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PuLiRuLa (Arcade) (1991)
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 PuLiRuLa Copyright 1991 Taito

 This document is created by Faididi and Co. (faididi@yahoo.com)
 Copying or distributing this, in whole or in part, for profit
 without the explicit permission of the author is prohibited.


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[-] Document Version History
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Version 2007 (2007-07-19 Thursday)
 - Initial release.

Version 2020 (2020-07-19 Sunday)
 - Corrections made.


==============================================================================
[0] Contents
==============================================================================

[1] Overview
 [1.1] Story
 [1.2] Characters
 [1.3] Controls
 [1.4] General Tips

[2] Strategies
 [2.0] Prologue
 [2.1] Round  1: Town
 [2.2] Round  2: Crystal Mountain
 [2.3] Round  3: DRUGS LOL
 [2.4] Round  4: Desert
 [2.5] Round  5: Stopped Town
 [2.6] Round  6: Optical Illusion Town
 [2.7] Epilogue and Staff Credits

[3] (reserved)

[4] Sound Test

[5] Reference
 [5.1] Game Source Information
 [5.2] Really Small Details
 [5.3] Document Credits

[6] Contact Information


==============================================================================
[1] Overview
==============================================================================

 Taito's PuLiRuLa is an action fighter that features whimsical themes
 with cute, storybook-like visuals and also some drug-fueled craziness.


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[1.1] Story
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   When bad guys steal a magical key and cause time to stop, Mel and Zac
 must use their new magic staves to defeat the villains and save the world.


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[1.2] Characters
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Mel (Player 2)
 A young girl with brown braided hair, a cute pink ribbon,
 a turquoise-colored dress, a matching hat, and dark boots
 with buckles. Her magic staff resembles a fairy wand, with
 an orange-and-gold handle, a large blue gemstone for the head,
 a pink ribbon tied just below it, and a light blue crystal ball
 for the bottom end. Mel is just so adorable! XD

Zac (Player 1)
 A young boy with brown hair, a blue tie, a salmon-colored jacket,
 a matching cap, and plain brown shoes. His magic staff looks like
 a simple, gnarled, wooden staff. Zac is ready to do good!


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[1.3] Controls
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Movement Stick - Move. The heroes can often walk back to the earlier parts
 of the current section, although there is no real reason to do so.

Attack Button - Perform a standard attack. After the initial standard attack,
 keep pressing this to perform shorter but faster repeated standard attacks.
 Press forward and this simultaneously to perform the thrusting attack,
 which is slower but longer. Press down and this simultaneously to
 perform the heavy thrusting attack, which is slowest but longest.
 Press and hold this and then immediately hold away to perform
 a backswinging attack, which is pretty much useless, lol.

Jump Button - Jump. No matter how long this is pressed, the height of
 the jump will be the same, but the heroes can keep moving to any side
 while maintaining the same facing.

Magic Button - Perform a Magic special attack, which costs 1 Magic Point to
 create a randomly determined effect. Both heroes are rendered invulnerable
 during the duration of that effect, regardless of what it is. If there are
 2 Players, only one hero may perform a Magic special attack at a time.

Start Button - Use a Credit.


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[1.4] General Tips
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 - The thrusting attacks (performed by pressing forward or downward and
 pressing the Attack Button simultaneously) have a longer and wider reach
 than they look, allowing the heroes to hit enemies from a greater distance
 and also enemies who have an unusually low profile.

 - Many enemies have long-reaching or projectile attacks, so approach them
 from the sides instead of directly from the front.

 - Defeated enemies will be restored to cuddly little animals. These animals
 can be collected for Bonus Points after they get up and start running away
 to the left or right.

 - The pumpkins each hold a fairy who will help the hero who frees her.
 A red fairy restores 3 Life Points, while a blue fairy adds 1 Magic Point.
 (The heroes each start with 12 Life Points and at least 3 Magic Points,
 depending on the game's settings.)

