Pino

Ok, here's the script: Pino, the sole survivor of the Pinology race, has crash-landed on earth after narrowly cheating death at the hands of the vicious Waldo tribe. Tragically, Pino lost his memory in the impact and now needs you to care for him. Sound a bit far-fetched? We think so. For a start, if he's the only survivor, how come he makes numerous TV appearances, despite being under 24-hour supervision/house arrest in our offices? Pino starts life as a young, defenceless robot pup and needs careful nurturing if he's to grow and develop his many walking, singing, dancing, and game-playing skills.

Depending on the amount of tender loving care/mild disinterest/plastic-shattering violence you subject him to, Pino develops one of three personalities: shy, naughty, or friendly, which affects the way he responds to commands. Pino has a head sensor, two hand sensors, a sound sensor, infra red visor and a nose-mounted light sensor.

Interacting with Pino through these sensors advances him through three stages of growth (he evens sings Happy Birthday when he advances to the next level):

• Age 1 - Pino displays basic emotions, sings songs and talks with other Pinos
• Age 2 - Pino displays a full range of emotions, walks, plays games (dancing Pino, Pino room guard, DJ pino, Program Pino, Pino's guessing games) and responds to sound, light and infra red.
• Age 3 - Pino now has a fully developed personality (either Friendly, Shy or Naughty).

Place two Pinos facing each other and they'll interact with each other, gaily singing and dancing 'til they near fry your brain with unintelligible bleeping.

Should Pino's warbling get a little too much for you, you can always hold his head sensor down for 10 seconds and send him up the wooden stairs to Bedfordshire. After all, even the most devoted parent needs a break from time to time.

Be warned, Pino is impossibly cute and his introduction to an already fraught office environment is sure to result in bitter in-fighting, lost man hours, and lengthy custody battles. Think of the effect all this could have on an impressionable young Pino. None of us want to see juvenile Pinos banged up in young offender's institutions, charged with car theft, ram-raiding, pimping, and mugging elderly humanoid robots, do we?

Pino's Moods

As you play with Pino he will express different emotions and go through different moods which will vary the amount that you play and the way that you play. Here are some hints to the way Pino is feeling...