Readme file for Time Tripping - JJ2 (Complete remake of the first episode
of Hocus Pocus) (Read it all. It's good for you)
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Table of Contents:
1. Explanation (what is this?)
2. Story (what am I doing?)
3. Event-to-Hocus-object (what is what?)
4. Major differences between HP and JJ (what isn't?)
5. Switchs (what do I do with them?)
6. Mad Monks (what are THOSE?)
7. Apparently unfixable bugs (what the?)
8. Credits (what people?)
9. Special thanks (what.. I give up. No what for this one)
10. Notes and Fun Facts (what's left?)
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1. Explanation
This is a single player pack containing
as-close-to-exact-as-we-could-get-it remakes of the first episode Hocus
Pocus, a sidescrolling game by Apogee. (The first episode is free)
Naturally, there are differences, but those are explained in the other
sections.
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2. Story
(taken directly from Hocus Pocus)
Once upon a time in the Land of Lattice there was an apprentice magician
called Hocus Pocus. He had studied long and hard to become a true and
powerful magician, one that could sit with pride on the Council of Wizards.
The Council ruled this part of the land, and being a member was the highest
honor. (it also helped to get really good tables at restaurants!)
The head of the council, Terexin, did not believe Hocus was serious with
his studies (mostly because of the doodles down the side of his spellbook),
so he set him a series of tasks, each more dangerous then the first.
To make matters worse, Hocus could not marry his true love, the
outrageously beautiful and well-drawn Popopa, until he became a member of
the council.
So Hocus said goodbye to his parents, Slow and Piggina Pocus, and set off
to defeat the evils Terexin set before him, with only his determination and
a nicely-tailored magician's outfit to protect him. He also had his
Infinite Pocket Sized Lightning spell, which could also prove helpful.
All power in the Land of Lattice had its source in Magic Crystals, gems
that resonate when brought together in sets.
"You must capture the crystals of each of your adversaries to rob them of
their magical powers," said Terexin. "And should one of the adversaries,
well, 'meet with an accident,' no one would really complain, if you know
what I mean."
TIME TRIPPING - THE FIRST TEST
The Council used such tests to rid themselves of pesky adversaries that
posed a threat to their control of the area. The most annoying were the Mad
Monks of Mellenwah. These monks guarded their part of the Magic Paths, the
dimensional shortcuts by which you could travel to the different parts (and
different eras) of Lattice. They would charge a toll to those wanting to
travel along their paths, which were among the most heavily travelled Paths
in the Land (especially the path to the (Derby: Content Edit) era). This
bothered the Council, who wanted them "removed" so they could get on with
their (Derby: Previous edit reference edit) studies.
(Other three episodes removed due to irrelevance)
To watch your progress, Terexin will usually project an image of himself
into an area, and if he's in the mood, he'll speak astrally to you and give
you a hint of nearby dangers. Or, more likely, he'll be very rude to you.
"Good luck, young wizard!"
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3. Event-to-Hocus-object
Silver Coin: Magic Crystals. Collect the required number of them, and beat
the level.
Hatter: Dragons or Eskimos.
Doggy Dogg: Mushroom heads, Bear dogs or Penguins.
Bat: Flying red demons.
Spark: Flying green demons.
Raven: Flying grey demons.
Red Gem: Red gem.
Purple Gem: Purple gem.
Green Gem: Gold goblet.
Blue Gem: Gold crown.
Carrot: Healing potion.
Plasma Shield: White potion.
Destruct Scenery: 1. Block that you shoot. 2. The health block which you
shoot to injure the Mad Monks.
Tuf Boss: The Mad Monks' attack.
Trigger Crate: If you have a key to a lock, a crate will appear by the
lock. Hit the crate to insert the key in the lock.
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4. Major differences between HP and JJ
Jazz can jump higher then Hocus. This is remedied by having down sucker
tubes preventing Jazz from jumping onto platforms he couldn't reach as
Hocus, or to prevent him from getting back up a pit.
Hocus can jump further then Jazz. The only time this matters is in Level 6,
with the Big Jump. Sadly, you will have to get hurt by it.
The White Potion/Plasma Shield does not make you invincible in Hocus.
However, what with all the fastfire you get from shooting enemies and other
sources, you will soon normally have effectively what the White Potion does
in Hocus. Thus, the invincibility is so you will have Some sort of
advantage.
Hocus has much more health then Jazz, and stops blinking from injuries
faster. Thus, there will be a lot more carrots then you could possibly use
in some places. (Like 4 and 9) If you feel guilty, get hurt a lot.
Jazz has special moves, and can run, and Hocus can't. While playing this
episode, please do NOT use ANY special moves, and do NOT run unless you
don't have a shield and there's a long passage that would take forever to
get through, or you can't reach a switch combination tester potion any
other way. Only buttstomp if you need to hit a trigger crate.
Jazz is one tile high, Hocus is two tiles high. Any areas in the levels
where Jazz could get through that he's not supposed to be able to, are
walled off with sucker tubes or invisible tiles.
