MANIAC MANSION
Lucasfilm
It's time to rescue Dave's adorable cheer-leader girlfriend, Sandy, from the clutches of
Dr. Fred! Sandy has been kidnapped by Dr. Fred for her brain - not her beauty! Dave needs an
adventure party of two, each with their own weaknesses and strengths. For this outing, we'll
us Razor and Bernard.<9F><9F>Dave leads the way, move him west until he comes to the
front door of the mansion. He goes up the front steps where he can PICK UP MAT then PICK UP KEY.
Switch to Razor and Bernard and let them join Dave. Have Dave UNLOCK FRONT DOOR WITH KEY, GIVE KEY
TO RAZOR, and enter the mansion. Take Bernard and Dave into the foyer. Note that each room has
about three views or angles. You may have to scroll in order to see everything. You initiate
scrolling by clicking the cursor on the bottom corners of the screen. Hmm, the door to the right of
the centre stairs has no knob! Take Dave to the gargoyle on the right and PUSH GARGOYLE to open the
door. Switch to Bernard and go through the door into the first of many dark rooms. Click WHAT IS
then move the cursor around the screen until you find the light then enter TURN ON to see that you
are in a basement with a furnace and a neclear reactor.
Walk west to the fuse box, skirting the puddle of radioactive slime, which is a red herring, and
PICK UP SMALL SILVER KEY. Note the door to the left for later. Go back to Dave who says
"that's nice, Bernard, I think I'll go join Razor outside!." Switch to Dave in
order to get him outside the front door. Note that you have to move the chracters out of the halls
at certain points because Dr. Fred's toothsome wife, Nurse Edna, and their repulsive son Weird
Ed, have a habit of roaming around in real time and anyone they find they throw in the dungeon.
Should this happen to one of your characters, two ways out are available, one of which will be
revealed shortly.
Switch back to Bernard who is on his own now, OPEN DOOR to the east and WALK TO DOOR into a living
room with a large crystal chandelier, OPEN OLD FASHIONED RADIO, as Bernard is really into stuff like
that, PICK UP RADIO TUBE (spare parts may come in handy), OPEN CABINET DOOR and note the cassette
player. If you examine the chandelier carefully, you'll see a white key on the right side.
None of the characters will climb the couch so you'll have to get it down some other way.
Bernard continues east through to double doors then into the library. The circular staircase is
interesting but a red herring as is Chuck the Plant. The phone is broken and perhaps Bernard will
find tools later. He notices a loose panel just above the phone and can OPEN LOOSE PANEL then PICK
UP a blank CASSETTE TAPE. He returns to the foyer.
Now is a good time to save your game. Depending on your timing, Edna might be found snacking in the
kitchen. If so, she'll throw Bernard in the dungeon. Should that happen he can get out by
using the key from the chandelier, however he hasn't got it yet. The other solution requires
that two characters work together, so someone will have to get caught at the first opportunity.
Under the left barred window in the dungeon is a loose brick. If one character PUSHes LOOSE BRICK,
the other can escape out the door to the east. It's not so terrible getting caught, because
you get some important information:
1. The dungeon door is the same one by the fuse box.
2. The outer door to the 'Sekrit' lab, where Sandy is being held, is in the dungeon, even
though it's heavily padlocked and secured with an electronic keypad.
Do not leave anyone in the dungeon with key object.
Bernard opens the door next to the grand-father clock. He finds himself in a modernized kitchen.
PICK UP flashlight from the counter. What's that on the wall? Dull knives and a chainsaw!
The knives are stuck to the wall with a suspicious gummy substance. The chainsaw has no fuel - at
least not in this game - so forget it.
Continue to walk Bernard east and hope that Edna is not around, OPEN REFRIGERATOR and pick up can of
Pepsi. There's a lot of other dubious stuff in here, which Bernard leaves strictly alone.
Moving east again, he enters yet another room and not a moment too soon as, about now, Ed will come
down to pick up the cheese for his hamster. If Bernard is in the kitchen, it's the slammer
again for him. Ed has no humour about cheese. The banquet hall looks fit for Banquo's ghost,
so he walks east again. Bernard enters the pantry in order to PICK UP BOTTLE OF DEVELOPER. Oops,
what a klutz! The bottle is topless, smashes on the floor, and the developer seeps through a grate.
