Montezuma FAQ Page Readme File
Table of Contents
1a. Introduction
1b. Story
1c. Game Description
1d. Technical Features
3a. Main Menu
3a1. Start Game
3a2. Player Menu
3a3. Options
3a4. Controls
3a5. Start Demo
3a6. Quit
3b. Game Menu
3b1. Resume Game
3b2. Options
3b3. Controls
3b4. Restart
3b6. Quit
3c. On-screen Statistics and Icons
3d. Bonus Rounds
4a. Positioning
4b. Running
4c. Fighting
4d. Jumping
4e. Vertical Ropes
4f. Horizontal Ropes
4g Swimming
4h. Screen Controls
1. Overview
1a. Introduction
Montezuma's Return is a first-person realtime 3D action adventure game for IBM PC compatible computers. It features realtime immersive 3D graphics and fast action gameplay. The game is spiced with humor and many full-motion video interludes. Unlike other 3D games, the focus of Montezuma's Return is jumping, puzzle-solving and obstacle maneuvering, rather than destruction. Montezuma's Return will give hours of entertainment for the entire family, and will offer excitement for even the most experienced game player.
1b. The Story:
The Year 1348. The Aztec war is near an end. King Montezuma's army has been defeated and his empire has crumbled. Montezuma hid his treasures deep beneath the ground underneath the Aztec grand temple. In desperation, he assembled his greatest sorcerers together and instructed them to place a curse upon the land which contains the treasure. From that day and for ten thousand years forward anyone who set foot on this ground would be stricken with the wrath of the curse. For even the soul of any trespasser would be trapped within the walls of the temple forever. The king's sorcerers were powerful, but were no match for the combined forces of the Spaniards and the neighboring tribes. King Montezuma and his few remaining consorts abandoned their land and were never seen nor heard from again.
Over the years, several groups of adventurers have heard about the lost treasure of Montezuma. Paying no heed to the curse, they have attempted to raid the temple of its treasures. With one exception, all of these previous adventurers have never been seen of again. In 1932 an aristocrat by the name of Horace Armstrong Green assembled a team of 12 mercenaries in an expedition to retrieve the legendary treasure. Horace was the only one of the thirteen who returned, but he was not the same. Those who know him reported that Horace spent his final days rambling on about zombies, aliens and huge deformed rodents involved the death of his twelve compatriots.
Clearly affected by madness, he survived for only three weeks. An autopsy concluded that his death was due to an infection of rare brain parasites.
The Year 1998. The adventurer, Max Montezuma (the only surviving direct descendant of the legendary Aztec king) returns to the land of his ancestors to claim the treasure to it's rightful heir. No one knows exactly where he's from, and no one knows exactly where he's going, but one thing's for certain - if there's danger and loot, Max will be there. Some people think he's a bounty hunter, some people call him a mercenary, and others say he's an international spy. Even when he's not looking for it, trouble follows Max like a fly to a horse's tail in the summer and Max wouldn't have it any other way.
1c. Game Description:
Montezuma's Return is an immersive realtime 3D action adventure game for PC CD/ROM. The game stars YOU as Max Montezuma, the daring adventurer and rumored descendant of the legendary Aztec Emperor.
After escaping from a doomed flight, survival will be his first challenge. Our hero must discover the secrets of a lost civilization while stranded on an uncharted tropical island. It won't take long to find out that the island is populated with many ghoulish opponents energized by an ancient curse. As the plot unfolds by completing a series of nine episodes and claiming all of the treasure within, the player will restore the tomb of his legendary ancestor thereby lifting the curse of the ancients. The game combines the best elements of adventure games with jumping-climbing-fighting dexterity challenges, all wrapped up and spiced with humor.
1d. Technical Features:
2. Installation
The Montezuma's Return demo is a self extracting zip file. Double click the file and the system will automatically prompt you with instructions to complete the installation.
3. Playing the game
3a. Main Menu
3a1. Start Game - Level Select Menu
If it's your first time playing you will need to type in a player name. Additional players can add their names to the list by selecting PLAYER MENU from the MAIN MENU.
If you have not yet completed the first level, the game will immediately start after selecting START GAME.
If you have previously completed at least one level, the LEVEL MENU will be invoked after selecting your name from the PLAYER MENU. This menu will display all the levels that were previously completed, along with the current incomplete level. By using the UP and DOWN ARROW keys you can highlight the level that you want to play. At the bottom of the screen your best score and time for that level will be displayed, along with bonus round statistics. A star to the right of the level name indicates that the level has been completed perfectly with all treasures retrieved and that the Bonus round can be played.
3a2. Player Menu
The Player Menu system will retain statistics for over 250 different players. When first running Montezuma's Return you will be prompted to enter your name. The system will remember which levels you have completed. The next time you play you will have the option to continue where you left off, or you can replay previously completed levels for best scores and times.
You can use the Up and Down arrows to select a player's name. If more than one page of player data is available, you can use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the pages of player names. If a new player would like to play, use the 'N' key to get the prompt for a "New Player". To delete a player from the list, position the cursor over the name and hit the "Delete" key.
To continue to the Main Menu, hit the Enter key or the Space Bar. The system will remember the last selected player the next time the game is loaded.
3a3. Options
3a3a. Sound Volume - Use the LEFT and RIGHT ARROW keys to select the volume of the sound effects.
