Wizard of Wor, the Video Game by Midway Mfg. Co. [Schiller Park, IL, USA]

DESCRIPTION

KEYWORDS :

Type of the machine : Video Game
Wizard of Wor © 1980 Midway.

Welcome to WIZARD OF WOR! In this magical game, you are a worrior descending into deep dungeon mazes, battling invisible monsters, cacodemons, and maybe even the Wizard of Wor himself! Be of good cheer, worrior, for herein lie many of the secrets of the Wizard.

Wizard of Wor is a game for 1 or 2 players. When the 2-player mode is selected, both players control their worriors at the same time. Teamwork in the 2-player mode is very important (but not necessary to play).

The object of Wizard of Wor is to descend as far into the dungeons of Wor as possible, killing monsters, beating the Wizard, and earning as high a score as you can. The game ends when all the players' worriors have been destroyed.

At the start of the game, you are placed in dungeon one. It contains six blue Burwors. Using the joystick and fire button, maneuver your worrior around the maze and shoot them. As you shoot the last Burwor, a yellow Garwor will come out. Garwors and red Thorwors will turn invisible. The radar will show the positions of the invisible monsters. Invisible Garwors and Thorwors will become visible when they enter the same corridor that a worrior is in. As time goes by, the monsters speed up. The longer it takes before you shoot them, the faster they go. When you have destroyed the Thorwor, the first dungeon ends.

In the 2nd dungeon, a different maze is randomly selected. Once again, 6 Burwors are placed here. More Garwors and Thorwors will appear this time, however. When the last Thorwor has been shot, Worluk will come out and try to escape out one of the side doors. If you shoot him before he escapes, all point values will be doubled in the next dungeon. After Worluk has been shot or has escaped, the Wizard of Wor may then appear. He teleports closer and closer, continuously firing lightning bolts. He continues to do so until either one worrior has been destroyed, or the Wizard has been shot.

After dungeon 3 or 4, a bonus player is awarded (option switch selectable). You must then face the Arena. This is the toughest of the lower level dungeons. The Worlord dungeons begin at dungeon eight. They are very difficult to survive. At dungeon thirteen, another bonus player is awarded, and you must try to win your way through The Pit. The ultimate goal of Wizard of Wor is to survive The Pit without losing any worriors.

In a 1-player game, the other worrior (blue) is your friend. He will not shoot you unless you come between him and a monster, then he will try to shoot the monster, and you could be hit by his shot.
In a 2-player game, both players play at the same time. They do not take turns. The two players may elect to shoot each other. But, if you wish to survive for long, you must use teamwork!

And now worrior, go forth and do battle with the Wizard of Wor!

TECHNICAL

CABINET :

Wizard of Wor arcade units came in a white dedicated cabinet with sticker sideart of a menacing looking wizard. Cabaret and cocktail versions were also common (The cabaret models had wood grain paneling with no sideart, while the cocktail versions had the monitor mounted sideways for some reason).

Main CPU : Z80 (@ 1.789773 Mhz)
Sound Chips : (2x) Astrocade (@ 1.789773 Mhz), Votrax SC-01

Screen orientation : Horizontal
Video resolution : 320 x 204 pixels
Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz
Palette colors : 256

Players : 2
Control : 4-way joystick (that had 2 positions for each directions)
Buttons : 1 (FIRE)

TRIVIA

This game featured some early speech synthesis that was done in a similar manner to that in "Gorf" (Gorf and Wizard of Wor ran on nearly identical hardware). Here is a list of the phrases the Wizard says throughout the game :

Insert coin and game over mode :
1) Hey! Insert Coin!
2) Find me ...The Wizard of Wor.
3) I'm out of spite, ha ha ha ha!

Get ready or coin acceptance mode :
1) Get ready, worrior.
2) You better hope you don't find me, the Wizard of Wor.
3) Another coin for my treasure chest.
4) Ah good! My pets were getting hungry. Ha ha ha ha!
5) My worlings are very very hungry. Ha ha ha ha!
6) Welcome to my world of Wor.
7) So you've come to score in the world of Wor. Ha ha ha ha!
8) You're off to see the Wizard, the magical Wizard of Wor.

