TR and a.g.t. FAQ - the latest I have saved - Feb 14, 2002 By John F. Jones
McGrandpa
<tombr...@3dactionplanet.com>
Subject: Tomb Raider FAQ: Updated
Date: Thursday, February 14, 2002 12:04 PM
From: tombr...@3dactionplanet.com (John F. Jones)
Newsgroups: alt.games.tombraider
Subject: Tomb Raider FAQ
Followup-To: poster
Summary: This article is a collection of information on the computer
game Tomb Raider featuring cyber babe Lara Croft.
Archive-name: tombraider-faq/1.2.3
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: Feb. 14, 2002
The Tomb Raider FAQ
-------------------
Send corrections/additions to the FAQ maintainer:
John F. Jones via email on tombr...@3dactionplanet.com
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This article is provided "AS IS" without any express
or implied warranties. While every effort has been taken to ensure the
accuracy of the information contained in this article, the
author/maintainer/contributors assume(s) no responsibility for errors or
omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information
contained herein. The contents of the article might be totally
inaccurate, inappropriate, misguided, or otherwise perverse - except for
my name (you can probably trust me on that).
Copyright (C) 2001-2002 by John F. Jones, all rights reserved.
Acknowledgements: Few things are entirely the result of one persons
unaided efforts and this FAQ is no exception. So I would like to give my
many many thanks to snark^ (who still writes the "Other Tomb Raider-Like
Games") for allowing me to take over the maintenance of this FAQ and to
all the others who have continued to show support, and have therefore
continued to contribute to this FAQ. Most notably I would like to give a
special thanks to my family who haven't heard from me because I've been
so busy writing and updating this FAQ. I'm thinking of writing a FAQ
about myself to send to them so they'll know what I'm up to.
>>> This FAQ has been filmed in a M O N O S P A C E D font and <<<
>>> wrapped at 72 columns using plain text only, no hyperwhotsits, <<<
>>> webified/HTMLized things whatsoever. <<<
No endangered species were harmed in the making of this FAQ and only the
freshest, cleanest, lean and green, recycled electrons were zapped in
its manufacture... This FAQ is also available online in
webified/HTMLized versions at the following sites:
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/tombraiderfaq/
http://www.eidosgames.com/ubb/forum31/html/005934.html
Last Updated: 14th February 2002
Contents.
---------
New or updated sections are marked with an *.
1.0 An Introduction
1.1 The alt.games.tombraider Newsgroup and how to survive it
1.2 Something to talk about
1.3 Rumour Control
* 1.3.1 Got any information on the next Tomb Raider game?
* 1.3.2 When is the next Tomb Raider game due out?
1.3.3 I've heard that there is a way to see Lara in the nude
whilst playing the games! What is it please?
1.3.4 Is it Lara or Laura?
1.3.5 It's gone "gold"?
* 1.3.6 Who does Lara voice?
1.3.7 What's that piece of music called?
1.4 What are the gold add-on levels, such as TRUB?
1.5 The History of Tomb Raider
1.5.1 Chronolgié de Lara Croft
1.6 The Tomb Raider Comics
1.6.1 What is Tomb Raider Fan-Fiction?
2.0 Troubleshooting/Technical Stuff
2.1 How can I obtain Technical Support for the games?
* 2.2 Available Platforms
* 2.3 Minimum System Requirements
2.4 How do I exit the game?
2.5 I'm having problems with my sound
2.5.1 Basic Sound Solutions
2.5.2 Specific Sound Card Solutions
2.6 I'm having problems with my graphics
2.6.1 How do I get high resolution/SVGA mode in TR/TRUB?
2.6.2 I can't get my voodoo card to work with TR/TRUB
2.7 The game runs really slowly
2.8 The menu ring endlessly spins
2.9 Lara moves, even when I'm not pressing any keys
2.10 The game suffers from long pauses when reading from the CD-ROM
drive. What's wrong?
2.11 I keep getting Visual C++ runtime errors!
2.12 The Windows 95 / 98 / 2000 / Me / XP key keeps on dumping me
out of TR/TRUB
2.13 I'm having problems with my screen resolution under Windows
2000
2.14 I can't save/load my game or save my settings. What's wrong?
2.15 Can I watch the FMV sequences without playing the games?
2.16 How do I take screenshots?
2.16.1 I'm having problems viewing the screenshots
3.0 Playing the Games
3.1 General game play Hints and Tips
3.2 How do I complete the [insert level name here] level?
3.2.1 I followed the walkthrough instructions to the letter but
still can't do...
3.3 Could someone please give me a savegame for...
3.3.1 Are there any savegame editors?
3.4 Why should I bother collecting the secrets?
3.4.1 What happens if you complete the games with all the
secrets?
3.5 I'm having trouble controlling Lara - the game sucks!
3.6 Did you know that Lara can do.
3.7 Lara's Extra Moves
3.7.1 The Handstand
3.7.2 The Swan Dive
3.7.3 Roll in mid-air (TR2, TR3, TRLR & TRC)
3.7.4 Forward Roll with One-Half Somersault
3.7.5 The Slide Stop (TR3, TRLR, & TRC)
3.7.6 The Forward Roll (TRC)
3.7.7 Gameboy Color Extra Moves
3.8 Lara's Armoury
3.8.1 The forever self-replenishing Pistols
3.8.2 The Shotgun
3.8.3 Magnums (TR1)
3.8.4 The Uzi's
3.8.5 Automatic Pistols (TR2)
3.8.6 The M16 (TR2)
3.8.7 Grenade Launcher (TR2, TR3, & TRLR)
3.8.8 Harpoon Gun (TR2, & TR3)
3.8.9 Desert Eagle (TR3)
3.8.10 The MP5/HK Gun (TR3 & TRC)
3.8.11 Rocket Launcher (TR3)
3.8.12 The Revolver (TRLR, & TRC)
3.8.13 The Crossbow (TRLR)
3.8.14 Grappling Hook Launcher (TRC)
3.8.15 Gameboy Color Armoury
3.9 Lara and Vehicles
3.9.1 Speedboats and little yellow Dinghy's (TR3, & TR3)
3.9.2 The Snowmobile (TR2)
3.9.3 Kayaking (TR3)
3.9.4 Quad Bike (TR3)
3.9.5 The Underwater Propulsion Unit (TR3)
3.9.6 RX Tech Mine Carts (TR3)
3.9.7 The Jeep (TRLR)
3.9.8 Jean Ive's Motorcycle & Sidecar (TRLR)
3.9.9 The Extreme Depth Suit (TRC)
3.9.10 The Mini Submarine (GBC)
3.10 How do I get into the basement, outside the front gate, into
Lara's trophy room and.
3.10.1 An ASCII map of Lara's garden maze (TR2)
3.11 Where's the key for the door next to Lara's bed in TR2?
3.12 Could someone please tell me how the game ends?
3.13 What is it that person X says in cutscene Y? Can someone
please explain the plot to me?
4.0 Cheat Codes
4.1 Someone please tell me the nude code!!!!!
4.2 Tomb Raider Cheat Codes (PC)
4.3 Tomb Raider Cheat Codes (PSX)
4.4 Tomb Raider Cheat Codes (Sega Saturn)
4.5 Tomb Raider Cheat Codes (Apple Mac)
4.6 Dagger of Xian Cheat Codes (PC)
4.7 Dagger of Xian Cheat Codes (PSX)
4.8 Dagger of Xian Cheat Codes (Apple Mac)
4.9 Adventures of Lara Croft Cheat Codes (PC)
4.10 Adventures of Lara Croft Cheat Codes (PSX)
4.11 Adventures of Lara Croft Cheat Codes (Apple Mac)
4.12 Last Revelation Cheat Codes (PC)
4.13 Last Revelation Cheat Codes (PSX)
4.14 Last Revelation Cheat Codes (Apple Mac)
4.15 Chronicles Cheat Codes (PC)
4.16 Chronicles Cheat Codes (PSX)
4.17 Chronicles Cheat Codes (Sega Dreamcast)
4.18 Nightmare Stone Cheat Codes (GBC)
4.19 Curse of the Sword Cheat Codes (GBC)
5.0 Other Tomb Raider-Like Games
* 5.1 Other Games
5.1.1 Alone in the Dark
5.1.2 Deathtrap Dungeon
5.1.3 Drakan: Order of the Flame (Demo)
5.1.4 Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine
5.1.5 Metal Gear Solid (Demo)
5.1.6 Heavy Metal FAKK2
5.1.7 ODT (Demo)
5.1.8 Oni (Demo)
5.1.9 Outcast
5.1.10 Project Eden (Demo)
5.1.11 Severance: Blade of Darkness
5.1.12 Recommended First Person Shooter Games
5.2 Other Games Characters Moves
6.0 Tomb Raider Level Editor
6.1 Whenever I start the Level Editor, Windows tells me that it has
caused an error and closes
6.2 Whenever I start the Level Editor it appears to lock up, as I
can't select any of the menus or buttons
6.3 I can't see all of the buttons along the bottom of the program
6.4 Part of the screen (or parts of it) has turned black
6.5 Whenever I load a previously saved project I get a message
saying "Arg list too big". What does it mean?
6.6 Whenever I load a previously saved project I get a message
saying "Warning: texture file (path name) not found". What
should I do?
6.7 Whenever I load a previously saved project I get a message
asking if I want to "Retain all Triggers (Remap to Lara?)" What
should I do?
6.8 The Editor window is completely white and won't show my level
in 3D at all. What's wrong?
6.9 The objects in my level have strange colours. Is this okay?
6.10 Whenever I use the Level Converter, no data is displayed and
it appears to be doing nothing. Is it converting my files?
7.0 Appendices
7.1 Tomb Raider Resources on the Internet
7.1.1 The Official Websites
7.1.2 Tomb Raider USENET Newsgroup
* 7.1.3 Recommended Tomb Raider Fan Websites
7.1.4 Recommended Tomb Raider Tools and Utilities
7.2 Hardware Manufacturers Websites
7.3 Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Symbols
8.0 More Questions?
8.1 This FAQ didn't answer ANY of my questions. What do I do now?!
The FAQ's.
----------
1.0 An Introduction
1.1 The alt.games.tombraider Newsgroup and how to survive it
The alt.games.tombraider newsgroup is a medium-volume newsgroup that
enjoys worldwide participation on the subject of the Tomb Raider
(TR) games. Any discussion related to any of the TR games is
welcomed whether it be about the games plot, their difficulty level,
the "Jeeves for Prime Minister" campaign, promoting your TR website,
or even arguments over what kind of designer label socks Lara stomps
around in. All such discussion is welcome here.
We occasionally make us of obscure acronyms in this newsgroup. A
full list of the more common ones can be found in the appendices.
Spam, large inappropriate binaries (file attachments), non
TR-Related arguments, and moronic flames/trolls are not welcome. May
I please refer all newcomers to alt.games.tombraider (and
USENET in general) to one of the netiquette FAQ's available at
http://www.primenet.com/~vez/neti.html or to the slightly satirical
version located at http://www.templetons.com/brad/emily.html. Both
are worthwhile reading.
This FAQ however concerns itself solely with alt.games.tombraider.
So please peruse the information contained herein if you should
require an answer to your burning query. Who knows? -- Five minutes
of reading here might save you a few flames and many days of waiting
for a reply.
Note: In line with common USENET policy special mention must be made
of binaries -- we don't want 'em here. Your best to either place the
program/picture on a website or a specialist binary group (such as
alt.binaries.game) and then post a quick message here telling us
where we can find it.
1.2 Something to talk about
Now, if we're not helping, flaming, trolling, or spreading vile
rumours about each other, what is it we actually talk about here in
the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup and in the Eidos Interactive Tomb
Raider forums? We'll the topics can be anything from; who's going to
play Lara in the next Tomb Raider movie; Jeeves for Galactic
Overload; Can you do the Great Wall level without guns?; major
announcements of minor changes to websites; demands made of the
games programmers; etc... We haven't yet actually had a thread on
what designer brand of socks Lara wears (however I'm assured she
buys them from Tesco), but your more than welcome to start one.
We in no way condone software piracy and do not wish to see any
discussion relating to the ripping off of Core or Eidos - or any
other software company for that matter.
Finally, don't be afraid to jump into a discussion as we're a very
friendly bunch who rarely pull the legs of(f) newbies - if at all...
1.3 Rumour Control
An enormous amount of topics posted on the alt.games.tombraider
Newsgroup and Eidos forums concern the endless rumours that Tomb
Raider seems to attract. The discussion of them is welcome provided
that the information you produce is new and/or relevant. The
following should help with the most common rumours.
1.3.1 Got any information on the next Tomb Raider game?
Both Core Design and Eidos Interactive have kept the next
adventure in the Tomb Raider series, which is currently in
development and codenamed 'Next Generation', tightly under
wraps. However over the past couple of weeks some details about
the game has started to emerge. Check out
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/guides/tomb6/ for some
screenshots. Here we present our efforts with what we know so
far
about this year's most eagerly awaited computer video game
featuring Lara Croft due for release on PlayStation II and PC in
November.
The bulk of the game is said to be set in Paris were Lara is on
the run from the police for the murder of... wait for it...
Werner Von Croy. After a mad dash through the narrow streets of
Paris the story then moves to the catacombs beneath the city
before ending in a mental asylum. Sounds feasible to us as Core
Design wish to change the direction of the game to attract a
more
mature adult audience. It is said Lara is in this situation
after
being framed for the murder and is expected to take place at the
beginning of the new game with her attempts to clear her name
uncovering a sinister, dark, criminal underworld led by a
unscrupulous villain only known at this time as Eckhardt.
Weaponless to start with this is where the new games major
differences start to surface with past adventures as Lara is
expected to earn cash so she can purchase weapons and other
items from back street stores. One example given to us is that
Lara finds a Comic on her travels and must pawn it for some
cash.
She is said to also be searching for five fourteenth century
paintings by the famous "Obscure Painter" but whether she wants
these to hock at the local pawnshop is also unknown. The famous
Musée du Louvre Museum in Paris plays host to a spectacular
robbery where she is supposed to obtain the five paintings
before
venturing into the cities ancient catacombs. Once here the
much-loved death-defying leaps and jumps that made the original
game so famous makes an appearance with some of the most
mind-bending puzzles every seen in a Tomb Raider game.
A new character called Curtis Trent is also expected to be
introduced opening enthusiastic possibilities of multiplayer
and/or rotating between characters just like in Project Eden.
It is said that he joins forces with Lara so that they both can
retrieve the five paintings that Lara stole in the first place.
This is where the game moves to its final location expected to
be
Prague, Eastern Europe, where Lara ends her adventure in the
Strahov Complex for a final showdown with Eckhardt. However the
characters exact role and what he will actually do is still
shrouded in mystery and we believe he may just provide skills
that Lara simply does not possess. Some are suggesting that
Curtis is an AI character and that no multiplayer option will be
available whilst others conflict with different stories. Also
rumours have surfaced that a spin-off game featuring Curtis is
also in the pipeline and it is this game that will eventually
take over from Tomb Raider.
It turns out that Core Design would like to rid itself of the
pressure of releasing a new game every year and plans to make
updates for the game available over the Internet in downloadable
components. The idea is that new characters, plots, etc., can be
plugged into the game so players can play all new adventures and
adding to the longevity of the game. But remember folks! Core
also said it would release updates for the Tomb Raider: Level
Editor via the web but we haven't had anything for almost twelve
months now. While were on the subject of Level Editing the
editing community may also get a much needed boast with some
saying that the games new Level Editor being bundled with the
PC version. Sounds plausible if they really want Curtis to take
over from the series.
The game play is also being completely overhauled with elements
from role-playing games being introduced. This will take the
form of what is termed 'attribute development' which awards
better players with more game content and improvements to Lara's
skills. So for example if you like to sprint all of the time,
Lara will become more able of sprinting and will be able to
sprint faster and for longer. Or alternatively if you want Lara
to become better at climbing she can with a little practice.
This allows the games developers to add areas into the game that
are only accessible to players if they have reached a certain
proficiency level. Suggestions say that it's these areas that
will replace the 'hunt high and low for secrets' strategy.
Although a lot of this article is speculation and unconfirmed we
do know some information for sure. The model of Lara has been
completely rebuilt from scratch and now has been replaced with
5000 polygons compared to the 500 polygons used by the original
game. The environments that Lara finds herself in are also more
realistic with much of the games architecture being taken from
actual places and buildings. And the old Lego block game engine
has been replaced with a brand new and up-to-date wire frame
system instead with PlayStation II owners benefiting from Cores
plans to exploit the consoles huge terrain capabilities.
Finally rumours have surfaced that there is currently major
bust-ups between Core Design and Eidos Interactive over the
games name. Core Design wishes to rid itself of the world
famous 'Tomb Raider' name claiming that Lara no longer just
raids tombs. However Eidos Interactive is apparently keen to
preserve the name and the heated internal debate may go on for
some time.
1.3.2 When is the next Tomb Raider game due out?
Tomb Raider VI was originally planned to be on sale now in
stores. However because of the lack of take up for the next
generation consoles (mainly the PlayStation II) Eidos
Interactive and Core Design decided to give the games developers
another year on it. At the time of writing a November release
has been hinted. The delay will hopefully have it's benefits as
we should get an all round better game for our money since it
would have been in development for almost three years when it's
released.
1.3.3 I've heard that there is a way to see Lara in the nude
whilst playing the games! What is it please?
Please refer to section 4.1 entitled "Someone please tell me the
nude code!!!!!"
1.3.4 Is it Lara or Laura?
It's _Lara_ you heathen! Pronounced Lah-rah or at least
something sounding like that depending on your regional
dialect... As a side note it should be mentioned that
originally Lara was called Laura Cruz. Core Design decided to
change it because Americans couldn't pronounce her first name
properly and Cruz sounded too American when the games character
was meant to be British. Please refer to section 1.5 entitled
"The History of Tomb Raider" for more information on the games
history.
1.3.5 It's gone "gold"?
This has nothing to do with sales of the game. Announcements of
TRC going Gold before it was released confused many as the term
is generally associated with the music industry to describe when
an album sells a few copies (I think it's a million). What it
actually means is that the master CD-ROM has been made from
which all of the other duplicate copies are made from and then
packaged for us to purchase.
1.3.6 Who does Lara voice?
The person behind the voice of Lara Croft is a Judith Gibbons, a
thirty something from Derbyshire. In real life she is a ballet
instructor who's favourite party trick is to creep up behind
people and say, "No, that's not right. Go back to the beginning
and try again." Chilling words to all those who has tried the
assault courses. Core Design spokesperson, Susie Hamilton said:
"We wanted an upper-class accent with character, a strong but
sweet voice. Judith's was just right."
1.3.7 What's that piece of music called?
All the music in the Tomb Raider series is original work written
by the games composers. The music for the first three games was
written and composed by Nathan McCree. A Peter Connelly can lay
claim to the music of the fourth and fifth games.
1.4 What are the gold add-on levels, such as TRUB?
Unfinished Business is the name given to the four additional add-on
levels for the original Tomb Raider game. The plot involves Lara
returning to Egypt, and then Atlantis, for further adventures. The
two Egyptian levels (Return to Egypt, and Temple of the Cat) are
collectively known as "Shadow of the Cat", and the two Atlantean
levels (Atlantean Stronghold, and The Hive), "Unfinished Business".
Somehow Unfinished Business stuck as the name to describe all four
levels. The repackaged Tomb Raider; known as "Tomb Raider Gold"
(TRG) in the United States, and "Tomb Raider: Unfinished Business"
elsewhere (TRUB); comes as a two CD-ROM set with one diskcontaining
the original game, and the second holding the other four add-on
levels.
It should also be mentioned that the four extra levels are also free
for download from the Eidos Interactive website at
http://www.eidosinteractive.com/ which can be run using the original
Tomb Raider CD-ROM. These extra levels are only available for the PC
and Apple Mac and there are currently still no plans to release them
for the PlayStation. The sets of additional levels for subsequent
games have been labelled for that game (i.e., Tomb Raider II: The
Golden Mask, and Tomb Raider III: The Lost Artefact.)
1.5 The History of Tomb Raider
[This section Coming Soon]
1.5.1 Chronolgié de Lara Croft
I'm often asked what happens and when in Lara's life so
hopefully the following will clear up any misunderstandings. If
you want a more detailed look at the Divine Ponytails life then
I suggest a visit to the Tomb Raider Travellers Guide website at
http://trinity.westhost.com/tomb/ and look at what Ivans Chou
and Brian came up with, with the help and notes of Vicky Arnold
from Core Design. It should be noted that I've not added (or do
I wish to try) any fan fiction, movie or comic material.
Tomb Raider/Lara Chronology
---------------------------
1968: Lara is born
1979: Enrolled at Wimbledon High School for Girls
1984: Cambodian expedition with Von Croy (TRLR)
1984: Investigation of haunted Irish island (TRC)
1984: Sent to boarding school at Gordonstoun, Scotland
1986: Enrolled at Swiss Finishing School
1989: Plane crash in Himalayas
1990: Inherits mansion and butler from Great Aunt
1995: Rome visit to buy Philosopher Stone (TRC)
1995: Successful hunt for Bigfoot
1996: Chase for the Atlantean Scion (TR1)
1996: Shadow of the Cat (TR1G)
1996: Returns to Atlantis (TR1G)
1997: Dagger of Xian (TR2)
1997: The Golden Mask (TR3)
1997: Steals the Iris from Von Croy Industries (TRC)
1998: Adventures of Lara Croft
1998: The Lost Artefact (TRLA)
1998: Hunt for the Spear of Destiny on sunken U-Boat (TRC)
1999: Unearths Set in Egypt (TRLR)
2000: Goes missing in Egypt, presumed dead (TRLR)
2002: Next Generation adventures begin
1.6 The Tomb Raider Comics
Published by Top Cow the comics are completely independent of the
games and pit Lara against dinosaurs, various bad guys with guns,
and her own [*spoiler*] butler [/*spoiler*] at one point. They're
not in keeping with the Chronology above however as several details
appear to have been changed to give her a more traditionally clichéd
comics style super-heroine background (the ubiquitous "parents died
in plane crash driving her to seek danger in the unknown" type
mush...). The artwork is very nice however... Often makes
appearances in crossover comics with Sara Pezzini from _Witchblade_.
1.6.1 What is Tomb Raider Fan-Fiction?
"Everybody has a great novel inside them" - or so it is said. If
you want to read Tomb Raider stories which your fellow Tomb
Raider fans have created then I suggest you look at the Croft
Times for a start and work your way through the rest of the
sites listed in the appendix. It tends to vary in quality from
"Bwah???" to "Neato!" and doubtless prolonged exposure to it
will result in your own attempt sooner or later. Just remember
that other old writers' quote (which is usually directed at the
readers) "I've suffered for my writing. now it's your turn."
2.0 Troubleshooting/Technical Stuff
Remember that every sound card, graphics card, etc., is only able to
work with your machine if you have a particular piece of software
installed on your machine known as a _device driver_. If you're
experiencing problems with the sound and/or vision in Tomb Raider then I
suggest that you update your machine drivers as your first port of call.
You'll be able to get the latest version of your drivers from the
manufacturers website (the URL will be listed in the documentation
somewhere or refer to the "Hardware Manufacturers Websites" section in
the appendices for a list of the most common hardware vendors) and also
get the latest version of DirectX from Micro$oft as well at
http://www.microsoft.com/directx/. The newer the driver the better it'll
work (usually).
2.1 How can I obtain Technical Support for the games?
You can obtain technical support for all of the Tomb Raider games
from Eidos Interactive who offers help via the web, facsimile, and
telephone help lines. Although Eidos say that customers shouldn't
hesitate to contact them we think you should do a couple of things
before hand. First of all read through this FAQ and see if you can
solve your problem by following the advice within it. If you cant
find the help you need in this FAQ check the manual that was
supplied with your copy of the game and read the "Readme" file on
the CD-ROM. If you still have no luck then by all means contact
Eidos who will give you access to a representative who will help you
sort out your problem.
When you contact Eidos you will need to give them as much
information as you can including the type of hardware you are using
such as the make of sound card, CD-Rom drive, amount of RAM, and the
speed and manufacturer of your microprocessor. Finally they ask that
you make note of the title and version of the game you are using.
You'll find contact information for your country/region in the
manual or by using the web and pointing your browser to
http://www.eidos.com/. Select your country/region from the options
displayed and then click on the support link.
2.2 Available Platforms
There does seem to be a lot of confusion as to what platforms Tomb
Raider is available for. The following table should help clear
things up. As a side note, it seems that the original Tomb Raider
was first released on the Sega Saturn (albeit with an almost
"unplayable slow frame rate").
TR1 - PC, PlayStation, Mac, & Sega Saturn
TRUB - PC, & Mac
TR2 - PC, PlayStation, & Mac
TR2G - PC, & Mac
TR3 - PC, PlayStation, & Mac
TR3G - PC, & Mac
TRLR - PC, PlayStation, Mac, & Sega Dreamcast
TRTIMES - PC
TRC - PC, PlayStation, Mac, & Sega Dreamcast
TRLE - PC, & Mac
NextGen - PC, & PlayStation II
You'll also find two games available for the GameBoy Color, "The
Nightmare Stone" and the recently released "Curse of the Sword".
Plus owners of the original Tomb Raider and Dagger of Xian games can
download for free from the Internet the add-on levels. For more
information concerning the add-on levels please refer to section 1.6
entitled "What are the gold add-on levels, such as Unfinished
Business, and the Lost Artefact?"
2.3 Minimum System Requirements
Computer video games are requiring more and more from hardware as
the years go by and Tomb Raider has been no exception. Compare the
minimum system requirements of the original Tomb Raider to that of
the fifth game below in the tables and you'll see just how much
processor and hardware power has increased over the past five years.
It is now becoming common for gamers to buy games that require
hardware way beyond what they actually have. Therefore it is always
recommended that you check the minimum system requirements against
the specification of your machine before purchasing any games.
In order to play any of the Tomb Raider games or use the Level
Editor, you computer must meet the following minimum system
requirements in the tables below. Please note that Tomb Raider,
Dagger of Xian, and Adventures of Lara Croft including all the
add-on levels now comes packaged as a Trilogy edition for Mac users
represented in the table below under one heading. Also note that the
minimum system requirements for the add-on levels are the same as
for that of the games. For example the Unfinished Business add-on
levels minimum system requirements matches that of the requirements
for Tomb Raider.
Tomb Raider (PC)
o MS-DOS ® 6.0, Windows ® 95 / 98 / Me
o Pentium 60 MHz (Pentium 90MHz recommended)
o 8 MB RAM
o 2x CD-ROM
o SVGA graphics card
o CD-ROM disk
Dagger of Xian (PC)
o Windows ® 95 / 98 / Me
o DirectX T 5.0 (included on CD-ROM)
o Pentium 90 MHz (Pentium 133 MHz)
o 16 MB RAM (32 MB RAM recommended)
o 4x CD-ROM
o SVGA graphics card (3D graphics accelerator recommended)
o CD-ROM disk
Adventures of Lara Croft (PC)
o Windows ® 95 / 98 / Me
o DirectX T 6.0 (included on CD-ROM)
o Pentium 166 MHz (Pentium 200 MHz recommended)
o 16 MB RAM (32 MB RAM recommended)
o 4x CD-ROM (8x CD-ROM recommended)
o 4 MB SVGA graphics card (3D graphics accelerator recommended)
o CD-ROM disk
Tomb Raider Trilogy (Mac)
o IMac, G3, or G4
o MacOS 8.6
o 180 MHz (233 MHz recommended)
o 32 MB RAM (64 MB RAM recommended)
o 4x CD-ROM
o 3D graphics accelerator
o CD-ROM disk
Last Revelation (PC)
o Windows ® 95 / 98 / Me
o DirectX T 6.1 (included on CD-ROM)
o Pentium 233 MHz (Pentium 266 MHz recommended)
o 16 MB RAM (32 MB RAM recommended)
o 4x CD-ROM (8x CD-ROM recommended)
o 4 MB SVGA graphics card (3D graphics accelerator)
o CD-ROM disk
Last Revelation (Mac)
o IMac, G3, or G4
o MacOS 8.1
o 233 MHz
o 32 MB RAM
o 4x CD-ROM
o 3D graphics accelerator
o CD-ROM disk
Chronicles (PC)
o Windows ® 95 / 98 / 2000 / Me
o DirectX T 7.0 (included on CD-ROM)
o Pentium 266 MHz (Pentium 300 MHz recommended)
o 16 MB RAM (32 MB RAM recommended)
o 4x CD-ROM (8x CD-Rom recommended)
o 4 MB SVGA graphics card (3D graphics accelerator recommended)
o CD-ROM disk
Chronicles (Mac)
o IMac, G3, or G4
o MacOS 8.6 (MacOSX recommended)
o 266 MHz (250 MHz recommended)
o 32 MB RAM (64 MB RAM recommended)
o 4x CD-ROM
o 3D graphics accelerator
o CD-ROM disk
Level Editor (PC)
o Windows ® 95 / 98 / Me
o DirectX T 6.1 (included on CD-ROM)
o Pentium 233 MHz (Pentium 266 MHz recommended)
o 16 MB RAM (32 MB RAM recommended)
o 4x CD-ROM (8x CD-ROM recommended)
o 4 MB SVGA graphics card (3D graphics accelerator)
o 300 MB HDD
o Desktop resolution 1024 x 768, 16 Bit
Tomb Raider VI Predicted (PC)
o Windows ® 98 / Me
o DirectX T 8.0 (included on CD-ROM)
o Pentium 300 MHz (Pentium 500 MHz recommended)
o 64 MB RAM (128 MB RAM recommended)
o 4x CD-ROM (8x CD-Rom recommended)
o 8 MB 3D graphics accelerator card
o CD-ROM disk
2.4 How do I exit the game?
The problem of not being to find your way out of the game has
increased since Core changed the inventory system around in TRLR.
Anyway In TR1, TR2 & TR3 to exit the games hit the ESC key and press
the down arrow to reach the Passport and hit Enter. Use the right
arrow one or two times and select the "Exit to Title" option. This
will take you to the main title screen where you can exit be
selecting the Passport again and using the right arrow key until you
reach "Exit" and hit return to exit the game. Alternatively you
could press ALT and F4 together to shut down the game.
In TRLR & TRC you need to pause the game (P) and select "Exit to
Title" to return to the title screen. From there select the "Exit"
option to quit the game. Alternatively you could press ALT and F4
together to shut down the game
2.5 I'm having problems with my sound
The following paragraphs provide solutions to the most common sound
problems encountered when playing any of the Tomb Raider games. It's
recommended that you first try the solutions listed in section 2.4.1
entitled "Basic Sound Solutions" before tackling any specific sound
card settings listed in section 2.4.2 entitled "Specific Sound Card
Solutions".
2.5.1 Basic Sound Solutions
Before you get into specific problems associated with Tomb
Raider, make sure your system meets the basic requirements.
