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M & M’s The Lost Formulas
Release 1.0 for Windows 95/98
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Congratulations on your purchase of M & M’s The Lost Formulas. We believe it is
one of the finest family entertainment and education products available for the
home computer.
To supply you with up-to-the-minute information, we have included this ReadMe
file.
(Please open this window to its maximum size for better readability.)
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INDEX
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Section
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System Requirements ...................................... A
Installing Lost Formulas ................................. B
Running the Program ...................................... C
Uninstalling Lost Formulas ............................... D
Troubleshooting and Tips for Improving Performance ....... E
Known Problems ........................................... F
Hints and Tips for Better Gameplay ....................... G
Technical Support ........................................ H
A.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
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Minimum Windows® System Requirements:
Windows® 95/98
Pentium® 233 MHz or faster
Direct X 7.0 or higher (included on disc)
64 MB RAM or more
3-D Graphics Accelerator Card (8MB or higher) with Glide, Direct 3D,
or Open GL drivers
4x CD-ROM or better
Windows-compatible sound card
Mouse (NOTE: Mouse is only required for installation and startup. The game is
controlled only by using the keyboard arrow keys or a gamepad.)
Gamepad (optional)
B.
INSTALLING LOST FORMULAS
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Installing the Game for Windows 95/98
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1. Place the CD in the CD drive. If you have Autorun enabled (see
Troubleshooting below), a screen will automatically appear. Follow the simple
on-screen instructions for installation. If Autorun is NOT enabled,
go to Step 2.
2. Click on the Windows START button, then select RUN.
3. On the RUN line, type D:\setup.exe. (If your CD drive is labeled as something
other than D, then substitute the appropriate letter.)
4. Click OK or press ENTER.
5. Follow the instructions on your screen.
6. M & M’S THE LOST FORMULAS requires that Direct X 7.0 be installed on your
computer. The program will look for Direct X 7.0. If it does not find it, it
will give you the opportunity to install Direct X 7.0 from the CD during the
game installation process.
7. If Direct X 7.0 is installed during the setup then you must run the M&M's
Configuration program. On the Windows START Menu go to the Start / Programs /
M&Ms The Lost Formulas / M&Ms The Lost Formulas CONFIGURATION.
8. On the M&Ms Config window, make sure the appropriate 3D device is selected.
Select Glide if using a Voodoo card. If using a non-Voodoo card, you probably
have an OpenGL or Direct3d card. If your card is OpenGL you might wish to first
try the Direct3d rendering because it supports OpenGL cards and may perform
better than the OpenGL drivers.
You will usually want to set the game for Full Screen. 640 X 480 is a good
resolution with which to start, especially if you are concerned about game
speed. This is the default setting.
To change configurations later, click on the Windows START Menu, then click on
PROGRAMS, then on M&Ms The Lost Formulas and finally on M&Ms The Lost Formulas
CONFIGURATION.
NOTE: If you have a fast processor you may set the High Quality Video option.
This will improve the quality of the cinematic videos.
C.
RUNNING THE PROGRAM
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Running the Program in Windows 95/98:
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(NOTE: The Mouse is only required for installation and startup. The game is
controlled only by using the keyboard arrow keys or a gamepad.)
1. After the game is installed, if you have Autorun enabled, just place the CD
in the drive. The start-up screen will appear. Follow the on-screen prompt.
or
1. Double click the M&Ms The Lost Formulas desktop icon which was created during
the installation. The start-up screen will appear. Follow the on-screen prompt.
or
1. Click on the Windows START button.
2. Click on PROGRAMS.
3. Click on M&MS The Lost Formulas.
4. A submenu will open. Click on M&Ms The Lost Formulas. The start-up
screen will appear. Follow the on-screen prompt.
D.
UNINSTALLING LOST FORMULAS
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Uninstalling the Program in Windows 95/98:
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1. From the Windows START Menu select Programs and then select the M&Ms The Lost
Formulas program group.
2. Select UNINSTALL M&Ms The Lost Formulas. The game CD is not required
for the uninstall process.
E.
TROUBLESHOOTING AND TIPS FOR IMPROVING PERFORMANCE
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1. Generally, the best resolution setting for the game tends to be 640 X 480.
Even on fast machines the game may slow down at higher resolutions, such as 1024
X 768. If the game is running poorly at 640 X 480, you may need to choose a
lower resolution, such as 320 X 240.
2. Running the game on a smaller game screen can also improve speed and
performance. To do this, open the configuration screen (you’ll see it during
installation, or you can click on M&Ms The Lost Formulas CONFIGURATION
in the M&Ms The Lost Formulas program group while not playing the game). Remove
the checkmark beside Full Screen. Now when you start the game it will play on a
smaller screen.