Dungeon start-ups :
1) Kill Worluk for double score.
2) You are in the dungeons of Wor.
3) I am the Wizard of Wor.
4) One bite from my pretties, and you'll explode, ha ha ha ha!
5) Worluk will escape through the door.
6) Watch the radar, worrior.
7) Thorwor is red, mean, and hungry for space food.
8) Remember, I'm the wizard, not you.
9) If you can't beat the rest, then you'll never get the best! Ha ha ha ha!
10) You'll never leave Wor alive! Ha ha ha ha!
11) If you destroy my babies, I'll pop you in the oven! Ha ha ha ha!
12) Burwor hasn't eaten anyone in months. Ha ha ha ha!
13) My babies breathe fire worrior.
14) I'll fry you with my lightning bolts.
15) Burwor, Garwor, and Thorwor will do you in.
16) My creatures are radioactive.

Bonus player awarded :
1) You'll get ...The Arena! Ha ha ha ha!
2) Another worrior for my babies to devour.
3) Keep going and you will find me.
4) A few more dungeons and you will be a Worlord.
5) Worrior fear, I draw near, each time I appear. Ha ha ha ha!
6) You won't have a chance for your dance worrior. Ha ha ha ha!
7) Now you're asking for trouble worrior.
8) Now I'm getting mad worrior.

First Garwor appears :
1) Now you get the heavyweights! Ha ha ha ha!
2) Garwor, go after them!
3) If you try any harder, you'll only meet with doom, ha ha ha ha!
4) If you get too powerful, I'll take care of you myself, ha ha ha ha!
5) My magic is stranger than your weapons, worrior.
6) Worrior, while you developed science, we developed magic.
7) Your bones will lie in the dungeons of Wor, ha ha ha ha!
8) Garwor and Thorwor, become, invisible! Ha ha ha ha!

Wizard kills worrior :
1) You've just been fried by the Wizard of Wor! Ha ha ha ha!
2) Bite the bolt worrior. Ha ha ha ha!
3) Wasn't that lightning bolt delicious? Ha ha ha ha!
4) And my teleporting spell can be even faster! Ha ha ha ha!
5) Now you know the taste of my magic, worrior.
6) Maybe you'll see me again worrior.
7) Your explosion was music to my ears! Ha ha ha ha!
8) I'll say it again, worrior fear, I draw near, each time I appear. Ha ha ha ha!

Worlord dungeon startups :
1) Worlord, be forewarned! You approach, The Pit!
2) Your path leads directly to The Pit! Ha ha ha ha!
3) Deeper, ever deeper into the dungeons of Wor.
4) Beware! You are in the Worlord dungeons!
5) Ah! You thought you could hide but I'm the dungeon master.
6) Thor Bur Gar! Dinner’s ready! Ha ha ha ha!
7) Hey! Your space boot's untied! Ha ha ha ha!
8) My beasts run wild in the Worlord dungeons. Ha ha ha ha!

Phrases for The Pit :
1) Now your only chance is your dance! Ha ha ha ha!
2) Are you fit, to survive The Pit? Ha ha ha ha!
3) Oops! I must have forgotten the walls! Ha ha ha ha!
4) Worlord, where are you going to hide now? Ha ha ha ha!

End of game :
1) Come back for more with the Wizard of Wor. Ha ha ha ha!
2) The dungeons of Wor await your return, worrior.
3) Deep in the caverns of Wor, you will meet me, worrior.
4) The Wizard of Wor thanks you.
5) You know you can do better, worrior.
6) Hurry back! I can't wait to do it again.
7) You can start anew, but for now you're through. Ha ha ha ha!
8) He he he ho ho ho ha ha ha! That was fun!

When you have reached the Worlord dungeons, the Wizard calls you Worlord, instead of worrior.

A Wizard of Wor machine was shown at the 2003 classic arcade games show 'California Extreme' in San Jose, California.

