Tomb Raider Game Boy Advance Controls & Strategy

Basic Controls

Run

Control Pad

Lara can't walk in this game, so be very careful around steep drop-offs and other hazards.

Jump

A button

A alone makes Lara jump straight up. If she's facing a ledge, she'll automatically grab it. (See Combo Moves, below, for more complex jumps.)

Action

B button

Used to activate switches, pick up objects, safety drop (under Combo Moves, below), etc. A flashing 'B' icon appears on-screen whenever you can perform an action.

Pause Game

Start

See Pause Menu, below.

View Inventory

Select

A flashing 'Select' icon on-screen tells when to look in the inventory for a specific item. (For details, see Inventory, below.)

Combo Moves

Vault (climb onto ledge or low wall)

A + Control Pad

At a wall or ledge press A to grab the edge then use the appropriate control pad button to pull up.

Safety Drop

B button

When Lara approaches an edge, the 'B' icon appears on screen. Press B and she will turn around and drop back, grabbing the edge. Use the control pad buttons to traverse, pull up or let go. (This reduces health loss when dropping from a high ledge.)

Sprint

L button

Used with the control pad to make Lara run faster. See Long Running Jump (last in this section) and Sprint Bar (below).

Running Jump

Control Pad + A

There aren't separate combos for standing/running jumps in this game. Run using the control pad, then tap A to jump in that direction. There's no need to hold A; Lara automatically grabs any ledge or block she can reach.

Long Running Jump

L + Control Pad + A

For the longest possible jump, hold Sprint (L), run using the control pad, then tap A to jump. There's no need to hold A; Lara automatically grabs any ledge or block she can reach.

Combat

Draw/Holster Weapons

R button

   

Fire Weapons

B button

Since this is also the Action button (above), Lara can't use items, pick up objects, etc., with weapons drawn. (See notes on specific weapons under Inventory, below.)

Change weapons

Select

(See Inventory, below.)

On-Screen Display

Health Bar - This bar is displayed at the top right of the screen (only when Lara has weapons drawn or is taking damage). It shows how much health she has left. When the bar is depleted, she dies. Collect and use medipaks to restore Lara's health. (See Inventory, below.) But keep in mind that Lara's health is restored at the beginning of each new level, so don't waste medipaks near the end of a level.

Ammo Indicator - This indicator, which is just below the health bar, shows the number of rounds left in Lara's weapon. The default pistols have unlimited ammo. You can collect other types of ammo during gameplay.

Sprint Bar - If you hold the sprint (L) button while running, Lara can go faster. However, she can only sprint for a short time. When the sprint bar, shown at the top left of the screen, is depleted, you'll need to release the L button and wait for the bar to fill up before Lara can sprint again. Note that sprinting lets Lara jump farther (see Long Running Jump, above). Also, Lara can only sprint when her weapons are holstered.

'B' and 'Select' icons - See Action and View Inventory, above.

Saving Your Game

You can't save your game. However, when you reach a new level, the four-letter password for that level is revealed. Then, if Lara dies, you can resume play from the beginning of the current level by entering the password on the password screen. (See Pause Menu and Password Screen, below.)

Inventory

You start the game with the default pistols (unlimited ammo). In the course of the game, you find additional weapons, ammo, health packs and other items. When Lara picks up an item it goes into inventory.

To go to the inventory screen, press Select. Use the Control Pad left/right buttons to view each of the items in inventory. When the item you want is centered, press A to use or equip it (and return to the game) or press Select to return to gameplay without using anything. The game is paused while on the inventory screen.

Found items include:

  • Small medipaks - restore ¼ of Lara's health
  • Large medipaks - restore full health
  • Uzis - These have a faster fire rate and are more powerful than the standard guns. Once you've found the Uzis, select them from inventory to use them.
  • Golden Guns - These 'ray' guns are the most powerful weapons available, but they're a little tricky to use at first. Hold the fire button (B) to power up the guns. Then release it to fire. The longer you hold the fire button down, the stronger the beam when you release it. Lara must be facing her target squarely in order to hit it with the Golden Guns. Once you've found these guns, select them from inventory to use them.
  • Uzi ammo
  • Golden Gun ammo
  • Other - Various other items, artifacts, etc., can be found in the course of gameplay. The walkthrough describes their use in detail.

Pause Menu and Password Screen

During gameplay, press Start to go to the Pause Menu. This displays the current password and the continue/quit option. Press Control Pad up/down to toggle between Continue/Quit. Press A to confirm your selection. When you choose Quit, the game will ask are you sure? Select "Yes" and press A again.

Whenever you quit or restart the game, you see the New Game/Continue screen. Press Control Pad up/down to toggle between New Game/Continue. Then press A to confirm your selection. When you choose continue, the Password screen is displayed. The current password is shown. Press Start to load the beginning of that level. Or, enter a new password to skip to any level. (A list of level passwords is included on the Maps Index page.)

To enter a new password, first press B to erase each letter in the current password. Then use the Control Pad to select a letter from the list and press the A button to confirm. Press the B button if you make a mistake. If you enter an incorrect password, the password is displayed as X-ed out. After entering a correct password, press Start to load the level. Or, to return to the main menu, press B until all the letters are erased. Then press B again.

IMPORTANT: Lara's inventory is reset every time you restart the game using a password, but you will still have any essential items and weapons found in previous levels.

Main TR Game Boy Page | Main Gameplay & Controls Page | TR: The Prophecy Walkthrough





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