 - Use the Magic special attacks before they are wasted. The heroes gain more
 Magic Points only by freeing blue fairies from the pumpkins or by continuing
 after running out of Lives.

 - The Magic special attacks' effects are randomized, but all of them render
 both heroes temporarily invulnerable. The big pink guy with the funny music,
 the microwave guy, the flying girl, and the tornado will stay longer to keep
 attacking regular enemies (but they leave sooner if only a boss remains).
 The animal rush has a consistent duration and deals lots of damage more
 reliably. The falling sparkling dust hits every enemy once as it lands.
 The nuclear fairy's megabomb blast is the single most powerful attack
 and can instantly kill even bosses (except in the final battle).
 Personally, we still love the big pink guy the most. :p

 - If the heroes attempt to perform a Magic special attack during cinematic
 scenes, nothing will happen, and the expended Magic Point will be returned.

 - There are no bottomless pits or any other environmental hazards, except
 for one or two special cases in the third Round.

 - If the heroes don't move forward to the next section within a certain
 period of time, special enemies will suddenly jump in toward them,
 hit them, and then leave.

 - The heroes' health isn't restored at the end of a Round.

 - If the heroes get wasted and have at least 1 Life in reserve,
 their health will be restored, but not their Magic Points.
 If they run out of Lives, they have 9 seconds to continue.

 - If it's Game Over, the game will go to the Name Entry Screen or the
 High Score Screen and then return to the beginning.


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[2] Strategies
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[2.0] Prologue
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[There is an image of the World Map. This version has a compass and clouds.]

  Here is a wonderland called
                    "Radishland".

[There is a scene of the Keeper in the town where the heroes reside.]

  In each town,under a keeper's
 control, the time flow was
 correctly kept with a time key.

[There is an image of the final boss holding a time key.]

  But, a bad man appeared and
 stole the time key to stop the
 time flow.

[There is a scene of the street in the same town.]

  The towns were attacked one by
 one, the time flow was stopped
 and they received damage.

[There is a scene of the heroes listening to the inventor (the old man).]

  An old man was impressed with a
 sense of danger and he called
 Zac and Mel.

[There is an image of Mel and Zac holding their new weapons.]

  And he entrusted them with his
 invented magic stick in order to
 defend their town.


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[2.1] Round 1: Town
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Inventor's House:

 Inventor:
  Watch the time key of
 this town.

 Mel or Zac:
    Leave me to do it.

 Inventor:
        Be careful.


Streets:

 Traveler:
  I was in many places
 and I think this town is
 a good place.

 Woman:
  It seems that the time
 was stopped in the next
 town too.

 Girl:
  Listen, did you see my
 pet doggy?
  Where did he go?

 The heroes can talk to the townsfolk (by going up to them and then
 pressing the Attack Button). When the first boss shows up to convert
 the dog into a robot bad guy, the townsfolk will flee in terror, lol.

 Avoid the robots' long punching attacks. Beat them up, and collect the
 restored animals to earn Bonus Points. The last few enemies here are
 the only bad guys who can be skipped in the game. Drop down into the
 open manhole to proceed to the next section.


Underground Clockworks:

 Keeper:
  Argh, I'm beaten...
  The time key will be
 stolen...

 Enemy:
   I'll take this key!

 The ventriloquist boss jumps around the place and has twirling attacks,
 but the heroes can easily beat him by continuously bashing him. When he
 is defeated, his puppet will come alive, steal the key, and escape. Nuts.

 Mel or Zac:
  Damn it!
  The time stopped!

 Mel or Zac: (climbing back up to the streets)
   All stopped too...
  If we have no magic
 stick, it will be the
 same thing.
     Come, hurry up.


