In the main menu the player has the following options:
Introduction: Select this to see the game's opening sequence. Once the sequence has ended, the game will start from the beginning.
Play Game: Click this to start a new game without watching the introduction.
Restore Game: Click this to recover a previously saved game.
Instructions: No, these are not gameplay instructions. Click this to see sales order information, hint lines and trouble shooting tips.
Quit: Click this to exit the game.
Icon bar
Pepper and Lockjaw each have their own icon bar. Make the icon bar visible by moving the mouse to the top of the game screen. You can also change the character's action by right-clicking the mouse button.
This is Adam's icon bar, which is revealed when you move the mouse to the top of the game screen. The icons are from left to right:
Walk icon: Select this icon to make Adam walk to other locations on the screen or to other screens (the icon will change into a white arrow at places where you can enter a new screen)
Look icon: Select this icon and then click it anywhere on the screen to look at people, items or the environment.
Hand icon: Select this icon and then click it anywhere on the screen for Adam to pick up, operate or manipulate objects.
Talk icon: Select this icon to talk to people or animals.
Bat icon: click on this icon to learn interesting facts about the rainforest. There is a whole slew of information and they are displayed randomly. Keep in mind that the game was released in 1993, so the information obviously changed by now. You will however not need this icon to complete the game with the maximum score.
Selected inventory item: this small box makes it possible to quickly access the inventory item you most recently selected without having to go to the inventory window. If no inventory is currently selected, then the box is empty. In the image above, the Ecorder is selected.
Inventory icon: select this icon to access the inventory window where you can select and manipulate your inventory items (see more info below)
Recycle icon: Unique in the Ecoquest series, is the recycle icon. Use it when you spot littering to clean up the garbage and earn points.
Control panel icon: click this icon to access the game's control panel where you can save, restore or quit the game or change the game's settings. See more info below.
Help icon: Select the question mark and hover it over any other icon in the toolbar to get an explanation what it does.
Inventory window
In the game screen, click on the inventory icon (the backpack) in the icon bar for the inventory window to appear.
The icons in the inventory window are pretty straightforward. Use the look icon on an inventory item to get a description of it. Use the hand icon to operate an inventory item, such as to open Adam's wallet. Use the arrow icon to select an inventory item. When you then press ok, it will appear in the toolbar of the game screen.
Note that some puzzles can be solved by combining items with each other in the inventory window. For example combine the magnifying glass with the necklace to see its inscription.
Control panel
In the game screen, click on the control panel icon in the icon bar for the control panel to appear.
In the control panel you can save, restore, restart, quit or continue playing the game. You can also set various settings with the slider bars: the game detail, game speed and the music volume.
Clicking on Sierra's Half-Dome icon will provide ordering info and game credits.
The Ecorder
The Ecorder is a new feature in the Ecoquest series. It's an inventory item Adam receives from his father upon arrival in Iquitos, but serves a special purpose throughout the game. The Ecorder is a scanner which records information about rainforest fauna and flora and problems from the environment. To do so, select it as inventory item and search the game screen until the Ecorder screen lights up, indicating it has detected a recordable item, plant or animal. When it is lit, use the Ecorder on it - a message will be displayed what it recorded and the information will be stored in its database. There are a total of 81 items to be recorded throughout the game, each worth 1 point.
In order to access the Ecorder itself, use the hand icon on it in inventory. The Ecorder menu will appear.
Use the dial button to go up and down the menu and the up arrow to select the menu item. Press the back arrow to go back one step.
Rainforest facts: this is the database where are recordable items are listed in various categories. Items you haven't recorded (yet) are listed but grayed out until you have. Useful to see what you need to look for in the game.
Enter my name: You can change your name here. By default it is Adam, the protagonist.
Print My Fact Sheet: you can print out something here. Not sure what as I haven't tried it - waste of paper ;).
Test Myself: Definitely do this. You will be shown 10 images of rainforest items and will need to chose between two options which one it is. Since you can retry if you miss, you can only score a perfect score. It is worth 46 game points, so make sure to do it before completing the game if you want a perfect score.
