ACTIVISION MEGAMANIA INSTRUCTIONS If you think MegaMania is just another space game, you're dreaming. And that dream will become a nightmare. A space nightmare. So, prepare yourself for one of the most unreal experiences you'll ever encounter. Read these instructions before you begin. Give yourself a fighting chance. -----------------------------MEGAMANIA BASICS---------------------------------- You control a fleet of mobile blasters at the bottom of the screen, under constant attack by wave after wave of outrageous objects. Your goal is to accumulate points by knocking our as many enemy objects as possible, before your fleet is destroyed. Here's how to start: 1. Hook up your video game system. Follow manufacturer's instructions. 2. With power OFF, plug in game cartridge. 3. Turn power ON. If no picture appears, check connection of your game system to TV, then repeat steps 1-3. 4. Plug in Joystick Controller/s. Solo player uses left Joystick. 5. Set both difficulty switches to b to begin. 6. Select game with the game select switch. GUIDED MISSILES STRAIGHT MISSILES Game 1: one player Game 3: one player Game 2: two players Game 4: two players taking turns taking turns In games 1 and 2, you can control the direction of your missile after it has been fired by "steering" it with your Joystick Controller. Also, you can fire continuously by holding the red button down on your Joystick. In Games 3 and 4, fired missiles streak straight up and your blaster will fire single shots only. 7. Use of Joystick Controller. Hold Joystick Controller with the red button in the upper left position. Fire missiles by depressing red button. Move your mobile blaster left or right across the screen by moving your Joystick left or right. 8. To begin or start a new game. Press game reset. Your energy bar will charge completely. Once it is charged, the enemy attack will begin. 9. Difficulty Switches. Difficulty switches affect the speed of the missiles only. With switches in the b position, missiles travel at high speed. In the a position, missiles travel at slow speed. [Note to owners of Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade: Difficulty is called skill, left (or right) player, and a is expert, b is novice] 10. Reinforcements. You begin each game with three blasters in reserve. For each 10,000 points you score, you're given an additional blaster. You can only have up to six reserve blasters on the screen at one time. 11. Scoring. Each time you destroy an attacking object, you score points. The point values for each object are listed below: MegaMania Point System Point Value of Each Attacker Attacking Object (First Cycle Only) ---------------- ---------------------------- ----- =========== ## ### ## Hamburgers 20 =========== ----- ----------- ## ### ## =========== Cookies 30 ## ### ## ----------- ## ## ## ========== Bugs 40 ## ## ## ===-----=== ---=---=--- Radial Tires 50 ---=---=--- ===-----=== ##### ######### ### ### Diamonds 60 ######### ##### #_________# ##_______## Steam Irons 70 | | | | `---^---^---' #\ /# ###\/### Bow Ties 80 ###/\### #/ \# /#\ /### \ \####/## Space Dice 90 /##\### / | ###\/ These point values apply for the first attack cycle only. After the first cycle, each object is worth 90 points. Each attack cycle consists of all eight waves of objects (see "MegaCycle" under "Special Features"). Bonus Points. You receive bonus points for each energy unit you have remaining at the moment you destroy the last object in an enemy wave. Each energy unit is worth the point value of each attacker in bonus points. For example, in the first wave, if you have 30 energy units left after destroying all the attacking hamburgers, you will be awarded 600 bonus points. There are 80 total energy units in your energy bar in the beginning of each wave. SPECIAL FEATURES OF MEGAMANIA BY ACTIVISION The Energy Bar. Always keep an eye on your energy bar. It indicates the expenditure of energy with the passage of time. If the energy bar reaches zero, and you still haven't wiped out an attacking wave, you lose your blaster. But, when you completely wipe out a wave, the energy bar will recharge and the next wave will appear. MegaCycle. When you have destroyed all of the objects in all eight of the enemy waves, you're just beginning. All eight of the waves will return for a rematch. And the better you get, the better they get. The shapes will be the same, but the colors will be different and the objects will take on more sophisticated motion patterns and evasive actions with each new cycle. MegaSphere. Each of the enemy objects travels in an orbital path. When an object disappears off the bottom of the screen, it will return at the top of the screen. If an object goes off screen on the right side, it will be back to get you from the left. GETTING THE FEEL OF MAGAMANIA BY ACTIVISION To learn to play this game successfully, you'll have to develop a sense of rhythm and anticipation. You do this by becoming expert at the tactics of "Hit and Run." Always be aware of your position in relation to enemy fire. It takes only a subtle move to dodge enemy disintegrators, but you must move, or you're fried. Also, if an attacker touches your mobile blaster, you lose that blaster. But, DON'T PANIC! Even though the enemy gets very close, you can still destroy them. Once you have wiped out an entire wave, you have a brief rest while the energy bar recharges. Try and recall the next wave, anticipate and prepare your attack strategy. HOW TO JOIN THE ACTIVISION "MEGAMANIACS" If you reach a scare of 45,000 points or more, you are eligible to become an official MegaManiac. Simply send us a picture of your TV screen showing your score along with your name and address, and we'll send you an official MegaManiac emblem. HOW TO BECOME A MEGAMANIAC Tips from Steve Cartwright, designer of MegaMania Steve Cartwright is a Senior Designer at Activision. His first release, Barnstorming set a new standard for brilliant graphics in the video game industry "I hope you enjoy my latest work, MegaMania. Here are a few pointers that I'd like to share with all of my fellow MegaManiacs. "I recommend that you try to stay in the center of the screen. This keeps you from getting trapped in a corner and also gives you the side-to-side flexibility necessary to guide your missiles effectively. "And here's a piece of advanced strategy to really help boost your scores: bonus points are awarded depending an your energy remaining at the time you destroy the last object in a wave. So, if you have built up your reserve ships, and you're nearing the end of a wave, go ahead and sacrifice a ship. Your energy will be fully recharged, and, if you can quickly destroy the last attacker in a wave, you'll pick up maximum bonus points. "It's really wild out there, but please take a couple of minutes and let me know how you're doing. Remember, all of us MegaManiacs are in this thing together!" Steve Cartwright ACTIVISION(R) Activision, Inc., Drawer No. 7287, Mountain View, CA 94042 Atari(R) and Video Computer System(TM) are trademarks of Atari, Inc. Tele-Games(R) and Video Arcade(TM) are trademarks of Sears, Roebuck and Co. (c)1982 Activision AX-017-03 Printed in U.S.A. -------------------Atari 2600 Instructions Archive-------------------