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[2.2] Round 2: Crystal Mountain
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Crystal Mountain Trail:

 The foreground crystals have some neat transparency effects (rarely seen in
 arcade games before this one). The jellyfish are slow, but the bird skaters
 move much faster. The knight miniboss has thrusting attacks, but the heroes
 can easily beat him by continuously bashing him. The dancer boss hops around
 the place and has a laser bolt attack aimed at the heroes (preceded by her
 touching her eyes), a bumping attack, and a long-reaching kissing attack.

 Restored Man:
  Do you go to the town
 ahead?

 Mel or Zac:
      Yes, but why?

 Restored Man:
  That town is so head [sic]
 that no persons can live
 in,
 and the town people have
 escaped.

 Mel or Zac:
  Ah so...
  I understand.
  Thank you.


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[2.3] Round 3: DRUGS LOL
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Da Fuq Is Going On:

 Restored Animal:
  This town is controlled
 by the dream of a
 megalomania [sic]
 and all places are such
 circumstances.
  Do you wake up a person
 who is sleeping in the
 deepest place of
 the town and have him
 recover the town?

 Mel or Zac:
    Leave me to do it.

 This town reflects the crazy dreams of some guy, if that guy is
 a team of Taito employees who have been taking buttloads of drugs. :O

 In the Japanese version of the game, at the section with the doorways,
 the giant woman's legs will be sticking out from the first and the third
 doorways. Touching them is bad, so jump over them when they are lying
 straight down, or walk past under them when they are raised. (In the
 English version, the woman's legs are removed, making this part easier.
 The openings from where they emerge are blocked with non-interactive doors.)

 In all versions, the other doors can be hit to reveal more weird stuff,
 including the big pink elephant behind the second door. OMG WTF LMAO XD
 The painting's tongue can be avoided with jumps.

 Enemy:
  Aah, wait a... a moment!

 The kabuki boss slowly hops but has a long-reaching hair-whipping attack
 and a circular hair-sweeping attack. Simply stay away from him to avoid
 that last attack.

 Restored Strange Man:
  Ha!!
  what did I do?

 Mel or Zac:
  Also, this town, there
 is not that doll. Where
 it has gone.
  I'll go to the next
 town.

 Restored Strange Man:
  If you go to the next
 town, going across a
 desert is a shorter way.

 Mel or Zac:
  Thank you.
  Don't dream a strange
 dream again.


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[2.4] Round 4: Desert
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Desert Route:

 Mel or Zac:
  Aah, it's hot.I feel
 thirsty.
  Where is water.

 Restored Animal:
  We are also troubled
 with no rain.
  A fellow called"YU-YU-" [In the Japanese version: "Nohnoh"]
 sucked up all rains.

 The cacti can be safely touched. Perform thrusting attacks (by pressing
 forward or downward and pressing the Attack Button simultaneously) to
 defeat the plant scorpions. The witch miniboss flies to either side of
 the screen and has a rapid-fire projectile attack aimed at the heroes.
 She will quickly warp to the other side of the screen whenever she is
 hit. For an easier time, use jumping attacks against her.

 The snail boss slowly crawls but has an eye-popping attack and a fireball
 attack that briefly lingers on the ground or spreads toward the heroes
 in a curving line. When he is defeated, the rain will return.

 Mel or Zac:
    Yippee, it's rain!
  But I'm afraid of too
 much rain this time...
  I wonder if it's safe.


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[2.5] Round 5: Stopped Town
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Stopped Streets:

 Mel or Zac:
  Look!?
 No rain falls from here.
  As the time of this
 town stopped, no rain
 frowed in. [sic]

 Hit the evil flowers to restore them to happy flowers. Alternatively,
 jump over them. (What is up with that scary-ass background?) When the
 boss appears, he won't be vulnerable to any attack until after he talks.

 Enemy:
  Who did enter here
 without permission!!
  Then, you must expect
 troubles!

 The masked boss (with a horn covering his wiener, lol) quickly walks
 and jumps around the place, and he has a fast palm-striking attack and
 a pouncing attack aimed at the heroes (preceded by him crouching still
 in place). Keep moving away from him to avoid that last attack.

