^CROOMS OF DOOM HINTS

Rooms of Doom is a fast-action arcade game that requires a steady hand, fast reflexes and the ability to think on the run.  Solving the game and rescuing Mikey will require mastering the skills that allow you to run, jump, and shoot.  Once you have mastered those skills, the following hints may help you to get through the game.

^CHOW TO AVOID BEING KILLED

There are several mistakes you can make that will lead to your untimely demise.  The first and worst of these is to run out of ammunition while you are in the middle of a battle for your life.  Keep a close watch on how many shells you have in your gun.  You have an unlimited supply of shells in your pockets, but you do have to take the time to reload.

Don't brazenly charge into unknown places.  It is always best to scout out an area before entering it, if possible.  You can frequently jump from a staircase or a box into an area, look it over quickly, then leap back out of harm's way as you ponder your next move.  In some areas you can peek into a room by moving into a room you have already cleared of "bad guys".

Learn to "sucker" the bad guys into traps.  Most of the evil denizens of the Rooms of Doom will chase you once they see you.  If you can use objects or terrain to get out of their immediate reach, you can frequently shoot them from positions of relative safety.

Each moster of the Rooms has a specific number of shots that they can take before they are killed.  As you move through the levels learn to count the number of shells required to kill a creature.  You will find yourself in positions where you have just enough shells to save your neck, but if you forget how many shells it takes to kill something, you might waste that precious last shot and wind up on a zombie's dessert plate.

Learn how to jump, aim and fire as quickly as possible.  Many of the levels have areas that require a quick jump into danger, several quick shots, and a quick jump back to safety.  Try to spot those areas and be ready for them.

^CHOW TO KILL MONSTERS

Of course you have to shoot them.  But that is not as easy as it seems.  Some of the creatures you have to contend with are slow and clumsy.  Most are not.  Here is a brief rundown of possible strategies for killing the monsters you will find.

Zombies - Just shoot `em.

Witches - Be careful of their flying knives!  The best thing to do here is to shoot them quickly.  Don't give them a chance to throw a knife at you.  You can dodge the knives, but it is a chancy thing.  It is usually best to hide above or below witches and shoot them from an angle.  Of course you can't always do that.  In many rooms there are boxes you can stand on that are too high for the witches to reach you, but you can blast away at them with impunity.  Of course there are usually zombies to contend with in those same rooms...

Slimes - These green globs hurl themselves around at incredible speed.  They are probably the most difficult of all creatures to actually HIT, but they can be killed with one shot.  One shot is usually all you'll get.  They do have two attributes that you can use to your advantage, if you have the nerve.  Once they are close to you on the floor or ceiling, they will shuffle towards you.  If you can hold your ground and aim at the floor, or at the ceiling overhead, you can kill the slime just before it gets you.  This is a very tricky maneuver, but it is sometimes the only chance you'll have.  Secondly, they tend to leap up and down directly through your line of sight.  If you time it just right you can shoot one as it flies through the air.

Spiders - These ceiling-clinging arachnids are usually pretty easy to take care of, but occasionally you'll find an area that you have to jump into or through, and if you hesitate for an instant, a spider will drop from the ceiling and have you.  To kill a spider you can run under and somewhat past it, causing it to drop to the floor, then turn rapidly and aim at the ceiling toward the spider.  The spider will rise back to the ceiling and begin scuttling over to your position.  You can then blast the eight-legged fiend as it moves toward you.  If you want to try something really tricky, step under the spider, dodge back, turn, aim at the floor, and fire.  This will catch the spider on the floor sometimes, but is a very dangerous trick, and not very reliable.

Werewolves - These guys are really tough.  They run, leap and dodge very quickly.  On top of that, they take a lot of damage before they are killed.  Your best bet is to hide under a ledge or around a corner and take potshots at them until you kill them.  In a stand-up fight, you don't stand a chance.

Frankie - This overblown giant is, perhaps, your most difficult challenge.  You will have to reload your gun as you dodge him to kill him.  This running, shooting, reloading, dodging, shooting, running, etc. action is nerve-wracking and you may think you'll never be able to do it.  Don't give up or Mikey will never be rescued.

Ghosts - These tricky spooks are hard to get used to.  When they first appear they are insubstantial and you can't shoot them.  They must materialize, however, to attack you.  They will materialize when they get close to you, but they have to pause for a moment to complete the process.  This is your best chance to blast them.  Once they have materialized you can shoot them at any time, but you don't usually have much opportunity by then.

Flaming Skull - Don't even bother shooting it.  It can't be killed.  It is death to you if you touch it though.  Frequently you will have to dodge around, over and/or under it to reach an important objective.  The only thing you can actually do with these guys is to lead them away from a position, then double back to it by dodging around them.

^CMOVING BETWEEN ROOMS

There are dozens of rooms in the haunted house, and you will have to go through most of them to win the game.  Most rooms have doors or open passages that lead to other rooms.  Some rooms are dead ends that force you to retrace your steps.  But some rooms have secret passages that you will have to find in order to solve the puzzle.  If you get into an area that you feel has no exit, examine the walls carefully, looking for any indication that there may be more to a wall than normal.  Your search will be rewarded.

There may be more surprises in store, but that is what the game is all about. 
