Tower of Babel / 2012-09-02 17:44:31

Tower of Babel is a computer game for the Amiga, Atari ST, and Acorn Archimedes by Pete Cooke, developed by Rainbird Software, and released by Microprose Software in 1989. It is a puzzle played on a three-dimensional tower-like grid viewed in vector graphics with filled polygons. Tower of Babel is a great puzzle, some being quite difficult to solve...

Story

The plot is loosely based on the biblical story of the Tower of Babel. During its construction, the Tower caught the attention of a passing Zantorian spaceship. The Zantorians descended and left three spider-like robots to help the Shinarians build the Tower. However, distrust broke out among the two species, and the Shinarians betrayed the robots, stealing their energy packs, their klondikes. Playing the robots, it is the player's job to find the energy packs to be able to get back home to Zantor. There are several differently-configured 8x8x4 towers (four floors of 8x8 squares each).

The Zantorians robots are called Grabber, Pusher, and Zapper. Each of these robots has different abilities. Grabber can collect klondikes and operate various devices, Pusher can push things further away, and Zapper can destroy things. Each puzzle includes any combination of these robots, depending on the Tower's design. In each tower, the puzzle's goal is either to destroy a set number of objects, collect a set number of klondikes, or both. Towers with klondikes to collect need Grabber, but the other robots can sometimes be unnecessary or even a problem...

Manual

Here are scans of the manual pages:

Game Objects

Solutions

Group 00

A:  Softly Softly

Grabber, Pusher, Zapper, 3-0

Use Zapper to destroy the zapping canon by using one elevator up and then another elevator down. Then, make Zapper take the place of the zapping canon, thus an elevator will be down. Position Pusher on this elevator and push the block away from the pushing canon. Finally, use Grabber to grab the three klondikes in a row.

B: The Sacrifice

Grabber, Zapper, 1-0

Use Zapper to lower the elevator from the platform on which it sits. Then, to allow the pushing canon to push the block away, sacrifice Zapper by making it step in front of the zapping canon. Wait for the block to reach the end of the line. Finally, move forward Grabber, which will be pushed by the pushing canon in front on the klondike.

C: The Magic Roundabout

Grabber, Zapper, 0-1

Use Grabber to lower the elevator from the platform on which it sits. Then, wait for the glass block to reach the line in front of Grabber and to be two squares away from the down elevator (not the one on which Grabber is, the other one). Move Grabber in front of the pushing canon: it will be pushed until the glass block, on the one square next to the down elevator. Move forward Zapper: it will be pushed around by the pushing canons until it reaches the down elevator. There, it will stay because Grabber and the glass block stop it. Finally, go up with Zapper and destroy the hopper.

D: Death Valley

Grabber, Pusher, Zapper, 2-0

Use Pusher to push the glass block on the middle lane all the way between the blocks supporting the upper platform. As you do so, each zapping canon will destroy itself. Then, move Grabber all the way to the down elevator and go collect the klondikes.

E: The Mini Minefield Puzzle

Grabber, Pusher, Zapper, 1-0

I could not find a solution that does not involve destroying Zapper. Use Zapper to explode the mine further away from the klondike. Use Pusher to push the remaining mine away from the klondike, orthogonally. Finally, position Grabber in line with the klondike, the mine now does not stand on its way.

F: But Cameras Give The Game Away (Maze 1)

Grabber, Pusher, Zapper, 1-1

Beware of the zapping canon hidden in the "middle" of the maze, close to Zapper! Move Zapper around the green wall in front of it to the left, to avoid the zapping canon. Then, move Zappe around the wall and you will shoot a flag and you could also shoot the zapping canon. Use Pusher to push the block on the next border block. Thus, Grabber can move freely to collect the klondike.

G: The Lift Is Guarded

Grabber, Pusher, Zapper, 2-0

The trick is to send Zapper down on one lift, while Pusher goes down on another, while controlling Grabber to follow Pusher. Write a program so that Zapper goes to the most extreme lift and goes down. Write another program so that Pusher goes on the other most extreme lift and goes down and fires. Run all the programs and then control Grabber to use the remaining lift (the one besides Pusher's) to go down as soon as Pusher goes down. Then, with Pusher, push the glass block beyong the crossing. Go to the crossing and use Zapper to destroy the zapping cannon so that Pusher can push the block to unveil the lift to go to the klondikes. "Store" Pusher besides the glass block and bring Grabber to the unveiled lift.

H: Up and Down and Up and Down

Grabber, Pusher, Zapper, 1-1

Bring up Pusher and Zapper and then make way for Grabber to get the klondike. Move Zapper in the place of the klondike so that Pusher can use the lift close to where Zapper was, go down and push the glass block. Move Grabber and Zapper so that Zapper can reach the elevator close to the one that brought up Pusher, make it go down and destroy the hopper.

I: Zapper to the Rescue

Grabber, Pusher, Zapper, 1-0