 Restored Keeper:
  Ha!
  What did I do?

 Mel or Zac:
    Get the time back.

 Restored Keeper:
         Oh, no.

 During the bonus scene, which lasts for 20 seconds, hit the fish guys
 as they appear and harmlessly jump across the water in the same pattern.
 For an easier time, stay in the middle and whack them as they land there.


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[2.6] Round 6: Optical Illusion Town
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Strange Streets:

 Mel or Zac:
  I've been carried away
 to a strange place.

 Despite how the place looks, it is really just a simple path filled with a
 lot of enemies, including some minibosses returning from the earlier Rounds
 and multiple bosses at the end. The heroes don't need to worry about getting
 affected by the non-interactive optical illusions in the background. Again,
 use thrusting attacks against the plant scorpions, jumping attacks against
 the witch minibosses, and continuous attacks against the knight minibosses.

 Enemy:
  It's certainly good of
 you to have come here!
  If you want the key
 back,take it back!

 The puppet boss dashes around the place and has fast swiping attacks.

 Mel or Zac: [text background color is incorrectly blue (instead of green)]
  I've done!!
  By this,the town can be
 recovered!


Strange Place:

 Enemy: [text background color is incorrectly green (instead of blue)]
  I regret to say that
 won't return this key
 yet!

 The earth head wizard boss throws energy bolts that explode into spreading
 projectiles that are very difficult to avoid, so don't be afraid to use
 Magic special attacks against him.

 Mel or Zac:
  I've well done!!
  I have to go back to
 the town in a hurry !!


Underground Clockworks Revisited:

 (If there are 2 Players, Zac will be the one who presents the time key.)

 Mel or Zac:
  I've taken the key
 back.
  Here it is.

 Keeper:
  Wow...
  It's very kind of you
 to have done so.

 Enemy:
  Haw-Haw-Haw...
  Do you think you've
 really beaten me!?
  This time, you can't do
 like before!!

 The earth head wizard boss is back, lol. This time, he throws energy bolts
 that explode into wide circles of projectiles. The swirling blue-tinged
 projectiles can be avoided with jumps, but the fire projectiles are very
 difficult to avoid. This is the final battle, so use Magic special attacks.

 Keeper:
  Yike! Sorry!
  Forgive me.
  Because I lost patience
 with my monotonous life
 only to turn the key,
  I was possessed by some
 evil spirit.
  I'll never do such
 thing again.

 Mel or Zac:
  As you seem to examine
 youself, [sic]
  I'll let the matter
 pass for this once.
    Get the time back.

 Mel or Zac: (after watching the Keeper restore time)
  By this the time should
 be safely returned back.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2.7] Epilogue and Staff Credits
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Epilogue: (back on the streets)

 Woman:
  Thank you for your
 effort to take the time
 back!

 Mel or Zac:
  Good.Now,let's go back
 to the place of your
 grandfather. [mistranslated from the original Japanese: "old man" (ojiisan)]

[The heroes begin slowly walking toward the Inventor's house.]


Staff Credits:

  Congratulations!!

 -- STAFF --

 PRODUCE
             Hidehiro Fujiwara

 CHARACTER
             KAT
             ZAWAKICHI
             CARRY AN HIRRCKY
             VCKY KIMURA TARO
             ANADORIGATASHI JIRO
             WALLSIDE MAGICIAN ABE
             E.SKELETON YASU

 SOUND
             TEAM ZUNTATA
                ( KARU )
                ( YACK )

 SOFTWARE
             IROMUST TMR
             Exit KARBY
             Magician KAZ

 GAME DESIGN
             KAT
             ZAWAKICHI

 HARDWARE
             Yasuhiro Shibuya

 DESIGN
             Mt.MIHARA B.E.umakboh

 SOFTWARE SUPPORT
             E.Takashi Kitabayashi
             YMOT Yagi

 SPECIAL THANKS
 (Character design)
             ZAK MUNN
             Masami Kikuchi
             MUTTER TOMY
             E.BANG DE BOO.M
 (Model)
             E.SATOH GO 2
             WEP
             Y.S.SAYURI.K.U
             Mt.MIHARA B.E.umakboh
             Masami Kikuchi

 Thank you for your playing!

