourself in the center.  The large colored dots represent your
opponents of the matching color.  Dots at the top of the circle 
represent MEKs in front of you; dots in the right part of the circle
are MEKs to your right, and so on.  These dots are not fully accurate
and may jump around as your opponents' MEKs resist your detection.
MEKs with high defense ratings are more difficult to track on your
radar.  The LurkerMEK is nearly impossible to pin down!

The bar at the top of the screen represents your remaining shield
power.  If your shields are gone and your MEK suffers additional
damage, your MEK explodes impressively.  You lose precious seconds and
points before you re-enter the battle in a new MEK-- and in fights to
the death against arena bosses, you may lose your last hope of
survival!

The small screen in the right part of the control panel shows the
current rankings of all players in the match, sorted by the points
they have earned.

The small screen in the left part of the control panel shows your
current score and the time remaining in the match.


----------------------------------
*****SPECIAL WEAPONS REVEALED*****
__________________________________

Shockbolt:
  Composition: A powerful, contained charge of electricity.
  Damage: Light.
  Speed: Fast.
  Tracking: Good.
  Special features: The shockbolt goes through most obstacles and
    disorients your opponents by mixing up their controls.

Acid drone:
  Composition: A heavy dose of molecular acid suspended in a
    magnetically-protected alloy shell.
  Damage: Medium.
  Speed: Slow.
  Tracking: Excellent.
  Special features: If someone is locked in your sights when you fire
    off an acid drone, it will keep seeking that opponent for quite a
    while.  Bounces off many obstacles and keeps going.

POV missile:
  Composition: A lethal charge of fusion explosives delivered in a
    pilot-guided high-speed missile.
  Damage: Very severe.
  Speed: Fast.
  Tracking: Depends on the pilot.
  Special features: The pilot can guide this baby to any target,
    including oneself.  The speed can be controlled by pushing the
    sticks forward or backward.  Hit the right thumb again to abort.

Plasmathrower:
  Composition: Three white-hot balls of charged plasma.
  Damage: Heavy when accumulated.
  Speed: Fast.
  Tracking: Decent.
  Special features: To line up and whallop an opponent with all three
    hits delivers serious damage.  Nearly impossible to outrun.

Blinder Bomb:
  Composition: An explosive-filled shell that deploys shrapnel and a
    blinding flash via highly photoemissive magnesium powder.
  Damage: Pretty nasty.
  Speed: Medium.
  Tracking: Excellent.
  Special features: A hit with a blinder bomb will make your opponent
    (or, if you are not careful, YOU) temporarily unable to see
    outside the cockpit due to scanner overload.

Speed Missile:
  Composition: Identical to the POV missile but composed of a lighter
    alloy that increases speed and sacrifices stability.
  Damage: Severe.
  Speed: TOO fast.
  Tracking: Depends on the pilot.
  Special features: See POV missile.


------------------------------ 
*****TIPS FOR HIGH SCORES*****
------------------------------ 

At the end of the match, Nazrac declares the player with the most
points the winner.  The winner gets to continue in the tournament free
of charge while others must pay a re-entry fee to continue.  Here are
some tips to help you outscore your opponents.

When you lock onto a MEK, you see, under the name of the MEK's pilot,
a "kill bonus"--how many points you would get for destroying that MEK.
A "confirmed kill" report appears when you get this bonus.  In
addition, when you damage a MEK you get a fraction of that kill bonus,
proportional to the amount of damage you did.  If an opponent's kill
bonus is 40,000, for example, you get 10% of that, or 4,000 points,
for hitting that MEK with your plasma cannon.

The observant player will notice that a MEK's kill bonus is not always
the same.  In fact, the kill bonus for a player depends on that
player's current ranking.  A player who at the moment is in first
place has a kill bonus of 80,000 points.  A player who is currently in
fourth place has a kill bonus of merely 20,000 points.  Therefore, to
maximize your points, go after the higher-ranked players!  The
right-hand screen in the control panel shows who is in the lead.  The
color of that player's name matches the color of the radar dot showing
the position of that lead player's MEK, which also matches the color
of the glow of that player's engines.

Also, the darker a player's name appears, the lower the shields are on
that player's MEK.  Pick up an easy kill bonus by preying on the weak!

Just say no to death!  In the wreckage of destroyed MEKs are glowing
energy cores.  Run over these to boost your shield power and defense.

When your MEK is destroyed, Nazrac deducts a fraction of your points.
Therefore, reckless "kamikaze" fighting holds little benefit-- not
only do you repeatedly lose points each time you bite it, but other
players are gaining many points by wasting you so often!  Those who
die in a manner Nazrac deems dishonorable-- hitting themselves with
their own weapon, or foolishly running into an arena hazard-- have an
additional penalty deducted from their scores.

Beware of other MEKs stealing your kills!  You can blast an opponent
down to almost no shields, only to have someone else sweep in, make
the killing blow with a special weapon, and speed off with the kill
bonus.  Some pilots try to avoid this by putting themselves between
their prospective kill and the would-be point thief.  Another favorite
tactic is not to fire upon someone who is already being attacked, but
instead go after the attacker, who might be too distracted to notice
an assault from behind.


----------------------------------
*****TIPS FOR FIGHTING BOSSES*****
----------------------------------

On your climb up the tournament ladder, Nazrac will notice your skill.
Since Nazrac is always on the lookout for a savage warrior to help
uphold his mighty empire, he will call on you to challenge the boss of
one of his planets.  If you win, you become the new ruler of that
planet and everything on it.  If you lose, your charred remains will
be tossed into Nazrac's Pit of the Unworthies.

