ATARI (R) 2600 (R) Game Manual SECRET QUEST (TM) By Nolan Bushnell Video game designer and Atari Pioneer. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the product documentation in this manual. However, Atari Corporation is constantly improving and updating its computer hardware and software, it is unable to guarantee the accuracy of printed material after the date of publication and disclaims liability for changes, errors, or omissions. Reproduction of all or any portion of this manual is not allowed without the specific written consent of Atari Corporation. Atari (R), the Atari logo, 2600 (R), 7800 (TM) and Secret Quest (TM) are trademarks or registered trademarks of Atari Corporation. ATARI (R) Copyright (C) 1989, Atari Corporation. Sunnyvale, CA 94086. All rights reserved. TABLE OF CONTENTS SAVE THE HUMAN RACE! .................. 1 Getting Started ..................... 1 PLAYING THE GAME ...................... 2 Your Quest .......................... 2 Moving Around the Stations .......... 2 Finding and Using Objects ........... 3 Weapons ........................... 3 Oxygen Bottles and Energy Pods .... 4 Sonic Keys ........................ 4 Status Screen ....................... 5 Destroying a Station ................ 6 SAVING A GAME ......................... 7 Save ................................ 7 Restart ............................. 7 STRATEGY .............................. 8 SCORING ............................... 9 SAVE THE HUMAN RACE! First there was one alien space station, then there were three. Now there are eight. If left unchecked, laser gates, dragons, and other evil creatures will wipe out the human race. To destroy each station, you'll have to confront the aliens in face-to-face combat and discover the secret destruct code. Once you have the code, use it to activate the station's self-destruction mechanism. Then the race begins. Can you get to the teleport room before the station explodes into the vacuum of space? Are you ready? Remember, you'll need precision battle skills, a keen sense of direction, speed, and pure guts to save the human race. Getting Started 1. Insert the Secret Quest cartridge into your Atari 2600 or 7800 console as explained in your Owner's Manual. 2. Plug a controller into the left controller port. 3. Switch on your television. Then push the 2600's [Power] switch to the ON position. The Secret Quest title screen will appear. 4. Enter your initials by moving the directional control on your controller up or down until the letter you want appears and left or right to move between the two entry positions. You must enter both initials in order to start the game. 5. Press [Reset] or the fire button to start play. During play, you can press [Reset] to return to the title screen. PLAYING THE GAME Your Quest Destroy all eight alien space stations. The secret orders you received list basics on how to destroy a station. The rest is up to you. 1. Search through the rooms and find the secret destruct code on each level. 2. Find the self-destruction mechanism and activate it by entering the secret destruct code(s). 3. Race to the teleporter room and escape the alien station before it explodes. The teleporter automatically sends you to the next station. Along the way you pick up weapons and other objects and fight alien creatures such as Spinner and Dragon. Fighting aliens takes precious oxygen and energy, which you can replenish each time you destroy all aliens in a room. The game ends when you destroy all eight stations, run out of oxygen, or don't make it to the teleporter room in time after activating the self-destruct mechanism. When the game ends, the title screen appears with your total score. Moving Around the Stations Use the directional control to move around the stations. Each time you pass through a door the screen changes to show the next room. Finding and Using Objects If you're good, you will find weapons, oxygen bottles, energy pods, and sonic keys. To pick up an object, walk over to it and touch it. You will be able to pick up all objects you find, but you can have only one active weapon or sonic key. You can change the active weapon/sonic key from the status screen as described in Status Screen. To use an active object, press the fire button. Weapons {pictures of Energy Sword, Sonic Blaster, Particle Beam} You will need weapons to fight the aliens. There are three weapons to find: the energy sword, sonic blaster, and the particle beam. When you touch your first weapon, it appears in your hand as the active weapon. Press the fire button to use the active weapon. You may have to zap an alien a number of times to destroy it. Each weapon has a strength and energy value. Stronger weapons do more damage to the aliens. When you use a weapon, you lose energy units. The following chart shows the strength and energy depletion value of each weapon type. Strength Energy Weapon Value Used --------------------------------- Energy Sword 2 1 Sonic Blaster 4 2 Particle Beam 8 4 Oxygen Bottles and Energy Pods {pictures; Oxygen Bottles look like seltzer bottles, Energy Pods are rounded rectangles with an intermittent spark} Each time you destroy a room full of aliens, an oxygen bottle or energy pod appears. Touch these objects to replenish lost oxygen and energy. Fighting aliens depletes energy and/or oxygen. Exploring depletes oxygen at the rate of one oxygen bottle every minute. The game ends if you run out of oxygen. If you run out of energy, the game continues, but you will not be able to use any weapons until you find more