3. If you are having problems running the game, experiment with the settings
on the CONFIGURATION window (see above). If you click the MORE button on the
CONFIGURATION window, you will see further options. Try disabling some or all
of the features, such as Full Screen Anti Alias, Trilinear Mip-Map filtering,
Triple Buffering, etc., by removing the check marks.
4. If your PC does not read your CD automatically, this is probably because the
Autorun feature is not activated. To enable Autorun, double-click on My Computer
on your desktop. Double-click on Control Panel, then double-click on System.
Click on the Device Manager tab. Double-click on the CD-ROM icon, then double-
click on the CD-ROM device that opens below it. On the window that opens, click
the Settings tab. Make sure that the Auto Insert Notification box has a check
mark beside it. Click OK.
5. If you receive a message telling you that the CD is unreadable, make sure
that the CD is clean and dust-free and that there are no scratches.
6. If your computer locks up or crashes while running the game, it may be
because you have other applications running in the background. You should close
all other applications and programs while you are running this game. This may
include screensavers and internet connections. To disable a screensaver, read
the documentation that came with the screensaver or with your computer’s
operating system.
About Video Cards and 3D Graphics Accelerators:
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1. This game requires a 3D accelerator. A 3D graphics accelerator card is a
specially designed video card that renders 3D graphics, freeing up your
computer’s main CPU to do other jobs. A 3D accelerator means that your games can
run faster and in higher resolution. Most computers sold within the last year or
two have one already installed. A new one can usually be purchased for less than
$100.
2. To find out what video cards and accelerators are installed on your PC, click
the Windows START button, then click RUN. In the text box type, DXDIAG and then
click on OK. The DirectX diagnostic tool window will open. Click on the Display
1 and/or Display 2 tabs. The screen should list the name, manufacturer, chip set
and amount of memory your video card currently has. You can also use this method
for determining which sound card(s) you are using. Just click on the Sound and
Music tabs instead of the Display tabs.
3. If the game is not running properly (flickering graphics, choppy animation,
error boxes), you may need to update your video driver. Check your computer
documentation regarding drivers and updating drivers.
4. If you need the most recent driver for your 3D hardware, you can probably
download it from the Internet. If you cannot find it this way, contact the
manufacturer of the hardware and request that they send you the latest drivers.
Some sites for downloading drivers: www.drivershq.com, www.download.com,
www.3dfx.com, www.atitech.com.
F.
KNOWN PROBLEMS
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1. Older Voodoo cards (1, 2) present some problems with the game. The cinematic
movies may not play very well or you may experience other problems. A new 3D
card is fairly inexpensive.
2. Graphics problems have been reported with this game (and many other popular
3D games) on PC when using Rage 128 graphics cards. You may see flickering in
the graphics. On some levels this is more extreme than others. There have
been problems reported with the ATI Rage Pro Turbo (8MB). Numbers and/or
text may appear on screen as empty boxes, though the game itself remains
basically playable. At this point, there is nothing we can do to alleviate
these problems. Check with the manufacturer of the card to see if updated drivers
are available.
3. Some on-board sound systems produce a stuttering effect in which voices
repeat words, sounds or complete phrases unnecessarily. This is not usually a
problem with the popular commercial sound boards, such as SoundBlaster or AWE
64.
4. Some users may experience graphics corruptions with the Intel 810 chipset.
This is a built-in processor that performs functions similar to that of a 3D
accelerator card, but is not a true accelerator card. Though the game may be
mostly playable, users may experience slow or incomplete rendering of graphics.
This problem is best remedied by acquiring a true 3D accelerator card.
G.
HINTS AND TIPS FOR BETTER GAMEPLAY
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GENERAL:
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1. Please note that the mouse does not work on the game menu. You must use a
game controller or the keyboard.
2. Younger players may have better luck using a gamepad than the keyboard, which
requires more coordinated movements of the fingers.
3. This is a real, state-of-the-art action game. Not all players, especially
very young ones, may be able to play all of the levels well. Try clicking the
Math Only option and setting the Math Difficulty on Numbers, level 1. This is
the easiest way to play through the game (but you will not see the cinematic
movies playing this way).
4. If you are having trouble with the first level (Get Out of Town), go to the
Levels menu and slowly type the password SIMON. This will open up the second
level. Now you can play Level 2. Come back to Level 1 later if you wish.
5. The game will save your extra lives as you long as you maintain forward
progress in the game. If you go to the menu and choose to repeat a level you’ve
already completed, this will cancel out any extra lives you may have saved. You
will now start the selected level with three lives and must build up from there.
6. You have a great deal of control over Yellow during a jump. He can be moved
through the air in any direction. Many of the jumps that look hard at first
simply require that you steer Yellow in a certain direction while he is
airborne. Mastering this maneuver will go a long way toward helping you master
the game.
7. You can use the Go Berserk (spin) move during a jump. It is often a good idea
to do jump and spin at once, especially if you’re going to land near robots.