In Hocus, all the flying enemies (in the first episode) can shoot. Sadly,
there is nothing we can do about this.
Hocus' screen is 20x10 tiles. Jazz's is 20x15. Thus, Jazz can see a bit
more then Hocus.
In Hocus, blue potions (warps) disappear after being used. This generally
is pointless, except in level 8, where a blue potion is made to disappear
after being used. (The rest of the time it just stays there)
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5. Switchs
Switches come in three types.
1) Single switches. These have trigger zones all around them which will
turn them on and open whatever they open. While in Hocus you can turn them
off, it doesn't do anything, so that feature was deemed pointless.
2) Switches underneath Destruct or Trigger Scenery. These obviously can't
have trigger zones. Their trigger zones (which make them do something) are
in the floor beneath the switch, under layer 3.
3) Combination locks. These switches can be turned on by being in the tile
directly above the switch, or off by being in the tile directly below the
switch. Each combination lock has a nearby white potion tile. Go on this
tile to test the combination of On and Off switches. If correct, the wall
(or whatever) will open, and you can continue. Otherwise, try again. (In
level 9, there is supposed to be a combination lock behind destruct
scenery. This is impossible in Jazz, so the switches and its trigger zones
have had their destruct scenery blocks removed from on top of them) By the
way, Hocus tends to reuse combinations a lot, so if something worked
earlier in a level, try it again.
*NOTE: Due to Ninja Dodo's complaints about the combination locks in the
original upload, if you play on "Easy" mode, entering a white potion will
open the lock no matter how you have the switches arranged!!*
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6. Mad Monks
The Bosses. There are seven of them, all in the ninth level.
They stand still. Still, keep on the move while fighting them, as they can
shoot at you (they shoot the Tuf Boss's flaimerang). If you shoot the skull
block which floats in front of them enough times (63, I believe), a trigger
crate will fall in front of them. Hit that crate, and the monk will die,
and won't be able to attack anymore.
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7. Apparently unfixable bugs
In level 9, you can get shot at by Mad Monks just by being near enough to
see them, or sometimes not even that near. Thus, once the bosses are
activated, try to keep moving at pretty much all times.
In levels 5 and 6 in Hocus, all the ceilling spikes hurt. Having them all
hurt in Jazz is just too many events, and stuff stops working. Thus, only
the ceilling spikes you are most likely to touch actually hurt.
In level 9, by the gold lock, if you move Just right, you can get stuck in
the wall. There is no way to avoid this.
In levels 6 and 8, crates have to fall out of 1 tile high platforms for
locks. Thus, where the crates are, there are invisible ramps over the crate
on top. Please ignore these.
In Hocus, the flying enemies can crash into walls and be stopped by them,
but in Jazz, they go through walls. Thus, you are likely to be attacked by
Sparks or Bats through the walls. There is nothing that can be done about
this.
In level 4, right after the gold lock, there are some combination lock
switches. Do not test the combination until you have gotten the silver key,
or at least killed the first few Doggy Doggs on the platform above the gold
lock. (You will get hurt otherwise)
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8. Credits
See the final level (Hocus1end.j2l) for a different look at credits.
Black Ninja: Beta tested the pack, gave suggestions for things to be in the
tileset, and created the episode file.
Elliot: Beta tested the pack.
Spotty: Made the original Hocus105 level, which was scrapped due to
inaccuracy. Was meant to make the Hocus108 level, but he was short of time
and never did it. Also made the Hocus04 tileset (used in levels 7-9), and
created the original version of the tileset used.
Greenkiller: Made the Hocus01, 02 and 03 tilesets. (used in levels 1-6)
Apogee: Made the original game, levels, music and tilesets.
Modplug: Provided the program to get the music JJ2 compatible.
Violet: Everything that someone else didn't do, including all the levels,
finding the music, and organizing the whole project.
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9. Special Thanks
Aiko: He released the Blues Brothers pack, which got good ratings, and
showed this wasn't such a bad idea after all.
EvilMike: Told me Modplug Tracker could convert music files. Also is just a
cool person.
Ice M A N: Told me (way back) how to get the textured background to work.
Disguise: Told me the same thing. Also is just a cool person.
Greenkiller: He made the original tilesets, without him I'd never have
thought of this.
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10. Notes and Fun Facts
The first level made (which didn't even originally use a Hocus tileset) of
the pack was made on August 30, 2001, FIFTEEN MONTHS before the pack was
finally finished.
The levels have two appearances. If you have High Detail on, you get a
Hocus looking background (not exact copies of the background, there wasn't
enough room in the tileset) complete with status bar. If you have Low
Detail on, you get no status bar, and a Jazz type background.
Hocus101.j2l (which was Hocus01.j2l then) originally used the Cassa
Gradient tileset. That's why it had the Hocus Pocus logo in it.
If you play on High Detail, please use 640x480.
If you play on the Hard difficulty mode, lava will kill you.
Hocus Pocus needs a sequel.