Ensure that your sound card is installed correctly. Have you
correctly installed its drivers? Do you hear sounds in other
games or applications? Go to the volume control in the system
tray (it's the speaker looking icon) and ensure that mute is not
ticked or that the volume is not turned all the way down and
turn it up if it is.
Make sure that the audio cable from your CD-ROM to the sound
card is installed correctly. Is the lead inserted into the
correct slots on the back of the CD-ROM and on the sound card?
Can you hear CD music through your speakers when your play a
music CD? If not, plug some headphones into the front of the
CD-ROM and listen for music (you may need to turn up the volume
on the front panel of your CD-ROM). If you can hear music
through the headphones and not over your speakers, your audio
cable is not installed correctly and you wont be able to hear
the cutscene dialog and some other stuff from the CD-ROM. Most
computer literate people and any computer store will know how to
install the CD audio cable so ask them.
Install the latest drivers for your sound card. Frequent your
sound card website, you'll find a list in the appendices, and
download current drivers for your specific card. Follow
installation instructions located there.
Disable Flex CD. This is a powertoy created by Microsoft. You
may have this installed and not know it. If you have it, it's in
the system tray. Hover your mouse over tray icons to get a
description of each. You can right click on Flex CD to disable
it temporarily. If you want to get rid of it completely either
uninstall it from the Add/Remove applet in the Control Panel or
delete the shortcut to it in your start- up folder of the start
menu. Although the program adds some neat functionality we think
it causes more problems then it's worth. So get rid of it unless
you absolutely need it.
2.5.2 Specific Sound Card Solutions
[This section Coming Soon]
2.6 I'm having problems with my graphics
The Tomb Raider games have the ability to use most 3D graphics
cards. For the original Tomb Raider game you'll need to download new
executable files from
http://www.eidosinteractive.com/techsupp/tr1/tr1-patches.html that
is specific to your graphics card. Patches also exist for the
graphics cards that use chips from the following manufacturers:
3Dfx (i.e. Voodoo Graphics, Voodoo Rush, Voodoo 2).
Matrox (i.e. Matrox Mystique).
PowerVR (i.e. Videologic (Apocalypse3D, 3Dx, and 5Dx), Matroxm3D).
Rendition (i.e. Creative Labs Graphics Blaster, etc.)
S3 (i.e. Almost any card with an S3 Chipset more).
[note: There is currently no patch for cards with the nVidia based
chipsets]
These graphics card chip manufacturers worked closely with Core
Design to produce these patches (which hopefully would increase
sales of cards using their chips, and promote brand loyalty).
There are no specific 3D graphics card patches for TR2/3/4/5. They
exist in the form of a single program only, which allows support for
most 3D graphics cards on the market today.
TR2 supports any 3D graphics card, which is compatible with
Direct3D. Direct3D is Microsoft's application programming interface.
That is, Direct3D is a way for an application, such as TR2, to
communicate with your operating system (Windows 95/98), which in
turn communicates with your 3D graphics card. The result is that
your 3D graphics card allows your monitor to display a nicely
rendered Lara. Direct3D can be thought of as a special way to write
code in programs and in the operating system. In order for TR2, and
any Direct3D enabled application, to take advantage of your 3D
graphics card, you will need a "driver" from the manufacturer. A
"driver" is software that acts as the messenger between the
operating system and your 3D graphics card. You probably have these
drivers already installed on your system. Also, the TR2 PC CD
contains DirectX 5, which should contain drivers for most 3D
graphics cards in use today. If you are unsure, then contact the
vendor where you bought your 3D graphics card. You could also see
Appendix 4 for links to some 3D graphics card manufacturers.
When you run the TR2/3/4 CD you'll see an option labelled Setup on
the splash screen. Choose this and then click on the Graphics tab
and you'll see a multitude of options relating to how the game
displays itself on screen. For your 3D graphics card you should
select 'Hardware 3D acceleration' and then pick your card from the
'Graphics Card' box rather than use 'Primary Display Driver' as
that's what those poor souls who don't have a decent 3d card have to
suffer with (pity them)... If you are using a combination 2D/3D
graphics card (e.g. an nVidia Riva-128 based card), then your only
option under 'Graphics Card' may be 'Primary Display Driver' In this
case, you will still benefit from hardware 3D acceleration.
From here you can select all the little extras you want such as Z
buffering, dithering, bilinear filtering etc. Some of these options
might not work with some cards so it's really just a matter of trial
and error in finding out what suits your machine.
If you're after finding the correct settings for your card try
Dracman's 3dfx help page at his Shotgun City site (URL in Appendix
below).
2.6.1 How do I get high resolution/SVGA mode in Tomb
Raider/Unfinished Business
To use high resolution/SVGA mode, press F1 when you are in the
game. This will let you toggle between low resolution/VGA and
high resolution/SVGA modes. If you find that the speed of the
game is slow, it is recommended that you press F2 to reduce the
screen size. Use F3 to increase it again.
2.6.2 I can't get my voodoo accelerator card to work with Tomb
Raider/Unfinished Business
While there is no specific voodoo2 patch for TR1 the original
3Dfx patch *should* work if you know how to tweak the Voodoo2
card environment variable settings.
Dracman's site (URL in section 5.1.3) contains a page showing
the settings he uses to run TR1/UB - and includes nifty batch
files with which to run TR1 using these settings. His settings
also address the 'purple Lara' syndrome.
2.7 The game runs really slowly
First you should check and ensure that you computer system meets the
minimum system requirements listed above in section 2.3 entitled
"Minimum System Requirements". It may just be that your computer
system is not powerful enough to play the game. For example, Tomb
Raider will not run on a 486 processor (it's just too slow to keep
up with all the animations) regardless of its speed, yes even at
100 MHz.
Secondly this problem usually occurs in Dagger of Xian when the
CD-ROM drive is constantly being read by the game (you should see a
light constantly flickering on your CD-ROM drive and/or hear it
being accessed). A patch that solves this problem is available from
the Eidos Support section of its web site at
http://www.eidosinteractive.com/support/ that can solve this
problem.
2.8 The menu ring endlessly spins
This problem is normally caused by an un-calibrated joystick or game
pad that is connected to your machine. Either unplugging or
re-calibrating the offending device can solve it. If you find that
the rings still endlessly spin, even after re-calibrating a joystick
or game pad then that device is just not compatible with the game.
Certain video cards are known to cause problems because they include
game ports, which are incompatible with Tomb Raider. Video cards,
which are known to cause problems, are discussed below:
If you have a Diamond Edge 2000 and 3000 series video card you will
need to disable the sega game port on it manually as it is not
compatible with Tomb Raider. However we recommend you do this very
carefully as you may render you video card useless if handled
incorrectly.
If you have a Diamond 3D Rage vide card you are advised to get the
latest drivers for the card from Diamond (version 2.21 or higher).
Using the updated drivers will give you a new tab in the Display
Adapter Properties that controls your Joystick Port on the card and
you will be able to disable it from there
2.9 Lara moves, even when I'm not pressing any keys
This problem is caused by the same circumstances as the endlessly
spinning menu rings above. Please refer to section 2.9 entitled "The
menu ring endlessly spins" for more information.
2.10 The game suffers from long pauses when reading from the CD-ROM
drive. What's wrong?
If you find that the game suffers from long pauses when reading from
the CD-ROM drive resulting in read errors then it is recommended
that you install the DOS drivers for your CD-ROM, even under
windows. Doing so will normally correct this problem. If this fails
to work and your drives speed is faster than 4x you could try using
a 4x only Dos driver instead.
If you own an NEC CD-ROM drive then you must use an older
NEC_IDE.SYS DOS driver, dated prior to December 1994.
If you have multiple CD-ROM drives in your machine you must use the
first drive connected to your machine to play the games from.
2.11 I keep getting Visual C++ runtime errors!
Either re-install DirectX or download and install the latest DirectX
version from Microsoft's Web site at
http://www.microsoft.com/directx/. If that fails to solve the
problem then please check to see if your computer systems date is
set beyond the year 2035, and change it back if it is.
2.12 The Windows 95 / 98 / 2000 / Me / XP key keeps on dumping me
out of Tomb Raider/Unfinished Business
The original Tomb Raider game is an MS-DOS game and as such , any
accidental use of the Windows 95 / 98 / 2000 / Me / XP keys now
included on all new keyboards will cause the computer to stop the
game and got to the Windows desktop. These keys happen to be
unfortunately located between the Ctrl and Alt keys on both of the
Spacebar, making life difficult for the Tomb Raider player (thank
you Bill... thank you very much...).
To stop this you will need to download a keyboard "re-mapping"
utility which will re-map the Windows 95 / 98 / 2000 / Me / Xp key
to any function you want (other than launch the startup menu)
leaving you able to press the offending key while playing Tomb
Raider and have nothing untoward happen.
If you don't want to go to the trouble of the above we have another
couple of solutions. First I'm also told that if you press the key
whatever you do don't un-press it. Apparently it's the un-pressing
that causes the startup menu to appear. What you should do is click
on the Tomb Raider program on the taskbar to relaunch the program
and then let go of the key.
Another solution, if you like the idea of committing a bit of
vandalism, is to simply remove the offending key from your keyboard
altogether. You do this by levering it off with a knife or
screwdriver... (they can be replaced afterwards).
2.13 I'm having problems with my screen resolution under Windows
2000
A few people have reported problems with Chronicles when trying to
change the resolution in Windows 2000 from the default 640x480. An
unofficial patch has been released to combat this and the perpetual
crashing problem and is available from the Tomb Raider Chronicles
web site at http://www.tombraiderchronicles.com/.
2.14 I can't save/load my game or save my settings. What's wrong?
If you find that you are loosing you're save game files, unable to
save or load games files, or unable to save program settings, make
sure you have first installed the game correctly. Then check that
you are not playing the game from the CD-ROM, as you cannot write
any files to it. If you are unable to install the game because of
sound problems then please refer to section 2.4 entitled "I'm having
problems with my sound" for solutions to getting you sound card to
work with Tomb Raider.
2.15 Can I watch the FMV sequences without playing the games?
Yes you can, for TR1, TR2, and TR3 under Windows you can find a
viewer program called Escapeplay available from
http://www.vvm.com ~hfowler/tombraider/rpl_player.zip that allows
you to view the .rpl files. For TRLR and TRC you will need to get a
copy of the Radtools program available from the radgames web website
at http://www.radgametools.com/. The program once downloaded will
allow you view to the new "bink" file format.
If you are an Apple Mac user first copy the "FMV" folder from the
CD-ROM to your hard drive. Using ResEdit or another similar resource
editor, use the "Get File/Folder info." under the "file" menu and
change each movie's creator type to "MooV" and the file type to
"TVOD". You will then be able to view the movies with MoviePlayer.
2.16 How do I take screenshots?
The original Tomb Raider game didn't have any facility built in to
it to allow fans to take screenshots however it is possible to take
them with a little bit of work. The supposedly easiest way would be
to use a third party screenshot-grabbing program however I have been
unable to get any to work. One other way is to create a shortcut on
your desktop to the "tomb.exe" file and change its properties to
fool windows into playing it in a window.
To do this right click on the shortcut and select Properties from
the menu. When the properties window has appeared click on the
Program tab and from the dropdown menu for the Run command change
the setting from "Normal Window" to "Minimized". Now click OK to
save the settings you have just changed. Ensure that your Tomb
Raider CD-ROM is in your drive and double click on the shortcut to
start the game. The game will be running minimized on the taskbar.
Wait around fifteen seconds then click on the program to display it
on the desktop in a window. Now simply use the Print Screen key to
take your screenshots.
In TRUB press the forward slash key, "/" and the game will start to
dump screenshots (in .pcx format) into your installation directory.
Press the slash key again to stop it. The limit is 1000 according to
some sources, but writes over the oldest as it goes.
In TR2 you can press the "s" key on the keyboard at any time to dump
a screenshot, saved to TR2 directory, of your current game. Also
depending on what colour mode you are using they will be saved in
either .pcx or .tga if you are using 16.7 million colour mode.
In TR3, TRLR, and TRC you can press the @ key on the keyboard at any
time to dump a screenshot, saved to your TR3, TRLR, or TRC
directories. For non-European countries you use the " (or ') key
instead.
2.16.1 I'm having problems viewing the screenshots
The screenshots that are dumped to your hard drive by the games
are in an image format known as truevision targa. Be default
windows does not support this file format so you will first need
to obtain a third party program to help you view and convert the
image files. Paintshop Pro and most other good drawing packages
support this format however if you cant afford to purchase a
copy you can always use the Texture Edit program available from
the Texture Edit web site at
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/textureedit/ to view
the
images.
3.0 Playing the Games
Vangelis asked, "Need some TR advice. Stat!" in the alt.games.tombraider
newsgroup:
"I just bought Tomb Raider and I can't figure out how to open the box...
HELP!! I'm dying to play this game but I'm stuck at the part of the top
flap where it looks like it flips up then flips sorta over I think.
There's a large tab that seems to go into the box but I can't reach it
from where I am. I've tried some walkthroughs but non list this initial
brain-bending conundrum. I think I can see the instructions below but I
cant get the flap up to get to them. Help!"
The above is satire (I hope). The section that follows is a guide to
playing the Tomb Raider games. However if you are after specific answers
to the various puzzles in the games then you'd be better off searching
though one of the many walkthroughs available on the internet or at
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/ for a solution.
3.1 General game play Hints and Tips
Remember that the Tomb Raider games are basically adventure games.
They're not just shoot 'em ups like Doom, Quake, or Duke Nukem, they
take a little thought, patience, and time before you complete them.
Suring all that relaxed contemplation however the game does its best
to kill our hero(ine) off... repeatedly... in dozens of memorably
horrible ways. The following is a list of ways to help achieve
certain longevity for poor Lara.
o Conserve your ammo and use your Pistols whenever possible. Never
waste the heavy stuff (i.e. Grenade launcher) on the smaller
creatures (i.e. rats and spiders) - sure it's a lot of fun, but
it's also very very wasteful. Keep the big stuff for the
opponents who deserve it.
o Sometimes you have the range on your opponents with the right
weapon (the M16 for example has a very long range). Use this
advantage to it's _utmost_. Please refer to section 3.8 entitled
"Lara's Armoury" for information on how best to use Lara's
weapons.
o Move around a lot while shooting. Having Lara stand still makes
it too easy for the Blastable Nasties to hurt her. Jumping from
side to side is better than backwards and forwards. The one
handed weapons, such as the pistols and Uzi's, can be fired
while flipping and generally have a wider field of fire than the
rifles and bigger stuff.
o On the underwater levels be aware that Lara can outswim the
sharks, and the best overall method of dealing with the fish and
frogmen is to hop out of the water and shoot them from dry land.
Unsporting we know - but it works!
o Walk when near edges - it's really frustrating falling from
great heights when you last saved the game about twenty minutes
ago...
o Use the safety drop if the drop from a particular height looks
too big then fall backwards off the edge pressing the action key
as you do so. Lara will grab hold of the edge and reduce the
distance you fall (and therefore any damage you might take) by
her body length.
o If possible try to kill the BNs from a position of absolute
safety; T-Rex's cant fit down tunnels and dogs can't follow you
up onto the top of blocks. Again we know this is demonstrating a
great degree of unsportsmanship behaviour, but just put your
conscience aside and keep your finger on the trigger - you know
the bad guys deserve it...
o Remember that Lara remains "autolocked" on the target whether
its in view or not (not true in TRC though). Take advantage of
whatever cover you can find. Keep your finger down on the fire
key, leap behind some cover (finger still down) and then back
out again. Lara's guns will remain locked on the target and fire
immediately when the target is visible again.
o In TR2 and TR3 there are hotkeys (TR2: 8 & 9, TR3: 9 & 0) that
can be pressed to use the Small and Large Medipack respectively.
This makes it much faster to heal rather than going though the
menu ring system.
o Lara can move forward slightly faster if you jump while running
(but not as fast as she sprints in TR3 and later).
o Save games often. It's not cheating to save before you have to
make a tough jump or take on a nasty opponent. Snark^ had well
over 300 saves before he completed TR2, and nobody has ever
completed either of the games without resorting back to a saved
game as we know of.
If you think you're stuck and you don't want to resort to using a
walkthrough then...
o Just be aware that, while she remains breathing, Lara can never
be stuck at any point in the game (unless you've encountered one
of the later games' savegame bugs). There's always some way of
extracting her from the predicament most perilous.
o Try pushing or pulling a box or section of the wall that looks
different. AFAIK there's only one section of "secret" wall in
the games that's perfectly blended with the solid wall.
o Shoot out a window, as sometimes vandalism is the only way to
progress. Or if you have no weapons get someone to shoot out a
window for you...
o Are you sure you can't make that jump? Sometimes the impossible
can be done. This is the Divine Ponytail we're talking about
after all.
o In TR3 look up at the ceiling often to see if they're some
grippable rock that Lara could use to monkey swing across the
chasm/river. This one takes a bit of getting used to after
playing two previous games.
o In TRC (tower block level only unfortunately) look for places on
the ceiling which you can fire the grappling hook at.
3.2 How do I complete the [insert level name here] level?
No need to despair. Every puzzle within the games are solvable and
don't be worried about asking if you need to. It's more than likely
somebody else has hit the same problem. For instance I spent days
wandering around the Lost Library in the Last Revelation trying to
work out how to open those blue doors. When I eventually realised
that all you did was walk up to them and press action to push them
open I was very embarrassed at being stomped by such a trivial
thing. Others haven't been able to figure out how to pass the chef
in Chronicles, wondered why the monks kept on killing them in
Barkhang Monastery, or where to start in 40 Fathoms. But please
don't just blurt out your question in the newsgroup or a forum, as
we tend to see the same questions asked again and again. A good
starting point would be to use a walkthrough. You'll find some at
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/, which you will find
useful. Also in the appendices you will find more web site addresses
for sites that offer walkthroughs.
If you find that you are still stuck then by all means ask someone
either through the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup or on one of the
forums listed in the appendices. But please provide us with enough
information to be able to help you. Say which game you are playing,
the name of the level, give a rough and recognizable description of
the area you are stuck at and finally the problem you are having.
Don't just say, "How do I get to that block?" We don't know which
block you mean, as we aren't mind readers. If you provide all the
information we require you will find that it goes a long way to
ensuring your eventual success.
Remember to be polite. The forums and newsgroup have many helpful
people posting who seem to spend their time answering questions like
these and they'd rather be thanked than abused. And those who have
been abused have left leaving a large empty space when answering
questions like these so don't do it. (or else...)
3.2.1 I followed the walkthrough instructions to the letter but
still can't do...
Some walkthroughs tend to miss something because the author
wrote them from memory or the instructions provided are too
vague or weren't clearly written. The solution to this is
simple. Don't give up just yet - keep trying other walkthroughs
until you finally find the solution. In the Appendices under the
"Tomb Raider Resources on the Internet" section you will find
addresses for web sites that offer walkthroughs all of which are
very different and worth checking out.
3.3 Could someone please give me a savegame for...
We have all the suffered the problem of saving when we should had
loaded or vice versa, or had a savegame that simply refused to load
correctly. Don't worry about it we've made this mistake at some
point or have encountered this problem. Because of this some web
sites now offer savegame files for download. You can visit
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/ for savegames for all of
the Tomb Raider games that start at the beginning of every level.
Another method would be for you to ask in the newsgroup or a forum
for a savegame that starts at a specific point in the level. Also be
aware that you can use a savegame editor such as TRsgEditor to set
yourself up at the start of the desired level with any amount of
gear you desire...
3.3.1 Are there any savegame editors?
Yes there are but they are only currently for the PC only. One
of the best ones is TRsgEditor by Paul Walton and works with all
of the games including the Times Exclusive Level and Chronicles.
You can use the savegame editor to "artificially enhance" your
ammo count, give yourself all of the weapons, more Medipack's or
flares, whatever you want it can just about do it. A really
useful feature is that if you save when Lara is on fire you can
safely extinguish her and reload as normal. Paul is also the
author of another useful editor program that allows you to
change the position of Lara within the level. You'll find an
address in the appendices for his site.
3.4 Why should I bother collecting the secrets?
For the extra ammo, equipment, and other pickups! In the original
Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft, and Tomb
Raider: The Last Revelation you get a little reward with every
secret you find but in Tomb Raider II: Dagger of Xian you have to
collect all of the three Dragons in each level before you get
rewarded (occasionally you will get a weapon) to help Lara on her
travels. In Tomb Raider V: Chronicles you collect golden roses and
are rewarded by having special features built into the games title
screen enabled.
3.4.1 What happens if you complete the games with all the
secrets?
In Tomb Raider, Dagger of Xian and Last Revelation nothing
special happens. No Nude Lara as some have suggested, special
easter egg or anything like that; all it means is that you have
picked up all the extra pickups such as ammo, Medipacks, and the
odd weapon here and there. In Adventures of Lara Croft and the
Golden Mask however collecting all the secrets allows you to
play the secret level. In TRC you are allowed access to special
features.
3.5 I'm having trouble controlling Lara - the game sucks!
All of the Tomb Raider games come with some sort of training level
that allows you to learn how to perform most of Lara's actions. Use
this level to further your understanding of the games basic moves
and have some fun exploring Lara's mansion - practice makes
perfect... and you'll need to be so by the time you reach the final
levels of the games.
Also if you are wondering about whether there is a way of making
Lara jump higher, run faster etc., please refer to section 3.1
entitled "General game play Hints and Tips".
3.6 Did you know that Lara can do...
...do a handstand? ...a swan dive? ...roll in mid-air? ...do a
forward tumble? ...perform a slide stop? ...do a forward roll? Yes
we all know of these features so please think before posting a
thread claiming that you have discovered something new. All of these
extra moves that Lara has have their own use. For instance the
handstand allows you climb up onto ledges or blocks covered in
spikes or broken glass, rolling in mid-air is a necessary skill
required in the Dagger of Xian later levels, the slide stop is a
help in the Meteorite Cavern of Adventures of Lara Croft, and the
forward tumble is used in Chronicles to quickly exit raised crawl
spaces.
We also know about all of the bugs in the games including the
PlayStation controller appearing on the Floating Islands in Dagger
of Xian, and the secret locations hidden around Lara's mansion such
as the hidden part of the maze in Dagger of Xian, and the museum in
Adventures of Lara Croft.
3.7 Lara's Extra Moves
Beyond Lara's normal running, walking, shimmying, and jumping
movements, Lara has a number of extra moves that have been added to
the games over the years that can be practised on the assault course
or in and around Lara's mansion. Some of the extra moves require a
combination of key strokes or control pad button presses in order
for them function and some will take some practice in order to learn
how to use them. Despite their complications its still worth
learning these moves.
3.7.1 The Handstand
One of the original undocumented extra moves of the original
Tomb Raider game, the handstand and the swan dive were described
as only cosmetic moves. However it is not as useless as many
have suggested. When hanging from a block or ledge press the
Action, walk, and forward keys/buttons and Lara will pull
herself up to the top with a fancy handstand. It's useful if the
top of the block/ledges surface is covered in sharp spikey
objects such as glass, because you'll take no damage getting on
top this way.
3.7.2 The Swan Dive
When jumping forwards press the walk key/button and Lara will
perform a fancy swan dive or a forward roll depending on how far
away you are from the floor. The swan dive is a necessary
manoeuvre needing in some of the games. For instance you'll need
to use in the last level of the original game and the Nevada
desert level of the third game.
3.7.3 Roll in mid-air (TR2, TR3, TRLR, & TRC)
This little move will allow Lara to reverse the way she is
facing while leaping. Press the roll key/button when in flight
and Lara will land in the opposite direction from the one she
first leapt from. This works with both the forward jump and
back flip. Combined with an instant grab it is absolutely
necessary for progress in the later levels of Dagger of Xian.
3.7.4 Forward Roll with One-Half Somersault
Pressing the roll key after making Lara swan dive off a high
ledge will make her perform somersaults while she plunges toward
the water (hopefully below). This is the only move for which we
have not found a distinct useful purpose. Looks cool though.
3.7.5 The Slide Stop (TR3, TRLR, & TRC)
Since the third instalment Lara has been able to sprint for a
short distance (too short according to some of us). If you hit
the back button while she's sprinting you'll see her come to a
sliding stop. You will find this useful during timed puzzles
when Lara needs to stop directly above an object in order to
make for a quicker pickup such as the collecting the artefacts
from the Meteorite Cavern level.
3.7.6 The Forward Tumble (TRC)
This is a most welcome feature in Chronicles as it allows Lara
to quickly exit raised crawl spaces. When crouching inside a
crawl space you can make Lara tumble forward onto the floor
below by pressing the jump key whilst at the crawl space exit.
Its very useful on the later VCI levels for dodging lasers from
raised crawl spaces and for entering the building towards the
end of the Old Mill level if you find you cant enter that
crawlspace at the end.
3.7.7 Gameboy Color Extra Moves
The Handstand: Lara must first be hanging from a ledge. Whilst
hanging by holding the B button, press the A button and up on
the directional pad to make Lara perform a handstand.
The Swan Dive: We believe this is an easter-egg because this
move can only be performed in one place in the whole game. At
the very beginning of Temple B of the Nightmare Stone just
before the pool having walked to the edge of the ledge and the
sides of the hole are covered in spikes. Press both the A, B,
and Up buttons together to make her perform a Swan Dive.
Rolling: You can roll and face in the opposite direction when
you are using your weapons in a crawl space. It also proves a
useful move when fighting multiple enemies. Just press A and B
at the same time.
3.8 Lara's Armoury
The original Tomb Raider game featured an array of weaponry that
helped Lara blast her way through her travels. Everyone who has
played the original game should remember the Pistols, Shotgun,
Magnums, and Uzi's. These rather simple items have been replaced in
subsequent travels with more adventurous weapons, which have had us
wondering how she managed to fit them in her pocket such as the
Rocket or Grenade Launchers. Below discusses all of the weapons Lara
has come across, and how to use them.
3.8.1 The forever self-replenishing Pistols
Lara's trusty old self-replenishing Pistols have been with us
since the original game and are intended to be used at close
quarters against relatively weak targets. However it is possible
to use them to pick off more powerful enemies but it can take
some time. Don't let that dissuade you from using them, as they
are your only source of retaliation after any other weapon
supplies have run out. You'll also find them useful for breaking
items such as windows, ceramic pots, wooden panels, boxes and
the like in the later games.
Prima's official strategy guide makes a relatively decent joke
about the pistols saying, "how does the gun shop Lara bought
them from make a profit?" We'll I thought it was funny!
3.8.2 The Shotgun
The Shotgun is a very powerful weapon when used at close
quarters and one shot at point blank range is enough to take out
some of the most powerful enemies in the game. It does however
suffer from a slow reload cycle making it a slow but stealthy
weapon. As it's a close combat weapon its not recommended to use
it at a distance as you'll end up wasting several shots before
killing an enemy.
Since TRLR the shotgun has had two types of ammo that you can
collect and use with it. The first Normal shotgun shells packs a
solid punch to a localised area just like the shotgun does in
the earlier games. The second type of ammo, the wide shot shells
will disperse the blast over a wide area rather than to a
localised area. It's recommended that you use the normal ammo
against single enemies whilst using the wide shot ammo against
multiple enemies.
3.8.3 Magnums (TR1)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.4 The Uzi's
The Uzi's are one of the most powerful weapons in the games and
can take out enemies with little effort. It has an extremely
fast and rapid firing rate, and a reload rate to match making it
the weapon of choice with really tough baddies. This is one of
those weapons that works well both in close combat situations
and at a distance targeting. The only drawback is that the Uzi
requires a supply of clips that are in short supply during the
games.
3.8.5 Automatic Pistols (TR2)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.6 The M16 (TR2)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.7 Grenade Launcher (TR2, TR3, & TRLR)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.8 Harpoon Gun (TR2, & TR3)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.9 Desert Eagle (TR3)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.10 The MP5/HK Gun (TR3 & TRC)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.11 Rocket Launcher (TR3)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.12 The Revolver (TRLR, & TRC)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.13 The Crossbow (TRLR)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.14 Grappling Hook Launcher (TRC)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.15 Gameboy Color Armoury
[This section Coming Soon]
3.9 Lara and Vehicles
The original Tomb Raider game did not feature any vehicles and Lara
was expected to get around on foot. Trekking those vast distances
would leave anyone tired out so since her second game, Dagger of
Xian, Lara has had a number of vehicles at her disposal to aid her
in her quests. The advantages are obvious. Lara is now able to cover
vast distances in a shorter period of time, able to reach otherwise
inaccessible areas, and of course they can be used as weapons.
Controlling the vehicles she comes across is similar to controlling
Lara herself. You are able to go forward, backward, to the left, and
to the right. Some vehicles require the use of the action key or the
collection of tools and equipment to modify vehicles in order to get
them to accelerate and go faster. Below discusses all of the
vehicles Lara has come across, how to use them, and when to expect
to find them.
3.9.1 Speedboats and little yellow Dinghy's (TR3, & TR3)
To get Lara into a boat simply walk up to its side from wherever
it is docked and climb into it by pressing the action key and
forward at the same time (the same as climbing out of water onto
dry land). You can also get into boats by jumping over them and
pressing action whilst in mid air. Lara will position herself
and climb into the boat. To exit the boat in TR2 press jump and
a directional left or right key; in TR3 press roll and a
directional left or right key. In TR2 you can use the speedboat
to travel faster through the Venice level as well as using it to
smash through the gondolas/windows that block some paths and
waterways. Pressing and holding the action key whilst in the
speedboat will make it go faster and allows you to run the boat
up ramps and so on.... but remember that Lara takes damage when
she hits walls or other objects when travelling fast.
The little yellow dinghy Lara uses to roam around TR3's
Antarctica level is controlled by using the action and jump
buttons to go forwards and backwards respectively. You'll need
to be careful when climbing out of the dinghy though. If you
stop the dinghy too close to a path Lara will knock her legs on
the path and will fall into the freezing water. Its best to exit
next to completely flat surfaces as any attempt to make her
climb onto a path with a sloped surface will see her get a
dunking.
3.9.2 The Snowmobile (TR2)
You'll come across two different types of snowmobiles on Lara's
adventures. The first is the shiny red ones that go faster when
you press the action button, and the second is the black Bartoli
ones with a built in machine gun that's operated by pressing
action. To get onto a snowmobile walk up to one of its sides and
press action for Lara to clamber on. To get off a snowmobile
press the jump key and a directional left or right key.
Pressing the action key whilst riding the red version of the
snowmobile will give you a burst of speed, which is useful for
jumping big gaps... However if you hit a wall or object Lara
will incur damage just as she does when using a boat or dinghy.
You've also got to deal with the problem that if the snowmobile
falls into water or drops from a certain height it will explode.
The black version of the snowmobile will fire twin machine guns,
which is useful for taking out goons on other snowmobiles.