3a3b. Music Volume - Use the LEFT and RIGHT ARROW keys to select the volume of the music.
3a3c. Videos ON/OFF - Use the LEFT and RIGHT ARROW keys to select ON or OFF to enable or disable the full motion video sequences.
3a3d. Return to Main Menu - Returns to the Main Game Menu.
3a4. Controls
This page will allow for the player to define his own custom keys to replace the default keyboard controls. Use the UP and DOWN ARROWS to select the specific function and hit ENTER to redefine the key. At this time the player can hit any key to override the default. The screen will display the key that is pressed. When the player is done, the ESC key will return to the Controls menu. The defaults option towards the bottom in the Controls menu allows for the keyboard defaults to be restored. The system will remember these settings the next time that this player is selected from the PLAYER SELECT MENU.
To invoke the mouse or joystick, select the ADVANCED JOYSTICK/MOUSE CONFIGURATION option from the controls menu. The checkbox must be used to enable the use of joystick or mouse. Each function is user-configurable.
3a5. Start Demo
Selecting this menu item will allow for you to see a self running demo of the game.
3a6. Quit
This exits the game.
3b. Game Menu
When playing Montezuma's Return, you can get to the Game Menu by hitting the ESC key. Like all the other menus, the UP and DOWN ARROWS control the highlighted item.
3b1. Resume Game
This will return you to the game. The ESC key has the same function.
3b2. Options - see 3a3
3b3. Controls - see 3a4
3b4. Restart
Selecting this item will restart the current level.
3b5. Quit
This item will return the player to the Main Menu.
3c. On-Screen Statistics and Icons
3c1. Health
This bar indicates your health. You lose health by getting struck by enemies, by falling onto a hard surface and by stepping on lava. Health is gained by eating fruit which is scattered throughout the levels. When the health bar gets low it will blink. You lose one life if your health bar goes down to zero.
3c2. Power
This bar indicates your fighting power. When you punch or kick this indicator will go down. It will flash when very low. If the power goes down to zero you can not fight. Power is gained just by not fighting.
3c3. Air
This lung graphic indicates your air supply while underwater. It's only visible when you are underwater. When your air runs out your power will drain very quickly.
3c4. Lives
Hats represent lives left. You will gain an extra life at every 25,000 points. At the end of each level, each remaining hat is exchanged for 5000 points.
3c5. Treasures left
This indicator is very useful because if you want to play in the bonus round you'll need to finish the level by gathering all the treasures. This is also very useful when playing the bonus round because you really need to know how many treasures are left to complete it perfectly.
3c6. Score
Points are acquired for gathering treasures and fruit and also for defeating enemies and solving puzzles.
3c7. Inventory
Keys and other artifacts needed to solve puzzles are displayed here when they are acquired.
3d. Bonus Rounds
If the player perfectly completes a level by retrieving all of the treasures he will be rewarded by entry into the Bonus Round. The Bonus Round is a timed event. The player must retrieve all of the treasures before the timer runs out. Once a player gains entry into the bonus round for a specific level, he can replay that bonus level as often as he likes. There's a special point bonus for completing a bonus level within the specified time frame.
4. Controlling Max Montezuma
As a first-person game, you do not actually see Max Montezuma. You can see only his arms and legs. All the control keys used here are the default control keys.
4a. Positioning
Rotate Left - LEFT ARROW
Rotate Right - RIGHT ARROW
4b. Running
Run Forward - UP ARROW
Run Backward - DOWN ARROW
Run Left - Z
Run Right - X
4c. Fighting
There are many enemy characters in each level. You will need to learn how to defend yourself. Punching and kicking are easy, but you'll have to learn how do to combinations and jumping kicks in order to defeat the more difficult enemies.
Punch - LEFT SHIFT
Kick - SPACE BAR
4d. Jumping
Depending on the surface, Max will get injured after falling a distance greater than his height. Bumpers, ropes and Sandy surfaces are safe to land on from any height.
Jump - LEFT CTRL
4e. Vertical Ropes
Climb Up - UP ARROW
Climb Down - DOWN ARROW
Rotate Left - LEFT ARROW
Rotate Right - Right ARROW
4f. Horizontal Ropes
Move Left - Z
Move Right - X
Rotate Left - LEFT ARROW
Rotate Right - RIGHT ARROW
Swing Forward - UP ARROW
Swing Backward - DOWN ARROW
4g. Swimming
When swimming underwater you have a limited air supply. The lungs graphic will appear at the lower left side of the screen. This will indicate the amount of air left. If you run out of air underwater you will lose health very quickly. Surface swimming is similar to walking. To submerge, just use the jump key. If you're near a dry surface, you can use the jump key to jump onto it.
Thrust - LEFT CTRL To achieve optimal swimming speed, press the Thrust (jump) button very rapidly.
4h. Screen Controls
Enlarge viewport - '+' Shrink Viewport - '-'
5. Troubleshooting
5a. General graphics problems, crashes or other random failures.
DirectX 5 is needed to run Montezuma's Return. There are many problems associated with certain video and sound cards. Contact Microsoft for a list of known DirectX problems.
Please contact support@utopiatech.com with bug reports.
Questions or Comments Mail to: Utopia Technologies
©1997, Utopia Technologies, Inc.