Hmm, wonder where it went? Oh, well, Bernard can PICK UP FRUIT DRINKS and GLASS JAR. Then he
should UNLOCK DOOR WITH SILVER KEY and go out to the pool which looks well maintained although the
water has a strange glow. USE GLASS JAR WITH SWIMMING POOL - never know when Bernard might need
some water. A nice radio floats in the pool, but he doesn't like the water - none of the
characters do, including the surfer dude.
Time for Bernard to OPEN GATE and go east to the garage. The doors are firmly shut and very heavy.
Return to the foyer and head up the center stairs where his footsteps sound unnaturally loud. At
the head of the stairs is a door (which in the IBM version is a steel security door with keypad - in
other versions where the diskettes themselves are copy protected, he can go straight through). In
any case, don't go through yet. Walk west into the artist's studio, pick up BOWL OF WAX
FRUIT, PAINTBRUSH and PAINT REMOVER, go east to the music room (there's a nice TV and cassette
recorder here). The Victrola looks old, but serviceable. Return to the hallway and go through the
center door, either by walking straight through or by using the sheet in the docs to USE KEYPAD.
The coded numbers can be located in those columns of the red and grey sheet. Once through the door
Bernard finds himself in a blue hallway surrounded by tasteful art. Open the first door to the east
and turn on the light to find yourself in a medical examining room, OPEN DESK, PICK UP MANUSCRIPT
which is the memoir of a meteor. If Jill pick it up, she must deal with it's ungrammatical
structure - it is her puzzle and vital to winning the game. Exactly how she deals with it will be
revealed later. Bernard exits this room and enters the next door to the east where he finds a great
games room with stand alone video games. Too bad there isn't any power, and, anyway he has no
change in his pocket. He spent all his money on more memory for his computer last week. Sighing
over what might have been, he exits and goes up the stairs to the east.
On the next floor, he walks west, and a Green Tentacle hops toward him. Bernard screams
hysterically and runs away. You see Bernard has one little weakness - he's terrified of giant
hopping tentacles. Fortunately, it doesn't come up very often. So temporarily retire Bernard,
preferably inside another room and switch to Razor, who should stop off in the music room to watch
TV. Great, an ad from Three Guys Who Publish Anything. Maybe they'd accept a demo if she had
one! If she feels the urge, she can also play the baby grand.
Razor is interchangeable with Syd, who is also musically talanted. Once she has arrived at
Bernard's location, switch t him, GIVE FRUIT DRINKS, WAX FRUIT and CASSETTE TAPE TO RAZOR.
Razor continues up the stairs. That cute Tentacle is just hungry for it's favourite munchies.
No, silly, not people, just GIVE WAX FRUIT TO TENTACLE, then GIVE FRUIT DRINK TO GREEN TENTACLE. He
lets her past, where she continues up the stairs. She passes a door that is the photo lab, only
important to Michael. What horrors await you on the next floor?
Walk softly on the third floor because the family bedrooms are here. If Razor enters Edna's or
Ed's, you know where they'll put her. However, she can OPEN the very first DOOR, since it
is just the radio room. Hmm, looks more like Bernard's kind of place. Rock stars are always
hungry so PICK UP DIME - it is that little speck on the floor, then scroll the room and go up the
ladder. Razor is blown away by the Green Tentacle's bedroom, where he'll tell you his
secret sorrow. He too, is an aspiring rock star who can't get his band to gel. It seems they
keep disappearing into the basement, so Green Tentacle is into major depression. Razor admires his
mondo stereo, humongous speakers, and PICKs UP RECORD. Then, scroll the room where she can PICK UP
YELLOW KEY hanging on the wall near Green Tentacle's corner of gloom. Go back through the
radio room, where she learns from the wanted poster that a murderous purple meteor is on the loose.