SCORING

Burwor (Blue Monster) : 100 points
Gurwor (Yellow Monster) : 200 points
Thorwor (Red Monster) : 500 points
Yellow or Blue Worrior : 1000 points
Worluk : 1000 points + Double Score for Next Dungeon
Wizard of Wor : 2500 points

TIPS AND TRICKS

The game progresses through a series of dungeon mazes, each one deeper in the caverns of Wor. One other worrior accompanies you into the dungeons, and if you wish to survive for long, you should work with him to conquer the monsters you will encounter. At the start of each dungeon, there are blue Burwors moving around the maze. As you destroy them, yellow Garwors come out, and as you destroy them, red Thorwors take their place. When the last red Thorwor is shot, winged Worluk comes out (not in the first maze). Try to shoot him before he escapes out one of the side doors, as that will double all the point values for the next dungeon. After Worluk has escaped or been shot, the Wizard of Wor might show up. He uses a powerful teleport spell to jump himself from place to place in the dungeon, all the while firing lightning bolts. He keeps reappearing until one worrior has been destroyed, or he himself has been shot. If any worriors are left, the next dungeon is entered. This sequence of events continues until all of the player's worriors have been vanquished.

In the basic dungeons, a worrior can learn the fundamentals of survival. It is very easy to walk blind around a corner, into the mouth of a waiting monster. When the monsters are really moving, they are faster than you are. This makes running away difficult. There is a point where you will have to turn and fight them before they eat you.

Your worrior is easy to operate - a 4-direction joystick for movement in the dungeons, and a fire button for the concentrated unified-field-disturbance rifle. The joystick has two contacts in each direction, a direction contact and a movement contact. A light tap to the joystick will face your worrior in a certain direction, without moving him out of position. To move your worrior, just hold the joystick over in one direction.

The unified-field-disturbance rifle is easy to use. It fires in the direction your worrior is facing. It operates on the principle of a concentrated unified-field-disturbance area coupled with a displacement through 4-space. This means that it can create only one disturbance at a time, and the disturbance must continue moving until it expands its energy on some object, usually a monster or a wall of the dungeon.

Only one shot can be in the air at a time. This means that in a short corridor you will be able to fire rapidly, because your shot will always quickly encounter a wall. In a long corridor, the shot stays in the air for a long time, leaving you in hot water if a monster is approaching from the side.

If your shot occasionally seems to go in the wrong direction, it is because your worrior has not fully rounded a corner before firing. Your shot went in the direction you were just facing, not in your new direction. Learning when not to shoot is an important part of the strategy of this game.

Entering the dungeon is simple to do, but at times, particularly in the Worlord dungeons, choosing the right time to enter can be a little tricky. At the start of each dungeon, you have ten seconds to bring your worrior into the maze. To do so, just push the joystick toward the maze. When your worrior comes out, he is facing the radar screen. If you do not bring the worrior out of the ready box immediately, the ten second count-down begins. The numbers of the count are shown next to the ready box. At the end of the ten seconds, your worrior will automatically be brought into the dungeon. At the beginning of a dungeon, all the monsters are started away from the 2 ready boxes. But since the monsters move randomly at first, they can start to move closer to you. Also, when a worrior has been destroyed, you may immediately bring a new worrior into play. However, monsters might be milling about next to your ready box. To avoid being eaten, wait for the monsters to clear the area before bringing your worrior out. It is important to note that a new worrior can be brought in at any point during play. If you get eaten or shot, just bring in another worrior and have at it! This is particularly useful with Worluk, who may eat you once, but not escape immediately. It is often possible to bring a second worrior in, and kill Worluk for double score on the next dungeon, before he escapes.

In a one player game, the blue worrior is controlled by the computer. He is a first in video gaming, as he is your friend inside the machine. He will never shoot at you, he shoots only at monsters. Sometimes, he will even save your life by shooting a monster sneaking up behind you. Be careful not to get between him and a monster, for he will still try to shoot the monster, and you might catch his shot.

Teamwork is also a major point of strategy in Wizard of Wor. In the basic dungeons, there are places where two worriors can cut off the monsters as they try to enter the corridor where the worriors are standing. This position is strong but not invincible. The monsters, particularly the last few monsters left in a maze, are moving fast enough to occasionally duck in between shots, and eat you. Back to back in a short corridor is good teamwork. Note that the two worriors can pass through each other unhindered. But be careful! When you are close together, it's very easy to accidentally shoot each other.