 Presented by
 TAITO CORPORATION [In the English version: "TAITO CORPORATION JAPAN"]

[There is a staged scene of Round 1.]
[There is a staged scene of Round 2.]
[There is a staged scene of Round 3. These guys know what they're doing, lol.]
[There is a staged scene of Round 4.]
[There is a staged scene of Round 5.]
[There is a staged scene of Round 6.]
[There is a staged scene of Round 1's boss.]
[There is a staged scene of Round 2's boss.]
[There is a staged scene of Round 3's boss.]
[There is a staged scene of Round 4's boss.]
[There is a staged scene of Round 5's boss.]
[There is a staged scene of Round 6's boss.]
[There is an image of the World Map.]
[There is an image of the Taito Logo.]
[There is an image of all of the characters, assembled for a cast photo.]

 (On the Name Entry Screen, press the Attack Button to enter the initial,
 and press the Jump Button to return to the previous initial.)


==============================================================================
[3] (reserved)
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==============================================================================
[4] Sound Test
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 Press Left and Right to cycle through the tunes or effects (256 total).
 Press Up and Down to cycle in increments of 16 (or 10 in hexadecimal).
 Press Attack to play them. Press Jump to stop them. (Player 1 only.)

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
 ##  Time  Tune or Effect  ##  Time  Tune or Effect  ##  Time  Tune or Effect
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
 00        (silence)       29        charm           52        Boss 2 laser
 01        (blank)         2A        Magic tornado   53        group cheer
 02        (silence)       2B        animal cry      54        bell ring
 03        (blank)         2C        skate           55        (silence)
 04        (blank)         2D        Boss 6 blue     56        squeak
 05        (blank)         2E        "Go!" Indicator 57        (silence)
 06        (blank)         2F        twist           58        short chirp
 07        (silence)       30        pop             59        echoing drop
 08        Credit          31        hero die 2      5A        strike
 09  0:32  Prologue        32        gong            5B        (silence)
 0A  0:18  Title           33        hero die 1      5C        (silence)
 0B  0:37  Round 1 start   34        clink           5D  0:57  Unused
 0C  0:28  Unused          35        chirp           5E        animal rush 2
 0D  1:01  Round 1         36        microwave ding  5F  0:25  Boss (Shared)
 0E        clock ticking   37        knight swing    60  0:50  Ending Images
 0F  0:59  Round 2         38        slam, door      61  0:10  World Map
 10  1:07  Round 3 DRUGS   39        clank           62        Mel attack
 11  0:57  Round 4         3A        bounce          63        trill
 12  1:03  Round 5         3B        Boss 6 fire     64  0:32  Boss 3
 13  0:52  Unused          3C        tap             65  0:07  Boss 5
 14  0:53  Round 6         3D        gear clanking   66        fairy ring
 15  1:14  Unused          3E  0:29  Boss 2          67        Magic dust
 16  0:54  Unused          3F        Round 5 flood   68        yell
 17  0:27  Boss 1, 4, 6    40        splat           69        distant boom
 18        (silence)       41        megabomb blast  6A        Round 4 rain
 19  0:17  Round 6 end     42        Magic girl      6B        (blank)
 1A  0:15  Unused          43        mixed beeping   6C        animal get
 1B  0:41  big pink guy    44        bubbling        6D        clock turning
 1C  0:27  microwave guy   45        dig             6E  0:14  Round 3, 5 end
 1D  0:16  Unused          46        Zac hit         6F  0:06  Round 2 end
 1E  1:47  Staff Credits   47        Mel hit         70        gear wind
 1F  0:14  Name Entry      48        nuclear fairy   71        energy buzz
 20  0:07  Game Over       49        boing           72        high beeping
 21  0:08  Game Start      4A        raspberry       73 to F0  (silence)
 22        jump            4B        tongue          F1        tone
 23        Zac attack XD   4C        giggling        F2        tones
 24        thump           4D        Boss 4 fire     F3        hums
 25  0:04  boss die        4E        animal rush 1   F4        (silence)
 26        screech         4F        (silence)       F5        repeated tones
 27        girl/dust start 50        (silence)       F6        repeated tones
 28        chime           51        grunting        F7 to FF  (silence)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


