TAX AVOIDERS FAQ For play on Atari 2600 Presented by Joseph Shaffer (Joe the Destroyer) Version: 0.61 Last Updated: 11/25/2010 Phase: Technically complete THE FOLLOWING SITES HAVE HOSTING PRIVILEGES: GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com) HonestGamers (www.honestgamers.com If you are e-mailing me about feedback, questions, or anything having to do with any FAQ, please send it to thechowrocker@yahoo.com. IMPORTANT: If you are going to send me an e-mail regarding any FAQ or review I've written, please include the game's name in the subject, OTHERWISE IT WILL BE DELETED. This FAQ is technically complete. Any information that can be contributed to this can be accepted and accredited once it is validated as true. ______________________________________________________________ UPDATE HISTORY 10/24/01- Started this FAQ. The basic layout is complete. Section 1A is complete. Section 2 up and running. 10/25/01- Section 1B Complete. Added questions to the FAQ. Legal Bit is up. Section 3 is complete. Section 4 Complete. In fact, the entire FAQ was complete. 8/27/03- FAQ-wide update... See above for details. 11/25/2010 -3:42 AM Update This is the next FAQ to receive a proofreading. Reference credit goes to: The instruction book found at Atariage, created at the History of Home Video Games Homepage. Contents According to Joe ------------------------- Section 1: Introduction 1A: The Adventures of John Q. 1B: Characters 1C: Gameplay Section 2: Items Section 3: Screens and Layouts 3A: Work Screen 3B: Investment Screen Section 4: Walkthrough/Tips 4A: Mini-Walkthrough 4B: Tips 3B: Investment Screen Section 5: FAQ Section 6: Legal Bit Section 7: Thank You and Goodbye ------------------------- / SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION \ ----------------------------- 1A: THE ADVENTURES OF JOHN Q. Who wants to be a millionaire? Who doesn't? I'm sure there are a few souls out there who, for some reason, rather live below luxury standards (yes, I've actually met a few and they did give reasons). John Q. is definitely not one of them. In fact, John Q. not only wishes to be a millionaire, he wishes to do his best and work his investments to become a millionaire in ONE YEAR. To do this, me must grab all the money he can while avoiding government red tape and the sinister IRS agent... Eggie, who will do everything in his power to keep John Q. from succeeding. The only way John can get around Eggie would be wit, skill, and pure luck. Eggie has also enlisted help from Waggie, the CPA, and an investment advisor named Toodles. An investment advisor? That doesn't sound so bad... Well, Toodles has been known to make some bad predictions on investments. So, not everything you can grab from Toodles gets you all the beans. 1B: CHARACTERS John Q: The character you play. Starts out on what's known as the Work Screen and makes his way to the Investment Screen. Eggie: This is the guy that appears on what's known as the Investment Screen. He is the figure that appears in black and chases John Q. around. Running into Eggie will cause you to lose up to 50% of your earnings and send you straight back to the Work Screen. Waggie: A wiley CPA who appears in pink. This one is a bit more lenient than Eggie. If you are running on an investment, Waggie will cut it loose and a new investment will appear. He will also take $1000 from your earnings. Toodles: Your investment advisor. This one appears in a green color. He is also quite strange. If you don't have an investment going, you can run into him to switch to a different investment (that is, the current investment icon will be switched with another). If you have an investment going, he is the one you want to run through as nothing will happen. Best done if you have a bad investment. 1C: GAMEPLAY The style of the game is a like basic platformer. You will start out in the Work Screen. Here, you must gain money, avoid the red tape, and work you way up to other floors using the elevator. You can then go to the other floors and collect money. Once enough time has gone by, you will be thrown into the Investment Screen. Here, you must collect investments and make money off them, then secure them in your portfolio and gain capital. Beware here, because Eggie, Waggie, and Toodles are abound. Okay, so Toodles isn't so bad all the time, and Waggie can be somewhat helpful, but Eggie should be avoided like the plague. Controls: Left- Move Left Right- Move Right Up- Climb Up Down- Climb Down Action Button- Jump Forward ------------------ / SECTION 2: ITEMS \ ---------------------- There are various different items found throughout this game that have variant effects. In fact, there are some that have different effects at different times, depending if Toodles's advising went well. Work