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Bio Menace 1 Level Pack: "Mangle is back from the dead"
Version: 0.99. Release date: May 1st, 2012.
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Thanks for downloading this level pack! Here you'd find out a set of new levels,
mostly styled like original Bio Menace levels, but with a few style-related
differences if not more. There are also (very) minor graphical additions.
Most of the "new" graphics you might recognize are actually a part of the
original Bio Menace 1 game internally (even if not encountered in the levels).

Oh, one thing you may notice: The difficulty names have been renamed, so they
are now "Normal", "Hard" and "Tough". While it may seem like plain renaming with
no much meanings, well, there is some meaning to it...
Furthermore, no, it's no mistake:
The new "Normal" difficulty is the default (initial) menu selection.

Another thing you may notice: Within this level pack, upon beginning a level on
"Tough" difficulty, you get just 2 health points (and always 2), which is the
same amount you'd get after Snake dies or collects First Aid Kit. This differs
from the behavior in the original game on "Hard" difficulty.
A similiar behavior is to be on "Hard" and "Normal" difficulties now:
Upon entering a new level, the total amount of health points set is the maximum,
or 4 on "Hard" ("Normal" in vanilla BM) and 8 on "Normal" ("Easy" in plain BM).

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Installing and playing the level pack
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You need to extract the file contents to a directory with a clean installation
of Bio Menace 1, version 1.1, freeware (registered) release.
A couple of pages with download links (you probably want bmfreew.zip):
http://www.3drealms.com/menace/
http://dukeworld.duke4.net/2001-current/apogee%20freeware/
http://www.classicdosgames.com/game/Bio_Menace.html

Furthermore, you should have a compatible DOS environment. The DOSBox emulator
is highly recommended and can be downloaded from the following website:
http://www.dosbox.com/

Now, if all is setup properly, you should be able to load the level pack by
executing MBD.BAT from within DOSBox.
On Windows XP and 7, you can do this by dragging-and-dropping the icon
representing the MBD.BAT file onto a proper shortcut to the DOSBox emulator.

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Enabling cheats
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Hey, are you really sure? I mean, REALLY?
OK, yes, there are the ones who may be short in time and prefer to quickly skim
over the game; Or just like it more than playing with no cheats enabled.
Hmm... oh well, basically, the way to enable cheats should be the same as in the
original games. The freeware release also comes with some cheats not originally
found in the shareware release of the same version.
Anyway, you're on your own with finding out how to activate these!

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Known issues/bugs
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- There is a chance that, after standing on a moving platform, you'd find
yourself (i.e. the in-game character) standing on some floor, and later
"warping" to the same moving platform again. This is an internal engine glitch.
I am unsure about changing things in any relevant level as a workaround, though.
- After some time of playing, you may notice that, at some point, as you leave
to the menu and then return to the game (immediately), some details are
to be missing from the scorebox. The cause is currently unclear.
Chances are it's the result of a buggy patch, a problematic (buggy) combination
of various patches, a memory issue/leak, or some of these altogether.
- On one level with a "boss", after beating it, there are chances that a few
portions of the map would become corrupted. It's probably a memory limit issue
which isn't checked, as a new music track is set to be played while still in the
same level. It hasn't been reproduced in the current revision so far, but it did
beforehand (with a bit less memory available), and it might still come back.
- A couple of levels have the same music track played as in the main menu. This
was not originally intended, but simply done as an attempt to avoid some
memory issues (like the one mentioned above). An alternative solution of having
no music was also attempted, but there is a glitch with resuming
from a paused game in that case.
- In one of the levels (the 9th from the beginning, not counting secret levels),
you can literally touch the very top of the level.
It occurs outside (there is no ceiling), thus not looking proper.

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Credits
-------

- To begin with, if I haven't mentioned someone who's relevant...SORRY!!! I've
had no mean to harm your feelings in any way. You clearly deserve all credits!
- ID Software LLC, for bringing games fun to play, with an emphasis on
Commander Keen games here; Especially as Bio Menace takes advantage of the
same engine used by episodes 4-6 of Commander Keen.
- Jim Norwood, for bringing out Bio Menace, taking advantage of the above
mentioned engine.
- Apogee Software, Ltd. (Commonly known as 3D Realms nowadays.)
That was the developer and publisher of the game, with Jim working on it,
taking advantage of the engine used by Keen 4-6.
- John Romero, for the TED5 level editor, used for constructing the levels in
this pack.
- Admiral Bob, for CKPATCH, a set of tools letting one apply patches to
Commander Keen.
- Shadow Master, for adding support for a few other games to CKPATCH, Bio Menace
being one of them.
- Andrew Durdin for ModLatch and ModKeen, later used as inspirations
for KeenGraph. All of these are tools for importing and exporting contents like
graphics, story text and recorded gameplay demos.
- Levellass for KeenGraph.
- Ian E. Davis and TheSoft Programming Services for TheDraw, used for editing
the textual screen appearing right after quitting the game.
- Anybody who's contributed useful patches, letting ones modify Commander Keen
behaviors. At the moment I can think of Levellord, Levellass and Lemm.
In case there are any more individuals, I send you the credits as well!
- Anybody involved in figuring out how to extract and import contents like
graphics and sounds for Commander Keen (thus useful for Bio Menace). I may not
refer to specific tools, but simply to finding how to technically do these.
- Paramultart, Ceilick, Mink and more for their Bio Menace related support,
even if indirect.
- Malvineous, for hosting the ModdingWiki and the KeenWiki.
Links to the two Wikis (available as of March 14th, 2011):
http://www.shikadi.net/moddingwiki/
http://www.shikadi.net/keenwiki/

Well, I think that's it for now!
Hope you have fun while trying out this level pack!

- NY00123