In the early mazes, it is to your advantage to initially go out and shoot as many monsters as you can. This is because the monsters move slowly at first, but get faster later. The more slow monsters you shoot, the fewer fast monsters will be left to eat you. When the monsters speed up, then find a good teamwork spot. In the upper level mazes, the Worlord dungeons, the critical thing is to not miss a shot, for if a shot misses a monster, it is likely to travel a long way before hitting a wall, and in that time a monster will probably come along and eat you. In some of the Worlord dungeons, there are places that two worriors can defend effectively, but they are very hard to get to, and often one player might loose a worrior trying to move into position. When you reach the Pit, you're on your own...

There are 2 levels of overall difficulty in the dungeons - basic dungeons and Worlord dungeons. In addition, there are 2 special dungeons, the Arena and The Pit, which occur at special times during play.

Each dungeon consists of an 11-by-6 matrix of squares, with a wall or opening on the sides of each square. The maze is symmetrical around the center vertical axis. Every maze has a side escape door located four squares up from the bottom, and on each side of the maze. Going out the door on one side brings you in the door on the other side. This can be confusing at first, but becomes quite handy when you get used to it. After using the side escape door, it remains closed for a short amount of time before reopening.

When Worluk is out, the door always remains open. Proper use of the side escape door will sometimes aid in escaping trouble, and can also help to cut off Worluk before he escapes. The basic dungeons consist of many short passages with many possible different pathways, and some long corridors. At first glance, the long corridors appear to be the most strategic spot, but this is not true. Due to the firing mechanism, it is usually the most dangerous spot, as you are not able to fire very often. Finding good places for team work is relatively easy here. In the area between the radar screen and the dungeon, a description of some current important aspect of the game is displayed. In dungeon one, the word RADAR is shown, indicating to the novice player the function of the radar.

On other dungeons, the level of the current dungeon is indicated. When Worluk comes out, the word WORLUK is displayed there, as is WIZARD OF WOR when he shows up. It tells when either of these has ESCAPED. And it tells when DOUBLE SCORE has been earned for shooting Worluk. It also tells you of THE ARENA and THE PIT.

Below the bottom of the dungeon is the radar. This shows you the location of every monster in the dungeon, visible and invisible. It is important to learn to use the radar to anticipate a monster coming from behind. The only creatures that do not show on the radar are the worriors and the Wizard himself. When you have reached dungeons eight and above, you have become a Worlord. Now you have the honor of testing your skill in the Worlord dungeons. These dungeons are much tougher, there are fewer walls and more open spaces. If even one shot misses, and travels the long distance down to the opposite wall, a monster will very likely come up and gobble you down. Finding and establishing yourself in solid strategic positions is very difficult. It is easy to have several worriors chomped up in a row. Sometimes the monsters will line up along one edge of the maze - a lovely parade. However, if just one monster starts approaching from the top, watch out!

The Arena is the dungeon that comes when the 1st bonus player is awarded. Since the bonus player is switch selectable for the fourth or the fifth maze, the same switch will also control the appearance of the Arena. It is the most difficult maze of the basic dungeons, featuring an arena. This is a large open area in the middle of the dungeon, with openings level with the side escape doors. This is a preview of the Worlord dungeons and The Pit.

Surviving The Pit is the ultimate goal of Wizard of Wor. The Pit occurs at the 13th dungeon, and every 6th dungeon thereafter. In other words, the 19th, 25th, 31st, etc. dungeons are The Pits. One missed shot here is almost certain to be fatal. The Wizard is particularly deadly here, as there is nowhere to hide. A bonus player is awarded at the first Pit. The other Pits do not award a bonus player. Sophisticated maneuvering, intestinal fortitude (guts), and a bit of luck are needed to make it through The Pit unscathed. Surviving The Pit without losing a worrior earns you the title of Worlord Supreme. Best of luck!