8. To defeat a robot by jumping, you must land directly on top of it. If you hit
any part of the side of the robot, you will be defeated. So, if you see that
you’re not able to land right on top of the robot, quickly use the Go Berserk
(spin) move.
9. The Go Berserk (spin) move runs out of power after a few seconds. It then
needs a brief period to recharge before you can use it again. You should not use
it constantly, but should use it along with the jumping move in order to defeat
robots. If you use Go Berserk sparingly, it will usually be charged when you
need it.
10. Press F1 (keyboard) or Button #4 (gamepad) at any time to see how many
Formula pieces you have.
11. Formula pieces always appear in the same hiding places, so once you learn
where all three are hidden in a Zone, you can find them again any time.
12. Although 100% Windows-compatible joysticks are supported, we recommend
using a gamepad or the keyboard for better control.
13. If you are using a gamepad or joystick and are having difficulty with a
certain puzzle or obstacle, try switching to keyboard control. Some puzzles are
easier to master using the keyboard. For example, if you want to walk across a
narrow pathway without falling off, the arrow keys may control Yellow a little
more easily.
14. If you have trouble getting past an obstacle, look around. Sometimes there
is an easier route. For example, you may not need to go through a set of mixer
blades, you may be able to go around them.
15. Sometimes it’s okay to let the orange timed DANGER boxes explode. In fact,
sometimes the best way to get past a puzzle is to activate a timed box, run out
of the way, and then go back after all of the boxes in the area have exploded.
16. Sometime it’s good to use a jumping box or spring as a rest spot, while you
plan your next move. You’ll keep jumping up and down in place until you jump in
a new direction.
17. Yellow can jump higher if he doesn’t spin. When he jumps without spinning,
he somersaults and can break crates higher in the air than if he jumps and spins
at the same time.
18. If you want Yellow to jump up on a high obstacle, such as 2 boxes stacked
atop one another, it is easier if you back him away a bit first. If he’s too
close he can’t make the jump.
19. If robots are very near exploding DANGER boxes, they can be destroyed too
and you’ll still get the MINIs. Sometimes exploding a robot is safer than
attacking it directly.
20. Sometimes pits in the floor hold surprises as well as dangers. Take a few
risks now and then.
GENERAL MATH:
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1. The program automatically adjusts to your success level in the math, but
remember, you can always adjust the difficulty manually to make the math easier
or harder, or to get more practice at a chosen skill. Just choose Math from the
Main Menu.
2. When you’re playing in the higher levels of Addition and Subtraction, the
driving and other Math Zone activities may run a bit more slowly. This is
intentional. We slow things down to allow you the time you need to do your
mental calculations.
LEVEL 1: GET OUT OF TOWN
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1. Small movements are all that is needed to control the car. The car will
automatically straighten itself out after you move it to the left or right.
Steerby just tapping the controls a bit to the left or right and then letting
the car straighten itself out. You’ll have much better control of the car
this way than if you use big movements and constantly move the controller to
the left and right.
2. Sometimes the speed button (see manual) is needed to get you out of a jam.
Use it to whiz through a busy intersection or outrun a car or truck.
3. DO NOT OVERUSE the speed button. Use it only when necessary. Overuse of the
speed button, or using it while jumping off ramps, can change the timing of the
animated obstacles and make the level harder.
4. Sometimes you may need to drive on the sidewalk in order to survive.
5. You can’t hit every single M & M’s box; just try to hit as many as you can.
6. In the Math Zone, if you are having trouble seeing the numbers on the signs
and/or choosing your answer quickly enough, try increasing the Picture Quality
on the OPTION MENU.
or
Try setting your computer at a higher resolution (see Troubleshooting and Tips
for BetterPerformance above). This will often accomplish two things: 1) make
the numbers on the signs appear sharper, so that you can read them sooner,
and 2) slow the game down a bit, so that you have a little more time to think.
7. There is a hidden route in the End Zone. See if you can find it!
8. In the End Zone, after the first wooden bridge, a blue truck will sometimes
try to drive out in front of you. Speed up to go ahead of it, or it will
probably hit you from behind.
9. In the End Zone, sometimes you must take detours off the main road. Just
follow the trail of boxes rather than the paved road.
10. There are no formula pieces hidden in Level 1. Start looking for them when
you enter the candy factory in Level 2.
LEVEL 2: MILK CHOCOLATE
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1. To get past the giant mixer blades, time your jump immediately after a blade
goes past you.
2. In the Math Zone, don’t jump backwards off the floating platforms. This may
make it impossible to get back to the next correct answer. If you do this by
mistake, just jump in the liquid and start over.
LEVEL 3: OH CHUTE!
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1. Move Yellow forward and backwards on moving belts in order to position him
exactly where you want him and to time your way past obstacles.