She puts two and two together and they add up to radioactive slime.<9F><9F>About now the
doorbell will ring. If you have any characters in the halls, better get them out because Ed will go
downstairs to pick up a package. He deals with some strange mail order houses. Switch to Dave
quickly and beat Ed to it. Go west to the mailbox and PICK UP PACKAGE. Ed comes outside but
doesn't bother Dave. This is the last time one of the family goes roving. From now on, you
can solve the game without that kind of interference.<9F><9F>Dave cannot, but OPEN
PACKAGE. Some stamps fall off, though the package doesn't yield. If you're playing with
Michael, you will probably need to deliver the package to Ed. In order to do so, a character can
take it to his room or ring the doorbell.
At this point in the game, undeveloped film has appeared in the bushes to the right of the front
steps. Michael can develop it into commando plans, which Ed will use to rescue the kids from the
Meteor at the end of the game. The package has another use. Until it is delivered, Ed can be
extracted from his room by ringing the doorbell. This allows another character to get in there and
search!<9F><9F>Switch back to Razor and find Bernard, then GIVE YELLOW KEY TO BERNARD.
A cut scene pours on the pressure, as you see that Dr. Fred is about to connect Sandy to the brain
sucking machine - if the Purple Tentacle (another one!) doesn't mess with her first. Must be
her fetching little halter top.
Razor goes to the music room, USE RECORD WITH VICTROLA then TURN ON VICTROLA. Some high-pitched
tentacle cries rend the air and shatter Nurse Edna's favourite vase. That gives Razor an idea,
TURN OFF VICTROLA, USE CASSETTE TAPE IN CASSETTE RECORDER, TURN ON RECORDER, TURN ON VICTROLA. Now
she should turn everything off and PICK UP CASSETTE TAPE. Razor must go downstairs to the living
room and USE CASSETTE TAPE IN CASSETTE PLAYER. When she TURNs ON CASSETTE PLAYER, the din shatters
the windows, and just as she hoped, the chandelier as well! Now Razor can PICK UP OLD RUSTY KEY
from the broken glass. Now she has a key to the door between the dungeon and the basement. If
anyone gets caught, just send Razor down with the key!รก
Razor must now TURN OFF PLAYER and PICK UP TAPE. Then walk her back to the music room, and this
time, Razor makes a recording of her tune on the piano. She collects the tape and goes to the Green
Tentacle's bedroom. When she USEs THE CASSETTE TAPE IN PLAYER, Green Tantacle is so impressed
that he recruits her for his band. The new possibilities snap GT out of his depression. He gives
her his treasured demo tape. Too bad she doesn't have stamps and an envelope - she could do GT
a real favour by sending the demo to the Three Guys.
Bernard sees the answer to a prayer when he has the chance to USE HUNK-O-MATIC (TM) twice!! That
puny body just ripples with new found strength. Any of the characters can use it and perform the
tasks it makes possible. Now scroll the room and walk Bernard through the door to the east. He
finds himself in a bathroom that shows what a lousy housekeeper Edna is. For one thing, she left
Dead Cousin Ted in the shower. Something is written behind him, but the dummy, er, mummy won't
move over. Make sure to have your character PICK UP SPONGE on the left of the sink, especially if
playing with Michael. Bernard goes back to the hallway and through the door at the east end of the
hall. It's a family room, with portrait, typewriter and man-eating plant, just what every
family has! An unsightly paint blotch is on the wall. Have Bernard USE PAINT REMOVER WITH PAINT
BLOTCH and a door appears. He OPENs it. Since it looks dark and there's no light, he decides
to let it wait until later.
Now send Bernard outside the house (trudge, trudge, trudge), and on the way, switch to Razor so that
Bernard can get the YELLOW KEY and DIME. Outside Bernard should go to the left of the front steps,
and OPEN BUSHES. Inside he finds a grate, which, with his new muscles, he easily opens. He climbs
through the grate and follows the pipes to the east. Along the way, he sees the puddle of
developer. USE SPONGE WITH DEVELOPER, and presto, he's got it! Only Michael can use it, along
with the water from the pool, to develop the film in the photo-lab. If Michael then gives those to
Ed, Ed will charge in to remove the Meteor at the end of the game.