The black machines are also useful for conserving ammo. They
have unlimited ammo, the same as Lara's Pistols. Plus the
snowmobiles are big, heavy machines and any goon you come across
on foot are considerably rather soft and squishy in comparison.
But remember that anything you run over on a snowmobile doesn't
get included in the end of level kill stats.
3.9.3 Kayaking (TR3)
You get into the Kayak by pressing the action and forward keys
at the same time (same as with the boats described earlier). To
exit you press the jump key and either of the directional left
or right keys. The main difference between the Kayak and the
boat and dinghy described above is that you can't climb out onto
land directly. You need to first drop into the water and then
climb up onto the land.
Controlling the Kayak is more difficult because you will
normally have a current from the water fighting against you.
There are however two kinds of turns you can make with the
paddle. The first is the standard paddle to one side of the
kayak (pressing the directional left or right key) - which
produces a nice slow turn. Then there's the sharper swivel on
the spot turn (pressing and holding the walk key and a
directional left or right key at the same time) paddle turn. You
can also use the back key to get Lara to back paddle in the
kayak and turn while doing so.
I should also point out that Lara could paddle her way upstream
against a current if its not too strong.
3.9.4 Quad Bike (TR3)
Getting onto the quad bike is the same as the snowmobile. Walk
up to one of its sides and press the action button and forward
at the same time. To get off press roll and a directional left
or right key. When you are riding the quad bike pressing the
action key will make it accelerate and go faster. The jump key
will allow the quad bike to go backwards and the sprint key is
used as a handbrake although it takes time to slow down.
From a standing start you can rev the quad bike up to top speed
instantly by first pressing and holding the handbrake key (which
is the sprint key) whilst pressing action. The quad bike should
hold in place while the wheels spin furiously underneath. When
you take you finger off the handbrake the quad bike can be used
to leap gaps.
As with the snowmobile be aware that running squishy goons over
with the quad bike will not have an effect on the end of level
kill stats. Plus landing in water or falling from too high a
ledge will make the quad bike explode.
3.9.5 The Underwater Propulsion Unit (TR3)
Available during the Lud's Gate level in TR3, the underwater
propulsion unit ("UPU") is handy for getting around quickly in
the sewers. Remember you don't need it in order to complete the
level though. Being an underwater device the controls are a bit
different as to land vehicles. To grab a hold of the UPU drop
into the water with it and swim up towards it and press action.
To let go of it simply press the roll key. To have the machine
go forward press and hold the jump key. Remember there's no
reverse so you will need to fully turn around when needed.
Despite the fact of the no reverse the machine has an in built
harpoon gun.
Please note that the harpoon gun doesn't use Lara's auto aim
leaving you only able to hit whatever is directly in front of
it. Also note that you do not have unlimited ammo. That depends
on how many harpoons you picked up during the earlier levels.
The benefit of the harpoon gun is that it doesn't suffer from
the slow reload time like the hand held harpoon so you can fire
away to your hearts content.
3.9.6 RX Tech Mine Carts (TR3)
The mine carts in TR3's RX Tech Mines are different to all of
the other vehicles Lara has access to. The biggest difference is
that they only go in one predefined path and are plain scary
when they reach their top speeds when going down hill. They are
extremely dangerous in that one false move can have Lara
hurtling off the tracks and into a wall. Because of the risk
they have a really simple control system... a brake lever.
To enter a mine cart walk up to one of the carts sides and press
action and forward together (same as most of the other
vehicles). To exit the cart, which you can only do when it has
come to a complete stop, press roll and a directional left or
right key. After climbing in, the mine cart will automatically
kick into action and will start moving up the track. The cart
will pick up speed when it goes down hill so be sure to use the
brake lever by pressing the action key. But beware at the bottom
of some hills you will be required to scale a gap and therefore
the speed is necessary. However at the bottom of others are
corners and the speed is too much to turn properly.
You do have some other limited options other than the brake
lever. Pressing the duck/crawl key will allow Lara to duck under
girders and other dangerous objects that litter the tracks. You
also have access to a wrench, which can be used to change tracks
when she bangs it on a junction lever. Timing the wrench blows
is essential for Lara's continued survival as some tracks lead
to instant, and irreversible, death.
3.9.7 The Jeep (TRLR)
This is the first of Lara's vehicles to be given a realistic
control system with the addition of a gear stick key(s). To use
the vehicle you first need to obtain the keys. You have your
normal left and right with action being the accelerator. To
reverse you need to use the gear stick. Pressing the sprint key
when the vehicle has stopped will put it into reverse mode.
Pressing the walk key will return it to the normal forward
motion.
Using the jump key performs braking. Exiting is the same as most
others by pressing the jump key and a directional left or right
key.
3.9.8 Jean Ive's Motorcycle & Sidecar (TRLR)
Not as easy to control as some of her other vehicles as Lara
isn't given a reverse and is forced to exert herself inching it
backward very slowly, which can become a bit repetitive and
plain annoying. Anyway you clamber onto it the same as most of
the others. You first walk up to its right side and press the
action and forward keys. Pressing action acts as the accelerator
and jump provides the brakes. To dismount it you can only press
jump and the right directional key when it's on flat ground
only.
In order to use the motorcycles boost feature you are first
required to obtain two pieces of equipment, which you then put
together to form the nitro boost and attach it to the
motorcycle. Once you have it you can use the sprint key to go
faster. Remember hitting walls or other objects will cause Lara
to lose some energy.
3.9.9 The Extreme Depth Suit (TRC)
Where conventional divers cannot go the Extreme Depth Suit can.
Used to explore the seabed this suit unlike the UPU isn't fitted
with any harpoons. Instead you're given decoys, which are
deployed using the action key. The decoy should then attract
fire of enemies. The suit is fitted with its own two propulsion
units that are controlled by pressing jump allowing you to
travel at almost twice the speed of the UPU in TR3. Movement is
the same as swimming so controlling it isn't too much of a
problem.
The suit has a limitation in that it has only a limited oxygen
supply. Colliding into rock faces and other objects will make
Lara breath heavier, which in turns means she uses her oxygen
quicker. Unlike the other vehicles Lara cannot exit and hop back
into the suit when she feels like it.
3.9.10 The Mini Submarine (GBC)
You'll probably be wondering as to why I've decided to give this
one a mention. Well, it's a vehicle and Lara does use it on her
GB adventures doesn't she? The Mini Submarine can be compared to
the Extreme Depth Suit (TRC) as it can go where no conventional
divers can. But that is where the similarities end. It has no
protection features what so ever giving it an immediate
disadvantage in that Lara can't protect herself so don't expect
to use any harpoons or decoys with this one. Also you'll find
that the sub isn't very partial to the electric charges from the
eels that populate the deep waters.
Its only main benefit is that it is very easy to manoeuvre, once
you get the thing to work only after collecting a number of
charged batteries. The up, down, left and right buttons on the
GB does as what you expect allowing you to avoid the obstacles
you come across relatively quickly.
3.10 How do I get into the basement, outside the front gate, into
Lara's trophy room and...
There are several things that have been discovered about some of the
Tomb Raider games that were undocumented in the literature. Chief
amongst these was the existence of a hidden basement in the TR2
training level. It is reached by flipping a switch in the secretive
part of the garden maze and then running back to the house before
the secret door under the stairs closes. The hidden part of the maze
is reached by a tunnel whose opening is near the wall farthest from
the maze entrance. There is very little margin for error when trying
to reach the basement before the door closes - you might be able to
get away with bumping the walls once or twice but no more. What is
actually in the TR2 basement I'll leave for you to discover.
In TR2 to get outside the house grounds you need to know about the
corner (or buggsie as it more commonly called). To get outside the
front gate use the corner bug from the tower on the assault course
where you get on the pulley - after using the bug you should find
yourself on top of the tower and able to leap onto the wall
surrounding Lara's House and grounds. From there simply walk around
the top of the wall sightseeing until you reach the front part and
then safety drop down outside the front gate.
In TR3 there are more things to do in and around Lara's newly
redeveloped mansion. To get inside Lara's new trophy room you must
first press the button switch behind the diving board in the pool.
This opens a secret room in the main entrance hall. In this room is
a timed switch. Press it and the wall opposite opens up to reveal
Lara's new trophy room. Immediately after flicking the switch press
roll and run towards the open door. Just before you go past the main
door press sprint (if you sprint sooner than this you'll run out of
steam and wont make it.) and when getting close dive (usual jump
button) through the rapidly closing door to enter her own treasure
chamber.
Also in TR3 Lara's garden maze has gone! So what's there now?
Barring your path to where the garden maze was is a locked gate; the
key to which is liquidly located in Lara's old treasure chamber
under the stairs. I'm not going to give the game away here -
reaching the key provides some useful basic TR exercises. Though I
will suggest that doing some searching in her upstairs library might
yield a clue or two.
3.10.1 An ASCII map of Lara's garden maze (TR2)
The following is a simple ASCII diagram of the hedge maze to aid
you in your attempt to reach the basement in TR2. The entrances
to the underground are connected by an 'L' shaped tunnel.
# = hedge or wall
s = statue
_ = basement room switch
u = underground entrance
####################################################
####################################################
## ## ## ##
## ## ## ##
## #### ######## ## ## ## ## ############ ##
## #### ######## ## ## ## ## ############ ##
## ##uu ## ## ## ## ## ##
## ##uu ## ## ## ## ## ##
## ######## ########################## ## ## ##
## ######## ########################## ## ## ##
## ## ## ss## ## ## ##
## ## ## ss## ## ## ##
#### ## ######uu _## ## ## ###### ##########
#### ## ######uu ## ## ## ###### ##########
## ## ## ss## ## ## ##
## ## ## ss## ## ## ##
## #### ## ########## ## ## ## ########## ##
## #### ## ########## ## ## ## ########## ##
## ## ## ##
## ## ## ##
######################################## ##########
######################################## ##########
/
/
To Mansion
3.11 Where's the key for the door next to Lara's bed in TR2?
If you're in the training level it doesn't exist yet. That door can
only be opened with a key that already on Lara's person when the
final level in TR2 begins. Inside the cupboard you'll find some
survival gear she needs to complete the game.
3.12 Could someone please tell me how the game ends?
No. Find out for yourself.
Oh, ok then... the ending for all the games is the same. First the
screen goes blank and then... the credits appear. I hope this hasn't
spoilt it for you.
3.13 What is it that person X says in cutscene Y? Can someone
please explain the plot to me?
Some of the dialogue in the cutscenes and FMV's can be very hard to
follow, due to either obscure plot point points or bad accents - or
sometimes a combination of both. Full transcripts for all the
dialogues in the games have been placed on the web at the Tomb
Raider Travellers Guide. Select the guide for the game and click on
the "backplot" link. Ivans Chou and his helpful sidekick "Igor",
Brian have also written large gaps in background stories - these
additional sections being clearly marked. It should be noted that
Ivans and Brian had the help of the Tomb Raider scriptwriter (Vicky
Arnold - she sent them the original scripts for the game) in this
task. [End blatant website plug here]
4.0 Cheat Codes
In general the use of cheat codes isn't recommended as they tend to take
most of the fun out of a game that you get by playing it. I personally
only sanction the use of cheat codes if the player has completed the
game at least once. If you are playing a game for the first time and are
stuck I'd recommend the use of a walkthrough. There are a few out there
on the Internet and you'll find some at
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/. Check out the appendices for
other web sites that also provide walkthroughs. But if you are a truly
bad game player however the following cheat codes will provide you with
the desired effect - just simply follow the steps as directed. Please
take note that by using some of the cheat codes you may miss vital
pickups and secret areas.
4.1 Someone please tell me the nude code!!!!!
I myself near the end of 1996 heard a rumour from my uncle, that
came from his friend who had heard it from his neighbour, who in
turn had heard from his friend, who apparently saw it working
somewhere, that if you were in Lara's mansion and then went into her
pool for a dip, then got out to perform an amazing dance by the
poolside when she says "lets get out of these wet clothes" which
consisted of back flipping, forward flipping, and flipping to the
right and left she would take off her wet clothes and run around the
remainder of the game in the complete nude.
However the code turned out to be a hoax and no nude code was ever
programmed into the game. Another popular Tomb Raider myth relates
to completing the assault course in less than thirty seconds in
"Dagger of Xian" to have a door next to Lara's bedroom open, or by
performing another amazing dance she will turn into the Dragon that
you battle at the end of the game. If however you are really sad
enough to actually want to see Lara in the buff you could use an
unofficial patch available from the Internet. Don't ask me where you
can obtain these patches, as I simply don't know, honest! But be
warned: any nude patch you find may well be Lara in the buff,
however others tend to find it funny to wipe your hard drive blank
instead or infect you with the latest virus.
The question of a nude code for Tomb Raider was presented on
news:alt.folklore.urban in April 1998 about the urban legend status
of the Tomb Raider nude code - and why so many want to believe in
it. One of Core's programmers actually responded on the thread and
said that it's their unofficial policy never to deny it outright
because it makes it "so much more fun to watch". In all seriousness
it makes you wonder if and by how much the rumour increases the
games sales though...
4.2 Tomb Raider Cheat Codes (PC)
All Weapons and Ammo: First walk one step forward (hold down the
walk key and press the up arrow), then take one step backward (hold
down the walk key and press the down arrow), and turn Lara around on
the spot two or more times (doesn't matter in which direction), and
perform a jump backwards. Now check you inventory and you should
have all the weapons and a healthy looking ammo count.
Skip to the Next Level: First walk one step forward (hold down the
walk key and press the up arrow), then take one step backward (hold
down the walk key and press the down arrow), and turn Lara around on
the spot two or more times (doesn't matter in which direction), and
perform a jump forwards. You will then be taken to the next level.
4.3 Tomb Raider Cheat Codes (PSX)
All Weapons and Ammo: Whilst playing first press the Select button
to call up the inventory screen and press the following button
sequence: L1, TRIANGLE, L2, R2, L2, R2, Circle, and then L1. If you
entered the cheat code correctly you will hear Lara moan. If she
does press the X button to exit the inventory screen. Now go back
into the inventory screen and you should have all of the weapons and
ammo.
Skip to the Next Level: Whilst playing first press the Select button
to call up the inventory screen and press the following button
sequence: L2, R2, L1, CIRCLE, TRIANGLE, L1, R2, and then L2. If you
entered the cheat code correctly you will hear Lara moan. If she
does press the Select button and you will then be taken to the next
level.
4.4 Tomb Raider Cheat Codes (Sega Saturn)
All Weapons and Ammo: First pause the game and enter the last page
of the passport. Once there press Z, Y, Z, Y, Y, X, X, X, and then
Start. Continue by pressing the A button and finally directional up
on the game pad. Now check your inventory and you should have all of
the weapons and ammo.
Skip to the Next Level: First pause the game and enter the last page
of the passport. Once there press Z, Y, Z, Y, X, X, X and then Start
followed finally by pressing the C button. You should now be taken
to the next level.
4.5 Tomb Raider Cheat Codes (Apple Mac)
Extra Ammo: With this cheat code you can obtain 5000 for the Uzi, 87
Shotgun Shells for the Shotgun, and 500 bullets for the Magnum.
First walk forward once (press the up arrow), followed by jump
backwards (press the down arrow), then turn Lara around on the spot
three full times (doesn't matter in which direction), and perform a
backwards jump. You will hear a faint click meaning that the cheat
code has worked. Go to your inventory and check your weapons for the
extra ammo.
Skip to the Next Level: First walk one step forward (hold down the
walk key and press the up arrow), then take one step backward (hold
down the walk key and press the down arrow), and turn Lara around on
the stop three full times in a counter-clockwise direction (to her
right), and finally perform a jump forward. You will then be taken
to the next level.
4.6 Dagger of Xian Cheat Codes (PC)
All Weapons and Ammo: Please remember that this cheat does not work
on the final level of the game ("Home Sweet Home"). First press the
forward slash key (/) so that Lara will draw a flare. Then walk
one-step forward (hold down the walk key and press the up arrow),
then take one-step backward (hold down the walk key and press the
down arrow), and turn Lara around on the spot two or more times
(doesn't matter in which direction), and perform a jump backwards.
Now check you inventory and you should have all the weapons and a
healthy looking ammo count.
Skip to the Next Level: First press the forward slash key (/) so
that Lara will draw a flare. Then walk one-step forward (hold down
the walk key and press the up arrow), then take one-step backward
(hold down the walk key and press the down arrow), and turn Lara
around on the spot two or more times (doesn't matter in which
direction), and perform a jump forwards. You will then be taken to
the next level.
Blow Up Lara: There is no point what so ever to this code except
that it causes Lara to explode in glorious formation in full
Technicolor. To do so first walk one step forward (hold down the
walk key and press the up arrow), then take one step backward (hold
down the walk key and press the down arrow), and turn Lara around on
the spot two or more times (doesn't matter in which direction), and
perform a jump either backwards or forwards. Lara's torso, arms,
legs, and head will then amazingly part each in separate directions
to create an icky mess.
4.7 Dagger of Xian Cheat Codes (PSX)
All Weapons and Ammo: Start by holding the walk button and
performing a side step to the left followed by a side step to the
right, then another side step to the left, followed by a step
backwards, and then a step forwards. Release the walk button then
turn Lara around on the spot three full times (doesn't matter in
which direction), and finally perform a jump backwards and roll in
mid-air. Check your inventory and you should have all the ammo and
weapons.
Skip to the Next Level: Start by holding the walk button and
performing a side step to the left followed by a side step to the
right, then another side step to the left, followed by a step
backwards, and then a step forwards. Release the walk button then
turn Lara around on the spot three full times (doesn't matter in
which direction), and finally perform a forwards jumps and roll in
mid-air. You will then be taken to the next level.
4.8 Dagger of Xian Cheat Codes (Apple Mac)
All Weapons: First press the forward slash key (/) so that Lara will
draw a flare. Then walk one step forward (hold down the walk key and
press the up arrow), then take one step backward (hold down the walk
key and press the down arrow), and turn Lara around on the stop
three full times (doesn't matter in which direction), and finally
perform a backward jump. Check you inventory and you should now have
all of the weapons.
Skip to the Next Level: First press the forward slash key (/) so
that Lara will draw a flare. Then walk one step forward (hold down
the walk key and press the up arrow), then take one step backward
(hold down the walk key and press the down arrow), and turn Lara
around on the stop three full times (doesn't matter in which
direction), and finally perform a forward jump. You will then be
taken to the next level.
4.9 Adventures of Lara Croft Cheat Codes (PC)
All Weapons and Ammo: First draw Lara's pistols (Spacebar), then
take one step backwards (hold down the walk key and press the down
arrow), followed by one step forward (hold down the walk key and
press the up arrow), followed by a Duck (>) before standing, then
turn around on the spot three full times (doesn't matter in which
direction), and finally perform a jump backwards. Check your
inventory and you should now have all weapons.
Skip to the Next Level: First draw Lara's pistols (Spacebar), then
take one step backwards (hold down the walk key and press the down
arrow), followed by one step forward (hold down the walk key and
press the up arrow), followed by a Duck (>) before standing, then
turn around on the spot three full times (doesn't matter in which
direction), and finally perform a jump forwards. Lara will then be
taken to the next level.
4.10 Adventures of Lara Croft Cheat Codes (PSX)
All Weapons and Ammo: Whilst playing the game quickly enter the
following button sequence on your game pad: L2, R2, R2, L2, L2, L2,
L2, R2, L2, R2, R2, L2, R2, R2, L2, L2, R2, L2, L2, and finally R2.
If you entered the cheat code correctly you will hear Lara scream.
Now go check your inventory and you should have all of the weapons
and a healthy looking set of ammo to go with it.
Skip to the Next Level: Whilst playing the game quickly enter the
following button sequence on you game pad: L2, R2, L2, L2, R2, L2,
R2, L2, R2, L2, L2, L2, L2, R2, L2, R2, R2, R2, R2, and finally L2.
If you entered the cheat code correctly you will hear Lara say "No".
You will then be taken to the next level.
Pickup all Secrets: To have Lara obtain all of the secrets for the
level she is currently on enter the following button sequence on you
game pad whilst playing the game: L2, L2, L2, L2, L2, R2, L2, L2,
L2, R2, L2, R2, L2, L2, R2, L2, L2, R2, L2, and finally L2. If you
entered the cheat code correctly you will hear Lara say "No". You
should now have the secrets for the current level. Also using this
cheat will automatically unlock the "All Hallows" bonus level.
Racetrack Key: To obtain the Racetrack Key whilst in Lara's mansion
quickly enter the following button sequence on your game pad whilst
playing the game: R2, L2, L2, L2, R2, L2, L2, L2, L2, L2, L2, R2,
L2, L2, L2 , L2, L2, R2, L2, and finally L2. If you entered the
cheat code correctly you will hear Lara Sigh. Now go check your
inventory and you should now have the Racetrack key.
Restore Health: To restore Lara's health to full at any time during
game play quickly enter the following button sequence on your game
pad during game play: R2, R2, L2, R2, L2, L2, L2, L2, L2, L2, R2,
L2, L2, L2, R2, L2, L2, L2, L2, and finally L2. If you entered the
cheat code correctly you will hear Lara sigh. Now check your health
and it should now have been fully restored.
4.11 Adventures of Lara Croft Cheat Codes (Apple Mac)
All Weapons: First draw Lara's pistols (Spacebar), then take one
step backwards (hold down the walk key and press the down arrow),
followed by one step forward (hold down the walk key and press the
up arrow), followed by a Duck (>) before standing, then turn Lara
around on the spot three full times (doesn't matter in which
direction), and finally perform a jump backwards. Check your
inventory and you should now have all the weapons.
Skip to the Next Level: First draw Lara's pistols (Spacebar), then
take one step backward (hold down the walk key and press the down
arrow), followed by a Duck (>) before standing, turn Lara around on
the stop three full times (doesn't matter in which direction), and
finally perform a forward jump. You will then be taken to the next
level.
4.12 Last Revelation Cheat Codes (PC)
For any of the following cheats to work first ensure that Lara is
facing exactly North. When you are facing exactly North the needle
of the compass in the inventory will go transparent.
Infinite Items: After you have faced North enter the inventory and
select the Small Medipack then press and hold down the G, U, N, and
S keys on the keyboard simultaneously. Release then check the
inventory again. You should now have all the items.
All Weapons: After you have faced North enter the inventory and
select the Large Medipack and hold down the W, E, A, P, O, N, and S
keys on the keyboard simultaneously. Release then check the
inventory again. You should now have all the weapons.
Skip to the Next Level: After you have faced North enter the
inventory screen and select the load game option then press and down
H, E, L, and P keys on the keyboard simultaneously. Release then
exit the inventory and you will be taken to the next level.
4.13 Last Revelation Cheat Codes (PSX)
For any of the following cheats to work first ensure that Lara is
facing exactly North. When you are facing exactly North the needle
of the compass in the inventory will blink.
Infinite Items: After you have faced North enter the inventory and
select the Large Medipack the press the following button sequence on
your game pad: L1, L2, R2, Down, and TRIANGLE. Release then check
the inventory screen again. You now have all items.
All Weapons: After you have faced North enter the inventory and
select the Large Medipack then enter the following button sequence
on the game pad: L1, L2, R1, R2, Up, and TRIANGLE. Then check the
inventory again. You should now have all weapons.
Skip to the Next Level: After you have faced North enter the
inventory screen and select the load game option then enter the
following button sequences on the game pad: L1, L2, R1, R2, Up, and
TRINAGLE. Release then exit the inventory and you will be taken to
the next level.
4.14 Last Revelation Cheat Codes (Apple Mac)
For any of the following cheats to work first ensure that Lara is
facing exactly North. When you are facing exactly North the needle
of the compass in the inventory will go transparent.
Infinite Items: After you have faced North enter the inventory and
select the Small Medipack then press and hold down the G, U, N, and
S keys on the keyboard simultaneously. Release then check the
inventory screen again. You should now have all items.
All Weapons: First enter the cheat code for the Infinite Items and
after inputting the cheat stay facing exactly North. Exit from the
inventory screen then re-enter it. This time select the Large
Medipack and hold down the W, E, A, P, O, N and S keys on the
keyboard simultaneously. Release then check the inventory screen
again. You should now have all weapons.
Skip to the Next Level: After you have faced North enter the
inventory screen and select the load game option then press and hold
down H, E, L, and P keys on the keyboard simultaneously. Release
then exit the inventory and you will be taken to the next level.
4.15 Chronicles Cheat Codes (PC)
Unlimited Small Medipacks: Whilst playing the game ensure that your
health is not 100% full. If it is you will need to lose some. Also
for the cheat to work you also only need 1 Small Medipack in your
inventory. If you have more then get rid of them. Once you have met
these two requirements enter the inventory and highlight the Small
Medipack item then press and hold the Look button (keypad 0)
followed by the numeric key 0 above the letters on your keyboard.
Now press return and if Lara says no then the cheat did not work. If
you heard nothing then the cheat worked so enter the inventory a
second time and the Small Medipacks should read "Unlimited Small
Medipacks".
Unlimited Large Medipacks: Whilst playing the game ensure that your
health is not 100% full. If it is then you will need to lose some.
Also for the cheat to work you also only need 1 Large Medipack in
your inventory. If you have more then get rid of them. Once you have
met these two requirements enter the inventory and highlight the
Large Medipack item then press and hold the Look button (keypad 0)
followed by the numeric key 0 above the letters on your keyboard.
Now press return and if Lara says no then the cheat did not work. If
you heard nothing then the cheat worked so enter the inventory a
second time and the Large Medipacks should read "Unlimited Large
Medipacks".
4.16 Chronicles Cheat Codes (PSX)
Infinite Items: During gameplay press the select button to enter the
inventory and highlight the Timex item. Now press and hold L1 + L2 +
R1 + R2 + Down on the directional pad followed by TRIANGLE. Exit
from the inventory screen and enter it a second time to find all the
items and keys in your inventory for the current level.
All Weapons, ammo, and Medipacks: During gameplay press the select
button to enter the inventory and highlight the Timex item. Now
press and hold L1 + L2 + R1 + R2 + Up on the directional pad
followed by TRIANGLE. Exit the inventory and enter it a second time
to find that you have all the weapons with unlimited ammo, and
Medipacks for your current level.
Enable Special Features: During gameplay press the select button to
enter the inventory screen and highlight the Timex item. Now press
and hold L1 + L2 + R1 + R2 + down on the directional pad + CIRCLE
followed by TRINAGLE. If you already haven't, exit the inventory and
quit your current game back to the title screen. The Special
Features will now be enabled on the title allowing you to access the
storyboard and movie extras.
Russian Base: To start your game at the first level of the Russian
Base select the "New Game" option on the title screen and then press
and hold L1 + up on the directional pad followed by CROSS. The game
will then load up the Russian Base level.
Black Isle: To start your game at the first level of the Black Isle
select the "New Game" option on the title screen and then press and
hold L2 + up on the directional pad followed by CROSS. The game will
then load up the Black Isle Level.
Tower Block: To start your game at the first level of the Tower
Block select the "New Game" option on the title screen and then
press and hold R1 + up on the directional pad followed by Cross. The
game will then load up the Tower Block level.
4.17 Chronicles Cheat Codes (Sega Dreamcast)
Enable Special Features: During gameplay enter the inventory and
select the Timex item. Then press and hold the Y button until the
secrets found statistic changes to 36. When it has, quit the game to
return to the title screen and the Special Features will now be
enabled allowing you to access the storyboard.
Level Skip: On the title screen press and hold both the left and
right trigger buttons, then press either Up (starts the Rome level),
Down (starts the Russian Base level), Left (starts the Black Isle
level), or Right (starts the Tower Block Level) to skip to the
level.
4.18 Nightmare Stone Cheat Codes (GBC)
These cheat codes are for use with the Blaze Xploder and compatible
cheat systems for the Gameboy Color. Users should refer to their
manuals for information on programming these codes into their
cartridges. It is recommended that you enable cheats on a
level-by-level basis as unexpected things may happen.
General Codes:
Infinite Health .......................................... 01FF89C1
Infinite O2 .............................................. 01FB8AC1
Infinite Dynamite Sticks ................................. 0101B0C1
Max Rapid Bullets ........................................ 01FF8DC1
Max Heavy Bullets ........................................ 01FF8EC1
Max Small Medipaks ....................................... 01FFACC1
Max Large Medipaks ....................................... 01FFADC1
Save Anywhere ............................................ 0101A6C1
In order to use the save anywhere cheat code first load your Xploder
as usual with the codes on and before you start your game and enter
a mission turn your Xploder to the off position. Now whenever you
want to save switch the Xploder to the on position and the save
screen will appear. Now switch the Xploder to the off position
again and you will then return to the game after saving.
Languages:
English .................................................. 010093C1
Spanish .................................................. 010493C1
German ................................................... 010293C1
French ................................................... 010193C1
Italian .................................................. 010393C1
Level 1 (Temple A):
All Blue Doors Open ............................ 010142C1, 010143C1
All Trapdoors Open ................... 010144C1, 010149C1, 01014AC1
Activate Ledges .......................................... 010145C1
Level 2 (Temple B):
All Blue Doors Open ............................ 010142C1, 010145C1
All Trapdoors Open ....................................... 010144C1
Activate Ledges .......................................... 010147C1
Disable Firing Darts ..................................... 010143C1
Have Door Key ............................................ 0101AEC1
Underwater Switch Activated .............................. 010146C1
Level 3 (Temple C):
All Blue Doors Open .................. 010145C1, 01014CC1, 010148C1
All Trapdoors Open ................... 010142C1, 010143C1, 010144C1
...................................... 010148C1, 010146C1, 010147C1
Have All Handles ......................................... 0107B6C1
Level 4 (Royal Tombs A):
Have Skeleton Key ........................................ 0169B1C1
Level 5 (Royal Tombs B):
Have Alter Key ........................................... 0169B1C1
Level 7 (Treasure Chambers A):
Have both Sun and Moon Amulets ........................... 0167B4C1
4.19 Curse of the Sword Cheat Codes (GBC)
These cheat codes are for use with the Blaze Xploder and compatible
cheat systems for the Gameboy Color. Users should refer to their
manuals for information on programming these codes into their
cartridges. It is recommended that you enable cheats on a
level-by-level basis as unexpected things may happen.
General Codes:
Infinite Health .......................................... 91EA92C1
Infinite O2 .............................................. 91FF93C1
Have 99 Dynamite Sticks .................................. 9163B7C1
Have 99 Rapid Bullets .................................... 916396C1
Have 99 Shotgun Rounds ................................... 916397C1
Have 99 Large Medipaks ................................... 9163B3C1
Have 99 Small Medipaks ................................... 9163B4C1
Have 99 Door Keys ........................................ 9163B5C1
Save Anywhere ............................................ 91FFAFC1
In order to use the save anywhere cheat code first load your Xploder
as usual with the codes on and before you start your game and enter
a mission turn your Xploder to the off position. Now whenever you
want to save switch the Xploder to the on position and the save
screen will appear. Now switch the Xploder to the off position again
and you will then return to the game after saving.