Screen: $- This is your basic income. You run around on the platforms to grab these. They give you $2000 each. Red Tape- These are the coily items that you see in the same screen with the $'s. If you should grab these, it causes your income to go down $2000, thus nullifying a $ everytime you grab a red tape. Investment Screen: One important thing you should know about all investments: The chances of an investment making or losing money in one is 50%. So, you are just as likely to make money off an investment as you are to lose money. Portfolio- You use this to secure any money you've made of an investment. This is important to grab as it will help you before you have to pay your taxes. These can also help your income either raise or fall. You want to grab this immediately, especially if you're in a bad investment. Investment Items- When you bump into to Toodles, these will appear on the screen. The sun appears immediately at the very bottom middle. The items are: Glass Flask, Caboose (looks like a pair of binoculars), Oil Rig, Building, and a Television Set. Each one will either steadily increase or decrease your income by $500-1000 per second. -------------------------------- / SECTION 3: SCREENS AND LAYOUTS \ ------------------------------------ This game is divided into two screens of gameplay. Both screen has different objectives and different features to them, as well as different hazards and items. 3A: WORK SCREEN You start the game on this screen, and is the basic screen for making quick money. On this screen exist four floors, each floor has $'s and Red Tape. As explained before, each one raises and lowers your earnings $2000, respectively. You'll notice that the items are all flashing in order from left to right. You can only grab an item when it flashes into being. So, if you wish to grab the money, only do so when it appears, then move on to more money. Avoid the red tape by pushing the action button and jumping over it or timing your run and going through it when it disappears (not recommended unless you're very damn good with timing it). After you've cleaned out the bottom floor, stand in the middle of the floor and go to the next floor. -Layout- ________________________________________ | | | $ $ @ $ $ @ $$ | |________________ ________________| | | | $ @ $ $ $@ $ $ | |________________ ________________| | | |$ $ @ $ @ $$ | |________________ ________________| | | | $ $ @ @ $ $ | |________________________________________| -KEY- $ = Money (+$2000 each) @ = Red Tape (-$2000 each) NOTE: The open spaces in the middle of the floors is where the elevator will appear. To board the elevator, stand with your foot a bit of the ways to the edge or in the very middle of the bottom floor. Try hard not to fall off. 3B: INVESTMENT SCREEN The investment screen appears periodically and near the passing of a season. On this screen, you will be able to grab the sun right away to start an investment in solar power. You must then run from your advisary, Eggie, as he chases you around the screen. A helpful hint, only stay with an investment if it's giving you money. If it isn't, then try to bump into to Toodles to get a new investment quickly. ________________________________________ | | | # # # | | ___ _ ______ ______ _ ___ | ||___|_ |______| |______| _|___|| | _ _ | | _ # _ | | _ ______ _ __________ _ ______ _ | | _| |_ | || | _| |_ | | _| |_ | || | _| |_ | | _|______|_ |____||____| _|______|_ | | P _ _ # _ _ | |________________________________________| -KEY- P = Area where portfolio appears # = Area where an investment could appear NOTE: The dashes you see floating in the air are ladders. ----------------------------- / SECTION 4: WALKTHROUGH/TIPS \ --------------------------------- This is a basic walkthrough section. The walkthrough for this game shouldn't be too incredibly long. I've also decided to give some tips running along side the walkthrough on this game to help you make your million dollars. Also note that the dates on the walkthrough given are assuming you were able to avoid Eggie all throughout the game 4A: Mini-Walkthrough [Game Date: January 1] As you start, you will be on a screen called the Work Screen. First thing's first. Time to clear out the bottom floor. Head either left or right on the floor and collect the money ($). The only thing you really want to avoid are the red tape traps on either side. Avoid those by jumping over them with the action button. Now, stand in the very middle of the screen, where the empty space is between platforms. You will be carried upward by an elevator. Ride the elevator to the next floor and drop off. If you miss the next floor, you can always clear the others out as well. Get well acquainted with the gameplay here. Grab money and avoid the red tape as usual. Here's