Title: Invs

a game by palpalpalpal

Gorr

Game Guide
(main page is
here)

This page is about everything the good Invs player needs to know, from basic game mechanics to hidden bonuses and cheat codes. Feel free to contact me for anything related to this game!

 

Peon
Spoiler-free Part

You can read this part without worry of having your fun spoiled: no secret is unveiled here. It is mainly useful for people who want to ensure that they've got all basic things properly.

 

Dust, Shield and Power Up
The dust that falls from exploding Invs is actually energy for you to gather. There are two kinds of energy which you get when shooting different Invs. The two bars in the top right corner of the screen show your shield energy and power energy status; when you start the game they are already partly filled. When you warp your power energy gets resetted.
Your shield is on when your shield energy bar is full, and when your power energy bar is full you have hipower shots. The shield allows you to survive one hit (then it disappears). Hipower shots do not make more damage but can be delivered at a tremendous rate, making them a real slaughter weapon. Be sure to fill the bars up as soon as you can!

Attas & Gorrs (score 100) Atta and Gorr
Although easily dispatched with a single shot, Attas and Gorrs are the main Invs force as they come in overwhelming numbers. Initially slow, on the latter levels they become so quick you won't be able to target them while they're attacking. Attas can drop up to four bombs in a swoop, while Gorrs target you with homing missiles. You know they're attacking when you hear their characteristic sounds.

KeeKees (score 10) KeeKees
KeeKees come in two flavours, both with a kamikaze attitude. They cannot shoot, but when they hit the ground their large impact can hit you as bad as any bomb or missile. The purple ones lock on your position at the time of attack. The red ones are more resistant but do not target you - they rather just fall straight. Shooting them while they're moving will bring them down, which may gain you time; but you'll have to avoid the explosion swiftly.

Peons (& Dark Peons) (score 10) Peons
Peons actually are the most complex Invs despite their simple look. Initially they are just harvesting energy from the ground, to take it home in order to feed their family and friends; but as you come and demonstrate hostility they will use the gathered energy to turn into Dark Peons, and come back for revenge. They will only come back if you're not quick enough to dispatch the other Invs in every wave.

Prots (score 200) Prot
As the name suggests, Prots are here to protect. Unfortunately they do not protect you! They ordinarily stay at a high altitude and randomly drop bombs from there, hoping this will keep you away. But they can also come down and protect harvesting Peons with their mighty power beam. Dare not stay close then!

SeeWees (score 400) SeeWee
These Invs are the most commonly misunderstood. They can be incredibly annoying when you don't find out how to deal with them. SeeWees can block your shots by destroying them with a laser; this way they can protect not only themselves but also other Invs in their range. However, they cannot block at the same rate as you can shoot, so the key is to shoot as fast as you can - easy with the hipower shots. Yet the best way to get rid of them is to attack before they reach their final position, as they can't use their laser while moving. Don't get caught by their triple bombs though!

Bubblers (score 600) Bubbler
Bubblers are just sent in to let other Invs have enough time to come in position and attack. They pass by, leaving bubbles behind them which will get some of your shots in place of worthwhile targets. They can also detract your attention because of their high score value.

High Score
When you beat the hiscore, you get the chance to easily score even more as all current Invs stop moving for a while and a flock of defenseless bonus Invs pass by. When you eventually die, The game will give you an authentication code for registering your best score. Write this code and your score down and
email both to me together with your name in order to enter the hall of fame!
Note that the authentication code keeps being displayed until the next game, on the title screen, below the score. Also, if you are alterning games with other players and you do not beat their hiscore but nevertheless score more than 50,000, your will still get a code even if the game does not explicitly tell you.

 

Atta
Hints

You may read this part if you are looking for more but still don't wish to be told secrets. This part gathers hints that will help you find out secrets that make the game more fun.

 

Warps
Noticed how sometimes you score zero for warp hits? It's all about doing your best, nothing more. Also, all warp Invs can be properly shot, you just have to learn where and when they come. Note that the first Inv waits for you to cease fire before appearing.

Skill Bonus
In every first wave there's a skill bonus to find out. Careful selection of the enemies you shoot is often the way to get it.

Super Warp
Tired of having to get through the too-easy first levels again and again? There's an alternate way out of level 1 wave 1.

Game Ending
Finishing the last wave of the last level is worth the effort; you'll get a reward which should have you play Invs again in a completely different state of mind.

 

Prot
Codes

You can read this part without worry of having your fun spoiled: nothing that can be learned from playing is unveiled here.

 

Cheat Code
The following cheat code allows you to get instant shield and hipower whenever you like: up, circle, up, circle, down, select, down, select.

DJ Mode
It is possible to play Invs with a Konami Beatmania Controller. Just plug the controller into port 1 then hit all piano keys in ascending order during a game (a message gets displayed for acknowledgement). You can then use the turntable to move your ship.

 

Gorr
Spoiler-full Part

Do not read this part if you like to work your own way through the game and enjoy discovering every reward by yourself. Secrets that can be discovered after extensive play are unveiled here.

 

Dust, Shield and Power Up
Shield energy is only obtained by shooting Peons while they're harvesting. The more energy they have collected from the ground, the more energy dust they will release when shot. As they always harvest for the same duration, you can predict and be sure to hit them when their energy ball is full, just before they absorb it.
Power energy is only obtained by shooting Gorrs and Attas while they're swooping. Gorrs release four energy points and Attas release three.

Warps
You score zero when you shoot more than necessary - eg when there are two Invs, you should fire no more than twice. Shooting all Invs with no lost shots gets you a 2,500 bonus.

Skill Bonus
Level 1: See Super Warp (below).
Level 2: Shoot the first batch of Gorrs before anything else.
Level 3: Shoot the KeeKees before anything else.
Level 4: Shoot all Peons, before anything else.
Level 5: A Peon appears after a while in the right half of the screen; shoot it.
Level 6: Shoot them all very quickly.
Level 7: Shoot all Peons, before anything else.

Super Warp
You just have to shoot the Attas in orderly manner on level 1 wave 1. Shoot the rightmost one first, then the next one to the left, and so on. The order is different when in Trance Mode. Note that your power energy does not get resetted when super warping.

Trance Mode
When you finish the last wave of the last level, you enter Trance Mode; and the game gives you the code for trancing in your next games. Trance mode plays the same as the original game, but with far trippier graphics - it's also harder.
The code for Trance Mode is l1, r1, l1, r1, l1, r1. You can use it at any time during a game.

 

SeeWee

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website and images copyright 2002 Philippe-Andre Lorin
Invs copyright 2001 Philippe-Andre Lorin