The Wizard of Wor loves to hear the patter of little feet running through his dungeons. So he created some lovely beasties, known as Worlings. Burwor is beautiful, bouncing blue. 6 of them exist on each dungeon level. They always remain visible. This is because the Wizards favorite color is blue. As each Burwor is shot, a Garwor may come to take his place. Garwor is kind of overfed, and waddles a bit, but he has yellow scales that are just delicate. As Garwors are shot, Thorwors are teleported in to take their place. Thorwor is sleek and dangerous red.

All of these monsters can shoot an occasional lightning bolt. Only Garwor and Thorwor have the Wizards spell of invisibility. They become visible when they enter the same corridor as a worrior, and when they are initially teleported in.

In the 1st dungeon, when the last Burwor is shot, he is replaced by a Garwor. When a monster is placed in the dungeon, it is at a random location, somewhere away from both worriors. In the 2nd maze, the last 2 Burwors are replaced by Garwors. The progression continues until the sixth dungeon, when all six Burwors are replaced by Garwors. Whenever a Garwor is shot, he is replaced by a Thorwor. So, in the first dungeon, there are a total of 8 monsters : 6 Burwors, 1 Garwor, and 1 Thorwor. In the 2nd maze there are a total of 10 monsters : 6 Burwors, 2 Garwors, and 2 Thorwors. In the 6th dungeon, there are a total of 18 monsters : 6 Burwors, 6 Garwors, and 6 Thorwors. This is the maximum number of monsters in 1 dungeon level. Note that there are really no more than 6 monsters in one dungeon at any 1 time. It just seems like there are more.

All of the monsters work on a speed-up timer. This timer increments the speed of the monsters every time it counts down, which is about every seven seconds. A Garwor that replaces a Burwor will start at the speed the Burwor was going when destroyed. The same is true for Thorwors. So, in the early mazes, Garwors and Thorwors end up going faster than Burwors, although, given enough time, Burwors can get moving as fast as any monster. In dungeon 4 and before, any monster traveling at top speed will always be visible. In later dungeons, Garwors and Thorwors will still become visible at top speed. In dungeon 7, the Burwors start at top speed. Any monster traveling at this speed is not able to shoot lightning bolts.

Worluk... the Wizard's favorite : In the 2nd dungeon and beyond, Worluk will come out after the last Thorwor has been shot. Worluk is a lightning quick Cacodemon. He's the Wizards favorite. He flies erratically through the maze, trying to reach one of the side escape doors. The Wizard tried to train him to fly to the door on the opposite side of the maze that he is initially teleported to. However, Worluk's chaotic nature leads him to frantically fly about, sometimes flying out the side escape door closest to him. If you shoot Worluk, all the scores in the next dungeon are doubled. This means that killing Worluk is essential for high scores. A good strategy is to position your worrior by the door that Worluk should use to escape. If Worluk should eat your worrior, bring the next one immediately into play, and go after him again! Remember, he is worth double score on the next maze. But, at the moment that Worluk has been shot, beware worrior! For it is then that the Wizard of Wor might choose to appear.

The Wizard of Wor : Even at a young age, the Wizard showed promise in the mystic arts. But it took many dangerous encounters and many years of research and study to sharpen his skills to his current high level. Over the centuries, the Wizard has retained his chaotic sense of humor, much to the chagrin of worriors entering his dungeons (see the list of phrases).

The Wizard will sometimes come out after Worluk has been shot. He uses multiple teleport spells to pop around the dungeon, eventually homing in on one worrior or the other. All the while, he wildly fires lightning bolts in every direction. At first he teleports some distance away from one worrior. Then, on successive teleports, gets closer and closer. Note that if the two worriors are very near each other, the Wizard may teleport right next to one of them the very first time. This is because he was teleporting a certain distance away from the other worrior, and happened to come up right next to the first worrior.

The Wizard will continue to teleport and fire lightning bolts until either one worrior has been destroyed or the Wizard has been shot. Shooting the Wizard does not kill him; it only banishes him until the next dungeon. In almost every dungeon there is a possibility that the Wizard could show up. This possibility is based on the level of the dungeon you are currently in, and on the total number of worriors left in the game. However, even at the highest dungeon level, it is not certain that he will appear.

Standing in a long corridor when the Wizard is teleporting in can be quite risky. If he comes up in that corridor, he will have a clear shot at you.