a basic tip you should learn. Jump from one side to another and clear out that side as well. Now, wait on the edge of the floor, just such that a portion of your feet is sticking out over the edge. Don't walk too far over or you'll fall. Now, let the elevator carry you further. Continue clearing out the money until you're taken brought to the investment screen. [Game Date: February 10] This is where you'll start your investments. On the far right, you'll see Eggie coming at you. Run into the middle and grab the sun immediately and run away from Eggie. Climb the ladder by pushing up when you are next to it. This can be tricky at first, especially if you're used to the types of games in which you climb a ladder by being in line with it. Remeber this: If the ladder is pointing out to the right, then climb it from the right. If it is sticking out to the left, then climb from the left. Just climb the side that it's protruding out towards. Avoid Eggie and his friends. Grab the portfolio as soon as you can and wait to see what your capital will be (capital is the money you make/lose after grabbing the portfolio). If you're losing money, wait for Toodles to grab a new investment. Run around the room and don't allow yourself to be easily cornered. Places that can be dropped down from are good areas to wait and blow time. Do not wait in corners, otherwise you're asking for it. If at any time you are cornered, there's a few things you can do. One of them is to see if you can escape the corner without being touched. This can take some speed and grace to achieve and is sometimes a risk worth taking. You could also wait for Eggie to turn into Waggie or Toodles. Trust me. It's better to stop gaining money or pay $1000 than to pay about 50% of your earnings. At April 10th, you will be sent back to work. Assuming you did not grab a portfolio on an investment, any gains that weren't secured could be taxed, so be sure to grab that portfolio. [Game Date: April 11] Time to get back to work. There really isn't much I can add here. Learn how to time your grabbing. Notice that everything blinks in sequence. When things blink into existence, it's the only time you can grab them. So, wait for something to blink on and try to grab the next dollar (if you can) over before it blinks off. If it does, no thang, just wait for it again. Continue to avoid the red tape. Another tip I can give you is that if you're on floors 3 or 4, it's probably best to just fall off and land on the elevator that way. It's wiser on 4, anyway. 3 you want to do so at your own discretion. This can also help you get onto lower floors faster. [Game Date: May 20] Back to the old investment field. Things are just the same as they should be. Hopefully, you have become much better at avoiding Eggie. Here's helpful tip: do not temp fate. If you see Eggie getting near an investment or your portfolio, don't grab it. Run away and try to re-route Eggie so you can grab the item when he's not present. Try your hardest to get down quickly using the ladders. Particularly, going up a ladder, walking a few steps, then going up the next ladder almost instantaneously. You'll need this speed to get around Eggie. Make good usage of the top row as the platforms up there can make really good areas to wait out until Eggie finally decides to come after you. At that point, wait until he gets close enough and drop off the opposite side, then run for the next safe haven you can find. [Game Date: July 21] Back to work again. By now, you should have the whole thing down. I used to actually be good enough to go through the red tape when it disappears rather than jump through it. That is quite an intermediate trick, but nothing too helpful unless you can use it to time your running such that running through the tape could save you some time. Time is of the essence here, or "Time is money" as they say. Try hard to grab all the money as fast as you can, then get ready to be sent back to the world of investments. From here, you should have the gist of the game. It will switch between different screens at the following times, assuming you are never caught by Eggie: August 29 (Investment), October 28 (Work), December 7 (Investment), December 31 (game ends). 