Gravity Beam: Master Gaiden

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Overview

It is the 33rd century, and humanity continues its colonisation of Mars, excavating caverns of unimaginable scope throughout the core of the planet. A terrorist cell that claims to speak for the guardian daimon of Mars takes key colonisation personnel hostage. The security forces end the siege, but with his final words the cell's leader leaves a chilling warning: a nuclear device capable of annihilating the entire planet has been planted in the heart of Mars, and the bomb is armed.

This is where you come in. With only minutes before the bomb detonates, you fly the Greenwing directly into the caverns. You've never had to carry a nuclear bomb before, but how dangerous can it be?

Your mission is to negotiate the caverns of Mars and locate the nuclear device, engage your ship's Gravity Beam to attach the device to your ship, then carry it back through the caves and out into space, where it can be detonated safely.

Made by: Mathew Carr
Released: 2013

Controls guide

Main menu

Button and key	Action
Up/Down	Move through the menu
1`Z`	Select; the menu can also swap the jobs of buttons 1 and 2

Flying

Button and key	Action
Left	Rotate the Greenwing anticlockwise
Right	Rotate the Greenwing clockwise
2`X`	Hold to fire the thrusters and move the way the ship is facing
1`Z`	Engage or release the Gravity Beam when the crate is in range
Pause`Enter`	Pause or resume

Cheatsheet

Gravity Beam rules

Engaging: Only within about four ship lengths of the crate
While attached: A dotted line joins the ship and the crate
Too much swing: Past the beam's maximum length it cuts out and the crate goes flying
Crate damage: Hitting walls damages it; it blinks faster the more it is hurt, then explodes
Your ship: Indestructible; touching a wall stops it dead
Goal: Fly out through the opening at the top near the start with the beam engaged; the landing pad is not the goal

Ranks on the ending screen, by time left

Undisputed Master of Mars: Offered the position of President of Mars
Magnificent Ace: A joy to watch; they owe you a drink
Confident Adept: We all owe you our lives
Slowpoke: You had us worried for a second
Last Minute Hero: You almost got us all killed
Lucky Bastard: You owe us new underpants

Tips

Move slowly once the crate is attached. It is heavy, and a sharp turn at speed lets it swing wide and drag the Greenwing into danger.
If the crate gets caught on rock, release the beam straight away; even being snagged can be enough to destroy it.
Walls cannot hurt your ship and stop it instantly, so nudge into a wall on purpose to kill your speed before a tight passage.
The crate falls quite slowly through open space, so if you have to let go you usually have time to turn round and grab it again within beam range.
Don't set the crate down on the landing pad. The mission ends only when you fly out through the opening at the top with the beam still engaged.
The ending grades you on the time left on the clock, so once you are confident with the crate, a quicker route out of the caves is what lifts your rank.