Fights against arena bosses are fights to the death.  Unlike arena
battles, contestants are not ejected from their MEKs in the moment
before they explode.  The defeated pilot is scorched to ashes by the
fusion implosion.  You get one MEK to prove your superiority.

In boss battles, all contestants have extra shield power added to
their MEKs.  Consequently, the energy cores left in the wrecks of
exploded MEKs in boss battles are bright orange, and add a great deal
of shield energy to whoever runs over them first.  These energy cores
are THE KEY to winning your challenges to Nazrac's warlords.

When you challenge an arena boss, the boss has two guards that will
also fight against you.  Having three MEKs shooting at you will wear
you down quickly!  Therefore, ELIMINATE THE GUARDS FIRST.  You can
tell which MEK is the boss and which are the guards by the name, the
color, and the appearance of the MEK.  When fighting Shocka, for
example, hers is the bright blue HyperMEK.  Her guards are named
Voltage and Wired, and they are in normal-looking HyperMEKs.

As soon as you eliminate a guard, RUN OVER THE ORANGE ENERGY CORE
sitting in the wreckage.  This will boost your shields and defenses
enormously.  Run over that core quickly, or else one of your opponents
will, and you will have a real uphill battle!  It is wise not to blow
up an enemy MEK if another one is hovering nearby.

Whenever possible, position yourself wisely.  Don't keep driving
through fire hazards or into wide spaces where your enemies can get
you from all sides.

If you find yourself dying too quickly, try a MEK with more armor.  If
you run out of time, consider a MEK with more firepower.  If you are
not picking up enough energy cores and special weapon reloads, a
speedier MEK will help.

Above all, be persistent.  Boss battles have a unique strategy and
higher tension level than what you might be used to.  Keep trying, and
soon you will be winning worlds.


---------------------
*****TOURNAMENTS*****
---------------------

Keep an eye out for T-MEK tournaments!  We make it easy for arcade
operators to conduct double elimination tournaments that will prove
who is the supreme T-MEK master.  Prizes will include T-shirts, hats,
posters, and CASH!  All participants will receive a full-color
mini-poster/tech spec sheet.  Ask for a tournament at your favorite
arcade!  Arcade operators can contact their distributor or TWI's
customer service for a tournament starter kit.


-----------------------------
*****T-MEK GALACTIC TOUR*****
-----------------------------

Nazrac's Galactic Tour may be coming to YOUR home town!  Seeking fresh
blood to uphold his empire, Nazrac's supreme battle simulator is
touring the U. S. and overseas.  This means that you will get an
opportunity to strut your stuff in a 6-way megabattle with longer
match times, free merchandise, a drawing for the winners, and an
intense crowd.  Stay on the lookout for advertisements on the radio,
in the paper, or at your arcades.  Projected dates are:

9/24   San Antonio
10/1   Dallas
10/8   St. Louis
10/15  Chicago
11/5   Miami
11/12  Six Flags Magic Mountain, Los Angeles
       The tour will stay at Magic Mountain indefinitely!


-------------------------------
*****HIDDEN FEATURE UPDATE*****
------------------------------- 

SAURONS/HIDDEN FINALE:
In the Storm Rift, Alien Nest, and Stone Web is lurking the star of
another one of Atari's hot new games:  SAURON of PRIMAL RAGE!  In the
Storm Rift, he hides in a secret canyon behind a false wall in the
side of one of the narrow nooks at the end.  If you blast all three
Saurons and then kill Nazrac, you will (after the credits) enter a new
arena that fans of Atari classics will be sure to recognize.  In any
case, it is the way to stay on *top* of the high score screen!

BOOST YOUR PICKUPS:
When going through the blue light of the reload platforms, try pushing
both sticks outward at the last moment.  It's tricky!  If you succeed,
you will get five special weapon charges instead of three.
Likewise, hold the sticks in as you pick up an energy core in the
wreck of a MEK.  You will get a much larger boost of energy and
defense charge.

ALTERNATE DIMENSIONS:
Give any arena except for the Killing Floor a new look!  If you hold
your control sticks and buttons in a certain way as the doors open to
the arena, you will see bizarre landscapes.  For the Sun's Anvil, push
both sticks outward (right stick to the right, left stick to the left)
and hold down both thumb buttons.  Storm Rift: Right stick forward and
away, left stick back and away, with both thumbs and both triggers
held.  Inferno: both sticks in and both thumbs held.  Stone Web: Right
stick forward, left stick back, both triggers held.  Alien Nest: Right
stick back and outward, left stick forward and outward, both triggers
and thumbs held.  Why not the Killing Floor?  Nazrac hates you to mess
with his reality!  But in the newest program version, there will be
something better still...


-----------------------------------------
*****NEW PROGRAM VERSION COMING SOON*****
-----------------------------------------

Keep an eye out for a new version of the T-MEK program!  The version
number on the title screen will read 5.1 or higher, and the "Identify
yourself" screen will have something different about it.  We are hard
at work putting in a MEKload of hidden features and improvements.
Bother your local arcade operator incessantly until you get it! =)


--------------------
*****STAY WIRED***** 
-------------------- 

Updates of this tipfile will keep coming, so every once in a while
email us again to get the newest version, or get the most recent
tipfile by anonymous ftp to ftp.netcom.com, in the directory
/pub/vidgames/faqs.  Also keep your eye on the magazine SWATPro and
Electronic Gaming Monthly for more tips and strategy!

Keep on blasting,
Team T-MEK * Atari Games * Time-Warner Interactive
tmek@agames.com

"T-MEK" and "Nazrac" are copyrighted (c) 1994 by Atari Games.