Level 1 (Museum):
Have Ancient Shield ...................................... 9101BCC1
Have 99 Cannon Balls ..................................... 9199B8C1
Have Crow Bar ............................................ 9101BDC1
Have Normal Gun .......................................... 910195C1
Have Fire Exit Key ....................................... 9101B6C1
Level 2 (Rooftops):
Remove Timer ............................................. 910075C1
You will need to deactivate this code before falling off the ledge
before the statue of liberty. If you don't turn it off you will not
be able to shoot at the man hanging from the helicopter and
therefore not be able to complete the level.
Level 3 (Subway):
Have 4 Fuses ............................................. 9104B8C1
Have 3 Dollars ........................................... 9103B9C1
Have Train Ticket ........................................ 9102BCC1
Have 4 Old Valves ........................................ 9104BAC1
Have Fuel Can ............................................ 9102BDC1
Have Train Lever ......................................... 9101BEC1
Have Generator Key ....................................... 9102B6C1
Level 4 (Runaway Train):
Remove Timer ............................................. 910075C1
Level 5 (Docks)
Have Key Card ............................................ 9101B8C1
Have Security Pass ....................................... 9104BCC1
Have 6 Empty Batteries ................................... 9106B9CL
Have 6 Charged Batteries ................................. 9106BAC1
Have Left Piece of Safe Code ............................. 9104BDC1
Have Middle Piece of Safe Code ........................... 9102BEC1
Have Right Piece of Safe Code ............................ 9101BFC1
Have Chemical Plant Key .................................. 9104B6C1
Have Sub Dock Key ........................................ 910FB6C1
5.0 Other Tomb Raider-Like Games
Are there games other than Tomb Raider worth playing? This question has
been asked more often lately as the delay of the next Tomb Raider game
has left many fans wondering what to play in the meantime. Hopefully
this section will answer that question for you.
5.1 Other Games
Most of the games below have drawn comparison to Tomb Raider at some
point or other. Most are similarly presented 3rd Person Perspective
(3rdPP) adventure games like Tomb Raider although some differ and/or
blend several other gaming sub-genres together. A Tomb Raider review
for comparison:
Tomb Raider series (TR, TR2, TR3, TRLR, TRC)
[3rdPP chasecam action-adventures, Core Design, 1996-2000]
PROS: Great atmosphere of open exploration. Very smooth and precise
responses from Lara. Great themey soundtracks.
CONS: Lame autoaim. Lego-block type level construction -- levels
mostly plain linear in design as well. Very dated
graphics/character models. Generally bad enemy AI.
If you are interested in seeing what the Tomb Raider fan community
thinks should be included in the next game then check out the "Tomb
Raider VI Wishlist" in the appendices. Or alternatively if you are
interested in knowing what the games has taught us over the years
the check out the "Things Tomb Raider has Told Us" in the
appendices.
5.1.1 Alone in the Dark
[3D fixed-camera adventure/horror, Interplay, 1995]
PROS: Excellent Cthuloid ambience. No autoaim -- no crosshairs
either.
CONS: Far too short (the sequels did better in this regard).
Virtually no enemy AI to speak of.
Fantastic graphical adventure, which was followed by two
sequels, that while very good never managed to top the original
for ambience and horror. Game style since copied for the dire
Resident Evil series on the PSX. The recent remake featured
better graphics and sound etc., but appears to have forgotten
the horror and abandoned any idea of making improvements - dated
eye candy.
5.1.2 Deathtrap Dungeon
[3rdPP chasecam action-adventure, Eidos, 1998]
PROS: Better graphics than Tomb Raider. 'Chalk mark' feature.
CONS: Still blocky level construction. Bad enemy AI.
Loosely based on the Fighting Fantasy book of the same name with
a slight 'steampunk-fantasy' feel. You play one of either two
characters; the hulking Chaindog or more svelte Red Lotus, who
must survive the Dungeon to win the grand prize. Actually
featured some improvements, which should have made it into the
continuing Tomb Raider series but it felt like an inferior copy
at the time.
5.1.3 Drakan: Order of the Flame (Demo)
[3rdPP chasecam action-adventure/lizard flight-sim, Psygnosis,
1999]
PROS: No autoaim. Great graphics and large exterior levels.
Aerial battles with dragon are great. Good inventory
system. Decent enemy AI. Booming Conanesque soundtrack.
CONS: Lousy voice casting (valley girl-medieval?). Rynn is worse
than Lara so far as bodyshape goes. Eventual empty feeling
in level design and too short overall? Uses D3D.
The flying lizard. It's a lot of fun. Rynn isn't. Her voice is
as annoying as hell and she looks like a famine refugee on a
diet. She doesn't have many of Lara's moves either, so she's
limited to just running around and swinging her sword to
explore. The game itself plays very well though with nice
graphics, good sound and neat control -- with its best advantage
over Tomb Raider being the mouse-aim (no simplistic llama
autoaim here). The demo gave me an empty feeling eventually
however, and reports of the full game say it's too short as
well.
5.1.4 Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine
[3rdPP chasecam adventure, LucasArts, 1999]
PROS: Decent graphics. Indy well animated with a large number of
moves. Decent enemy AI. Chalk mark feature.
CONS: Autoaim. Indy's sluggish response time. Uses D3D.
A very Tomb Raider-like game in feel (quid pro quo really given
that the Divine Ponytail's adventures bare more than a passing
resemblance to the Indy movies) which although far superior in
all the technical aspects; graphics, sound, plot, etc., fails
utterly because Indy's responses are far more sluggish than
Lara's are; press a key and there's a feeling of resistance
(slight lag) before he moves (if he moves at all -- hence
'Infernal Indy') and some of the fancier moves require obscure
combination key presses. His walking action when swimming on the
surface is funny. Otherwise the game is a reminder of what Tomb
Raider should be like
5.1.5 Metal Gear Solid (Demo)
[Overhead 3rdPP action, Konami/Micro$oft, 1996/2000]
PROS: Strong plot, well presented. No autoaim.
CONS: Pretty awkward controls regards overhead view. Uses D3D.
I've only played the demo of the PC version. Nicely presented
intro in a movie-style method highlights a strong, if typically
anime-style 'stoic lone hero saves us all', plot. As Snake you
must save the world before the Terrorists destroy us all with
their killer virus, or something to that effect... Like Indy
above he has a cool walking action when 'swimming' too... ;)
5.1.6 Heavy Metal FAKK2
[3rdPP chasecam slasher-adventure, Ritual Games, 2000]
PROS: Great Quake3-based graphics and character animations.
Excellent weapons handling system. No autoaim on big guns.
Some new moves. Stonking soundtrack. Average AI. Uses
OpenGL.
CONS: Autoaim with handguns. Levels very limited in size -- not
enough of them (or plot) anyway. Julie can't swim.
Based on the Heavy Metal comic of the same name so basically the
overt sleaze has to be taken at face value. A lot of fun
although I couldn't help wondering where the rest of the game
had gone upon finishing it -- entire plot elements went missing
such as the psychic little girl, Gith's ship, Julie's sister,
who sent the warning message -- the entire ending had a distinct
feeling of loose ends being quickly cobbled together in the face
of an impending release deadline. So half of a game though it is
it's still what Tomb Raider should be like had Core and Eidos
bothered to keep up with the technical side of things. The way
the weapons are handled (you can have different combos of
swords, guns, shields in each hand) is particularly magnificent.
Slightly disappointing is that despite adding a few new moves
Julie still can't match The Divine Ponytail for sheer volume of
moves available -- swimming being the chief loss.
5.1.7 ODT (Demo)
[3rdPP chasecam action-RPG-adventure, Psygnosis, 1998]
PROS: No autoaim. Nice-ish graphics.
CONS: Slight feeling of displacement with characters. Bad enemy
AI. Lousy control system.
ODT = 'Or Die Trying'. Four explorers travelling on a dirigible
are lost in the 'forbidden zone' of a strange techno-magical
world and must fight and find their way out, ODT. You get to
play one of the four characters (a priest, engineer, soldier, or
female cartographer) during the adventure. Very nice appearance
and the game features a neat weapon/equipment handling system
which is only beaten by FAKK2, but, the way the characters
appear in the maps just doesn't look right -- it's as though
they're floating an inch off the floor or somehow 'displaced'
from the surroundings. Lousy enemy AI too; you can tell when the
game is supposedly getting harder because the new bad guys can
fire their weapons slightly faster than the last ones could...
and that was it as far as difficulty settings go.
5.1.8 Oni (Demo)
[3rdPP chasecam combat-action, Bungie, 2001]
PROS: Great fighting moves. Excellent camera control system.
Good AI. Large levels. Can use OpenGL.
CONS: Slight autoaim on gunplay. Complete lack of Lara-like
exploration moves.
More of a beat-'em-up really. Oni follows the adventures of a
female police officer called Konoko who is out to bring down an
organised crime syndicate. It's based very heavily on the
excellent epic manga _Ghost in the Shell_ and does capture some
of that movie's ambience quite well. Despite some fantastic
fighting moves Oni really falls down in the exploration
department -- it comes down to just wandering around the large
emptyish levels beating people up in a certain order -- even the
gunplay is deliberately kept limited due to the seriously low
ammo situation. Otherwise Konoko can't climb, vault, swim,
shimmy along ledges, etc... and as in Tomb Raider all the
fun-looking fancy action is kept to the pre-scripted cutscenes.
5.1.9 Outcast
[3rdPP chasecam action-RPG-adventure, Infogrames, 1999]
PROS: Huge levels with utterly open (non linear) exploration. No
autoaim (or even crosshairs...) Solid plot. Good AI.
Fantastic orchestral score. RPG-like interaction.
Excellent camera control.
CONS: Very low resolution graphics. Limited moves. Uses D3D.
Epic is pretty much the only way to describe this one. From the
huge level sizes to the plot the game is very well polished and
presented. As Cutter Slade you are sent to an alternate earth to
stop some sort of technobabble-handwavium energy flux from
destroying both worlds. It has a very RPG-like feel with its
quest-based subplots and weapon upgrade system, but the action
sequences are pure shooter, albeit in 3rdPP -- camera control
during which is fantastic. Probably a bit too short in the end
and despite the anti-aliasing the low-res graphics still look
awful. But the sequel should be worth looking out for...
5.1.10 Project Eden (Demo)
[3rdPP chasecam action-RPG-adventure, Core Design, 2001]
PROS: No autoaim, excellent character and camera control. Good
AI. Very good graphics and ambience.
CONS: No jumping, climbing, monkey swinging, or swimming. Uses
D3D graphics.
Made by the same guys who brought us the original Tomb Raider.
Very Oni-like appearance and game play although augmented by the
choice of having more characters and weapons available. After
the initial shock of "wow this looks amazing" wears off you
realise that your characters can't even jump, or climb, or
probably even swim. Scores some excellent points for the way
the characters can manipulate the high tech objects found in the
world though. Should be interesting to read up the reviews when
it finally comes out -- and we could only hope Tomb Raider Next
Generation looks this good at this stage.
5.1.11 Severance: Blade of Darkness
[3rdPP chasecam fantasy RPG/slasher, Rebel Act, 2001]
PROS: Excellent action, gorgeous graphics, can use anything in
the game as a weapon.
CONS: More of a slash'-em-up than anything, lousy control
system, lack of exploration moves. Uses D3D.
Could have been excellent bar the absolutely stunningly sucky
control system. There's no sidestep function at all until you
have an enemy in front of you thus making the Mouse+WASD
completely useless and virtually unusable. The reason is
something called 'target lock' whereby you press a key to
activate it and from them on the left and right keys
circle-strafe you around your opponent rather than turn you --
the combat's just not as free feeling as in FAKK2 or Drakan.
After regressing to a standard TR keyboard-only setup it does
become playable however (bar still having to use the mouse with
the longbow). The ingame atmosphere is very good and a nice
selection of characters who each have their own fighting style:
Tukaram the Barbarian with two handed weapons; Sargon the Knight
with sword and shield; Naglfar the Dwarf with hammer and axes
(stereotyping); Zoe the Adventurer (read: thief) with
quarterstaff and bo stick. All have a wide variety of moves
based on their current experience level and weapon used. A major
bonus is the way you can use anything in the game as a weapon;
pick up chairs to throw them at the enemy, flaming torches to
burn your way through obstacles/opponents, and you can even pick
up severed limbs and use them to beat your opponents to death...
Overall it's great fun although there's no climbing gymnastic
component to the exploration as in Tomb Raider.
5.1.12 Recommended First Person Shooter Games
[FPS many genres, Assorted gaming developers, since 1994]
PROS: No autoaim -- all mouse-zapping action. Some use OpenGL.
CONS: Limited 90-degree vision most games. Lack of the
exploration type moves. Often just run the mazes and shoot
everything game play. Some use D3D.
It'd be hard to say that you haven't at least played one, even
it was just one of the basic early run'n'shoot games. The
advantage FPSes have over 3rdPP is the freedom of aim really;
beyond that they tend to lack the involvement that Tomb Raider
gives in seeing your character actually perform the moves
(rectangular screen jumps up and down, rectangular screen climbs
ladder, etc). The more recent ones have been adding plot and
humour (since Duke Nukem) and successfully mixing the genres
with much RPG input and strategy/enemy AI improvements. It's not
as if you don't get to see your characters anymore either --
both NOLF and Deus Ex feature many cutscenes in 3rdPP.
Recommended FPS games (all PC unless stated): Half-Life (even if
just for its multitude of 3rd party mods, also out for
Dreamcast), System Shock 2, Aliens vs Predator, Deus Ex, No One
Lives Forever, Marathon (Mac), Operation Flashpoint, Max Payne.
5.2 Other Games Characters Moves
[This section Coming Soon]
6.0 Tomb Raider Level Editor
6.1 Whenever I start the Level Editor, Windows tells me that it has
caused an error and closes
Your graphics card not being set to the correct colour depth causes
this error. Make sure that it's set at 16-bit colour and not 24-bit
or 32-bit colour, as the level editor will not run. When you've
changed the setting try running the level editor again and it should
work.
6.2 Whenever I start the Level Editor it appears to lock up, as I
can't select any of the menus or buttons
Whenever you output your project to a wad the level editor will
automatically create a backup copy of your work to a file called
"autosave.prj". When the level editor starts up it first checks to
see if this file exists. If it does a message box will appear to ask
if you would like to "Load in last autosaved?" You must press either
"OKAY" or "Cancel" before you can continue to use the editor or it
will freeze up. Sometimes the message box will not be visible, such
as after moving the programs window around on the desktop before
acting on the message, and you wont be able to use the editor. If
you find that the message box is not displaying at all simply delete
the file "autosave.prj" from the editors installation directory and
then restart the editor, everything will work like normal.
6.3 I can't see all of the buttons along the bottom of the program
If you find that you can't see all of the interface first check you
are running your screen resolution at 1024x768. Running the program
in a lower resolution will result in parts of the interface not
being visible however it doesn't stop the program from running.
6.4 Part of the screen (or parts of it) has turned black
You can fix this problem by minimizing the window of the level
editor program, and then restoring it again. Once done you will find
that the black sections have disappeared and you'll be able to view
everything as normal.
6.5 Whenever I load a previously saved project I get a message
saying "Arg list too big". What does it mean?
Whenever you save a project, the level editor also saves the
locations of the paths for the WAD file and Texture Map. If you move
any of these files or folders, when you reload your previously
project, you will get the above error message. Press "Cancel" and
another error message will appear to give a clearer indication of
the problem.
6.6 Whenever I load a previously saved project I get a message
saying "Warning: texture file (path name) not found". What
should I do?
You'll get this message if you move the texture tile set file around
on your hard drive. Click on the Okay button and a "Load Object
File" window will appear. Load the WAD you were previously using
from the Wads directory, and then load your texture tile set. Once
it has loaded save your project and the next time you load it up,
the file should load without a hitch unless you move your files
around again.
6.7 Whenever I load a previously saved project I get a message
asking if I want to "Retain all Triggers (Remap to Lara?)" What
should I do?
If you see this message hit Cancel and the Level Editor will tell
you how many objects were removed from the map. Don't save this
project! You will need to reload your project and load in the
correct WAD file if you want to make sure you don't lose your work.
6.8 The Editor window is completely white and won't show my level
in 3D at all. What's wrong?
Press the 2D button on and then off. This should make your project
visible in 3D view. You'll often encounter this problem if you
haven't yet textured any of your room in your level. To make the 3D
view work again select a new room and resize then bound it before
clicking on the Editor Window Panel. Eventually the level should
appear.
6.9 The objects in my level have strange colours. Is this okay?
Yes this is okay. You'll often find that your objects won't show
their correct colours in the level editor. Normally saving your work
and then reloading the project will fix this problem and the objects
colours will have returned to normal.
6.10 Whenever I use the Level Converter, no data is displayed and
it appears to be doing nothing. Is it converting my files?
Yes it should still be converting your levels. This error will often
occur depending on the size of your project. The bigger the project
the more chance that you'll experience this problem. The data window
will not show the data as the level is converted however you will
normally see the progress bar. If the progress bar is still moving
to the right then you can rest assured that it is converting your
levels. When the converter is finished you'll be able to move the
window around on your desktop. Another recommendation is to check
when the TR4 file was created using the files properties.
7.0 Appendices
7.1 Tomb Raider Resources on the Internet
This document may cover a lot of ground in a number of areas, but by
no means is it the final word on Tomb Raider and how to survive it,
and nor is it meant to be. I don't believe I have covered absolutely
everything concerning Tomb Raider. If I have however missed
something you are more than likely to find it out on the Internet.
The Internet is an outstanding and lively bustling medium and can
prove useful to both the beginner and expert Tomb Raider fan alike.
It's a place where we can all learn, interact and contribute as a
member of a thriving gamming community. The following section
presents a number of places on the Internet where you yourself can
go and visit.
Note: Throughout this entire document, dozens of web site addresses
and Usenet newsgroup locations have been offered for further and
future reference, but this chapter is dedicated to the best of them.
7.1.1 The Official Websites
http://www.core-design.com/
http://www.eidosinteractive.com/
http://www.eidosgames.com/
Although Core Design's web site would probably be the most
obvious visit to find Tomb Raider information, it's own web site
contains very little about Lara and her games. The site itself
has recently undergone a redesign but the only information you
will find is related to the Next Generation version and even
that is thin. Eidos Interactive's own website contains the bulk
of the information and it's here you will find the collection of
official sites including a very lively forum for Tomb Raider at
http://www.eidosinteractive.com/forums/. If you are looking for
information about the games themselves you best start with
http://www.tombraider.com/. However if you are more inclined to
know Lara's vital statistics you can find all that out at
http://www.eidos.co.uk/lara.htm. Or if you would like to
purchase anything from the latest game to beach towels with Lara
on it then you could always try the Eidos Company Store at
http://www.eidosstore.com/.
For those of you interested in the movie and soundtrack you can
find information on both at http://www.tombraidermovie.com/ and
http://www.tombraidersoundtrack.com/ respectively.
7.1.2 Tomb Raider USENET Newsgroup
news:alt.games.tombraider
To stay in the know of all the latest happenings, to exchange
ideas or ask queries for yourself, the alt.games.tombraider
newsgroup on Usenetis a must for any Tomb Raider fan to visit at
least a few times a week. This is the liveliest newsgroup you
will find on the Internet dedicated to Tomb Raider and at times
of new game releases you can expect many tens of new threads a
day.
Common posts include "How do I get past the chef in
Chronicles?", "Can you complete the game with using the pistols
only?", and "Time to run and hide... It's the TR Wish list
again..."
The alt.games.tombraider FAQ is available at
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/tombraiderfaq/
7.1.3 Recommended Tomb Raider Fan Websites
The following web sites and Usenet newsgroups featured in this
section are listed alphabetically. They are in no particular
category however each site has a sort of mini review, which is
from personal opinion formed when I visited them whilst writing
this FAQ.
Sally's Tomb
http://www.geocities.com/sally_thompson1/Flash-test.html
This is the only Tomb Raider fan site to win an award that I
know of. After one visit you'll know why. The flash enhanced
interface is very clean and easy to get around. The sites main
content seems to be Sally's fanfic stories. So if your after a
decent fanfic story then you couldn't go wrong by giving this
place a visit.
Shotgun City
http://www.smokeypoint.com/tomb.htm
http://www.smokeypoint.com/3dfx.htm
This is Dracman's web site. You'll often find him lurking around
the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup helping those in trouble with
regards to their 3Dfx graphics cards. And it's for this that his
website gets my recommendation. The sites pages contain a wealth
of information including solutions to fixing problems.
Stellalune's Walkthroughs
http://www.tombraiders.net/
Regarded as one of the best Tomb Raider walkthrough sites on the
Internet you'll find many a fan that will recommend this site.
The Webmistress of this site has also added a decent section
devoted to the Level Editor so if that's what your into the be
sure to give it a visit.
Tomb Raider Chronicles
http://www.tombraiderchronicles.com/
Despite this sites address it is not an official web site some
people think that it is. However despite that both Core Design
and Eidos Interactive do use it to spread the word on its games
making it a truly excellent resource. It's News and Level Editor
sections are unrivalled by anything else on the Internet and
because of this it is officially endorsed by Prima Publishing
who publish the official Tomb Raider strategy guides. It's one
of my favourite sites and one of my regular haunts and therefore
it should be one of yours as well.
Tomb Raider Forums
http://www.tombraiderforums.com/
These forums are managed and controlled by the same guys who
maintain the Tomb Raider Chronicles web site and as you would
expect it is one of the best and it shows in the number of
members it has registered. It has a really easy to use interface
and accompanied with some of the best moderators you could come
across this is a must see resource.
Tomb Raider Toolbox
http://paradox730.tripod.com/trtoolbox/
This site is just a collection of tools and utilities for use
with the Tomb Raider: Level Editor. Despite the fact that it has
no main content of its own it's a quick little handy resource to
find the most commonly used utilities. It also archives older
versions of the programs so if you need to backtrack to an
earlier version of a program for compatibility reasons then this
is the place to take a look.
Tomb Raider Traveler's Guide
http://trinity.westhost.com/tomb/
This is another walkthrough Web site. The Webmaster actually
takes his time in writing the guides making them very
comprehensive and even lists the total number of kills and
pickups you need if you really want to be that precise. A great
feature is that you can have the pages hide the information
concerning secrets if you would like not to know where they are.
7.1.4 Recommended Tomb Raider Tools and Utilities
The following is a list of links and descriptions for web sites
that offer something in the way of utilities for Tomb raider.
Just about every fan will find them hopefully as useful as I
have. The utilities range from simple patches to full blown
applications for use with the Level Editor.
Bink/Smacker FMV viewer
http://www.radgametools.com/
From the fourth game Core employed a new format in which to
encode their FMV sequences. This site, the codecs creator,
offers a fantastic free viewer and converter program that will
allow you to view the FMV sequences outside of the game. It's a
"must have" program.
Escapeplay
http://www.vvm.com/~hfowler/tombraider/rpl_player.zip
The first, second, and third games used what is believed to be
an in house file format that core used to encode their first
games FMV sequences. This utility will allow you to view the
games FMV sequences outside of the game. It also works with
other games including Soul Reaver that employ the same file
format.
Texture Edit
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/textureedit/
If you are a Level Editor user and have made your own Texture
Tile sets you will know how frustrating it is to get all those
tiles to align correctly. This little program is designed to
take away that frustration by making it easy to align tiles and
therefore create your own Texture Tile sets easily and quickly.
It has support for over twenty different image file formats and
saves in the truevision targa format used by the Level Editor.
Another "must have" tool for any Level Editor user.
Tomb Raider 2/3/4 Flight Mode Path
http://www.math.berkeley.edu/~benrg/trflight.html
If there was ever an award for the most useful patch ever then I
think this one will be the winner. Yep it's that useful. Ever
wanted to take a look at some inaccessible area? If the answer
is yes then this truly great patch will allow you to do just
that. With a little configuration you can map a special key that
will allow Lara to fly in game when pressed. What are you
waiting for? Go get this one now!
TrsgEditor
http://www.letocetum.fsnet.co.uk/
The Tomb Raider Savegame Editor allows you to "artificially
enhance" your ammo count, give yourself all of the weapons, more
Medipack's or flares. Its major benefit lies in the fact that it
can edit savegames from all of the Tomb Raider games including
the Times Exclusive level and Chronicles.
7.2 Hardware Manufacturers Websites
Video Cards
3Dfx http://www.3dfx.com
3D Labs http://www.3dlabs.com
ATI Technologies http://www.atitech.com
Canopus http://www.canopuscorp.com
Cirrus Logic http://www.cirrus.com
Diamond Multimedia http://www.diamondmm.com
Hercules http://www.hercules.com
Intergraph http://www.intergraph.com
Matrox http://www.matrox.com
Number Nine http://www.nine.com
NVidia http://www.nvidia.com
Oak http://www.oaktech.com
Orchid http://www.orchid.com
PowerVR http://www.powervr.com
Rendition http://www.rendition.com
S3 http://www.s3.com
Sierra http://www.sierra.com
STB http://www.stb.com
Trident http://www.tridentmicro.com
TSENG Labs http://www.tseng.com/download/index.cgi
Videologic http://www.videologic.com
Soundcards
Aztech labs http://www.aztechca.com
Creative Labs http://www.creativelabs.com
Ensoniq http://www.ensoniq.com
Opti http://www.opti.com
Turtle beach http://www.tbeach.com
Yamaha http://www.yamahayst.com
Control Devices
CH Products http://www.chproducts.com
Gravis http://www.gravis.com
InterAct http://www.interact-acc.com
Logitech http://www.logitech.com
SpaceOrb 360 http://www.spaceorb.com
Saitek http://www.saitek.com
Thrustmaster http://www.thrustmaster.com
7.3 Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Symbols
The following primer is both a glossary and a list of commonly used
abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols used either on the
alt.games.tombraider newsgroup, in this FAQ, or elsewhere on the
Internet.
:) - A smiley or 'emoticon'; there are many different types.
3rdPP - 3rd Person Perspective game.
a.g.t - alt.games.tombraider
<bg> - Big Grin.
BN - Blastable Nasties; the men and monsters that Lara shoots.
Bugsie - Colloquial anthropomorphic name for the TR 'corner bug'.
CGI - Computer Generated Image.
Cutscene - A cutscene is an ingame scripted sequence using the game
engine itself to render the scene.
DC - Sega Dreamcast; a now dead gaming console.
Divine Ponytail, The
- Suitable nickname for Lara Croft.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Question.
FMV - Full Motion Video; in between some levels in the Tomb
Raider games you get a beautifully rendered movie using
an external video file.
FPS - First Person Shooter; games like Half-Life, Quake,
Unreal, Doom, System Shock 2, Soldier of Fortune, etc.
Flame - A post containing nasty abhorrent abuse of another
poster.
JBS - James Bond Syndrome; a contagious disease that entails
the fine art of being captured by the bad guys in every
adventure the hero(ine) has. Lara suffers from this
disease, or at least she did up until TRLR.
<g> - Grin.
Lunchbox, or, the TARDIS
- Terms used for Lara's teeny tiny, yet oh-so-spacious,
backpack.
Mac - A computer with training wheels you can't remove.
N64 - Nitendo64; another gaming.
Ng - Newsgroup.
PC - A real machine; IBM/Compatible personal computer.
PS2 - PlayStation 2; Sony's latest gaming console.
PSX - Original PlaysSation console; now only good as a doorstop
and/or paperweight.
Spam - Unwanted junk mail advertising that infests newsgroups.
TR - Tomb Raider.
TR1, TR2, TR3, TR4, TR5
- The games: Tomb Raider 1, Tomb Raider 2, Tomb Raider 3,
Tomb Raider 4, Tomb Raider 5.
TR2G - Tomb Raider 2 Gold.
TRLA - Tomb Raider 3: The lost Artifact.
TRLE - Tomb Raider:Level Editor.
TRC - Tomb Raider: Chronicles (aka TR5).
TRG - Tomb Raider: Gold.
TRLR - Tomb Raider: Last Revelation (aka TR4).
TRUB - Tomb Raider: Unfinished Business.
Troll - a post by someone who deliberately wants to incite nasty
arguments within a particular newsgroup.
8.0 More Questions?
8.1 This FAQ didn't answer ANY of my questions. What do I do now?!
Beg for mercy. Only joking...
If you're still in the dark, have no fear - we're here to help you.
We've already provided you with plenty of hyperlinks to other
resources on the Internet, which may be better placed to advise you.
Please refer to section 7.1 entitled "Tomb Raider Resources on the
Internet" for the websites we reckon are worth a visit.
Alternatively you could send your burning question to
tombr...@3dactionplanet.com and we'll aim to get it answered right
away.
From: "John Jones (jo...@croftsgate.co.uk)"
<tombr...@3dactionplanet.com>
Subject: Tomb Raider FAQ: Updated
Date: Thursday, February 14, 2002 12:04 PM
From: tombr...@3dactionplanet.com (John F. Jones)
Newsgroups: alt.games.tombraider
Subject: Tomb Raider FAQ
Followup-To: poster
Summary: This article is a collection of information on the computer
game Tomb Raider featuring cyber babe Lara Croft.
Archive-name: tombraider-faq/1.2.3
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: Feb. 14, 2002
The Tomb Raider FAQ
-------------------
Send corrections/additions to the FAQ maintainer:
John F. Jones via email on tombr...@3dactionplanet.com
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This article is provided "AS IS" without any express
or implied warranties. While every effort has been taken to ensure the
accuracy of the information contained in this article, the
author/maintainer/contributors assume(s) no responsibility for errors or
omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information
contained herein. The contents of the article might be totally
inaccurate, inappropriate, misguided, or otherwise perverse - except for
my name (you can probably trust me on that).
Copyright (C) 2001-2002 by John F. Jones, all rights reserved.
Acknowledgements: Few things are entirely the result of one persons
unaided efforts and this FAQ is no exception. So I would like to give my
many many thanks to snark^ (who still writes the "Other Tomb Raider-Like
Games") for allowing me to take over the maintenance of this FAQ and to
all the others who have continued to show support, and have therefore
continued to contribute to this FAQ. Most notably I would like to give a
special thanks to my family who haven't heard from me because I've been
so busy writing and updating this FAQ. I'm thinking of writing a FAQ
about myself to send to them so they'll know what I'm up to.
>>> This FAQ has been filmed in a M O N O S P A C E D font and <<<
>>> wrapped at 72 columns using plain text only, no hyperwhotsits, <<<
>>> webified/HTMLized things whatsoever. <<<
No endangered species were harmed in the making of this FAQ and only the
freshest, cleanest, lean and green, recycled electrons were zapped in
its manufacture... This FAQ is also available online in
webified/HTMLized versions at the following sites:
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/tombraiderfaq/
http://www.eidosgames.com/ubb/forum31/html/005934.html
Last Updated: 14th February 2002
Contents.