Bernard comes to a water valve. "Hey, Dave," Bernard shouts, "I've found a way
to empty the pool. Get over there!" Guys with muscles give orders, so switch to Dave and walk
him to the pool ladder. Then, switch to Bernard and TURN ON VALVE. Bernard now hears a terrible
whooshing sound, so switch to Dave and move him down the ladder into the empty pool. At this point,
a cut scene will inform you that Dr. Fred has been using the pool to chill out his nuclear reactor
and now fears a meltdown.
He sends Purple Tentacle to check - if anyone is in the basement, they will get thrown into the
cell. Ignore this and quickly have Dave PICK UP RADIO and GLOWING KEY. If Dave pushes the tempting
red button he will start a meltdown, so just move Dave back up the ladder. If he is still in the
pool when you switch to Bernard and TURN OFF VALVE then Dave will drown. Sandy would be most
unhappy, so do all that and the water refills the pool instantly. Bernard can now join Dave by the
pool, where Dave gives him the YELLOW KEY, the STAMPS and the RADIO.
Bernard has the know-how necessary to OPEN RADIO. Hurrah, batteries for the flashlight. Right
away, Bernard should take this opportunity to USE BATTERIES WITH FLASHLIGHT. I'll bet Bernard
can explore that dark room now! Before he does, however, he walks over to the garage and easily
opens the garage door. Lo! and behold - it's Wierd Ed's Edsel! What vintage wheels!
What fins! A little exploration reveals that Ed has been modifying it with a rocket engine (left
fin). Store away that little tidbit of information. The shelf on the left contains a WATER FAUCET
HANDLE which Bernard should PICK UP. The cement slab is a red herring and useless.
Now let Bernard OPEN TRUNK WITH YELLOW KEY, and finally Bernard has TOOLS to PICK UP. With that in
mind, he goes back to the library to FIX PHONE WITH TOOLS. Switch to Dave and leave him in the
library contemplating calling chatline. Now save your game again.
The next bit of timing can be tricky, as someone needs to search Wierd Ed's bedroom (the third
door to the right on the upper floor). Take Bernard right up to the door. Now you have a choice.
Assuming you have NOT delivered the package, you can have Dave ring the doorbell while Bernard nips
in the room. Or, if you prefer, Razor (remember her?) can go in the room, and while Ed is throwing
her in the clink, Bernard can search. In any case, before this sequence, Razor must GIVE DIME TO
BERNARD. Once in the room he should move quickly to PICK UP HAMSTER and PICK UP CARD KEY that is
under it. Move briskly to the piggy bank, then oPEN PIGGY BANK. As it cracks open, Bernard
realises she's applied too much pressre. PICK UP DIME and get him out of there fast!
He should enter the weight room again or Ed might get him! Save your game at this point, because
Bernard is about to enter the room to the east of the family room. Before Bernard does this,
position Razor (if she's down there), or Dave at the fuse box and OPEN FUSE BOX. Now Bernard
should TURN ON FLASHLIGHT, and go through the hatch door in the paint blotch. As he plays the
flashlight around the room, he sees broken wires on the back wall to the left. No wonder the arcade
games won't play. Switch to the character by the fuse box and TURN OFF CIRCUIT BREAKER. This
is tricky again, because Bernard must FIX WIRES WITH TOOLS before Dr. Fred sends Purple Tentacle to
turn on the power again. And, of course, the character who is in the basement may wind up in the
dungeon. If you have time, TURN ON CIRCUIT BREAKER, and get Razor or whoever out of there!
At some point after this, Dr. Fred will play the arcade games. Note that he is playing the Meteor
Mess. Maybe one of your characters would like to play too! Too bad no one has a quarter - the
games won't accept dimes. Switch back to Bernard, since he's so handy, and send him into
the bathroom to FIX WATER FAUCET WITH HANDLE. Turn the shower on and off. Eek! Dead cousin Ted
moves to reveal the following message - "For a good time, call Edna....." (the phone
number varies according to the combination of characters). For Razor and Bernard, it is 5235.