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[5] Reference
==============================================================================


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[5.1] Game Source Information
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: PuLiRuLa

Developer: Taito
Producer: Taito

Genre: action fighter
Players: 2

Save: none

Publisher: Taito

Release Date: 1991------


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[5.2] Really Small Details That Make Those Doggies and Piggies Even Cuddlier
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subtle Differences
 Despite appearing otherwise, the heroes actually differ in the pacing
 of certain actions. Mel ends her thrust attacks slightly faster,
 while Zac ends his initial standard attacks slightly faster. These
 differences are very minor and don't really affect the gameplay.

Hey, Don't Hate Her Because She's Beautiful
 In the English version, although the giant woman's legs are removed in
 the third Round, they can still be seen in the Ending Images (after the
 Staff Credits).

What Else Is There?
 The World Map shows a town at the south that isn't visited by the heroes
 in the game. Has this town originally been meant as the location for
 the third Round? The desert to its east could have served as the place
 for the fourth Round, too. The massive forest drawn on the World Map
 also isn't explored.

Krezzy Comparisons
 Taito has lovely arcade games. Just for fun, let's compare Mel from PuLiRuLa
 with Sophia from Warrior Blade: Rastan Saga 3, Lisa from Arabian Magic,
 and Cisty from Light Bringer (Dungeon Magic).

 Name                                            Mel     Sophia  Lisa    Cisty
 Swings a staff and calls up comical pals         x
 Swishes a cloth and rubs magic lamps                             x
 Shoots arrows and kicks enemies in the face                              x
 Cracks a whip and shoots rocks from her armpits          x
 Has alternate attacks that are free to use       x       x               x
 Can ride mounts (including flying carpets, lol)          x       x
 Can turn into an adorable little angel           x
 Can fall into bottomless pits                            x       x       x
 Can get her flesh eaten by a giant snake D:                              x
 Sees one of the leading villains near the start  x                       x
 Breaks out from a prison-like magical realm      x               x
 Finds alternate paths or hidden levels                   x               x
 Hangs out with Conan, er, Rastan the Barbarian           x
 Hangs out with Guts, er, Gren the Berserker                              x
 Hangs out with the buffest Sindbad ever seen                     x
 Hangs out with a weenie chimney sweeper          x
 Goes for a Sheherazade-style look                                x
 Goes for a medieval fantasy-style slutty look            x               x
 Goes for a Mary Poppins-style look... Awww :)    x
 Shows her cleavage                                       x       x       x
 Shows her navel                                          x       x
 Puts on more clothing in her ending                              x
 Peers between a giant woman's legs...            x
 ... and finds a big pink elephant XD             x
 Is voiced by and enjoys music from Team Zuntata  x       x       x       x
 Winner                                                      Tie


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[5.3] Document Credits
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taito (www.taito.co.jp)
 For creating PuLiRuLa.

Spherelanders
 For playing through the game and figuring out the best tactics.
 Extra thanks to Alex Round for actually authoring this document
 and to Koyume for providing support and for always being the
 sweetest magical girl. :D


==============================================================================
[6] Contact Information
==============================================================================

 mail: faididi@yahoo.com


==============================================================================
==============================================================================