---------
New or updated sections are marked with an *.
1.0 An Introduction
1.1 The alt.games.tombraider Newsgroup and how to survive it
1.2 Something to talk about
1.3 Rumour Control
* 1.3.1 Got any information on the next Tomb Raider game?
* 1.3.2 When is the next Tomb Raider game due out?
1.3.3 I've heard that there is a way to see Lara in the nude
whilst playing the games! What is it please?
1.3.4 Is it Lara or Laura?
1.3.5 It's gone "gold"?
* 1.3.6 Who does Lara voice?
1.3.7 What's that piece of music called?
1.4 What are the gold add-on levels, such as TRUB?
1.5 The History of Tomb Raider
1.5.1 Chronolgié de Lara Croft
1.6 The Tomb Raider Comics
1.6.1 What is Tomb Raider Fan-Fiction?
2.0 Troubleshooting/Technical Stuff
2.1 How can I obtain Technical Support for the games?
* 2.2 Available Platforms
* 2.3 Minimum System Requirements
2.4 How do I exit the game?
2.5 I'm having problems with my sound
2.5.1 Basic Sound Solutions
2.5.2 Specific Sound Card Solutions
2.6 I'm having problems with my graphics
2.6.1 How do I get high resolution/SVGA mode in TR/TRUB?
2.6.2 I can't get my voodoo card to work with TR/TRUB
2.7 The game runs really slowly
2.8 The menu ring endlessly spins
2.9 Lara moves, even when I'm not pressing any keys
2.10 The game suffers from long pauses when reading from the CD-ROM
drive. What's wrong?
2.11 I keep getting Visual C++ runtime errors!
2.12 The Windows 95 / 98 / 2000 / Me / XP key keeps on dumping me
out of TR/TRUB
2.13 I'm having problems with my screen resolution under Windows
2000
2.14 I can't save/load my game or save my settings. What's wrong?
2.15 Can I watch the FMV sequences without playing the games?
2.16 How do I take screenshots?
2.16.1 I'm having problems viewing the screenshots
3.0 Playing the Games
3.1 General game play Hints and Tips
3.2 How do I complete the [insert level name here] level?
3.2.1 I followed the walkthrough instructions to the letter but
still can't do...
3.3 Could someone please give me a savegame for...
3.3.1 Are there any savegame editors?
3.4 Why should I bother collecting the secrets?
3.4.1 What happens if you complete the games with all the
secrets?
3.5 I'm having trouble controlling Lara - the game sucks!
3.6 Did you know that Lara can do.
3.7 Lara's Extra Moves
3.7.1 The Handstand
3.7.2 The Swan Dive
3.7.3 Roll in mid-air (TR2, TR3, TRLR & TRC)
3.7.4 Forward Roll with One-Half Somersault
3.7.5 The Slide Stop (TR3, TRLR, & TRC)
3.7.6 The Forward Roll (TRC)
3.7.7 Gameboy Color Extra Moves
3.8 Lara's Armoury
3.8.1 The forever self-replenishing Pistols
3.8.2 The Shotgun
3.8.3 Magnums (TR1)
3.8.4 The Uzi's
3.8.5 Automatic Pistols (TR2)
3.8.6 The M16 (TR2)
3.8.7 Grenade Launcher (TR2, TR3, & TRLR)
3.8.8 Harpoon Gun (TR2, & TR3)
3.8.9 Desert Eagle (TR3)
3.8.10 The MP5/HK Gun (TR3 & TRC)
3.8.11 Rocket Launcher (TR3)
3.8.12 The Revolver (TRLR, & TRC)
3.8.13 The Crossbow (TRLR)
3.8.14 Grappling Hook Launcher (TRC)
3.8.15 Gameboy Color Armoury
3.9 Lara and Vehicles
3.9.1 Speedboats and little yellow Dinghy's (TR3, & TR3)
3.9.2 The Snowmobile (TR2)
3.9.3 Kayaking (TR3)
3.9.4 Quad Bike (TR3)
3.9.5 The Underwater Propulsion Unit (TR3)
3.9.6 RX Tech Mine Carts (TR3)
3.9.7 The Jeep (TRLR)
3.9.8 Jean Ive's Motorcycle & Sidecar (TRLR)
3.9.9 The Extreme Depth Suit (TRC)
3.9.10 The Mini Submarine (GBC)
3.10 How do I get into the basement, outside the front gate, into
Lara's trophy room and.
3.10.1 An ASCII map of Lara's garden maze (TR2)
3.11 Where's the key for the door next to Lara's bed in TR2?
3.12 Could someone please tell me how the game ends?
3.13 What is it that person X says in cutscene Y? Can someone
please explain the plot to me?
4.0 Cheat Codes
4.1 Someone please tell me the nude code!!!!!
4.2 Tomb Raider Cheat Codes (PC)
4.3 Tomb Raider Cheat Codes (PSX)
4.4 Tomb Raider Cheat Codes (Sega Saturn)
4.5 Tomb Raider Cheat Codes (Apple Mac)
4.6 Dagger of Xian Cheat Codes (PC)
4.7 Dagger of Xian Cheat Codes (PSX)
4.8 Dagger of Xian Cheat Codes (Apple Mac)
4.9 Adventures of Lara Croft Cheat Codes (PC)
4.10 Adventures of Lara Croft Cheat Codes (PSX)
4.11 Adventures of Lara Croft Cheat Codes (Apple Mac)
4.12 Last Revelation Cheat Codes (PC)
4.13 Last Revelation Cheat Codes (PSX)
4.14 Last Revelation Cheat Codes (Apple Mac)
4.15 Chronicles Cheat Codes (PC)
4.16 Chronicles Cheat Codes (PSX)
4.17 Chronicles Cheat Codes (Sega Dreamcast)
4.18 Nightmare Stone Cheat Codes (GBC)
4.19 Curse of the Sword Cheat Codes (GBC)
5.0 Other Tomb Raider-Like Games
* 5.1 Other Games
5.1.1 Alone in the Dark
5.1.2 Deathtrap Dungeon
5.1.3 Drakan: Order of the Flame (Demo)
5.1.4 Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine
5.1.5 Metal Gear Solid (Demo)
5.1.6 Heavy Metal FAKK2
5.1.7 ODT (Demo)
5.1.8 Oni (Demo)
5.1.9 Outcast
5.1.10 Project Eden (Demo)
5.1.11 Severance: Blade of Darkness
5.1.12 Recommended First Person Shooter Games
5.2 Other Games Characters Moves
6.0 Tomb Raider Level Editor
6.1 Whenever I start the Level Editor, Windows tells me that it has
caused an error and closes
6.2 Whenever I start the Level Editor it appears to lock up, as I
can't select any of the menus or buttons
6.3 I can't see all of the buttons along the bottom of the program
6.4 Part of the screen (or parts of it) has turned black
6.5 Whenever I load a previously saved project I get a message
saying "Arg list too big". What does it mean?
6.6 Whenever I load a previously saved project I get a message
saying "Warning: texture file (path name) not found". What
should I do?
6.7 Whenever I load a previously saved project I get a message
asking if I want to "Retain all Triggers (Remap to Lara?)" What
should I do?
6.8 The Editor window is completely white and won't show my level
in 3D at all. What's wrong?
6.9 The objects in my level have strange colours. Is this okay?
6.10 Whenever I use the Level Converter, no data is displayed and
it appears to be doing nothing. Is it converting my files?
7.0 Appendices
7.1 Tomb Raider Resources on the Internet
7.1.1 The Official Websites
7.1.2 Tomb Raider USENET Newsgroup
* 7.1.3 Recommended Tomb Raider Fan Websites
7.1.4 Recommended Tomb Raider Tools and Utilities
7.2 Hardware Manufacturers Websites
7.3 Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Symbols
8.0 More Questions?
8.1 This FAQ didn't answer ANY of my questions. What do I do now?!
The FAQ's.
----------
1.0 An Introduction
1.1 The alt.games.tombraider Newsgroup and how to survive it
The alt.games.tombraider newsgroup is a medium-volume newsgroup that
enjoys worldwide participation on the subject of the Tomb Raider
(TR) games. Any discussion related to any of the TR games is
welcomed whether it be about the games plot, their difficulty level,
the "Jeeves for Prime Minister" campaign, promoting your TR website,
or even arguments over what kind of designer label socks Lara stomps
around in. All such discussion is welcome here.
We occasionally make us of obscure acronyms in this newsgroup. A
full list of the more common ones can be found in the appendices.
Spam, large inappropriate binaries (file attachments), non
TR-Related arguments, and moronic flames/trolls are not welcome. May
I please refer all newcomers to alt.games.tombraider (and
USENET in general) to one of the netiquette FAQ's available at
http://www.primenet.com/~vez/neti.html or to the slightly satirical
version located at http://www.templetons.com/brad/emily.html. Both
are worthwhile reading.
This FAQ however concerns itself solely with alt.games.tombraider.
So please peruse the information contained herein if you should
require an answer to your burning query. Who knows? -- Five minutes
of reading here might save you a few flames and many days of waiting
for a reply.
Note: In line with common USENET policy special mention must be made
of binaries -- we don't want 'em here. Your best to either place the
program/picture on a website or a specialist binary group (such as
alt.binaries.game) and then post a quick message here telling us
where we can find it.
1.2 Something to talk about
Now, if we're not helping, flaming, trolling, or spreading vile
rumours about each other, what is it we actually talk about here in
the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup and in the Eidos Interactive Tomb
Raider forums? We'll the topics can be anything from; who's going to
play Lara in the next Tomb Raider movie; Jeeves for Galactic
Overload; Can you do the Great Wall level without guns?; major
announcements of minor changes to websites; demands made of the
games programmers; etc... We haven't yet actually had a thread on
what designer brand of socks Lara wears (however I'm assured she
buys them from Tesco), but your more than welcome to start one.
We in no way condone software piracy and do not wish to see any
discussion relating to the ripping off of Core or Eidos - or any
other software company for that matter.
Finally, don't be afraid to jump into a discussion as we're a very
friendly bunch who rarely pull the legs of(f) newbies - if at all...
1.3 Rumour Control
An enormous amount of topics posted on the alt.games.tombraider
Newsgroup and Eidos forums concern the endless rumours that Tomb
Raider seems to attract. The discussion of them is welcome provided
that the information you produce is new and/or relevant. The
following should help with the most common rumours.
1.3.1 Got any information on the next Tomb Raider game?
Both Core Design and Eidos Interactive have kept the next
adventure in the Tomb Raider series, which is currently in
development and codenamed 'Next Generation', tightly under
wraps. However over the past couple of weeks some details about
the game has started to emerge. Check out
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/guides/tomb6/ for some
screenshots. Here we present our efforts with what we know so
far
about this year's most eagerly awaited computer video game
featuring Lara Croft due for release on PlayStation II and PC in
November.
The bulk of the game is said to be set in Paris were Lara is on
the run from the police for the murder of... wait for it...
Werner Von Croy. After a mad dash through the narrow streets of
Paris the story then moves to the catacombs beneath the city
before ending in a mental asylum. Sounds feasible to us as Core
Design wish to change the direction of the game to attract a
more
mature adult audience. It is said Lara is in this situation
after
being framed for the murder and is expected to take place at the
beginning of the new game with her attempts to clear her name
uncovering a sinister, dark, criminal underworld led by a
unscrupulous villain only known at this time as Eckhardt.
Weaponless to start with this is where the new games major
differences start to surface with past adventures as Lara is
expected to earn cash so she can purchase weapons and other
items from back street stores. One example given to us is that
Lara finds a Comic on her travels and must pawn it for some
cash.
She is said to also be searching for five fourteenth century
paintings by the famous "Obscure Painter" but whether she wants
these to hock at the local pawnshop is also unknown. The famous
Musée du Louvre Museum in Paris plays host to a spectacular
robbery where she is supposed to obtain the five paintings
before
venturing into the cities ancient catacombs. Once here the
much-loved death-defying leaps and jumps that made the original
game so famous makes an appearance with some of the most
mind-bending puzzles every seen in a Tomb Raider game.
A new character called Curtis Trent is also expected to be
introduced opening enthusiastic possibilities of multiplayer
and/or rotating between characters just like in Project Eden.
It is said that he joins forces with Lara so that they both can
retrieve the five paintings that Lara stole in the first place.
This is where the game moves to its final location expected to
be
Prague, Eastern Europe, where Lara ends her adventure in the
Strahov Complex for a final showdown with Eckhardt. However the
characters exact role and what he will actually do is still
shrouded in mystery and we believe he may just provide skills
that Lara simply does not possess. Some are suggesting that
Curtis is an AI character and that no multiplayer option will be
available whilst others conflict with different stories. Also
rumours have surfaced that a spin-off game featuring Curtis is
also in the pipeline and it is this game that will eventually
take over from Tomb Raider.
It turns out that Core Design would like to rid itself of the
pressure of releasing a new game every year and plans to make
updates for the game available over the Internet in downloadable
components. The idea is that new characters, plots, etc., can be
plugged into the game so players can play all new adventures and
adding to the longevity of the game. But remember folks! Core
also said it would release updates for the Tomb Raider: Level
Editor via the web but we haven't had anything for almost twelve
months now. While were on the subject of Level Editing the
editing community may also get a much needed boast with some
saying that the games new Level Editor being bundled with the
PC version. Sounds plausible if they really want Curtis to take
over from the series.
The game play is also being completely overhauled with elements
from role-playing games being introduced. This will take the
form of what is termed 'attribute development' which awards
better players with more game content and improvements to Lara's
skills. So for example if you like to sprint all of the time,
Lara will become more able of sprinting and will be able to
sprint faster and for longer. Or alternatively if you want Lara
to become better at climbing she can with a little practice.
This allows the games developers to add areas into the game that
are only accessible to players if they have reached a certain
proficiency level. Suggestions say that it's these areas that
will replace the 'hunt high and low for secrets' strategy.
Although a lot of this article is speculation and unconfirmed we
do know some information for sure. The model of Lara has been
completely rebuilt from scratch and now has been replaced with
5000 polygons compared to the 500 polygons used by the original
game. The environments that Lara finds herself in are also more
realistic with much of the games architecture being taken from
actual places and buildings. And the old Lego block game engine
has been replaced with a brand new and up-to-date wire frame
system instead with PlayStation II owners benefiting from Cores
plans to exploit the consoles huge terrain capabilities.
Finally rumours have surfaced that there is currently major
bust-ups between Core Design and Eidos Interactive over the
games name. Core Design wishes to rid itself of the world
famous 'Tomb Raider' name claiming that Lara no longer just
raids tombs. However Eidos Interactive is apparently keen to
preserve the name and the heated internal debate may go on for
some time.
1.3.2 When is the next Tomb Raider game due out?
Tomb Raider VI was originally planned to be on sale now in
stores. However because of the lack of take up for the next
generation consoles (mainly the PlayStation II) Eidos
Interactive and Core Design decided to give the games developers
another year on it. At the time of writing a November release
has been hinted. The delay will hopefully have it's benefits as
we should get an all round better game for our money since it
would have been in development for almost three years when it's
released.
1.3.3 I've heard that there is a way to see Lara in the nude
whilst playing the games! What is it please?
Please refer to section 4.1 entitled "Someone please tell me the
nude code!!!!!"
1.3.4 Is it Lara or Laura?
It's _Lara_ you heathen! Pronounced Lah-rah or at least
something sounding like that depending on your regional
dialect... As a side note it should be mentioned that
originally Lara was called Laura Cruz. Core Design decided to
change it because Americans couldn't pronounce her first name
properly and Cruz sounded too American when the games character
was meant to be British. Please refer to section 1.5 entitled
"The History of Tomb Raider" for more information on the games
history.
1.3.5 It's gone "gold"?
This has nothing to do with sales of the game. Announcements of
TRC going Gold before it was released confused many as the term
is generally associated with the music industry to describe when
an album sells a few copies (I think it's a million). What it
actually means is that the master CD-ROM has been made from
which all of the other duplicate copies are made from and then
packaged for us to purchase.
1.3.6 Who does Lara voice?
The person behind the voice of Lara Croft is a Judith Gibbons, a
thirty something from Derbyshire. In real life she is a ballet
instructor who's favourite party trick is to creep up behind
people and say, "No, that's not right. Go back to the beginning
and try again." Chilling words to all those who has tried the
assault courses. Core Design spokesperson, Susie Hamilton said:
"We wanted an upper-class accent with character, a strong but
sweet voice. Judith's was just right."
1.3.7 What's that piece of music called?
All the music in the Tomb Raider series is original work written
by the games composers. The music for the first three games was
written and composed by Nathan McCree. A Peter Connelly can lay
claim to the music of the fourth and fifth games.
1.4 What are the gold add-on levels, such as TRUB?
Unfinished Business is the name given to the four additional add-on
levels for the original Tomb Raider game. The plot involves Lara
returning to Egypt, and then Atlantis, for further adventures. The
two Egyptian levels (Return to Egypt, and Temple of the Cat) are
collectively known as "Shadow of the Cat", and the two Atlantean
levels (Atlantean Stronghold, and The Hive), "Unfinished Business".
Somehow Unfinished Business stuck as the name to describe all four
levels. The repackaged Tomb Raider; known as "Tomb Raider Gold"
(TRG) in the United States, and "Tomb Raider: Unfinished Business"
elsewhere (TRUB); comes as a two CD-ROM set with one diskcontaining
the original game, and the second holding the other four add-on
levels.
It should also be mentioned that the four extra levels are also free
for download from the Eidos Interactive website at
http://www.eidosinteractive.com/ which can be run using the original
Tomb Raider CD-ROM. These extra levels are only available for the PC
and Apple Mac and there are currently still no plans to release them
for the PlayStation. The sets of additional levels for subsequent
games have been labelled for that game (i.e., Tomb Raider II: The
Golden Mask, and Tomb Raider III: The Lost Artefact.)
1.5 The History of Tomb Raider
[This section Coming Soon]
1.5.1 Chronolgié de Lara Croft
I'm often asked what happens and when in Lara's life so
hopefully the following will clear up any misunderstandings. If
you want a more detailed look at the Divine Ponytails life then
I suggest a visit to the Tomb Raider Travellers Guide website at
http://trinity.westhost.com/tomb/ and look at what Ivans Chou
and Brian came up with, with the help and notes of Vicky Arnold
from Core Design. It should be noted that I've not added (or do
I wish to try) any fan fiction, movie or comic material.
Tomb Raider/Lara Chronology
---------------------------
1968: Lara is born
1979: Enrolled at Wimbledon High School for Girls
1984: Cambodian expedition with Von Croy (TRLR)
1984: Investigation of haunted Irish island (TRC)
1984: Sent to boarding school at Gordonstoun, Scotland
1986: Enrolled at Swiss Finishing School
1989: Plane crash in Himalayas
1990: Inherits mansion and butler from Great Aunt
1995: Rome visit to buy Philosopher Stone (TRC)
1995: Successful hunt for Bigfoot
1996: Chase for the Atlantean Scion (TR1)
1996: Shadow of the Cat (TR1G)
1996: Returns to Atlantis (TR1G)
1997: Dagger of Xian (TR2)
1997: The Golden Mask (TR3)
1997: Steals the Iris from Von Croy Industries (TRC)
1998: Adventures of Lara Croft
1998: The Lost Artefact (TRLA)
1998: Hunt for the Spear of Destiny on sunken U-Boat (TRC)
1999: Unearths Set in Egypt (TRLR)
2000: Goes missing in Egypt, presumed dead (TRLR)
2002: Next Generation adventures begin
1.6 The Tomb Raider Comics
Published by Top Cow the comics are completely independent of the
games and pit Lara against dinosaurs, various bad guys with guns,
and her own [*spoiler*] butler [/*spoiler*] at one point. They're
not in keeping with the Chronology above however as several details
appear to have been changed to give her a more traditionally clichéd
comics style super-heroine background (the ubiquitous "parents died
in plane crash driving her to seek danger in the unknown" type
mush...). The artwork is very nice however... Often makes
appearances in crossover comics with Sara Pezzini from _Witchblade_.
1.6.1 What is Tomb Raider Fan-Fiction?
"Everybody has a great novel inside them" - or so it is said. If
you want to read Tomb Raider stories which your fellow Tomb
Raider fans have created then I suggest you look at the Croft
Times for a start and work your way through the rest of the
sites listed in the appendix. It tends to vary in quality from
"Bwah???" to "Neato!" and doubtless prolonged exposure to it
will result in your own attempt sooner or later. Just remember
that other old writers' quote (which is usually directed at the
readers) "I've suffered for my writing. now it's your turn."
2.0 Troubleshooting/Technical Stuff
Remember that every sound card, graphics card, etc., is only able to
work with your machine if you have a particular piece of software
installed on your machine known as a _device driver_. If you're
experiencing problems with the sound and/or vision in Tomb Raider then I
suggest that you update your machine drivers as your first port of call.
You'll be able to get the latest version of your drivers from the
manufacturers website (the URL will be listed in the documentation
somewhere or refer to the "Hardware Manufacturers Websites" section in
the appendices for a list of the most common hardware vendors) and also
get the latest version of DirectX from Micro$oft as well at
http://www.microsoft.com/directx/. The newer the driver the better it'll
work (usually).
2.1 How can I obtain Technical Support for the games?
You can obtain technical support for all of the Tomb Raider games
from Eidos Interactive who offers help via the web, facsimile, and
telephone help lines. Although Eidos say that customers shouldn't
hesitate to contact them we think you should do a couple of things
before hand. First of all read through this FAQ and see if you can
solve your problem by following the advice within it. If you cant
find the help you need in this FAQ check the manual that was
supplied with your copy of the game and read the "Readme" file on
the CD-ROM. If you still have no luck then by all means contact
Eidos who will give you access to a representative who will help you
sort out your problem.
When you contact Eidos you will need to give them as much
information as you can including the type of hardware you are using
such as the make of sound card, CD-Rom drive, amount of RAM, and the
speed and manufacturer of your microprocessor. Finally they ask that
you make note of the title and version of the game you are using.
You'll find contact information for your country/region in the
manual or by using the web and pointing your browser to
http://www.eidos.com/. Select your country/region from the options
displayed and then click on the support link.
2.2 Available Platforms
There does seem to be a lot of confusion as to what platforms Tomb
Raider is available for. The following table should help clear
things up. As a side note, it seems that the original Tomb Raider
was first released on the Sega Saturn (albeit with an almost
"unplayable slow frame rate").
TR1 - PC, PlayStation, Mac, & Sega Saturn
TRUB - PC, & Mac
TR2 - PC, PlayStation, & Mac
TR2G - PC, & Mac
TR3 - PC, PlayStation, & Mac
TR3G - PC, & Mac
TRLR - PC, PlayStation, Mac, & Sega Dreamcast
TRTIMES - PC
TRC - PC, PlayStation, Mac, & Sega Dreamcast
TRLE - PC, & Mac
NextGen - PC, & PlayStation II
You'll also find two games available for the GameBoy Color, "The
Nightmare Stone" and the recently released "Curse of the Sword".
Plus owners of the original Tomb Raider and Dagger of Xian games can
download for free from the Internet the add-on levels. For more
information concerning the add-on levels please refer to section 1.6
entitled "What are the gold add-on levels, such as Unfinished
Business, and the Lost Artefact?"
2.3 Minimum System Requirements
Computer video games are requiring more and more from hardware as
the years go by and Tomb Raider has been no exception. Compare the
minimum system requirements of the original Tomb Raider to that of
the fifth game below in the tables and you'll see just how much
processor and hardware power has increased over the past five years.
It is now becoming common for gamers to buy games that require
hardware way beyond what they actually have. Therefore it is always
recommended that you check the minimum system requirements against
the specification of your machine before purchasing any games.
In order to play any of the Tomb Raider games or use the Level
Editor, you computer must meet the following minimum system
requirements in the tables below. Please note that Tomb Raider,
Dagger of Xian, and Adventures of Lara Croft including all the
add-on levels now comes packaged as a Trilogy edition for Mac users
represented in the table below under one heading. Also note that the
minimum system requirements for the add-on levels are the same as
for that of the games. For example the Unfinished Business add-on
levels minimum system requirements matches that of the requirements
for Tomb Raider.
Tomb Raider (PC)
o MS-DOS ® 6.0, Windows ® 95 / 98 / Me
o Pentium 60 MHz (Pentium 90MHz recommended)
o 8 MB RAM
o 2x CD-ROM
o SVGA graphics card
o CD-ROM disk
Dagger of Xian (PC)
o Windows ® 95 / 98 / Me
o DirectX T 5.0 (included on CD-ROM)
o Pentium 90 MHz (Pentium 133 MHz)
o 16 MB RAM (32 MB RAM recommended)
o 4x CD-ROM
o SVGA graphics card (3D graphics accelerator recommended)
o CD-ROM disk
Adventures of Lara Croft (PC)
o Windows ® 95 / 98 / Me
o DirectX T 6.0 (included on CD-ROM)
o Pentium 166 MHz (Pentium 200 MHz recommended)
o 16 MB RAM (32 MB RAM recommended)
o 4x CD-ROM (8x CD-ROM recommended)
o 4 MB SVGA graphics card (3D graphics accelerator recommended)
o CD-ROM disk
Tomb Raider Trilogy (Mac)
o IMac, G3, or G4
o MacOS 8.6
o 180 MHz (233 MHz recommended)
o 32 MB RAM (64 MB RAM recommended)
o 4x CD-ROM
o 3D graphics accelerator
o CD-ROM disk
Last Revelation (PC)
o Windows ® 95 / 98 / Me
o DirectX T 6.1 (included on CD-ROM)
o Pentium 233 MHz (Pentium 266 MHz recommended)
o 16 MB RAM (32 MB RAM recommended)
o 4x CD-ROM (8x CD-ROM recommended)
o 4 MB SVGA graphics card (3D graphics accelerator)
o CD-ROM disk
Last Revelation (Mac)
o IMac, G3, or G4
o MacOS 8.1
o 233 MHz
o 32 MB RAM
o 4x CD-ROM
o 3D graphics accelerator
o CD-ROM disk
Chronicles (PC)
o Windows ® 95 / 98 / 2000 / Me
o DirectX T 7.0 (included on CD-ROM)
o Pentium 266 MHz (Pentium 300 MHz recommended)
o 16 MB RAM (32 MB RAM recommended)
o 4x CD-ROM (8x CD-Rom recommended)
o 4 MB SVGA graphics card (3D graphics accelerator recommended)
o CD-ROM disk
Chronicles (Mac)
o IMac, G3, or G4
o MacOS 8.6 (MacOSX recommended)
o 266 MHz (250 MHz recommended)
o 32 MB RAM (64 MB RAM recommended)
o 4x CD-ROM
o 3D graphics accelerator
o CD-ROM disk
Level Editor (PC)
o Windows ® 95 / 98 / Me
o DirectX T 6.1 (included on CD-ROM)
o Pentium 233 MHz (Pentium 266 MHz recommended)
o 16 MB RAM (32 MB RAM recommended)
o 4x CD-ROM (8x CD-ROM recommended)
o 4 MB SVGA graphics card (3D graphics accelerator)
o 300 MB HDD
o Desktop resolution 1024 x 768, 16 Bit
Tomb Raider VI Predicted (PC)
o Windows ® 98 / Me
o DirectX T 8.0 (included on CD-ROM)
o Pentium 300 MHz (Pentium 500 MHz recommended)
o 64 MB RAM (128 MB RAM recommended)
o 4x CD-ROM (8x CD-Rom recommended)
o 8 MB 3D graphics accelerator card
o CD-ROM disk
2.4 How do I exit the game?
The problem of not being to find your way out of the game has
increased since Core changed the inventory system around in TRLR.
Anyway In TR1, TR2 & TR3 to exit the games hit the ESC key and press
the down arrow to reach the Passport and hit Enter. Use the right
arrow one or two times and select the "Exit to Title" option. This
will take you to the main title screen where you can exit be
selecting the Passport again and using the right arrow key until you
reach "Exit" and hit return to exit the game. Alternatively you
could press ALT and F4 together to shut down the game.
In TRLR & TRC you need to pause the game (P) and select "Exit to
Title" to return to the title screen. From there select the "Exit"
option to quit the game. Alternatively you could press ALT and F4
together to shut down the game
2.5 I'm having problems with my sound
The following paragraphs provide solutions to the most common sound
problems encountered when playing any of the Tomb Raider games. It's
recommended that you first try the solutions listed in section 2.4.1
entitled "Basic Sound Solutions" before tackling any specific sound
card settings listed in section 2.4.2 entitled "Specific Sound Card
Solutions".
2.5.1 Basic Sound Solutions
Before you get into specific problems associated with Tomb
Raider, make sure your system meets the basic requirements.
Ensure that your sound card is installed correctly. Have you
correctly installed its drivers? Do you hear sounds in other
games or applications? Go to the volume control in the system
tray (it's the speaker looking icon) and ensure that mute is not
ticked or that the volume is not turned all the way down and
turn it up if it is.
Make sure that the audio cable from your CD-ROM to the sound
card is installed correctly. Is the lead inserted into the
correct slots on the back of the CD-ROM and on the sound card?
Can you hear CD music through your speakers when your play a
music CD? If not, plug some headphones into the front of the
CD-ROM and listen for music (you may need to turn up the volume
on the front panel of your CD-ROM). If you can hear music
through the headphones and not over your speakers, your audio
cable is not installed correctly and you wont be able to hear
the cutscene dialog and some other stuff from the CD-ROM. Most
computer literate people and any computer store will know how to
install the CD audio cable so ask them.
Install the latest drivers for your sound card. Frequent your
sound card website, you'll find a list in the appendices, and
download current drivers for your specific card. Follow
installation instructions located there.
Disable Flex CD. This is a powertoy created by Microsoft. You
may have this installed and not know it. If you have it, it's in
the system tray. Hover your mouse over tray icons to get a
description of each. You can right click on Flex CD to disable
it temporarily. If you want to get rid of it completely either
uninstall it from the Add/Remove applet in the Control Panel or
delete the shortcut to it in your start- up folder of the start
menu. Although the program adds some neat functionality we think
it causes more problems then it's worth. So get rid of it unless
you absolutely need it.
2.5.2 Specific Sound Card Solutions
[This section Coming Soon]
2.6 I'm having problems with my graphics
The Tomb Raider games have the ability to use most 3D graphics
cards. For the original Tomb Raider game you'll need to download new
executable files from
http://www.eidosinteractive.com/techsupp/tr1/tr1-patches.html that
is specific to your graphics card. Patches also exist for the
graphics cards that use chips from the following manufacturers:
3Dfx (i.e. Voodoo Graphics, Voodoo Rush, Voodoo 2).
Matrox (i.e. Matrox Mystique).
PowerVR (i.e. Videologic (Apocalypse3D, 3Dx, and 5Dx), Matroxm3D).