4B: TIPS These are just some general tips I can give you on the game. Some of these are also pulled from the mini-walkthrough above. *Work Screen* -Do your best to jump over the red tape or work a rhythm into your timing to go through it as it disappears. The latter is easier said than done. -If you're at the top of the level, drop down to land on the elevator. You can also do this on the third floor, but only at your own descretion. -Be swift. You want to try to collect as much money as possible before the end of the year, so you'll want to get all that you can before going to the next screen. *Investment Screen* -Off the bat, grab an investment, then grab a portfolio. If you are losing money after the portfolio, then wait for Waggie to appear so you can get a new investment. Just remember, it'll cost you $1000. -Sometimes, it isn't always a wise idea to sit and wait for investment income to pile up, sometimes it is. Taking risks can actually be a big part of the game. Remember, just grabbing an investment or a portfolio can boost your money immediately, while it will either increase or decrease. Just remember to grab a portfolio right away so you can secure what you make. -Make the best of your surroundings when avoiding Eggie. Do not allow yourself to be cornered. Such is a bad move. Instead, use platforms to avoid Eggie and his cohorts. Become good with jumping from platform to platform or using latters. -Toodles is probably the best person to have around when you are trying to avoid the enemies while getting capital/investment gains. -Do not tempt fate or try to be too much of a riskbreaker unless you are confident it will pay off. ---------------- / SECTION 5: FAQ \ -------------------- Q: How do I get on the elevator? A: Either stand in the middle of the bottom floor or stand with your foot a bit of the ways off of a floor into the open space in the middle. Q: Why do some investments lower your money gradually? A: Because all investments are slated to either raise or lower income on a 1:1 ratio. In other words, you have a 50% chance of gaining money off an investment or a 50% chance of losing money. Grabbing a portfolio can sometimes cause your money to go the opposite way. Q: How often should I grab a portfolio? A: Right after you get an investment so you can shelter your investment. If you are still losing money after grabing a portfolio, then wait for Toodles to get a new investment. Q: Got any advice on investments? A: If an investment is depleting your money, get rid of it immediately. You can grab a portfolio if you wish, as that can cause your money to increase, or you can wait for Toodles to appear and give you more investment decisions. Grab one the instant you can and if it is giving you an increase in money, then stay with it and avoid your enemies at the utmost. If at any time you cannot run away from your enemies quickly enough, try to run through either Toodles or Waggie. Q: Can Eggie/Waggie/Toodles be killed? A: Nope. In fact, this game is non-violent through and through. Q: Are there any other versions of this game for other systems? A: Not that I know of. This game wasn't extremely popular and it was fairly rare. I was lucky that my brother bought it for me when we went to Seattle. Q: Is there any way to actually beat this game? A: The only true way to beat the game is to end it with $999,999. Q: Why is there only a mini-walkthrough? A: Because a full-length one would have many redundant parts. I would basically state the same things over and over. This one allows me to give you some pointers on norming yourself in the game. Q: What good is a portfolio, anyway? A: If you don't grab the portfolio, then you will be taxed after the Investment Screen ends. The portfolio also helps you gain capital. Q: So, let's say I grab a portfolio and my capital is causing my earnings to increase and I decide not to grab anymore investments and just sit on my money until the season ends. What will happen to my money? A: Assuming you gained positive capital, nothing. Let's say you built up $100,000 with your capital and you end the Investment Screen at $100,000. You will have $100,000 at the beginning of the work screen because your investment is sheltered and therefore won't be taxed. If you did not shelter an investment, you will be taxed and will be sent to the next screen with less than $100k. ---------------------- / SECTION 6: LEGAL BIT \ -------------------------- This FAQ is copyright 2001-2010 to Joseph Shaffer, aka Joe the Destroyer or JoeTheDestroyer. Any use of this FAQ for commercial purposes in any way, shape, or form without confirmed consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This can be used for personal use and freely distributed, as long as there is no profit being made off the FAQ without my approval before hand (this includes magazines). This also cannot be posted on any websites without my solid approval. Any failure to comply with said premises can, and probably will, result in legal actions. ---------------------------------- / SECTION 7: THANK YOU AND GOODBYE \ -------------------------------------- Thanks be to the following... HonestGamers GameFAQs American Videogames for Tax Avoiders Atariage and History of Home Video Games Homepage for the HTML booklets (www.atariage.com) (c) Joe Shaffer 2001-2010