As you get deeper into the dungeons, the Wizard stays for a shorter period of time, and teleports even faster. This means he gets closer a lot faster, so you must try and shoot him soon after he first comes out. Otherwise, he may end up teleporting right next to you! The Wizard loves to fool worriors by teleporting behind them. But watch out, he will also surprise you by popping up right in front of you.

The Wizard says, 'Scores of 150,000 or more are exceptional'. Now, you're off to see the Wizard, the magical Wizard of Wor.

* Hints for game play :
1) Take a quick look at the maze before you go into it. Know the locations of the monsters and also find areas that will be suitable for defending yourself. The Burwors will already be roaming around. In the later levels, a couple of Garwors and Thorwors will also be in the maze.
2) When playing in 1-player mode, the computer player will assist you to a degree. Use this to your advantage. This will be especially true in the later levels when the invisible monsters are roaming the maze. The computer player can help you by making them become visible. Keep in mind that you can kill off the computer Worrior and they can do the same to you.
3) Two-player works like one player. Learn to work together and try not to kill each other (unless you are playing a cut-throat competition).
4) It is easier to turn from side to side then it is to turn from side to up/down. Find the short walls that will only allow monsters to approach you from the side. Also, align your warrior just a little past the corridor walls above and below. This will give you the advantage of seeing invisible monsters in two vice one passageway.
5) Another advantage of the above is the fact that the monsters will push you back vice kill you. Of course, you must get back into position since the monsters seldom will attack you singly in the later dungeons.
6) Learn to tap the joystick so you can rapidly turn without moving your Worrior. This will prove invaluable on the later levels when you have to turn back-and-forth rapidly to shoot the enemies coming at you.
7) Learn to use your radar. Although it doesn't have the maze superimposed upon it, you can get a pretty good idea of where the invisible monsters are and where they are moving to. This will definitely help decrease the chance of being surprised by one of them.
8) When you are shooting, make sure you are making your shots count. You can only have one shot out at a time. This basically means that until your shot hits a wall or a monster, you have no firepower. So don't fire down long corridors or you may find yourself surrounded by monsters without being able to shoot them.
9) Your shots can also be negated by the other Worrior's shots, monster's breath weapons, and the wizards lightening bolts.
10) As the dungeons progress, the monsters become smarter. Not only do they attempt to surround your character, they also move out of the way when you are aiming at them. In addition to becoming smarter, they move much quicker and tend to swarm on your Worrior.
11) You can use the warp tunnel once during a dungeon. It will also clear out when the Worlock appears. When you use the warp tunnel, it will seal off behind you as you get to the other side. Only use it when you really need to. Don't hang around it since the monsters will also use it to get to your location.
12) The Worlock will appear after the last monster has been killed. Worlocks usually appear in the center of the maze and move toward one of the war tunnels. Try to seal off the warp tunnel to prevent the Worlocks escape. Also, hit it at long range since trying to fight toe-to-toe with it would be suicide.
13) After you clear out the Worlock, you may be confronted by the Wizard of Wor himself. The Wizard of Wor teleports randomly about the maze shooting off lightening bolts. This may be the one time when a pre-emptive shot may do you some good since the wizard may teleport into your shot. You can also use the same tactics of creeping out from behind a wall with the wizard since you won't be hit until you are pushed back into the corridor.
14) If you survive through dungeon 7, you will now be classified as a Worlord. This basically means all the monsters are moving at maximum speed and they are all coming for you.
15) If you don't lose a Worrior on the dungeons with the Pit, you will be classified as a Worlord Supreme.
16) For the mazes that are open (such as the Pit) or very near open (such as the Arena), go to a corner to present the smallest possible target and to force the monsters to only come at you in two directions.
17) While you are playing the game, if you turn the power off and back on quickly, you will start where you left off and your total amount of Worriors left will be at their maximum of 16.
18) After the dungeon counter (located above the radar) passes 100, it will reset but the 1st digits will no longer by in synch with the counter.
19) It is rumored that if you fire a shot and the Wizard of Wor first appears in the exact same spot where your shot is, the game will lock up.