Rendition (i.e. Creative Labs Graphics Blaster, etc.)
S3 (i.e. Almost any card with an S3 Chipset more).
[note: There is currently no patch for cards with the nVidia based
chipsets]
These graphics card chip manufacturers worked closely with Core
Design to produce these patches (which hopefully would increase
sales of cards using their chips, and promote brand loyalty).
There are no specific 3D graphics card patches for TR2/3/4/5. They
exist in the form of a single program only, which allows support for
most 3D graphics cards on the market today.
TR2 supports any 3D graphics card, which is compatible with
Direct3D. Direct3D is Microsoft's application programming interface.
That is, Direct3D is a way for an application, such as TR2, to
communicate with your operating system (Windows 95/98), which in
turn communicates with your 3D graphics card. The result is that
your 3D graphics card allows your monitor to display a nicely
rendered Lara. Direct3D can be thought of as a special way to write
code in programs and in the operating system. In order for TR2, and
any Direct3D enabled application, to take advantage of your 3D
graphics card, you will need a "driver" from the manufacturer. A
"driver" is software that acts as the messenger between the
operating system and your 3D graphics card. You probably have these
drivers already installed on your system. Also, the TR2 PC CD
contains DirectX 5, which should contain drivers for most 3D
graphics cards in use today. If you are unsure, then contact the
vendor where you bought your 3D graphics card. You could also see
Appendix 4 for links to some 3D graphics card manufacturers.
When you run the TR2/3/4 CD you'll see an option labelled Setup on
the splash screen. Choose this and then click on the Graphics tab
and you'll see a multitude of options relating to how the game
displays itself on screen. For your 3D graphics card you should
select 'Hardware 3D acceleration' and then pick your card from the
'Graphics Card' box rather than use 'Primary Display Driver' as
that's what those poor souls who don't have a decent 3d card have to
suffer with (pity them)... If you are using a combination 2D/3D
graphics card (e.g. an nVidia Riva-128 based card), then your only
option under 'Graphics Card' may be 'Primary Display Driver' In this
case, you will still benefit from hardware 3D acceleration.
From here you can select all the little extras you want such as Z
buffering, dithering, bilinear filtering etc. Some of these options
might not work with some cards so it's really just a matter of trial
and error in finding out what suits your machine.
If you're after finding the correct settings for your card try
Dracman's 3dfx help page at his Shotgun City site (URL in Appendix
below).
2.6.1 How do I get high resolution/SVGA mode in Tomb
Raider/Unfinished Business
To use high resolution/SVGA mode, press F1 when you are in the
game. This will let you toggle between low resolution/VGA and
high resolution/SVGA modes. If you find that the speed of the
game is slow, it is recommended that you press F2 to reduce the
screen size. Use F3 to increase it again.
2.6.2 I can't get my voodoo accelerator card to work with Tomb
Raider/Unfinished Business
While there is no specific voodoo2 patch for TR1 the original
3Dfx patch *should* work if you know how to tweak the Voodoo2
card environment variable settings.
Dracman's site (URL in section 5.1.3) contains a page showing
the settings he uses to run TR1/UB - and includes nifty batch
files with which to run TR1 using these settings. His settings
also address the 'purple Lara' syndrome.
2.7 The game runs really slowly
First you should check and ensure that you computer system meets the
minimum system requirements listed above in section 2.3 entitled
"Minimum System Requirements". It may just be that your computer
system is not powerful enough to play the game. For example, Tomb
Raider will not run on a 486 processor (it's just too slow to keep
up with all the animations) regardless of its speed, yes even at
100 MHz.
Secondly this problem usually occurs in Dagger of Xian when the
CD-ROM drive is constantly being read by the game (you should see a
light constantly flickering on your CD-ROM drive and/or hear it
being accessed). A patch that solves this problem is available from
the Eidos Support section of its web site at
http://www.eidosinteractive.com/support/ that can solve this
problem.
2.8 The menu ring endlessly spins
This problem is normally caused by an un-calibrated joystick or game
pad that is connected to your machine. Either unplugging or
re-calibrating the offending device can solve it. If you find that
the rings still endlessly spin, even after re-calibrating a joystick
or game pad then that device is just not compatible with the game.
Certain video cards are known to cause problems because they include
game ports, which are incompatible with Tomb Raider. Video cards,
which are known to cause problems, are discussed below:
If you have a Diamond Edge 2000 and 3000 series video card you will
need to disable the sega game port on it manually as it is not
compatible with Tomb Raider. However we recommend you do this very
carefully as you may render you video card useless if handled
incorrectly.
If you have a Diamond 3D Rage vide card you are advised to get the
latest drivers for the card from Diamond (version 2.21 or higher).
Using the updated drivers will give you a new tab in the Display
Adapter Properties that controls your Joystick Port on the card and
you will be able to disable it from there
2.9 Lara moves, even when I'm not pressing any keys
This problem is caused by the same circumstances as the endlessly
spinning menu rings above. Please refer to section 2.9 entitled "The
menu ring endlessly spins" for more information.
2.10 The game suffers from long pauses when reading from the CD-ROM
drive. What's wrong?
If you find that the game suffers from long pauses when reading from
the CD-ROM drive resulting in read errors then it is recommended
that you install the DOS drivers for your CD-ROM, even under
windows. Doing so will normally correct this problem. If this fails
to work and your drives speed is faster than 4x you could try using
a 4x only Dos driver instead.
If you own an NEC CD-ROM drive then you must use an older
NEC_IDE.SYS DOS driver, dated prior to December 1994.
If you have multiple CD-ROM drives in your machine you must use the
first drive connected to your machine to play the games from.
2.11 I keep getting Visual C++ runtime errors!
Either re-install DirectX or download and install the latest DirectX
version from Microsoft's Web site at
http://www.microsoft.com/directx/. If that fails to solve the
problem then please check to see if your computer systems date is
set beyond the year 2035, and change it back if it is.
2.12 The Windows 95 / 98 / 2000 / Me / XP key keeps on dumping me
out of Tomb Raider/Unfinished Business
The original Tomb Raider game is an MS-DOS game and as such , any
accidental use of the Windows 95 / 98 / 2000 / Me / XP keys now
included on all new keyboards will cause the computer to stop the
game and got to the Windows desktop. These keys happen to be
unfortunately located between the Ctrl and Alt keys on both of the
Spacebar, making life difficult for the Tomb Raider player (thank
you Bill... thank you very much...).
To stop this you will need to download a keyboard "re-mapping"
utility which will re-map the Windows 95 / 98 / 2000 / Me / Xp key
to any function you want (other than launch the startup menu)
leaving you able to press the offending key while playing Tomb
Raider and have nothing untoward happen.
If you don't want to go to the trouble of the above we have another
couple of solutions. First I'm also told that if you press the key
whatever you do don't un-press it. Apparently it's the un-pressing
that causes the startup menu to appear. What you should do is click
on the Tomb Raider program on the taskbar to relaunch the program
and then let go of the key.
Another solution, if you like the idea of committing a bit of
vandalism, is to simply remove the offending key from your keyboard
altogether. You do this by levering it off with a knife or
screwdriver... (they can be replaced afterwards).
2.13 I'm having problems with my screen resolution under Windows
2000
A few people have reported problems with Chronicles when trying to
change the resolution in Windows 2000 from the default 640x480. An
unofficial patch has been released to combat this and the perpetual
crashing problem and is available from the Tomb Raider Chronicles
web site at http://www.tombraiderchronicles.com/.
2.14 I can't save/load my game or save my settings. What's wrong?
If you find that you are loosing you're save game files, unable to
save or load games files, or unable to save program settings, make
sure you have first installed the game correctly. Then check that
you are not playing the game from the CD-ROM, as you cannot write
any files to it. If you are unable to install the game because of
sound problems then please refer to section 2.4 entitled "I'm having
problems with my sound" for solutions to getting you sound card to
work with Tomb Raider.
2.15 Can I watch the FMV sequences without playing the games?
Yes you can, for TR1, TR2, and TR3 under Windows you can find a
viewer program called Escapeplay available from
http://www.vvm.com ~hfowler/tombraider/rpl_player.zip that allows
you to view the .rpl files. For TRLR and TRC you will need to get a
copy of the Radtools program available from the radgames web website
at http://www.radgametools.com/. The program once downloaded will
allow you view to the new "bink" file format.
If you are an Apple Mac user first copy the "FMV" folder from the
CD-ROM to your hard drive. Using ResEdit or another similar resource
editor, use the "Get File/Folder info." under the "file" menu and
change each movie's creator type to "MooV" and the file type to
"TVOD". You will then be able to view the movies with MoviePlayer.
2.16 How do I take screenshots?
The original Tomb Raider game didn't have any facility built in to
it to allow fans to take screenshots however it is possible to take
them with a little bit of work. The supposedly easiest way would be
to use a third party screenshot-grabbing program however I have been
unable to get any to work. One other way is to create a shortcut on
your desktop to the "tomb.exe" file and change its properties to
fool windows into playing it in a window.
To do this right click on the shortcut and select Properties from
the menu. When the properties window has appeared click on the
Program tab and from the dropdown menu for the Run command change
the setting from "Normal Window" to "Minimized". Now click OK to
save the settings you have just changed. Ensure that your Tomb
Raider CD-ROM is in your drive and double click on the shortcut to
start the game. The game will be running minimized on the taskbar.
Wait around fifteen seconds then click on the program to display it
on the desktop in a window. Now simply use the Print Screen key to
take your screenshots.
In TRUB press the forward slash key, "/" and the game will start to
dump screenshots (in .pcx format) into your installation directory.
Press the slash key again to stop it. The limit is 1000 according to
some sources, but writes over the oldest as it goes.
In TR2 you can press the "s" key on the keyboard at any time to dump
a screenshot, saved to TR2 directory, of your current game. Also
depending on what colour mode you are using they will be saved in
either .pcx or .tga if you are using 16.7 million colour mode.
In TR3, TRLR, and TRC you can press the @ key on the keyboard at any
time to dump a screenshot, saved to your TR3, TRLR, or TRC
directories. For non-European countries you use the " (or ') key
instead.
2.16.1 I'm having problems viewing the screenshots
The screenshots that are dumped to your hard drive by the games
are in an image format known as truevision targa. Be default
windows does not support this file format so you will first need
to obtain a third party program to help you view and convert the
image files. Paintshop Pro and most other good drawing packages
support this format however if you cant afford to purchase a
copy you can always use the Texture Edit program available from
the Texture Edit web site at
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/textureedit/ to view
the
images.
3.0 Playing the Games
Vangelis asked, "Need some TR advice. Stat!" in the alt.games.tombraider
newsgroup:
"I just bought Tomb Raider and I can't figure out how to open the box...
HELP!! I'm dying to play this game but I'm stuck at the part of the top
flap where it looks like it flips up then flips sorta over I think.
There's a large tab that seems to go into the box but I can't reach it
from where I am. I've tried some walkthroughs but non list this initial
brain-bending conundrum. I think I can see the instructions below but I
cant get the flap up to get to them. Help!"
The above is satire (I hope). The section that follows is a guide to
playing the Tomb Raider games. However if you are after specific answers
to the various puzzles in the games then you'd be better off searching
though one of the many walkthroughs available on the internet or at
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/ for a solution.
3.1 General game play Hints and Tips
Remember that the Tomb Raider games are basically adventure games.
They're not just shoot 'em ups like Doom, Quake, or Duke Nukem, they
take a little thought, patience, and time before you complete them.
Suring all that relaxed contemplation however the game does its best
to kill our hero(ine) off... repeatedly... in dozens of memorably
horrible ways. The following is a list of ways to help achieve
certain longevity for poor Lara.
o Conserve your ammo and use your Pistols whenever possible. Never
waste the heavy stuff (i.e. Grenade launcher) on the smaller
creatures (i.e. rats and spiders) - sure it's a lot of fun, but
it's also very very wasteful. Keep the big stuff for the
opponents who deserve it.
o Sometimes you have the range on your opponents with the right
weapon (the M16 for example has a very long range). Use this
advantage to it's _utmost_. Please refer to section 3.8 entitled
"Lara's Armoury" for information on how best to use Lara's
weapons.
o Move around a lot while shooting. Having Lara stand still makes
it too easy for the Blastable Nasties to hurt her. Jumping from
side to side is better than backwards and forwards. The one
handed weapons, such as the pistols and Uzi's, can be fired
while flipping and generally have a wider field of fire than the
rifles and bigger stuff.
o On the underwater levels be aware that Lara can outswim the
sharks, and the best overall method of dealing with the fish and
frogmen is to hop out of the water and shoot them from dry land.
Unsporting we know - but it works!
o Walk when near edges - it's really frustrating falling from
great heights when you last saved the game about twenty minutes
ago...
o Use the safety drop if the drop from a particular height looks
too big then fall backwards off the edge pressing the action key
as you do so. Lara will grab hold of the edge and reduce the
distance you fall (and therefore any damage you might take) by
her body length.
o If possible try to kill the BNs from a position of absolute
safety; T-Rex's cant fit down tunnels and dogs can't follow you
up onto the top of blocks. Again we know this is demonstrating a
great degree of unsportsmanship behaviour, but just put your
conscience aside and keep your finger on the trigger - you know
the bad guys deserve it...
o Remember that Lara remains "autolocked" on the target whether
its in view or not (not true in TRC though). Take advantage of
whatever cover you can find. Keep your finger down on the fire
key, leap behind some cover (finger still down) and then back
out again. Lara's guns will remain locked on the target and fire
immediately when the target is visible again.
o In TR2 and TR3 there are hotkeys (TR2: 8 & 9, TR3: 9 & 0) that
can be pressed to use the Small and Large Medipack respectively.
This makes it much faster to heal rather than going though the
menu ring system.
o Lara can move forward slightly faster if you jump while running
(but not as fast as she sprints in TR3 and later).
o Save games often. It's not cheating to save before you have to
make a tough jump or take on a nasty opponent. Snark^ had well
over 300 saves before he completed TR2, and nobody has ever
completed either of the games without resorting back to a saved
game as we know of.
If you think you're stuck and you don't want to resort to using a
walkthrough then...
o Just be aware that, while she remains breathing, Lara can never
be stuck at any point in the game (unless you've encountered one
of the later games' savegame bugs). There's always some way of
extracting her from the predicament most perilous.
o Try pushing or pulling a box or section of the wall that looks
different. AFAIK there's only one section of "secret" wall in
the games that's perfectly blended with the solid wall.
o Shoot out a window, as sometimes vandalism is the only way to
progress. Or if you have no weapons get someone to shoot out a
window for you...
o Are you sure you can't make that jump? Sometimes the impossible
can be done. This is the Divine Ponytail we're talking about
after all.
o In TR3 look up at the ceiling often to see if they're some
grippable rock that Lara could use to monkey swing across the
chasm/river. This one takes a bit of getting used to after
playing two previous games.
o In TRC (tower block level only unfortunately) look for places on
the ceiling which you can fire the grappling hook at.
3.2 How do I complete the [insert level name here] level?
No need to despair. Every puzzle within the games are solvable and
don't be worried about asking if you need to. It's more than likely
somebody else has hit the same problem. For instance I spent days
wandering around the Lost Library in the Last Revelation trying to
work out how to open those blue doors. When I eventually realised
that all you did was walk up to them and press action to push them
open I was very embarrassed at being stomped by such a trivial
thing. Others haven't been able to figure out how to pass the chef
in Chronicles, wondered why the monks kept on killing them in
Barkhang Monastery, or where to start in 40 Fathoms. But please
don't just blurt out your question in the newsgroup or a forum, as
we tend to see the same questions asked again and again. A good
starting point would be to use a walkthrough. You'll find some at
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/, which you will find
useful. Also in the appendices you will find more web site addresses
for sites that offer walkthroughs.
If you find that you are still stuck then by all means ask someone
either through the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup or on one of the
forums listed in the appendices. But please provide us with enough
information to be able to help you. Say which game you are playing,
the name of the level, give a rough and recognizable description of
the area you are stuck at and finally the problem you are having.
Don't just say, "How do I get to that block?" We don't know which
block you mean, as we aren't mind readers. If you provide all the
information we require you will find that it goes a long way to
ensuring your eventual success.
Remember to be polite. The forums and newsgroup have many helpful
people posting who seem to spend their time answering questions like
these and they'd rather be thanked than abused. And those who have
been abused have left leaving a large empty space when answering
questions like these so don't do it. (or else...)
3.2.1 I followed the walkthrough instructions to the letter but
still can't do...
Some walkthroughs tend to miss something because the author
wrote them from memory or the instructions provided are too
vague or weren't clearly written. The solution to this is
simple. Don't give up just yet - keep trying other walkthroughs
until you finally find the solution. In the Appendices under the
"Tomb Raider Resources on the Internet" section you will find
addresses for web sites that offer walkthroughs all of which are
very different and worth checking out.
3.3 Could someone please give me a savegame for...
We have all the suffered the problem of saving when we should had
loaded or vice versa, or had a savegame that simply refused to load
correctly. Don't worry about it we've made this mistake at some
point or have encountered this problem. Because of this some web
sites now offer savegame files for download. You can visit
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/ for savegames for all of
the Tomb Raider games that start at the beginning of every level.
Another method would be for you to ask in the newsgroup or a forum
for a savegame that starts at a specific point in the level. Also be
aware that you can use a savegame editor such as TRsgEditor to set
yourself up at the start of the desired level with any amount of
gear you desire...
3.3.1 Are there any savegame editors?
Yes there are but they are only currently for the PC only. One
of the best ones is TRsgEditor by Paul Walton and works with all
of the games including the Times Exclusive Level and Chronicles.
You can use the savegame editor to "artificially enhance" your
ammo count, give yourself all of the weapons, more Medipack's or
flares, whatever you want it can just about do it. A really
useful feature is that if you save when Lara is on fire you can
safely extinguish her and reload as normal. Paul is also the
author of another useful editor program that allows you to
change the position of Lara within the level. You'll find an
address in the appendices for his site.
3.4 Why should I bother collecting the secrets?
For the extra ammo, equipment, and other pickups! In the original
Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft, and Tomb
Raider: The Last Revelation you get a little reward with every
secret you find but in Tomb Raider II: Dagger of Xian you have to
collect all of the three Dragons in each level before you get
rewarded (occasionally you will get a weapon) to help Lara on her
travels. In Tomb Raider V: Chronicles you collect golden roses and
are rewarded by having special features built into the games title
screen enabled.
3.4.1 What happens if you complete the games with all the
secrets?
In Tomb Raider, Dagger of Xian and Last Revelation nothing
special happens. No Nude Lara as some have suggested, special
easter egg or anything like that; all it means is that you have
picked up all the extra pickups such as ammo, Medipacks, and the
odd weapon here and there. In Adventures of Lara Croft and the
Golden Mask however collecting all the secrets allows you to
play the secret level. In TRC you are allowed access to special
features.
3.5 I'm having trouble controlling Lara - the game sucks!
All of the Tomb Raider games come with some sort of training level
that allows you to learn how to perform most of Lara's actions. Use
this level to further your understanding of the games basic moves
and have some fun exploring Lara's mansion - practice makes
perfect... and you'll need to be so by the time you reach the final
levels of the games.
Also if you are wondering about whether there is a way of making
Lara jump higher, run faster etc., please refer to section 3.1
entitled "General game play Hints and Tips".
3.6 Did you know that Lara can do...
...do a handstand? ...a swan dive? ...roll in mid-air? ...do a
forward tumble? ...perform a slide stop? ...do a forward roll? Yes
we all know of these features so please think before posting a
thread claiming that you have discovered something new. All of these
extra moves that Lara has have their own use. For instance the
handstand allows you climb up onto ledges or blocks covered in
spikes or broken glass, rolling in mid-air is a necessary skill
required in the Dagger of Xian later levels, the slide stop is a
help in the Meteorite Cavern of Adventures of Lara Croft, and the
forward tumble is used in Chronicles to quickly exit raised crawl
spaces.
We also know about all of the bugs in the games including the
PlayStation controller appearing on the Floating Islands in Dagger
of Xian, and the secret locations hidden around Lara's mansion such
as the hidden part of the maze in Dagger of Xian, and the museum in
Adventures of Lara Croft.
3.7 Lara's Extra Moves
Beyond Lara's normal running, walking, shimmying, and jumping
movements, Lara has a number of extra moves that have been added to
the games over the years that can be practised on the assault course
or in and around Lara's mansion. Some of the extra moves require a
combination of key strokes or control pad button presses in order
for them function and some will take some practice in order to learn
how to use them. Despite their complications its still worth
learning these moves.
3.7.1 The Handstand
One of the original undocumented extra moves of the original
Tomb Raider game, the handstand and the swan dive were described
as only cosmetic moves. However it is not as useless as many
have suggested. When hanging from a block or ledge press the
Action, walk, and forward keys/buttons and Lara will pull
herself up to the top with a fancy handstand. It's useful if the
top of the block/ledges surface is covered in sharp spikey
objects such as glass, because you'll take no damage getting on
top this way.
3.7.2 The Swan Dive
When jumping forwards press the walk key/button and Lara will
perform a fancy swan dive or a forward roll depending on how far
away you are from the floor. The swan dive is a necessary
manoeuvre needing in some of the games. For instance you'll need
to use in the last level of the original game and the Nevada
desert level of the third game.
3.7.3 Roll in mid-air (TR2, TR3, TRLR, & TRC)
This little move will allow Lara to reverse the way she is
facing while leaping. Press the roll key/button when in flight
and Lara will land in the opposite direction from the one she
first leapt from. This works with both the forward jump and
back flip. Combined with an instant grab it is absolutely
necessary for progress in the later levels of Dagger of Xian.
3.7.4 Forward Roll with One-Half Somersault
Pressing the roll key after making Lara swan dive off a high
ledge will make her perform somersaults while she plunges toward
the water (hopefully below). This is the only move for which we
have not found a distinct useful purpose. Looks cool though.
3.7.5 The Slide Stop (TR3, TRLR, & TRC)
Since the third instalment Lara has been able to sprint for a
short distance (too short according to some of us). If you hit
the back button while she's sprinting you'll see her come to a
sliding stop. You will find this useful during timed puzzles
when Lara needs to stop directly above an object in order to
make for a quicker pickup such as the collecting the artefacts
from the Meteorite Cavern level.
3.7.6 The Forward Tumble (TRC)
This is a most welcome feature in Chronicles as it allows Lara
to quickly exit raised crawl spaces. When crouching inside a
crawl space you can make Lara tumble forward onto the floor
below by pressing the jump key whilst at the crawl space exit.
Its very useful on the later VCI levels for dodging lasers from
raised crawl spaces and for entering the building towards the
end of the Old Mill level if you find you cant enter that
crawlspace at the end.
3.7.7 Gameboy Color Extra Moves
The Handstand: Lara must first be hanging from a ledge. Whilst
hanging by holding the B button, press the A button and up on
the directional pad to make Lara perform a handstand.
The Swan Dive: We believe this is an easter-egg because this
move can only be performed in one place in the whole game. At
the very beginning of Temple B of the Nightmare Stone just
before the pool having walked to the edge of the ledge and the
sides of the hole are covered in spikes. Press both the A, B,
and Up buttons together to make her perform a Swan Dive.
Rolling: You can roll and face in the opposite direction when
you are using your weapons in a crawl space. It also proves a
useful move when fighting multiple enemies. Just press A and B
at the same time.
3.8 Lara's Armoury
The original Tomb Raider game featured an array of weaponry that
helped Lara blast her way through her travels. Everyone who has
played the original game should remember the Pistols, Shotgun,
Magnums, and Uzi's. These rather simple items have been replaced in
subsequent travels with more adventurous weapons, which have had us
wondering how she managed to fit them in her pocket such as the
Rocket or Grenade Launchers. Below discusses all of the weapons Lara
has come across, and how to use them.
3.8.1 The forever self-replenishing Pistols
Lara's trusty old self-replenishing Pistols have been with us
since the original game and are intended to be used at close
quarters against relatively weak targets. However it is possible
to use them to pick off more powerful enemies but it can take
some time. Don't let that dissuade you from using them, as they
are your only source of retaliation after any other weapon
supplies have run out. You'll also find them useful for breaking
items such as windows, ceramic pots, wooden panels, boxes and
the like in the later games.
Prima's official strategy guide makes a relatively decent joke
about the pistols saying, "how does the gun shop Lara bought
them from make a profit?" We'll I thought it was funny!
3.8.2 The Shotgun
The Shotgun is a very powerful weapon when used at close
quarters and one shot at point blank range is enough to take out
some of the most powerful enemies in the game. It does however
suffer from a slow reload cycle making it a slow but stealthy
weapon. As it's a close combat weapon its not recommended to use
it at a distance as you'll end up wasting several shots before
killing an enemy.
Since TRLR the shotgun has had two types of ammo that you can
collect and use with it. The first Normal shotgun shells packs a
solid punch to a localised area just like the shotgun does in
the earlier games. The second type of ammo, the wide shot shells
will disperse the blast over a wide area rather than to a
localised area. It's recommended that you use the normal ammo
against single enemies whilst using the wide shot ammo against
multiple enemies.
3.8.3 Magnums (TR1)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.4 The Uzi's
The Uzi's are one of the most powerful weapons in the games and
can take out enemies with little effort. It has an extremely
fast and rapid firing rate, and a reload rate to match making it
the weapon of choice with really tough baddies. This is one of
those weapons that works well both in close combat situations
and at a distance targeting. The only drawback is that the Uzi
requires a supply of clips that are in short supply during the
games.
3.8.5 Automatic Pistols (TR2)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.6 The M16 (TR2)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.7 Grenade Launcher (TR2, TR3, & TRLR)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.8 Harpoon Gun (TR2, & TR3)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.9 Desert Eagle (TR3)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.10 The MP5/HK Gun (TR3 & TRC)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.11 Rocket Launcher (TR3)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.12 The Revolver (TRLR, & TRC)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.13 The Crossbow (TRLR)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.14 Grappling Hook Launcher (TRC)
[This section Coming Soon]
3.8.15 Gameboy Color Armoury
[This section Coming Soon]
3.9 Lara and Vehicles
The original Tomb Raider game did not feature any vehicles and Lara
was expected to get around on foot. Trekking those vast distances
would leave anyone tired out so since her second game, Dagger of
Xian, Lara has had a number of vehicles at her disposal to aid her
in her quests. The advantages are obvious. Lara is now able to cover
vast distances in a shorter period of time, able to reach otherwise
inaccessible areas, and of course they can be used as weapons.
Controlling the vehicles she comes across is similar to controlling
Lara herself. You are able to go forward, backward, to the left, and
to the right. Some vehicles require the use of the action key or the
collection of tools and equipment to modify vehicles in order to get
them to accelerate and go faster. Below discusses all of the
vehicles Lara has come across, how to use them, and when to expect
to find them.
3.9.1 Speedboats and little yellow Dinghy's (TR3, & TR3)
To get Lara into a boat simply walk up to its side from wherever
it is docked and climb into it by pressing the action key and
forward at the same time (the same as climbing out of water onto
dry land). You can also get into boats by jumping over them and
pressing action whilst in mid air. Lara will position herself
and climb into the boat. To exit the boat in TR2 press jump and
a directional left or right key; in TR3 press roll and a
directional left or right key. In TR2 you can use the speedboat
to travel faster through the Venice level as well as using it to
smash through the gondolas/windows that block some paths and
waterways. Pressing and holding the action key whilst in the
speedboat will make it go faster and allows you to run the boat
up ramps and so on.... but remember that Lara takes damage when
she hits walls or other objects when travelling fast.
The little yellow dinghy Lara uses to roam around TR3's
Antarctica level is controlled by using the action and jump
buttons to go forwards and backwards respectively. You'll need
to be careful when climbing out of the dinghy though. If you
stop the dinghy too close to a path Lara will knock her legs on
the path and will fall into the freezing water. Its best to exit
next to completely flat surfaces as any attempt to make her
climb onto a path with a sloped surface will see her get a
dunking.
3.9.2 The Snowmobile (TR2)
You'll come across two different types of snowmobiles on Lara's
adventures. The first is the shiny red ones that go faster when
you press the action button, and the second is the black Bartoli
ones with a built in machine gun that's operated by pressing
action. To get onto a snowmobile walk up to one of its sides and
press action for Lara to clamber on. To get off a snowmobile
press the jump key and a directional left or right key.
Pressing the action key whilst riding the red version of the
snowmobile will give you a burst of speed, which is useful for
jumping big gaps... However if you hit a wall or object Lara
will incur damage just as she does when using a boat or dinghy.
You've also got to deal with the problem that if the snowmobile
falls into water or drops from a certain height it will explode.
The black version of the snowmobile will fire twin machine guns,
which is useful for taking out goons on other snowmobiles.
The black machines are also useful for conserving ammo. They
have unlimited ammo, the same as Lara's Pistols. Plus the
snowmobiles are big, heavy machines and any goon you come across
on foot are considerably rather soft and squishy in comparison.
But remember that anything you run over on a snowmobile doesn't
get included in the end of level kill stats.
3.9.3 Kayaking (TR3)
You get into the Kayak by pressing the action and forward keys
at the same time (same as with the boats described earlier). To
exit you press the jump key and either of the directional left
or right keys. The main difference between the Kayak and the
boat and dinghy described above is that you can't climb out onto
land directly. You need to first drop into the water and then
climb up onto the land.
Controlling the Kayak is more difficult because you will
normally have a current from the water fighting against you.
There are however two kinds of turns you can make with the
paddle. The first is the standard paddle to one side of the
kayak (pressing the directional left or right key) - which
produces a nice slow turn. Then there's the sharper swivel on
the spot turn (pressing and holding the walk key and a
directional left or right key at the same time) paddle turn. You
can also use the back key to get Lara to back paddle in the
kayak and turn while doing so.
I should also point out that Lara could paddle her way upstream
against a current if its not too strong.
3.9.4 Quad Bike (TR3)
Getting onto the quad bike is the same as the snowmobile. Walk
up to one of its sides and press the action button and forward
at the same time. To get off press roll and a directional left
or right key. When you are riding the quad bike pressing the
action key will make it accelerate and go faster. The jump key
will allow the quad bike to go backwards and the sprint key is
used as a handbrake although it takes time to slow down.
From a standing start you can rev the quad bike up to top speed
instantly by first pressing and holding the handbrake key (which
is the sprint key) whilst pressing action. The quad bike should
hold in place while the wheels spin furiously underneath. When
you take you finger off the handbrake the quad bike can be used
to leap gaps.
As with the snowmobile be aware that running squishy goons over
with the quad bike will not have an effect on the end of level
kill stats. Plus landing in water or falling from too high a
ledge will make the quad bike explode.
3.9.5 The Underwater Propulsion Unit (TR3)
Available during the Lud's Gate level in TR3, the underwater
propulsion unit ("UPU") is handy for getting around quickly in
the sewers. Remember you don't need it in order to complete the
level though. Being an underwater device the controls are a bit
different as to land vehicles. To grab a hold of the UPU drop
into the water with it and swim up towards it and press action.