energy. Indicator bars at the bottom of the screen show how much energy and oxygen you have. Each mark on the indicator equals 16 units of energy or one bottle of oxygen. Sonic Keys {picture of Sonic Key, looks like a horn} Sonic doors appear throughout the space stations. In order to open a sonic door, you must have a sonic key. These keys are scattered around the stations. When you come to a sonic door, make sure the sonic key is active, then press the fire button to open the door and reveal a secret stairway. Activate a sonic key from the status screen as explained under Active Object in the next section. Each sonic key can only be used once. Status Screen You can look at the status screen any time during the game by pushing the [TV Type] switch on the 2600 console up and down. To return to the game screen, push the [TV Type] switch up and down again. On the Atari 7800 switch between the game and status screens by pressing [Pause]. The status screen shows the following: o Current Station When you destroy a station, it disappears from the status screen. The current station flashes. o Current Level A stack of bars indicate how many levels the current station contains. The current level flashes. o Active Object The active object is either a weapon or a sonic key. To change active objects, press the fire button until the object you want appears. o Re-entry Code If you want to exit the game so you can return later at the same station, write down this code so you can restart at the status screen. (See Saving a Game for more information.) {screen shot} Destroying a Station Your secret orders specify the following procedure for destroying a station. The procedure is dangerous and risky, but it's the only known way to destroy these evil space stations. 1. On each level of a station, look for a code symbol. (Station 1 has only 1 level; all others have multiple levels.) To move to different levels within a station, use the stairs and sonic doors. You might want to write down the code(s). 2. When you have found the codes on all levels of a station, search for a room with a flashing horizontal bar. This room contains the self-destruction mechanism. When you arrive at this room, move the directional control forward to display codes and left or right to move between the entry positions. Be sure to enter the codes in the correct sequence. 3. When you have entered all codes, press the fire button, and race to the teleporter room. A number countdown appears to show you how many seconds you have to make it. 4. When you arrive at the teleporter room, touch the teleporter to escape the station before it explodes into smithereens. Once you touch the teleporter you are transported to the next station. {picture of a Teleporter, looks like a glowing tube} SAVING A GAME You can leave a game in progress and start again later at the same station with the points you've already earned. Any number of games can be left and resumed, as long as each game is started with a different set of initials. Save To leave a game you wish to restart later, follow these steps: 1. Note the initials you entered when you started the game. 2. On the 2600 push the [TV Type] switch up and down to display the status screen. On the 7800 push [Pause]. 3. Write down the re-entry code sequence that appears at the bottom of the screen. 4. Continue playing or switch off your system. Restart Follow these steps to restart a game: 1. Start a new game. 2. Enter your initials. You must enter the initials you used when you started the game you want to resume. 3. When the game screen appears (the first room of station 1), push the [TV Type] switch (or [Pause] on a 7800) to display the status screen. You can only restart the game from the first room of station 1. 4. Push [Select] to begin changing codes. (The first code will flash.) 5. Move the directional control forward or backwards to change codes and left or right to move between the codes. Be sure to enter the codes in the correct sequence. 6. Push [Select] to return to the game screen at the previous level. STRATEGY Learn your way around the stations by drawing a map as you go. If you are in a multi-level station, write down the code you find on each level so you will be able to remember the entire code when you enter the room containing the self-destruction mechanism. Avoid losing all of your energy. If you lose all of your energy, you can't use a weapon. If you can't use a weapon to destroy aliens, you will not be able to get oxygen. If you can't get oxygen, you will not live long. Neither will the human race. SCORING The following list shows the number of points you earn each time you destroy an alien. Dragon ...................................... 750 points Snake ....................................... 700 points Firecracker {short, sparks from antenna} .... 650 points Ghost ....................................... 600 points Stomper {smiling stick-figure} .............. 550 points Squid ....................................... 500 points Medusa ...................................... 400 points Spinner {two rotating balls} ................ 350 points Floater {diamond, eye in center} ............ 250 points Machine {on treads} ......................... 200 points Chopper {prop on top} ....................... 150 points Potato Man {brown with legs} ................ 100 points Bear Trap {snapping jaws} ................... 50 points ATARI (R) Copyright (C) 1989, Atari Corporation. Sunnyvale, CA 94086. All rights reserved. Printed in Hong Kong. N.C.4.89. C300016-170 Rev. A