Let's play a trick on Edna, who has appeared most unsympathetic in several cut scenes. Save
your game because she may get Bernard - she's skinny but fast. Position Bernard just outside
her door (the second door to the east or right on the upper floor). Dave must USE PHONE, and click
in the number Bernard saw in the bathroom. Get Bernard into her door right after the phone rings.
Seems Edna has a little phone habit - so as she demonstrates how to make an obscene phonecall,
Bernard can PICK UP SMALL KEY from Edna's nightstand, and go up the ladder in the eastern
corner of the room. If he has time (or doesn't mind getting caught), he can check out
what's over her bed!
Once more Bernard is in the dark, so TURN ON LIGHT to look around Edna's attic. OPEN PAINTING
and note the wall safe. Underneath is scrawled a number too tiny to read. Have Dave call Edna
again, walk Bernard to the hall, and into the raio room for a minute. Be sure to shut Edna's
door or she may nab him. The coast is clear, so send Bernard back to the family room and save your
game. Have Bernard USE JAR OF WATER WITH MAN EATING PLANT and watch it grow. Then he can USE CAN
OF PEPSI WITH MAN EATING PLANT and watch it burp. Disgusting. (Note in some versions, it appears
to grow twice. Early Apple versions contained a bug that sometimes required reverse syntax, i.e.
USE MANEATING PLANT WITH JAR OF WATER - Your saved game will allow you to experiment). Walk Bernard
straight towards the plant. It's satisfied, so it won't bite him and he climbs up to the
hatch above it's head, and winds up in the observatory with an immense
telescope.<9F><9F>Save your game. Bernard is curious about the equipment, so he decides
to USE DIME IN COINSLOT then PUSH RIGHT BUTTON. He should repeat this with the second dime. Then
he can USE TELESCOPE and see the combination to Edna's safe, which, again is variable according
to which characters are being used. For Bernard and Razor, it is 1230.
Save your game again. Bernard sneaks back to Edna's door. Dave calls her on the phone, while
Bernard whips back up the attic. He should USE WALL SAFE and PICK UP ENVELOPE. DO NOT open it,
because it will tear and cannot be repaired. Repeat the process you used before to get back to the
hall, saving your game beforehand. Bernard is doing well, so send him out to the pool to fill up
that jar again. Also get the other two characters back to the foyer for the sake of convenience.
Around this time, Dr. Fred says he is going to shut off the power for five minutes. If you
haven't repaired the arcade wires, or you found it too troublesome, Bernard can easily make the
repairs by himself once the power is off. Wait for the rooms to go dark. If you have time, move
bernard to the kitchen. OPEN MICROWAVE OVEN, USE ENVELOPE WITH MICROWAVE OVEN, USE JAR OF WATER
WITH MICROWAVE OVEN, CLOSE MICROWAVE OVEN and TURN ON MICROWAVE OVEN. After a suitable interlude,
TURN OFF MICROWAVE OVEN. Now be patient, for if he opens it too soon, a cloud of microwave steam
will envelop him and his tombstone will be a small tasteful one out on the front lawn.
Bernard's part is almost done, so he can GIVE CARDKEY and SMALL KEY TO DAVE and GIVE STAMPS TO
RAZOR. Then, send him up to the radio room, where he can READ WANTED POSTER. It includes a number
for Meteor Police (in this game 3412). First, Bernard must fix the radio, so USE RADIO TUBE IN TUBE
SOCKET (aren't you glad he carried it around for practically the whole game?) Switch to Razor
and OPEN MICROWAVE OVEN. Now she can PICK UP ENVELOPE and USE STAMPS ON ENVELOPE. The envelope now
opens without tearing and a quarter falls out. She has other things on her mind than video games,
so she can GIVE QUARTER TO DAVE. Now, she goes up to the family room and USEs ENVELOPE WITH
TYPEWRITER. If the character has seen TV, she/he types the address of Three Guys Who Publish
Anything. Will she promote herself? She will NOT! She must be magnanimous and USE DEMO TAPE WITH
ENVELOPE, go outside to the mailbox west of the house and OPEN MAILBOX. Then she can USE TAPE IN
MAILBOX and PULL FLAG. She can now go back to the front door and wait.