To let go of it simply press the roll key. To have the machine
go forward press and hold the jump key. Remember there's no
reverse so you will need to fully turn around when needed.
Despite the fact of the no reverse the machine has an in built
harpoon gun.
Please note that the harpoon gun doesn't use Lara's auto aim
leaving you only able to hit whatever is directly in front of
it. Also note that you do not have unlimited ammo. That depends
on how many harpoons you picked up during the earlier levels.
The benefit of the harpoon gun is that it doesn't suffer from
the slow reload time like the hand held harpoon so you can fire
away to your hearts content.
3.9.6 RX Tech Mine Carts (TR3)
The mine carts in TR3's RX Tech Mines are different to all of
the other vehicles Lara has access to. The biggest difference is
that they only go in one predefined path and are plain scary
when they reach their top speeds when going down hill. They are
extremely dangerous in that one false move can have Lara
hurtling off the tracks and into a wall. Because of the risk
they have a really simple control system... a brake lever.
To enter a mine cart walk up to one of the carts sides and press
action and forward together (same as most of the other
vehicles). To exit the cart, which you can only do when it has
come to a complete stop, press roll and a directional left or
right key. After climbing in, the mine cart will automatically
kick into action and will start moving up the track. The cart
will pick up speed when it goes down hill so be sure to use the
brake lever by pressing the action key. But beware at the bottom
of some hills you will be required to scale a gap and therefore
the speed is necessary. However at the bottom of others are
corners and the speed is too much to turn properly.
You do have some other limited options other than the brake
lever. Pressing the duck/crawl key will allow Lara to duck under
girders and other dangerous objects that litter the tracks. You
also have access to a wrench, which can be used to change tracks
when she bangs it on a junction lever. Timing the wrench blows
is essential for Lara's continued survival as some tracks lead
to instant, and irreversible, death.
3.9.7 The Jeep (TRLR)
This is the first of Lara's vehicles to be given a realistic
control system with the addition of a gear stick key(s). To use
the vehicle you first need to obtain the keys. You have your
normal left and right with action being the accelerator. To
reverse you need to use the gear stick. Pressing the sprint key
when the vehicle has stopped will put it into reverse mode.
Pressing the walk key will return it to the normal forward
motion.
Using the jump key performs braking. Exiting is the same as most
others by pressing the jump key and a directional left or right
key.
3.9.8 Jean Ive's Motorcycle & Sidecar (TRLR)
Not as easy to control as some of her other vehicles as Lara
isn't given a reverse and is forced to exert herself inching it
backward very slowly, which can become a bit repetitive and
plain annoying. Anyway you clamber onto it the same as most of
the others. You first walk up to its right side and press the
action and forward keys. Pressing action acts as the accelerator
and jump provides the brakes. To dismount it you can only press
jump and the right directional key when it's on flat ground
only.
In order to use the motorcycles boost feature you are first
required to obtain two pieces of equipment, which you then put
together to form the nitro boost and attach it to the
motorcycle. Once you have it you can use the sprint key to go
faster. Remember hitting walls or other objects will cause Lara
to lose some energy.
3.9.9 The Extreme Depth Suit (TRC)
Where conventional divers cannot go the Extreme Depth Suit can.
Used to explore the seabed this suit unlike the UPU isn't fitted
with any harpoons. Instead you're given decoys, which are
deployed using the action key. The decoy should then attract
fire of enemies. The suit is fitted with its own two propulsion
units that are controlled by pressing jump allowing you to
travel at almost twice the speed of the UPU in TR3. Movement is
the same as swimming so controlling it isn't too much of a
problem.
The suit has a limitation in that it has only a limited oxygen
supply. Colliding into rock faces and other objects will make
Lara breath heavier, which in turns means she uses her oxygen
quicker. Unlike the other vehicles Lara cannot exit and hop back
into the suit when she feels like it.
3.9.10 The Mini Submarine (GBC)
You'll probably be wondering as to why I've decided to give this
one a mention. Well, it's a vehicle and Lara does use it on her
GB adventures doesn't she? The Mini Submarine can be compared to
the Extreme Depth Suit (TRC) as it can go where no conventional
divers can. But that is where the similarities end. It has no
protection features what so ever giving it an immediate
disadvantage in that Lara can't protect herself so don't expect
to use any harpoons or decoys with this one. Also you'll find
that the sub isn't very partial to the electric charges from the
eels that populate the deep waters.
Its only main benefit is that it is very easy to manoeuvre, once
you get the thing to work only after collecting a number of
charged batteries. The up, down, left and right buttons on the
GB does as what you expect allowing you to avoid the obstacles
you come across relatively quickly.
3.10 How do I get into the basement, outside the front gate, into
Lara's trophy room and...
There are several things that have been discovered about some of the
Tomb Raider games that were undocumented in the literature. Chief
amongst these was the existence of a hidden basement in the TR2
training level. It is reached by flipping a switch in the secretive
part of the garden maze and then running back to the house before
the secret door under the stairs closes. The hidden part of the maze
is reached by a tunnel whose opening is near the wall farthest from
the maze entrance. There is very little margin for error when trying
to reach the basement before the door closes - you might be able to
get away with bumping the walls once or twice but no more. What is
actually in the TR2 basement I'll leave for you to discover.
In TR2 to get outside the house grounds you need to know about the
corner (or buggsie as it more commonly called). To get outside the
front gate use the corner bug from the tower on the assault course
where you get on the pulley - after using the bug you should find
yourself on top of the tower and able to leap onto the wall
surrounding Lara's House and grounds. From there simply walk around
the top of the wall sightseeing until you reach the front part and
then safety drop down outside the front gate.
In TR3 there are more things to do in and around Lara's newly
redeveloped mansion. To get inside Lara's new trophy room you must
first press the button switch behind the diving board in the pool.
This opens a secret room in the main entrance hall. In this room is
a timed switch. Press it and the wall opposite opens up to reveal
Lara's new trophy room. Immediately after flicking the switch press
roll and run towards the open door. Just before you go past the main
door press sprint (if you sprint sooner than this you'll run out of
steam and wont make it.) and when getting close dive (usual jump
button) through the rapidly closing door to enter her own treasure
chamber.
Also in TR3 Lara's garden maze has gone! So what's there now?
Barring your path to where the garden maze was is a locked gate; the
key to which is liquidly located in Lara's old treasure chamber
under the stairs. I'm not going to give the game away here -
reaching the key provides some useful basic TR exercises. Though I
will suggest that doing some searching in her upstairs library might
yield a clue or two.
3.10.1 An ASCII map of Lara's garden maze (TR2)
The following is a simple ASCII diagram of the hedge maze to aid
you in your attempt to reach the basement in TR2. The entrances
to the underground are connected by an 'L' shaped tunnel.
# = hedge or wall
s = statue
_ = basement room switch
u = underground entrance
####################################################
####################################################
## ## ## ##
## ## ## ##
## #### ######## ## ## ## ## ############ ##
## #### ######## ## ## ## ## ############ ##
## ##uu ## ## ## ## ## ##
## ##uu ## ## ## ## ## ##
## ######## ########################## ## ## ##
## ######## ########################## ## ## ##
## ## ## ss## ## ## ##
## ## ## ss## ## ## ##
#### ## ######uu _## ## ## ###### ##########
#### ## ######uu ## ## ## ###### ##########
## ## ## ss## ## ## ##
## ## ## ss## ## ## ##
## #### ## ########## ## ## ## ########## ##
## #### ## ########## ## ## ## ########## ##
## ## ## ##
## ## ## ##
######################################## ##########
######################################## ##########
/
/
To Mansion
3.11 Where's the key for the door next to Lara's bed in TR2?
If you're in the training level it doesn't exist yet. That door can
only be opened with a key that already on Lara's person when the
final level in TR2 begins. Inside the cupboard you'll find some
survival gear she needs to complete the game.
3.12 Could someone please tell me how the game ends?
No. Find out for yourself.
Oh, ok then... the ending for all the games is the same. First the
screen goes blank and then... the credits appear. I hope this hasn't
spoilt it for you.
3.13 What is it that person X says in cutscene Y? Can someone
please explain the plot to me?
Some of the dialogue in the cutscenes and FMV's can be very hard to
follow, due to either obscure plot point points or bad accents - or
sometimes a combination of both. Full transcripts for all the
dialogues in the games have been placed on the web at the Tomb
Raider Travellers Guide. Select the guide for the game and click on
the "backplot" link. Ivans Chou and his helpful sidekick "Igor",
Brian have also written large gaps in background stories - these
additional sections being clearly marked. It should be noted that
Ivans and Brian had the help of the Tomb Raider scriptwriter (Vicky
Arnold - she sent them the original scripts for the game) in this
task. [End blatant website plug here]
4.0 Cheat Codes
In general the use of cheat codes isn't recommended as they tend to take
most of the fun out of a game that you get by playing it. I personally
only sanction the use of cheat codes if the player has completed the
game at least once. If you are playing a game for the first time and are
stuck I'd recommend the use of a walkthrough. There are a few out there
on the Internet and you'll find some at
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/. Check out the appendices for
other web sites that also provide walkthroughs. But if you are a truly
bad game player however the following cheat codes will provide you with
the desired effect - just simply follow the steps as directed. Please
take note that by using some of the cheat codes you may miss vital
pickups and secret areas.
4.1 Someone please tell me the nude code!!!!!
I myself near the end of 1996 heard a rumour from my uncle, that
came from his friend who had heard it from his neighbour, who in
turn had heard from his friend, who apparently saw it working
somewhere, that if you were in Lara's mansion and then went into her
pool for a dip, then got out to perform an amazing dance by the
poolside when she says "lets get out of these wet clothes" which
consisted of back flipping, forward flipping, and flipping to the
right and left she would take off her wet clothes and run around the
remainder of the game in the complete nude.
However the code turned out to be a hoax and no nude code was ever
programmed into the game. Another popular Tomb Raider myth relates
to completing the assault course in less than thirty seconds in
"Dagger of Xian" to have a door next to Lara's bedroom open, or by
performing another amazing dance she will turn into the Dragon that
you battle at the end of the game. If however you are really sad
enough to actually want to see Lara in the buff you could use an
unofficial patch available from the Internet. Don't ask me where you
can obtain these patches, as I simply don't know, honest! But be
warned: any nude patch you find may well be Lara in the buff,
however others tend to find it funny to wipe your hard drive blank
instead or infect you with the latest virus.
The question of a nude code for Tomb Raider was presented on
news:alt.folklore.urban in April 1998 about the urban legend status
of the Tomb Raider nude code - and why so many want to believe in
it. One of Core's programmers actually responded on the thread and
said that it's their unofficial policy never to deny it outright
because it makes it "so much more fun to watch". In all seriousness
it makes you wonder if and by how much the rumour increases the
games sales though...
4.2 Tomb Raider Cheat Codes (PC)
All Weapons and Ammo: First walk one step forward (hold down the
walk key and press the up arrow), then take one step backward (hold
down the walk key and press the down arrow), and turn Lara around on
the spot two or more times (doesn't matter in which direction), and
perform a jump backwards. Now check you inventory and you should
have all the weapons and a healthy looking ammo count.
Skip to the Next Level: First walk one step forward (hold down the
walk key and press the up arrow), then take one step backward (hold
down the walk key and press the down arrow), and turn Lara around on
the spot two or more times (doesn't matter in which direction), and
perform a jump forwards. You will then be taken to the next level.
4.3 Tomb Raider Cheat Codes (PSX)
All Weapons and Ammo: Whilst playing first press the Select button
to call up the inventory screen and press the following button
sequence: L1, TRIANGLE, L2, R2, L2, R2, Circle, and then L1. If you
entered the cheat code correctly you will hear Lara moan. If she
does press the X button to exit the inventory screen. Now go back
into the inventory screen and you should have all of the weapons and
ammo.
Skip to the Next Level: Whilst playing first press the Select button
to call up the inventory screen and press the following button
sequence: L2, R2, L1, CIRCLE, TRIANGLE, L1, R2, and then L2. If you
entered the cheat code correctly you will hear Lara moan. If she
does press the Select button and you will then be taken to the next
level.
4.4 Tomb Raider Cheat Codes (Sega Saturn)
All Weapons and Ammo: First pause the game and enter the last page
of the passport. Once there press Z, Y, Z, Y, Y, X, X, X, and then
Start. Continue by pressing the A button and finally directional up
on the game pad. Now check your inventory and you should have all of
the weapons and ammo.
Skip to the Next Level: First pause the game and enter the last page
of the passport. Once there press Z, Y, Z, Y, X, X, X and then Start
followed finally by pressing the C button. You should now be taken
to the next level.
4.5 Tomb Raider Cheat Codes (Apple Mac)
Extra Ammo: With this cheat code you can obtain 5000 for the Uzi, 87
Shotgun Shells for the Shotgun, and 500 bullets for the Magnum.
First walk forward once (press the up arrow), followed by jump
backwards (press the down arrow), then turn Lara around on the spot
three full times (doesn't matter in which direction), and perform a
backwards jump. You will hear a faint click meaning that the cheat
code has worked. Go to your inventory and check your weapons for the
extra ammo.
Skip to the Next Level: First walk one step forward (hold down the
walk key and press the up arrow), then take one step backward (hold
down the walk key and press the down arrow), and turn Lara around on
the stop three full times in a counter-clockwise direction (to her
right), and finally perform a jump forward. You will then be taken
to the next level.
4.6 Dagger of Xian Cheat Codes (PC)
All Weapons and Ammo: Please remember that this cheat does not work
on the final level of the game ("Home Sweet Home"). First press the
forward slash key (/) so that Lara will draw a flare. Then walk
one-step forward (hold down the walk key and press the up arrow),
then take one-step backward (hold down the walk key and press the
down arrow), and turn Lara around on the spot two or more times
(doesn't matter in which direction), and perform a jump backwards.
Now check you inventory and you should have all the weapons and a
healthy looking ammo count.
Skip to the Next Level: First press the forward slash key (/) so
that Lara will draw a flare. Then walk one-step forward (hold down
the walk key and press the up arrow), then take one-step backward
(hold down the walk key and press the down arrow), and turn Lara
around on the spot two or more times (doesn't matter in which
direction), and perform a jump forwards. You will then be taken to
the next level.
Blow Up Lara: There is no point what so ever to this code except
that it causes Lara to explode in glorious formation in full
Technicolor. To do so first walk one step forward (hold down the
walk key and press the up arrow), then take one step backward (hold
down the walk key and press the down arrow), and turn Lara around on
the spot two or more times (doesn't matter in which direction), and
perform a jump either backwards or forwards. Lara's torso, arms,
legs, and head will then amazingly part each in separate directions
to create an icky mess.
4.7 Dagger of Xian Cheat Codes (PSX)
All Weapons and Ammo: Start by holding the walk button and
performing a side step to the left followed by a side step to the
right, then another side step to the left, followed by a step
backwards, and then a step forwards. Release the walk button then
turn Lara around on the spot three full times (doesn't matter in
which direction), and finally perform a jump backwards and roll in
mid-air. Check your inventory and you should have all the ammo and
weapons.
Skip to the Next Level: Start by holding the walk button and
performing a side step to the left followed by a side step to the
right, then another side step to the left, followed by a step
backwards, and then a step forwards. Release the walk button then
turn Lara around on the spot three full times (doesn't matter in
which direction), and finally perform a forwards jumps and roll in
mid-air. You will then be taken to the next level.
4.8 Dagger of Xian Cheat Codes (Apple Mac)
All Weapons: First press the forward slash key (/) so that Lara will
draw a flare. Then walk one step forward (hold down the walk key and
press the up arrow), then take one step backward (hold down the walk
key and press the down arrow), and turn Lara around on the stop
three full times (doesn't matter in which direction), and finally
perform a backward jump. Check you inventory and you should now have
all of the weapons.
Skip to the Next Level: First press the forward slash key (/) so
that Lara will draw a flare. Then walk one step forward (hold down
the walk key and press the up arrow), then take one step backward
(hold down the walk key and press the down arrow), and turn Lara
around on the stop three full times (doesn't matter in which
direction), and finally perform a forward jump. You will then be
taken to the next level.
4.9 Adventures of Lara Croft Cheat Codes (PC)
All Weapons and Ammo: First draw Lara's pistols (Spacebar), then
take one step backwards (hold down the walk key and press the down
arrow), followed by one step forward (hold down the walk key and
press the up arrow), followed by a Duck (>) before standing, then
turn around on the spot three full times (doesn't matter in which
direction), and finally perform a jump backwards. Check your
inventory and you should now have all weapons.
Skip to the Next Level: First draw Lara's pistols (Spacebar), then
take one step backwards (hold down the walk key and press the down
arrow), followed by one step forward (hold down the walk key and
press the up arrow), followed by a Duck (>) before standing, then
turn around on the spot three full times (doesn't matter in which
direction), and finally perform a jump forwards. Lara will then be
taken to the next level.
4.10 Adventures of Lara Croft Cheat Codes (PSX)
All Weapons and Ammo: Whilst playing the game quickly enter the
following button sequence on your game pad: L2, R2, R2, L2, L2, L2,
L2, R2, L2, R2, R2, L2, R2, R2, L2, L2, R2, L2, L2, and finally R2.
If you entered the cheat code correctly you will hear Lara scream.
Now go check your inventory and you should have all of the weapons
and a healthy looking set of ammo to go with it.
Skip to the Next Level: Whilst playing the game quickly enter the
following button sequence on you game pad: L2, R2, L2, L2, R2, L2,
R2, L2, R2, L2, L2, L2, L2, R2, L2, R2, R2, R2, R2, and finally L2.
If you entered the cheat code correctly you will hear Lara say "No".
You will then be taken to the next level.
Pickup all Secrets: To have Lara obtain all of the secrets for the
level she is currently on enter the following button sequence on you
game pad whilst playing the game: L2, L2, L2, L2, L2, R2, L2, L2,
L2, R2, L2, R2, L2, L2, R2, L2, L2, R2, L2, and finally L2. If you
entered the cheat code correctly you will hear Lara say "No". You
should now have the secrets for the current level. Also using this
cheat will automatically unlock the "All Hallows" bonus level.
Racetrack Key: To obtain the Racetrack Key whilst in Lara's mansion
quickly enter the following button sequence on your game pad whilst
playing the game: R2, L2, L2, L2, R2, L2, L2, L2, L2, L2, L2, R2,
L2, L2, L2 , L2, L2, R2, L2, and finally L2. If you entered the
cheat code correctly you will hear Lara Sigh. Now go check your
inventory and you should now have the Racetrack key.
Restore Health: To restore Lara's health to full at any time during
game play quickly enter the following button sequence on your game
pad during game play: R2, R2, L2, R2, L2, L2, L2, L2, L2, L2, R2,
L2, L2, L2, R2, L2, L2, L2, L2, and finally L2. If you entered the
cheat code correctly you will hear Lara sigh. Now check your health
and it should now have been fully restored.
4.11 Adventures of Lara Croft Cheat Codes (Apple Mac)
All Weapons: First draw Lara's pistols (Spacebar), then take one
step backwards (hold down the walk key and press the down arrow),
followed by one step forward (hold down the walk key and press the
up arrow), followed by a Duck (>) before standing, then turn Lara
around on the spot three full times (doesn't matter in which
direction), and finally perform a jump backwards. Check your
inventory and you should now have all the weapons.
Skip to the Next Level: First draw Lara's pistols (Spacebar), then
take one step backward (hold down the walk key and press the down
arrow), followed by a Duck (>) before standing, turn Lara around on
the stop three full times (doesn't matter in which direction), and
finally perform a forward jump. You will then be taken to the next
level.
4.12 Last Revelation Cheat Codes (PC)
For any of the following cheats to work first ensure that Lara is
facing exactly North. When you are facing exactly North the needle
of the compass in the inventory will go transparent.
Infinite Items: After you have faced North enter the inventory and
select the Small Medipack then press and hold down the G, U, N, and
S keys on the keyboard simultaneously. Release then check the
inventory again. You should now have all the items.
All Weapons: After you have faced North enter the inventory and
select the Large Medipack and hold down the W, E, A, P, O, N, and S
keys on the keyboard simultaneously. Release then check the
inventory again. You should now have all the weapons.
Skip to the Next Level: After you have faced North enter the
inventory screen and select the load game option then press and down
H, E, L, and P keys on the keyboard simultaneously. Release then
exit the inventory and you will be taken to the next level.
4.13 Last Revelation Cheat Codes (PSX)
For any of the following cheats to work first ensure that Lara is
facing exactly North. When you are facing exactly North the needle
of the compass in the inventory will blink.
Infinite Items: After you have faced North enter the inventory and
select the Large Medipack the press the following button sequence on
your game pad: L1, L2, R2, Down, and TRIANGLE. Release then check
the inventory screen again. You now have all items.
All Weapons: After you have faced North enter the inventory and
select the Large Medipack then enter the following button sequence
on the game pad: L1, L2, R1, R2, Up, and TRIANGLE. Then check the
inventory again. You should now have all weapons.
Skip to the Next Level: After you have faced North enter the
inventory screen and select the load game option then enter the
following button sequences on the game pad: L1, L2, R1, R2, Up, and
TRINAGLE. Release then exit the inventory and you will be taken to
the next level.
4.14 Last Revelation Cheat Codes (Apple Mac)
For any of the following cheats to work first ensure that Lara is
facing exactly North. When you are facing exactly North the needle
of the compass in the inventory will go transparent.
Infinite Items: After you have faced North enter the inventory and
select the Small Medipack then press and hold down the G, U, N, and
S keys on the keyboard simultaneously. Release then check the
inventory screen again. You should now have all items.
All Weapons: First enter the cheat code for the Infinite Items and
after inputting the cheat stay facing exactly North. Exit from the
inventory screen then re-enter it. This time select the Large
Medipack and hold down the W, E, A, P, O, N and S keys on the
keyboard simultaneously. Release then check the inventory screen
again. You should now have all weapons.
Skip to the Next Level: After you have faced North enter the
inventory screen and select the load game option then press and hold
down H, E, L, and P keys on the keyboard simultaneously. Release
then exit the inventory and you will be taken to the next level.
4.15 Chronicles Cheat Codes (PC)
Unlimited Small Medipacks: Whilst playing the game ensure that your
health is not 100% full. If it is you will need to lose some. Also
for the cheat to work you also only need 1 Small Medipack in your
inventory. If you have more then get rid of them. Once you have met
these two requirements enter the inventory and highlight the Small
Medipack item then press and hold the Look button (keypad 0)
followed by the numeric key 0 above the letters on your keyboard.
Now press return and if Lara says no then the cheat did not work. If
you heard nothing then the cheat worked so enter the inventory a
second time and the Small Medipacks should read "Unlimited Small
Medipacks".
Unlimited Large Medipacks: Whilst playing the game ensure that your
health is not 100% full. If it is then you will need to lose some.
Also for the cheat to work you also only need 1 Large Medipack in
your inventory. If you have more then get rid of them. Once you have
met these two requirements enter the inventory and highlight the
Large Medipack item then press and hold the Look button (keypad 0)
followed by the numeric key 0 above the letters on your keyboard.
Now press return and if Lara says no then the cheat did not work. If
you heard nothing then the cheat worked so enter the inventory a
second time and the Large Medipacks should read "Unlimited Large
Medipacks".
4.16 Chronicles Cheat Codes (PSX)
Infinite Items: During gameplay press the select button to enter the
inventory and highlight the Timex item. Now press and hold L1 + L2 +
R1 + R2 + Down on the directional pad followed by TRIANGLE. Exit
from the inventory screen and enter it a second time to find all the
items and keys in your inventory for the current level.
All Weapons, ammo, and Medipacks: During gameplay press the select
button to enter the inventory and highlight the Timex item. Now
press and hold L1 + L2 + R1 + R2 + Up on the directional pad
followed by TRIANGLE. Exit the inventory and enter it a second time
to find that you have all the weapons with unlimited ammo, and
Medipacks for your current level.
Enable Special Features: During gameplay press the select button to
enter the inventory screen and highlight the Timex item. Now press
and hold L1 + L2 + R1 + R2 + down on the directional pad + CIRCLE
followed by TRINAGLE. If you already haven't, exit the inventory and
quit your current game back to the title screen. The Special
Features will now be enabled on the title allowing you to access the
storyboard and movie extras.
Russian Base: To start your game at the first level of the Russian
Base select the "New Game" option on the title screen and then press
and hold L1 + up on the directional pad followed by CROSS. The game
will then load up the Russian Base level.
Black Isle: To start your game at the first level of the Black Isle
select the "New Game" option on the title screen and then press and
hold L2 + up on the directional pad followed by CROSS. The game will
then load up the Black Isle Level.
Tower Block: To start your game at the first level of the Tower
Block select the "New Game" option on the title screen and then
press and hold R1 + up on the directional pad followed by Cross. The
game will then load up the Tower Block level.
4.17 Chronicles Cheat Codes (Sega Dreamcast)
Enable Special Features: During gameplay enter the inventory and
select the Timex item. Then press and hold the Y button until the
secrets found statistic changes to 36. When it has, quit the game to
return to the title screen and the Special Features will now be
enabled allowing you to access the storyboard.
Level Skip: On the title screen press and hold both the left and
right trigger buttons, then press either Up (starts the Rome level),
Down (starts the Russian Base level), Left (starts the Black Isle
level), or Right (starts the Tower Block Level) to skip to the
level.
4.18 Nightmare Stone Cheat Codes (GBC)
These cheat codes are for use with the Blaze Xploder and compatible
cheat systems for the Gameboy Color. Users should refer to their
manuals for information on programming these codes into their
cartridges. It is recommended that you enable cheats on a
level-by-level basis as unexpected things may happen.
General Codes:
Infinite Health .......................................... 01FF89C1
Infinite O2 .............................................. 01FB8AC1
Infinite Dynamite Sticks ................................. 0101B0C1
Max Rapid Bullets ........................................ 01FF8DC1
Max Heavy Bullets ........................................ 01FF8EC1
Max Small Medipaks ....................................... 01FFACC1
Max Large Medipaks ....................................... 01FFADC1
Save Anywhere ............................................ 0101A6C1
In order to use the save anywhere cheat code first load your Xploder
as usual with the codes on and before you start your game and enter
a mission turn your Xploder to the off position. Now whenever you
want to save switch the Xploder to the on position and the save
screen will appear. Now switch the Xploder to the off position
again and you will then return to the game after saving.
Languages:
English .................................................. 010093C1
Spanish .................................................. 010493C1
German ................................................... 010293C1
French ................................................... 010193C1
Italian .................................................. 010393C1
Level 1 (Temple A):
All Blue Doors Open ............................ 010142C1, 010143C1
All Trapdoors Open ................... 010144C1, 010149C1, 01014AC1
Activate Ledges .......................................... 010145C1
Level 2 (Temple B):
All Blue Doors Open ............................ 010142C1, 010145C1
All Trapdoors Open ....................................... 010144C1
Activate Ledges .......................................... 010147C1
Disable Firing Darts ..................................... 010143C1
Have Door Key ............................................ 0101AEC1
Underwater Switch Activated .............................. 010146C1
Level 3 (Temple C):
All Blue Doors Open .................. 010145C1, 01014CC1, 010148C1
All Trapdoors Open ................... 010142C1, 010143C1, 010144C1
...................................... 010148C1, 010146C1, 010147C1
Have All Handles ......................................... 0107B6C1
Level 4 (Royal Tombs A):
Have Skeleton Key ........................................ 0169B1C1
Level 5 (Royal Tombs B):
Have Alter Key ........................................... 0169B1C1
Level 7 (Treasure Chambers A):
Have both Sun and Moon Amulets ........................... 0167B4C1
4.19 Curse of the Sword Cheat Codes (GBC)
These cheat codes are for use with the Blaze Xploder and compatible
cheat systems for the Gameboy Color. Users should refer to their
manuals for information on programming these codes into their
cartridges. It is recommended that you enable cheats on a
level-by-level basis as unexpected things may happen.
General Codes:
Infinite Health .......................................... 91EA92C1
Infinite O2 .............................................. 91FF93C1
Have 99 Dynamite Sticks .................................. 9163B7C1
Have 99 Rapid Bullets .................................... 916396C1
Have 99 Shotgun Rounds ................................... 916397C1
Have 99 Large Medipaks ................................... 9163B3C1
Have 99 Small Medipaks ................................... 9163B4C1
Have 99 Door Keys ........................................ 9163B5C1
Save Anywhere ............................................ 91FFAFC1
In order to use the save anywhere cheat code first load your Xploder
as usual with the codes on and before you start your game and enter
a mission turn your Xploder to the off position. Now whenever you
want to save switch the Xploder to the on position and the save
screen will appear. Now switch the Xploder to the off position again
and you will then return to the game after saving.
Level 1 (Museum):
Have Ancient Shield ...................................... 9101BCC1
Have 99 Cannon Balls ..................................... 9199B8C1
Have Crow Bar ............................................ 9101BDC1
Have Normal Gun .......................................... 910195C1
Have Fire Exit Key ....................................... 9101B6C1
Level 2 (Rooftops):
Remove Timer ............................................. 910075C1
You will need to deactivate this code before falling off the ledge
before the statue of liberty. If you don't turn it off you will not
be able to shoot at the man hanging from the helicopter and
therefore not be able to complete the level.
Level 3 (Subway):
Have 4 Fuses ............................................. 9104B8C1
Have 3 Dollars ........................................... 9103B9C1
Have Train Ticket ........................................ 9102BCC1
Have 4 Old Valves ........................................ 9104BAC1
Have Fuel Can ............................................ 9102BDC1
Have Train Lever ......................................... 9101BEC1
Have Generator Key ....................................... 9102B6C1
Level 4 (Runaway Train):
Remove Timer ............................................. 910075C1
Level 5 (Docks)
Have Key Card ............................................ 9101B8C1
Have Security Pass ....................................... 9104BCC1
Have 6 Empty Batteries ................................... 9106B9CL
Have 6 Charged Batteries ................................. 9106BAC1
Have Left Piece of Safe Code ............................. 9104BDC1
Have Middle Piece of Safe Code ........................... 9102BEC1
Have Right Piece of Safe Code ............................ 9101BFC1
Have Chemical Plant Key .................................. 9104B6C1
Have Sub Dock Key ........................................ 910FB6C1
5.0 Other Tomb Raider-Like Games
Are there games other than Tomb Raider worth playing? This question has
been asked more often lately as the delay of the next Tomb Raider game
has left many fans wondering what to play in the meantime. Hopefully
this section will answer that question for you.
