Miner Jack

16K Cassette or Disk

by Randy Schulze

(When Randy submitted this article, his cover letter stated that Miner Jack was composed of programs and information from ANALOG Computing, one of his prime sources of tutelage. We're pleased to see the results of his efforts. -Ed.)

Are you ready to dig for gold? Are you ready to face the "Gold Guard," suffocate in thin air deep in the tunnels, or accidentally stumble into a poison gas pocket? Then grab your pickax, plug in your joystick and go for the gold!

As Miner Jack, you must dig tunnels and pick up gold nuggets. Once you have all the gold, you must return to the tunnel entrance to deposit it safely. After you've accomplished this, the next level will then start.

The dangers.

You must avoid deadly gas pockets and being consumed by the Gold Guard. Beware of the guard; he's not as dumb as he first appears. Remember, he is a guard, not a bloodthirsty monster. Also, he will not appear until a gold nugget is taken.

Do not take too long digging for gold. The air soon gets stale while you are deep in the tunnels. When you hear the blip, blip, blipping, get to the tunnel entrance as fast as you can for a breath of fresh air. You may then resume digging.

Degrees of difficulty.

The difficulty in Miner Jack increases as you get to higher levels. There are more gold nuggets to dig for, more gas pockets to avoid. The air gets stale a little sooner, and things start moving a little faster. You get three lives to gather up as much gold as you can.

There is no limit to the number of different screens this game can generate! The "men left" indicator is in the upper right corner by the moon. The gold accumulated and levels completed are displayed after the third life has been used. To start a new game, press the fire button.

Let the digging begin!

BASIC listing

CHECKSUM DATA