Desert Fox

Desert Fox

Console: Amstrad CPC
TV Standard: Region Not Set
Developer(s): U.S. Gold Ltd.
Release Date: 1986-01-01
Players: 1
Co-op: No
ESRB: Not Rated
Type: Action

You are "Lone Wolf" with your turbo Sherman tank in pursuit
of the "Desert Fox", Nazi Germany's Rommel forces in the
Lybian desert.

How to win: Save all your depots
How to lose: Either your tank damage gauge is full or your
depots fall to the enemy

How to save your depots:

1. Zoom
Select ZOOM icon and press the fire button. When it turns from
red to green move the joystick, this will move the black box on
the map from depot to depot.

Allies depots indicated by gray flags:
saved depots turn blue,
lost depots turn red.

With zoom icon green, press fire button. Depot status will zoom
up to reveal the number of tanks (red=enemy, blue=allies), fuel
(oil drums) and supplies (tents). These supplies/fuel will be
used by 'Lone Wolf' to repair and refuel his tank (decrease
damage gauge).

Number in lower right hand corner equals hours remaining before
depot will fall.

2, Radio
Lone Wolf's heading is determined by selecting the RADIO icon.
When icon turns green, push joystick right or left to move radio
beacon. Press fire button again to activate Lone Wolf's secret
enigma decoder. This special radio device intercepts Rommel's
orders. The first word the player hears indicates the type of
enemy force; for example "stukas", "minefields", etc., directly
ahead. Later words indicate outlying enemy positions.

Through careful selection of the radio beacon heading, Lone Wolf
can thread his way through enemy forces to rescue his besieged
depots.

Strategy Tip: Listen for radio static. Static indicates no enemy
forces in an immediate area. Avoid confrontation whenever
possible and head for the wide open spaces. (The shortest
distance between 2 points is not always a straight line.)

3. Air Strike
When a depot is in danger of being wiped out (their status should
be checked throughout the game) and Lone Wolf is too far away for
a rescue mission, call in a spitfire airstrike to buy time.

Highlight the AIRSTRIKE icon in green (using fire button).
When arrow appears at a depot, move joystick until the correct
depot has been selected. Press fire button and air strike will
begin. If you choose not to send in an air strike, simply cycle
the arrow through all depots and the airstrike icon will
turn red again.

NOTE: it takes time for air strike to reach its destination.
Lone Wolf only has "one" air strike per game.

4. Swastika
Indicates location of Rommel who pursues Lone Wolf around the
map. Once the Desert Fox is within range, it is a duel to the
death! It takes 8 hits to make Rommel surrender. If successful,
you will receive 8000 points for each one depot saved.

5. Score
Accumulated score to date.

6. Tank Status Gauge
Indicates total accumulated damage to Lone Wolf's turbo Sherman
tank. When this gauge flashes yellow, Lone Wolf is in serious
trouble.

Strategy tip: To reduce damage, get to minefield and blow up
mines. Save convoys to increase depot supplies.

Avoid the Desert Fox unless damage is low!!!!!!

7. Surrender Time
Indicates hours remaining for depot that has last been zoomed.

*** Convoy ***

Objective: to protect allied convoy by shooting down enemy stukas.

Joystick: left/right to fire guns.
Firebutton inactive, sights line up aircraft automatically.

Score 100 points for blasting each stuka (red).. but be careful
for each enemy stuka is being pursued closely by allied spitfires
(green), and for each accidentally shot down you lose 300 pts.

Required scores to save convoy:
5000 challenger
5200 crusader
5400 strategy
5600 master
5800 grandmaster

When a convoy is saved, the currently selected depot is given
one tank, one supply tent, and one fuel barrel.
This buys the depot more time against the enemy and the added
supplies will reduce the player's damage when that depot is saved.

*** Tiger Tank ***

Objective: to destroy enemy Tiger tanks en route to depot.

Joystick: push left/right to line up enemy tanks.
You can "steer" cannon fire into enemy tanks.

Radar pinpoints location of Tiger tanks. Push left or right to
get enemy tank in front of you in order to squeeze it out of
shots.

Lone Wolf must destroy 5 (five) tanks in order to score 5000
points and advance to the next challenge.

The warning sound indicates enemy has fired at Lone Wolf.

Strategy tips: Lone Wolf can shoot out enemy shots before they
reach his tank. When enemy fires quickly turn left or right
to avoid his shot, then turn back and nail the sucker!!
There is a firing delay as your cannons reload.

*** Minefield ***

Objective: to successfully steer through a minefield as fast as
you can without sustaining very much damage.

Joystick: push left and right to get 'slalom ' action between and
over mines.

Push forward to speed up when tank gets stuck in sand. Pull back
to slow down. Press fire to blow up mines in front.

NOTE: You must center the blue compass heading. If you go off
course you risk damage and loss of time.

Upon hitting a mine, the tank will become stuck in sand, and time
speeds up to indicate time spent digging the tank out.
To avoid wasting time in the minefields, get moving as soon as
you see your tank treads getting covered in sand!!!!

Strategy tip: whenever Lone Wolf has sustained high damage
levels, find a minefield and carefully shoot out many mines.
This will decrease your damage.

*** Ambush ***

Objective: to get through the canyon ambush with as little damage
as you can.

Joystick: push in any direction to line up sights on enemy mortar.
Hold fire button down to spray machine gun fire.

Strategy tips: keep firing at center screen area near end of
canyon. Once mortar has moved past that area, it is not worth
shooting or loading last shot.
Also: avoid enemy ambush at night, mortars are very hard to spot
at night.

*** Stukas ***

Objective: shoot down stuka divebombers.

Joystick: up= cannon sights up
down= cannon sights down
left/right=left/right

Radar locates stuka similar to function of radar scope in Tiger
sequence. The Lone Wolf takes damage whenever the stuka planes
fire upon him (gun sound).

You must score 5000 points (5 stukas) to conmplete this section.

NOTE: cannon takes "time" to be selective on shots. 'Lead' the
stukas with cannon sight and blast them before they have an
opportunity to cause damage. Like the Tiger sequence, you can
turn your shots into enemy targets.

Strategy tip: after stuka has strafed you turn around and fire
at the stuka flying away--- they are more vulnerable then.

NOTE: each campaign lasts at least 24 hours, which means there
are day, dusk, night, and dawn sequences. Rommel's forces are
difficult to locate during the night and dusk sequences
(especially stuka and minefield) so avoid them then.

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Sound adjustment:
Press F1 key at main menu. Move joystick up or down for
several seconds to get maximum sound response. Press fire
button to lock in.

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Good luck! And push that sucker back into the sea.