5.1 Other Games
Most of the games below have drawn comparison to Tomb Raider at some
point or other. Most are similarly presented 3rd Person Perspective
(3rdPP) adventure games like Tomb Raider although some differ and/or
blend several other gaming sub-genres together. A Tomb Raider review
for comparison:
Tomb Raider series (TR, TR2, TR3, TRLR, TRC)
[3rdPP chasecam action-adventures, Core Design, 1996-2000]
PROS: Great atmosphere of open exploration. Very smooth and precise
responses from Lara. Great themey soundtracks.
CONS: Lame autoaim. Lego-block type level construction -- levels
mostly plain linear in design as well. Very dated
graphics/character models. Generally bad enemy AI.
If you are interested in seeing what the Tomb Raider fan community
thinks should be included in the next game then check out the "Tomb
Raider VI Wishlist" in the appendices. Or alternatively if you are
interested in knowing what the games has taught us over the years
the check out the "Things Tomb Raider has Told Us" in the
appendices.
5.1.1 Alone in the Dark
[3D fixed-camera adventure/horror, Interplay, 1995]
PROS: Excellent Cthuloid ambience. No autoaim -- no crosshairs
either.
CONS: Far too short (the sequels did better in this regard).
Virtually no enemy AI to speak of.
Fantastic graphical adventure, which was followed by two
sequels, that while very good never managed to top the original
for ambience and horror. Game style since copied for the dire
Resident Evil series on the PSX. The recent remake featured
better graphics and sound etc., but appears to have forgotten
the horror and abandoned any idea of making improvements - dated
eye candy.
5.1.2 Deathtrap Dungeon
[3rdPP chasecam action-adventure, Eidos, 1998]
PROS: Better graphics than Tomb Raider. 'Chalk mark' feature.
CONS: Still blocky level construction. Bad enemy AI.
Loosely based on the Fighting Fantasy book of the same name with
a slight 'steampunk-fantasy' feel. You play one of either two
characters; the hulking Chaindog or more svelte Red Lotus, who
must survive the Dungeon to win the grand prize. Actually
featured some improvements, which should have made it into the
continuing Tomb Raider series but it felt like an inferior copy
at the time.
5.1.3 Drakan: Order of the Flame (Demo)
[3rdPP chasecam action-adventure/lizard flight-sim, Psygnosis,
1999]
PROS: No autoaim. Great graphics and large exterior levels.
Aerial battles with dragon are great. Good inventory
system. Decent enemy AI. Booming Conanesque soundtrack.
CONS: Lousy voice casting (valley girl-medieval?). Rynn is worse
than Lara so far as bodyshape goes. Eventual empty feeling
in level design and too short overall? Uses D3D.
The flying lizard. It's a lot of fun. Rynn isn't. Her voice is
as annoying as hell and she looks like a famine refugee on a
diet. She doesn't have many of Lara's moves either, so she's
limited to just running around and swinging her sword to
explore. The game itself plays very well though with nice
graphics, good sound and neat control -- with its best advantage
over Tomb Raider being the mouse-aim (no simplistic llama
autoaim here). The demo gave me an empty feeling eventually
however, and reports of the full game say it's too short as
well.
5.1.4 Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine
[3rdPP chasecam adventure, LucasArts, 1999]
PROS: Decent graphics. Indy well animated with a large number of
moves. Decent enemy AI. Chalk mark feature.
CONS: Autoaim. Indy's sluggish response time. Uses D3D.
A very Tomb Raider-like game in feel (quid pro quo really given
that the Divine Ponytail's adventures bare more than a passing
resemblance to the Indy movies) which although far superior in
all the technical aspects; graphics, sound, plot, etc., fails
utterly because Indy's responses are far more sluggish than
Lara's are; press a key and there's a feeling of resistance
(slight lag) before he moves (if he moves at all -- hence
'Infernal Indy') and some of the fancier moves require obscure
combination key presses. His walking action when swimming on the
surface is funny. Otherwise the game is a reminder of what Tomb
Raider should be like
5.1.5 Metal Gear Solid (Demo)
[Overhead 3rdPP action, Konami/Micro$oft, 1996/2000]
PROS: Strong plot, well presented. No autoaim.
CONS: Pretty awkward controls regards overhead view. Uses D3D.
I've only played the demo of the PC version. Nicely presented
intro in a movie-style method highlights a strong, if typically
anime-style 'stoic lone hero saves us all', plot. As Snake you
must save the world before the Terrorists destroy us all with
their killer virus, or something to that effect... Like Indy
above he has a cool walking action when 'swimming' too... ;)
5.1.6 Heavy Metal FAKK2
[3rdPP chasecam slasher-adventure, Ritual Games, 2000]
PROS: Great Quake3-based graphics and character animations.
Excellent weapons handling system. No autoaim on big guns.
Some new moves. Stonking soundtrack. Average AI. Uses
OpenGL.
CONS: Autoaim with handguns. Levels very limited in size -- not
enough of them (or plot) anyway. Julie can't swim.
Based on the Heavy Metal comic of the same name so basically the
overt sleaze has to be taken at face value. A lot of fun
although I couldn't help wondering where the rest of the game
had gone upon finishing it -- entire plot elements went missing
such as the psychic little girl, Gith's ship, Julie's sister,
who sent the warning message -- the entire ending had a distinct
feeling of loose ends being quickly cobbled together in the face
of an impending release deadline. So half of a game though it is
it's still what Tomb Raider should be like had Core and Eidos
bothered to keep up with the technical side of things. The way
the weapons are handled (you can have different combos of
swords, guns, shields in each hand) is particularly magnificent.
Slightly disappointing is that despite adding a few new moves
Julie still can't match The Divine Ponytail for sheer volume of
moves available -- swimming being the chief loss.
5.1.7 ODT (Demo)
[3rdPP chasecam action-RPG-adventure, Psygnosis, 1998]
PROS: No autoaim. Nice-ish graphics.
CONS: Slight feeling of displacement with characters. Bad enemy
AI. Lousy control system.
ODT = 'Or Die Trying'. Four explorers travelling on a dirigible
are lost in the 'forbidden zone' of a strange techno-magical
world and must fight and find their way out, ODT. You get to
play one of the four characters (a priest, engineer, soldier, or
female cartographer) during the adventure. Very nice appearance
and the game features a neat weapon/equipment handling system
which is only beaten by FAKK2, but, the way the characters
appear in the maps just doesn't look right -- it's as though
they're floating an inch off the floor or somehow 'displaced'
from the surroundings. Lousy enemy AI too; you can tell when the
game is supposedly getting harder because the new bad guys can
fire their weapons slightly faster than the last ones could...
and that was it as far as difficulty settings go.
5.1.8 Oni (Demo)
[3rdPP chasecam combat-action, Bungie, 2001]
PROS: Great fighting moves. Excellent camera control system.
Good AI. Large levels. Can use OpenGL.
CONS: Slight autoaim on gunplay. Complete lack of Lara-like
exploration moves.
More of a beat-'em-up really. Oni follows the adventures of a
female police officer called Konoko who is out to bring down an
organised crime syndicate. It's based very heavily on the
excellent epic manga _Ghost in the Shell_ and does capture some
of that movie's ambience quite well. Despite some fantastic
fighting moves Oni really falls down in the exploration
department -- it comes down to just wandering around the large
emptyish levels beating people up in a certain order -- even the
gunplay is deliberately kept limited due to the seriously low
ammo situation. Otherwise Konoko can't climb, vault, swim,
shimmy along ledges, etc... and as in Tomb Raider all the
fun-looking fancy action is kept to the pre-scripted cutscenes.
5.1.9 Outcast
[3rdPP chasecam action-RPG-adventure, Infogrames, 1999]
PROS: Huge levels with utterly open (non linear) exploration. No
autoaim (or even crosshairs...) Solid plot. Good AI.
Fantastic orchestral score. RPG-like interaction.
Excellent camera control.
CONS: Very low resolution graphics. Limited moves. Uses D3D.
Epic is pretty much the only way to describe this one. From the
huge level sizes to the plot the game is very well polished and
presented. As Cutter Slade you are sent to an alternate earth to
stop some sort of technobabble-handwavium energy flux from
destroying both worlds. It has a very RPG-like feel with its
quest-based subplots and weapon upgrade system, but the action
sequences are pure shooter, albeit in 3rdPP -- camera control
during which is fantastic. Probably a bit too short in the end
and despite the anti-aliasing the low-res graphics still look
awful. But the sequel should be worth looking out for...
5.1.10 Project Eden (Demo)
[3rdPP chasecam action-RPG-adventure, Core Design, 2001]
PROS: No autoaim, excellent character and camera control. Good
AI. Very good graphics and ambience.
CONS: No jumping, climbing, monkey swinging, or swimming. Uses
D3D graphics.
Made by the same guys who brought us the original Tomb Raider.
Very Oni-like appearance and game play although augmented by the
choice of having more characters and weapons available. After
the initial shock of "wow this looks amazing" wears off you
realise that your characters can't even jump, or climb, or
probably even swim. Scores some excellent points for the way
the characters can manipulate the high tech objects found in the
world though. Should be interesting to read up the reviews when
it finally comes out -- and we could only hope Tomb Raider Next
Generation looks this good at this stage.
5.1.11 Severance: Blade of Darkness
[3rdPP chasecam fantasy RPG/slasher, Rebel Act, 2001]
PROS: Excellent action, gorgeous graphics, can use anything in
the game as a weapon.
CONS: More of a slash'-em-up than anything, lousy control
system, lack of exploration moves. Uses D3D.
Could have been excellent bar the absolutely stunningly sucky
control system. There's no sidestep function at all until you
have an enemy in front of you thus making the Mouse+WASD
completely useless and virtually unusable. The reason is
something called 'target lock' whereby you press a key to
activate it and from them on the left and right keys
circle-strafe you around your opponent rather than turn you --
the combat's just not as free feeling as in FAKK2 or Drakan.
After regressing to a standard TR keyboard-only setup it does
become playable however (bar still having to use the mouse with
the longbow). The ingame atmosphere is very good and a nice
selection of characters who each have their own fighting style:
Tukaram the Barbarian with two handed weapons; Sargon the Knight
with sword and shield; Naglfar the Dwarf with hammer and axes
(stereotyping); Zoe the Adventurer (read: thief) with
quarterstaff and bo stick. All have a wide variety of moves
based on their current experience level and weapon used. A major
bonus is the way you can use anything in the game as a weapon;
pick up chairs to throw them at the enemy, flaming torches to
burn your way through obstacles/opponents, and you can even pick
up severed limbs and use them to beat your opponents to death...
Overall it's great fun although there's no climbing gymnastic
component to the exploration as in Tomb Raider.
5.1.12 Recommended First Person Shooter Games
[FPS many genres, Assorted gaming developers, since 1994]
PROS: No autoaim -- all mouse-zapping action. Some use OpenGL.
CONS: Limited 90-degree vision most games. Lack of the
exploration type moves. Often just run the mazes and shoot
everything game play. Some use D3D.
It'd be hard to say that you haven't at least played one, even
it was just one of the basic early run'n'shoot games. The
advantage FPSes have over 3rdPP is the freedom of aim really;
beyond that they tend to lack the involvement that Tomb Raider
gives in seeing your character actually perform the moves
(rectangular screen jumps up and down, rectangular screen climbs
ladder, etc). The more recent ones have been adding plot and
humour (since Duke Nukem) and successfully mixing the genres
with much RPG input and strategy/enemy AI improvements. It's not
as if you don't get to see your characters anymore either --
both NOLF and Deus Ex feature many cutscenes in 3rdPP.
Recommended FPS games (all PC unless stated): Half-Life (even if
just for its multitude of 3rd party mods, also out for
Dreamcast), System Shock 2, Aliens vs Predator, Deus Ex, No One
Lives Forever, Marathon (Mac), Operation Flashpoint, Max Payne.
5.2 Other Games Characters Moves
[This section Coming Soon]
6.0 Tomb Raider Level Editor
6.1 Whenever I start the Level Editor, Windows tells me that it has
caused an error and closes
Your graphics card not being set to the correct colour depth causes
this error. Make sure that it's set at 16-bit colour and not 24-bit
or 32-bit colour, as the level editor will not run. When you've
changed the setting try running the level editor again and it should
work.
6.2 Whenever I start the Level Editor it appears to lock up, as I
can't select any of the menus or buttons
Whenever you output your project to a wad the level editor will
automatically create a backup copy of your work to a file called
"autosave.prj". When the level editor starts up it first checks to
see if this file exists. If it does a message box will appear to ask
if you would like to "Load in last autosaved?" You must press either
"OKAY" or "Cancel" before you can continue to use the editor or it
will freeze up. Sometimes the message box will not be visible, such
as after moving the programs window around on the desktop before
acting on the message, and you wont be able to use the editor. If
you find that the message box is not displaying at all simply delete
the file "autosave.prj" from the editors installation directory and
then restart the editor, everything will work like normal.
6.3 I can't see all of the buttons along the bottom of the program
If you find that you can't see all of the interface first check you
are running your screen resolution at 1024x768. Running the program
in a lower resolution will result in parts of the interface not
being visible however it doesn't stop the program from running.
6.4 Part of the screen (or parts of it) has turned black
You can fix this problem by minimizing the window of the level
editor program, and then restoring it again. Once done you will find
that the black sections have disappeared and you'll be able to view
everything as normal.
6.5 Whenever I load a previously saved project I get a message
saying "Arg list too big". What does it mean?
Whenever you save a project, the level editor also saves the
locations of the paths for the WAD file and Texture Map. If you move
any of these files or folders, when you reload your previously
project, you will get the above error message. Press "Cancel" and
another error message will appear to give a clearer indication of
the problem.
6.6 Whenever I load a previously saved project I get a message
saying "Warning: texture file (path name) not found". What
should I do?
You'll get this message if you move the texture tile set file around
on your hard drive. Click on the Okay button and a "Load Object
File" window will appear. Load the WAD you were previously using
from the Wads directory, and then load your texture tile set. Once
it has loaded save your project and the next time you load it up,
the file should load without a hitch unless you move your files
around again.
6.7 Whenever I load a previously saved project I get a message
asking if I want to "Retain all Triggers (Remap to Lara?)" What
should I do?
If you see this message hit Cancel and the Level Editor will tell
you how many objects were removed from the map. Don't save this
project! You will need to reload your project and load in the
correct WAD file if you want to make sure you don't lose your work.
6.8 The Editor window is completely white and won't show my level
in 3D at all. What's wrong?
Press the 2D button on and then off. This should make your project
visible in 3D view. You'll often encounter this problem if you
haven't yet textured any of your room in your level. To make the 3D
view work again select a new room and resize then bound it before
clicking on the Editor Window Panel. Eventually the level should
appear.
6.9 The objects in my level have strange colours. Is this okay?
Yes this is okay. You'll often find that your objects won't show
their correct colours in the level editor. Normally saving your work
and then reloading the project will fix this problem and the objects
colours will have returned to normal.
6.10 Whenever I use the Level Converter, no data is displayed and
it appears to be doing nothing. Is it converting my files?
Yes it should still be converting your levels. This error will often
occur depending on the size of your project. The bigger the project
the more chance that you'll experience this problem. The data window
will not show the data as the level is converted however you will
normally see the progress bar. If the progress bar is still moving
to the right then you can rest assured that it is converting your
levels. When the converter is finished you'll be able to move the
window around on your desktop. Another recommendation is to check
when the TR4 file was created using the files properties.
7.0 Appendices
7.1 Tomb Raider Resources on the Internet
This document may cover a lot of ground in a number of areas, but by
no means is it the final word on Tomb Raider and how to survive it,
and nor is it meant to be. I don't believe I have covered absolutely
everything concerning Tomb Raider. If I have however missed
something you are more than likely to find it out on the Internet.
The Internet is an outstanding and lively bustling medium and can
prove useful to both the beginner and expert Tomb Raider fan alike.
It's a place where we can all learn, interact and contribute as a
member of a thriving gamming community. The following section
presents a number of places on the Internet where you yourself can
go and visit.
Note: Throughout this entire document, dozens of web site addresses
and Usenet newsgroup locations have been offered for further and
future reference, but this chapter is dedicated to the best of them.
7.1.1 The Official Websites
http://www.core-design.com/
http://www.eidosinteractive.com/
http://www.eidosgames.com/
Although Core Design's web site would probably be the most
obvious visit to find Tomb Raider information, it's own web site
contains very little about Lara and her games. The site itself
has recently undergone a redesign but the only information you
will find is related to the Next Generation version and even
that is thin. Eidos Interactive's own website contains the bulk
of the information and it's here you will find the collection of
official sites including a very lively forum for Tomb Raider at
http://www.eidosinteractive.com/forums/. If you are looking for
information about the games themselves you best start with
http://www.tombraider.com/. However if you are more inclined to
know Lara's vital statistics you can find all that out at
http://www.eidos.co.uk/lara.htm. Or if you would like to
purchase anything from the latest game to beach towels with Lara
on it then you could always try the Eidos Company Store at
http://www.eidosstore.com/.
For those of you interested in the movie and soundtrack you can
find information on both at http://www.tombraidermovie.com/ and
http://www.tombraidersoundtrack.com/ respectively.
7.1.2 Tomb Raider USENET Newsgroup
news:alt.games.tombraider
To stay in the know of all the latest happenings, to exchange
ideas or ask queries for yourself, the alt.games.tombraider
newsgroup on Usenetis a must for any Tomb Raider fan to visit at
least a few times a week. This is the liveliest newsgroup you
will find on the Internet dedicated to Tomb Raider and at times
of new game releases you can expect many tens of new threads a
day.
Common posts include "How do I get past the chef in
Chronicles?", "Can you complete the game with using the pistols
only?", and "Time to run and hide... It's the TR Wish list
again..."
The alt.games.tombraider FAQ is available at
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/tombraiderfaq/
7.1.3 Recommended Tomb Raider Fan Websites
The following web sites and Usenet newsgroups featured in this
section are listed alphabetically. They are in no particular
category however each site has a sort of mini review, which is
from personal opinion formed when I visited them whilst writing
this FAQ.
Sally's Tomb
http://www.geocities.com/sally_thompson1/Flash-test.html
This is the only Tomb Raider fan site to win an award that I
know of. After one visit you'll know why. The flash enhanced
interface is very clean and easy to get around. The sites main
content seems to be Sally's fanfic stories. So if your after a
decent fanfic story then you couldn't go wrong by giving this
place a visit.
Shotgun City
http://www.smokeypoint.com/tomb.htm
http://www.smokeypoint.com/3dfx.htm
This is Dracman's web site. You'll often find him lurking around
the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup helping those in trouble with
regards to their 3Dfx graphics cards. And it's for this that his
website gets my recommendation. The sites pages contain a wealth
of information including solutions to fixing problems.
Stellalune's Walkthroughs
http://www.tombraiders.net/
Regarded as one of the best Tomb Raider walkthrough sites on the
Internet you'll find many a fan that will recommend this site.
The Webmistress of this site has also added a decent section
devoted to the Level Editor so if that's what your into the be
sure to give it a visit.
Tomb Raider Chronicles
http://www.tombraiderchronicles.com/
Despite this sites address it is not an official web site some
people think that it is. However despite that both Core Design
and Eidos Interactive do use it to spread the word on its games
making it a truly excellent resource. It's News and Level Editor
sections are unrivalled by anything else on the Internet and
because of this it is officially endorsed by Prima Publishing
who publish the official Tomb Raider strategy guides. It's one
of my favourite sites and one of my regular haunts and therefore
it should be one of yours as well.
Tomb Raider Forums
http://www.tombraiderforums.com/
These forums are managed and controlled by the same guys who
maintain the Tomb Raider Chronicles web site and as you would
expect it is one of the best and it shows in the number of
members it has registered. It has a really easy to use interface
and accompanied with some of the best moderators you could come
across this is a must see resource.
Tomb Raider Toolbox
http://paradox730.tripod.com/trtoolbox/
This site is just a collection of tools and utilities for use
with the Tomb Raider: Level Editor. Despite the fact that it has
no main content of its own it's a quick little handy resource to
find the most commonly used utilities. It also archives older
versions of the programs so if you need to backtrack to an
earlier version of a program for compatibility reasons then this
is the place to take a look.
Tomb Raider Traveler's Guide
http://trinity.westhost.com/tomb/
This is another walkthrough Web site. The Webmaster actually
takes his time in writing the guides making them very
comprehensive and even lists the total number of kills and
pickups you need if you really want to be that precise. A great
feature is that you can have the pages hide the information
concerning secrets if you would like not to know where they are.
7.1.4 Recommended Tomb Raider Tools and Utilities
The following is a list of links and descriptions for web sites
that offer something in the way of utilities for Tomb raider.
Just about every fan will find them hopefully as useful as I
have. The utilities range from simple patches to full blown
applications for use with the Level Editor.
Bink/Smacker FMV viewer
http://www.radgametools.com/
From the fourth game Core employed a new format in which to
encode their FMV sequences. This site, the codecs creator,
offers a fantastic free viewer and converter program that will
allow you to view the FMV sequences outside of the game. It's a
"must have" program.
Escapeplay
http://www.vvm.com/~hfowler/tombraider/rpl_player.zip
The first, second, and third games used what is believed to be
an in house file format that core used to encode their first
games FMV sequences. This utility will allow you to view the
games FMV sequences outside of the game. It also works with
other games including Soul Reaver that employ the same file
format.
Texture Edit
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/tombraider/textureedit/
If you are a Level Editor user and have made your own Texture
Tile sets you will know how frustrating it is to get all those
tiles to align correctly. This little program is designed to
take away that frustration by making it easy to align tiles and
therefore create your own Texture Tile sets easily and quickly.
It has support for over twenty different image file formats and
saves in the truevision targa format used by the Level Editor.
Another "must have" tool for any Level Editor user.
Tomb Raider 2/3/4 Flight Mode Path
http://www.math.berkeley.edu/~benrg/trflight.html
If there was ever an award for the most useful patch ever then I
think this one will be the winner. Yep it's that useful. Ever
wanted to take a look at some inaccessible area? If the answer
is yes then this truly great patch will allow you to do just
that. With a little configuration you can map a special key that
will allow Lara to fly in game when pressed. What are you
waiting for? Go get this one now!
TrsgEditor
http://www.letocetum.fsnet.co.uk/
The Tomb Raider Savegame Editor allows you to "artificially
enhance" your ammo count, give yourself all of the weapons, more
Medipack's or flares. Its major benefit lies in the fact that it
can edit savegames from all of the Tomb Raider games including
the Times Exclusive level and Chronicles.
7.2 Hardware Manufacturers Websites
Video Cards
3Dfx http://www.3dfx.com
3D Labs http://www.3dlabs.com
ATI Technologies http://www.atitech.com
Canopus http://www.canopuscorp.com
Cirrus Logic http://www.cirrus.com
Diamond Multimedia http://www.diamondmm.com
Hercules http://www.hercules.com
Intergraph http://www.intergraph.com
Matrox http://www.matrox.com
Number Nine http://www.nine.com
NVidia http://www.nvidia.com
Oak http://www.oaktech.com
Orchid http://www.orchid.com
PowerVR http://www.powervr.com
Rendition http://www.rendition.com
S3 http://www.s3.com
Sierra http://www.sierra.com
STB http://www.stb.com
Trident http://www.tridentmicro.com
TSENG Labs http://www.tseng.com/download/index.cgi
Videologic http://www.videologic.com
Soundcards
Aztech labs http://www.aztechca.com
Creative Labs http://www.creativelabs.com
Ensoniq http://www.ensoniq.com
Opti http://www.opti.com
Turtle beach http://www.tbeach.com
Yamaha http://www.yamahayst.com
Control Devices
CH Products http://www.chproducts.com
Gravis http://www.gravis.com
InterAct http://www.interact-acc.com
Logitech http://www.logitech.com
SpaceOrb 360 http://www.spaceorb.com
Saitek http://www.saitek.com
Thrustmaster http://www.thrustmaster.com
7.3 Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Symbols
The following primer is both a glossary and a list of commonly used
abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols used either on the
alt.games.tombraider newsgroup, in this FAQ, or elsewhere on the
Internet.
:) - A smiley or 'emoticon'; there are many different types.
3rdPP - 3rd Person Perspective game.
a.g.t - alt.games.tombraider
<bg> - Big Grin.
BN - Blastable Nasties; the men and monsters that Lara shoots.
Bugsie - Colloquial anthropomorphic name for the TR 'corner bug'.
CGI - Computer Generated Image.
Cutscene - A cutscene is an ingame scripted sequence using the game
engine itself to render the scene.
DC - Sega Dreamcast; a now dead gaming console.
Divine Ponytail, The
- Suitable nickname for Lara Croft.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Question.
FMV - Full Motion Video; in between some levels in the Tomb
Raider games you get a beautifully rendered movie using
an external video file.
FPS - First Person Shooter; games like Half-Life, Quake,
Unreal, Doom, System Shock 2, Soldier of Fortune, etc.
Flame - A post containing nasty abhorrent abuse of another
poster.
JBS - James Bond Syndrome; a contagious disease that entails
the fine art of being captured by the bad guys in every
adventure the hero(ine) has. Lara suffers from this
disease, or at least she did up until TRLR.
<g> - Grin.
Lunchbox, or, the TARDIS
- Terms used for Lara's teeny tiny, yet oh-so-spacious,
backpack.
Mac - A computer with training wheels you can't remove.
N64 - Nitendo64; another gaming.
Ng - Newsgroup.
PC - A real machine; IBM/Compatible personal computer.
PS2 - PlayStation 2; Sony's latest gaming console.
PSX - Original PlaysSation console; now only good as a doorstop
and/or paperweight.
Spam - Unwanted junk mail advertising that infests newsgroups.
TR - Tomb Raider.
TR1, TR2, TR3, TR4, TR5
- The games: Tomb Raider 1, Tomb Raider 2, Tomb Raider 3,
Tomb Raider 4, Tomb Raider 5.
TR2G - Tomb Raider 2 Gold.
TRLA - Tomb Raider 3: The lost Artifact.
TRLE - Tomb Raider:Level Editor.
TRC - Tomb Raider: Chronicles (aka TR5).
TRG - Tomb Raider: Gold.
TRLR - Tomb Raider: Last Revelation (aka TR4).
TRUB - Tomb Raider: Unfinished Business.
Troll - a post by someone who deliberately wants to incite nasty
arguments within a particular newsgroup.
8.0 More Questions?
8.1 This FAQ didn't answer ANY of my questions. What do I do now?!
Beg for mercy. Only joking...
If you're still in the dark, have no fear - we're here to help you.
We've already provided you with plenty of hyperlinks to other
resources on the Internet, which may be better placed to advise you.
Please refer to section 7.1 entitled "Tomb Raider Resources on the
Internet" for the websites we reckon are worth a visit.
Alternatively you could send your burning question to
tombr...@3dactionplanet.com and we'll aim to get it answered right
away.
Paul E Kiefer Jr
(The limits of AO-Hell.)
Thanks.
bbocquin
about the butler being called Winston and not Jeeves... :)
McGrandpa
news:20031117091528...@mb-m20.aol.com
> Could you break that down into parts? It got too big for my offline
> reader. (The limits of AO-Hell.)
>
> Thanks.
Actually, that's how I got it, right here in a.g.t. , and I'm not a
'Keeper of the FAQ', just another usenet user. The file is not a
binary, it's pure text. I didn't write it, so I'm not breaking it up
:(
McG.
McGrandpa
news:bJ8ub.6481$Wy4....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net
> Heh! That's given me something to perhaps tease DC with. He's very
> adamant about the butler being called Winston and not Jeeves... :)
Jeeves? What's wrong with Jeeves? Isn't he the guy I kept locking in
the freezer? ;)
McG>
Morpheus
>> Could you break that down into parts? It got too
>> big for my offline reader. (The limits of AO-Hell.)
>
> Actually, that's how I got it, right here in a.g.t., and I'm
> not a 'Keeper of the FAQ', just another usenet user. [...]
> McG.
Ah blast, my news server (or possibly my filters) deleted
that post, but I found it and saved it from Google:
http://www.google.co.nz/groups?selm=Mj2ub.101913%24KY1.34290%40twister.a
ustin.rr.com&oe=UTF-8&output=gplain
Thank you *very* much, McG! This is excellent! :-) :-)
<praises the mighty McG w/ thanks to Google>
Whoa, looking forward to reading this *massive* FAQ...
<wonders away to grab some chocolate/snacks> :-)
};> M v3.2
When all else fails, follow instructions.
</random comment>
Dragoncarer
> Heh! That's given me something to perhaps tease DC with. He's very adamant
> about the butler being called Winston and not Jeeves... :)
It's not about being 'adamant'...it's about being true B!!!!! TRUE!!!!!!
--
'You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve,' said Aslan. 'And that is both
honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow
the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content.'
http://spiltink.alphalink.com.au
http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/file/tomb_raider_aod_bugs.txt - Now with 33
bugs!
Dragoncarer
*gets stressed; feels a migrain working its way up his spine*
No...that was winston
*relaxes...a little*
McGrandpa
message news:3FB9E881...@YOUKNOWTHEDRILLyahoo.com.au
> McGrandpa wrote:
>
>> "bbocquin" <SirTal...@chatteringnuns.com> wrote in message
>> news:bJ8ub.6481$Wy4....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net
>>> Heh! That's given me something to perhaps tease DC with. He's very
>>> adamant about the butler being called Winston and not Jeeves... :)
>>
>> Jeeves? What's wrong with Jeeves? Isn't he the guy I kept locking
>> in the freezer? ;)
>> McG>
>
> *gets stressed; feels a migrain working its way up his spine*
>
> No...that was winston
>
> *relaxes...a little*
the really shaky old guy with the tea tray, right? Oh, and the target
and the bin lid? Heh!
McG. :o)
snark^
warbled on about "TR and a.g.t. FAQ" in alt.games.tombraider <<=
> bbocquin wrote:
> > Heh! That's given me something to perhaps tease DC with. He's very
> > adamant about the butler being called Winston and not Jeeves... :)
>
> It's not about being 'adamant'...it's about being true B!!!!! TRUE!!!!!!
Hey, unplug the dukebox and do us all a favour! (sorry, lousy joke but it
had to be made). BBoc's side of the Jeeves argument is that the old
"Jeeves; a Butler's Tale" website was out for a year or two before Core got
around to calling him Winston.
Holy Nyarlathotep, psychic-communications officer of Cthulhu, the site's
still there...: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~alexk/jeeves/
1998? How the hell has AlexK got it to stay up for so long without
updating? The vast majority of his linked sites are out of date BTW...
Damn but that was a trip down memory lane. :D
--
"Only the shallow know themselves."
-- Oscar Wilde
Dragoncarer
It wasn't a bin lid. It was the serving tray. He'd just taken the lovely
little blue china tea-service off it...you know the one? the one that Lara
never, ever uses...
Why does poor old winston bother?
Dragoncarer
Yes but, my point is that 'Jeeves' is itself a cliche.
Calling the butler Jeeves is unoriginal.
And officially, it's now incorrect.