2. Late in the Start Zone, you’ll come to a place where the belt stops and five
robots march about in a central area. You can’t touch the floor, but remember,
you can jump on the heads of the moving robots.
3. In the Math Zone, numbers appear in the monitors. Pay close attention to
them. This is not always easy. Some players find it helpful to say the numbers
aloud as they appear. If you’re working on addition and multiplication, the
monitors show a rising number series. If you’re working on subtraction or
division, the monitors show a descending series. When you come to the doors,
choose the next number in the series.
If you’re working on Numbers, all the monitors show the same number or quantity.
When you get to the doors, just pick the one that matches the number or quantity
you have been seeing.
4. In the End Zone, there are pushers that try to knock you off the moving belt.
Watch their patterns. Some push once, some push twice, but they always pause for
a few seconds. To get past one, move Yellow as close as you can, then wait for
the pusher to pause. Jump your way past the pusher while it’s paused.
5. Jumping repeatedly can move you along belts faster than walking.
LEVEL 4: CANDY COLORS
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1. In the Start Zone and End Zone, sometimes candy sprayers shoot at you when
you’re on moving belts. You can time your way past the sprayers by moving with
or against the movement of the belt or by jumping to a different belt. It takes
a little practice to become good at this.
2. In the Start Zone and End Zone, if you’re having trouble on walkways with
dumping buckets, try using the keyboard instead of a gamepad or joystick.
LEVEL 5: STAMPIN’ AND SORTIN’
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1. In the Math Zone, you can give Yellow a tiny burst of speed, using the same
button you use in the driving levels. This can help Yellow avoid being crushed
by the big stampers.
2. In the Math Zone, you will find that you need to make early decisions about
which door to choose. Wait too long and Yellow may forced into a door that you
do not want.
LEVEL 6: PACK IT IN
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1. In the Math Zone, if you wish to use the same button you used for a previous
answer, you must step off the button, then step on it again. Otherwise, the
button will not light up and it will not register as an answer.
2. In the Math Zone, you can change your mind and select a new answer at any
point until the timer stops ticking.
LEVEL 7: WAREHOUSE WOES
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1. In the Start Zone, if you wish to find all the formula pieces, you must find
the detour route.
2. Use the speed button to make it through closing doors.
LEVEL 8: THE SHOCKING TRUTH
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1. Don’t focus on getting the formula pieces here, unless you’re an expert. Just
try to survive and get through the level. Also, there are no formula pieces in
the End Zone.
2. Some (not all) of the platforms with two large blue arrows on them are used
to control a second moving platform. You must often walk from one side of the
two-blue-arrow platform to the other in order to activate control of the second
platform.
3. In the Math Zone, as in the Level 2 Math Zone, do not jump backwards off the
platforms. This can cause problems getting to the correct answer.
BONUS LEVEL ROBOT STAMPEDE
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1. Don’t try to get all the boxes or the robots will catch you. Speed is the
main thing here.
2. Use the Go Berserk (spin) move to break open boxes (such as the Extra Life
boxes near the start of the level). If you use the jump move, you will probably
take too much time and the robots will catch you.
BONUS LEVEL PIPE DOWN
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1. You can control the speed of the surfboard by aiming its nose. The more
northerly your direction, the faster you’ll move. Sometimes you can stall by
slowing the board down and waiting for an enemy to pass you.
2. If you find yourself stuck somewhere, just go with the flow. Let go of your
controller and see if the water current sets you free.
H.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
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If you need to call our technical support department, please make sure that you
are at your computer and that you have the following information readily
available:
For Windows 95/98
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1. The product name and version number, which can be found at the top of the
Readme file and on the disk itself.
2. The processor and clock speed of your computer (e.g. Pentium 266).
3. Your operating system’s version number (e.g. Windows 98) and the amount of
free memory and system resources you have available. (To find out, open
Windows Explorer and select About Windows 95/98 from the Help Menu.)
4. The brand name of the sound device, video card and 3D graphics accelerator
installed on your computer (see the above section, About Video Cards and
3D Graphics Accelerators.)
5. The complete and exact error message (if any) reported by the program.
To Contact Us:
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On-line: www.ssinteractive.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (303) 739-4020
Fax: (303) 739 4513
TM/® "M&M's", "MINIs", "M" and the "M&M's" Characters are registered trademarks
of Mars, Inc. or its affiliates. © Mars, Incorporated 2000.
Published by Simon & Schuster Interactive, a division of Simon & Schuster, the
publishing operation of Viacom, Inc., 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY
10020.
© 2000 Simon & Schuster Interactive, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and
its licensors. All rights reserved.
Microsoft is a registered trademark and Windows is a trademark of Microsoft
Corporation. Macintosh and Power Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple
Computer, Inc. iMac is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
Uses Bink Video. Copyright © 1997-2000 by RAD Game Tools, Inc.
DESIGNED, WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY BOSTON ANIMATION, INC.
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