It is now Dave's turn, and is he ever burning for action! Does he go get Sandy? No way! He
heads straight to the arcade room and stands in front of Meteor Mess. USE QUARTER IN SLOT. If Dr.
Fred has played, it is important to record his high score - at long last he has the combination to
the inner door of the Sekrit Lab, which in this game is, 5858. If Dr. Fred hasn't played then
Dave must wait until he sees him do so. No problem, though, he can USE SMALL KEY WITH COINBOX and
PICK UP QUARTER. Play as many times as he wants or needs to! At some point, you will see the Three
Guys discover the Green Tentacle's genius and send him a recording
contract.<9F><9F>When the doorbell rings, Razor can PICK UP CONTRACT, and either give it
to Dave or deliver it herself. Whichever character delivers it, the Green Tentacle vows to always
protect that person later on. This promise will hold for other characters. This contract is a
major point of variation among senarios tied to the character combination. Syd can follow the same
route as Razor. Jill must USE MANUSCRIPT IN TYPEWRITER. However, this scenario has a different
outcome. The contract is prepared for the Meteor. If it is delivered to the Green Tentacle, he
kills her for being on the Meteor's side. However, the contract can be used in just a minute!
So be patient, you are almost done.
While Razor is waiting for the postman, it is a good idea for Bernard to TURN ON RADIO and USE RADIO
to call the Meteor Police. They declare that they will arrive in five minutes and that the inner
lab door must be unlocked. It is also useful for Razor to GIVE RUSTY KEY TO DAVE. Have Razor PUSH
GARGOYLE so that Dave can go down to the basement and UNLOCK DUNGEON DOOR WITH RUSTY KEY. Once
inside the dungeon, he can UNLOCK UPPER PADLOCK WITH GLOWING KEY, and repeat that process with the
LOWER one.<9F><9F>If playing with Michael, the film should be developed and delivered to
Wierd Ed. If you have Bernard in the party, the police - and they are a strange bunch - arrive and
bear off the nefarious Meteor. If you have Michael, Ed goes and gets him. However, if you have
neither character, Dave can take care of the Meteor, provided he has the YELLOW KEY before going
into the Sekrit Lab.
So, gather your courage for the closing scenario and let one character open the inner door with the
combination Dave got from the Meteor Maze. If the police have been there, check out the dungeon
floor carefully, and let Dave PICK UP BADGE. It is a bona fide piece of ID for the Meteor Police.
Now he can go through that door and meet his fate..... and the sinister Dr. Fred! First, however,
he must get past the Purple Tentacle. If Dave is the character who helped Green Tentacle then he
will appear and tell Purple Tentacle to bug off. If Dave has the badge, then merely GIVE it to
PURPLE TENTACLE and watch him turn into a quivering mass of tentacle flesh. If you are using Jill,
she can show him the contract for the Meteor, and Purple Tentacle will let her through to talk to
the big guy himself. This taken care of, go through the door to the east where Dave sees the
nefarious Brain Sucking Machine, complete with Sandy in chains. Dr. Fred, who is nearby, goes
berserk and starts a countdown to nuclear destruction.<9F><9F>Ignore Sandy, go right to
the locker, OPEN it, and USE RADIATION SUIT, USE CARD KEY in the slot of the automatic door to the
east. Once in the Meteor room, Dave must PULL SWITCH, which detaches Dr. Fred from the evil
influence. He halts the countdown, and you win the game and Sandy, provided the Meteor is gone.
Otherwise Dr. Fred appeals to Dave for help. Stifling his revulsion, Dave must PICK UP PURPLE
METEOR and open the door to the east of the Meteor Room. Dave's back in the garage, where he
stuffs the Meteor in the trunk of the Edsel, and can CLOSE TRUNK, then USE YELLOW KEY IN ROCKET
ENGINE. This blasts the Meteor into outer space and, maybe, a sequel. You've saved our brain
trust, until the aliens get their hands on the phone company in Zak McKracken and the Alien
Mindbenders anyway!
