SPACE WAR GAME PROGRAM TM INSTRUCTIONS MODEL CX2604 ATARI A Warner Communications Company ATARI, INC., Consumer Division 1195 Borregas Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (c) 1978 ATARI, INC. C011402-04 Use your Joystick Controllers with this Game Program TM. Be sure the Controllers are firmly connected to your Video Computer System TM. See your Owner's Manual for details. Hold the Controllers with the red button to your upper left towards the television screen. To prolong the life of your Atari Video Computer System and protect the electronic components, the console should be OFF when inserting or removing a Game Program. CONTROLLER ACTION THRUST ^ | | <-----> TURN | TURN LEFT | RIGHT v HYPERSPACE Just like learning to drive a car, it takes a bit of practice to learn how to control your Star Ship during Space War and Space Shuttle games. The following exercises will help you gain proficiency in controlling your Star Ship. Game 14, a Space Shuttle game, is an excellent practice field. <--- TURN LEFT . TURN RIGHT ##### (COUNTER CLOCKWISE) ^ # \ (CLOCKWISE) \ ### / ### v \ ### ^ / ### v # / ##### '> EXERCISE 1 After cycling to Game 14, push the Game Reset button. Push the Joystick to the left; your Star Ship will rotate counter clockwise (left). Push the Joystick to the right; your Star Ship will rotate clockwise (right). Practice rotating your Star Ship in both directions. Notice how the Star Ship looks when it is each position. INCREASE SPEED SLOW SPEED | | DIRECTION V DIRECTION | DIRECTION OF | OF | OF TRAVEL | THRUST | TRAVEL V V ##### # ### ### ### ### # ##### | ^ | | DIRECTION | ^ OF V | THRUST EXERCISE 2 Push the Game Reset button. By pushing the Joystick forward (towards the television screen), give your Star Ship three quick short bursts of "thrust". notice that your Star Ship is now travelling in a forward motion towards the bottom of the playfield. By turning the Star Ship either clockwise or counter clockwise, turn the Star Ship so it is facing away from the forward motion. Give the Star Ship thee short quick bursts of thrust. Your Star Ship will slow almost to a stop. Push the Game Reset and try again. Practice this exercise until you can stop the Star Ship completely. INCREASE SPEED DIRECTION OF # TRAVEL ### --------->----->####----> DIRECTION OF ### THRUST # SLOW SPEED # ### ------>----->####<----<------ DIRECTION OF ### DIRECTION OF TRAVEL # THRUST EXERCISE 3 Push the Game Reset button. Turn your Star Ship so it is facing to your right and down (approximately 45 degrees). Give your Star Ship continuous "thrust" until it is moving rapidly across the playfield. Alternate using horizontal "thrust" and vertical "thrust" to bring the Star Ship to a near standstill in the middle of the playfield. After mastering the above exercises, you should be an experienced Star Ship captain, ready to do battle among the stars. \ \ DIRECTION OF TRAVEL \ # \## ### #### ^ \ | DIRECTION \ | OF THRUST # ### ### ##### # ### <---#### DIRECTION ###\ OF THRUST # \ \ HANDICAP Difficulty Switches The left and right Difficulty switches must be in the "B" position during all Space War games. In Space Shuttle games, slide the Difficulty switch "A" and you must exactly match your Star Ship's velocity to the Space Module's velocity. In "B" position, your Star Ship does not have to travel at the same speed to dock with the Space Module. SCORING During Space War games (1 through 7) you score one point when your opponent's Star Ship explodes. A Star Ship will explode when: * A direct hit is made by firing a missile. * The Star Ship collides with the Space Sun (games 4 and 5). * The Star Ship runs out of fuel while in Hyperspace (games 2 through 7). * The Star Ship tries to enter Hyperspace when out of fuel (games 2 through 7). In one and two-player Shuttle games (8 through 17) one point is scored each time the Star Ship is successfully docked with the Space Module. You have ten minutes to score a maximum ten points. SPACE GLOSSARY Space Combat and Shuttle game playfields are characterized by different "galaxy" variations. The following descriptions will tell you what to expect when a game features any of these variations. [Picture of the playfield.] GALAXY BOUNDARY In some galaxies your Star Ship cannot penetrate the playfield boundaries and will instead bounce off the edges. WARP DRIVE Move your Star Ship off one edge of the Galaxy Boundary and it will go into Warp Drive and reappear on the opposite side. For example, move your Star Ship off the right edge and it will reappear on the left edge. SPACE SUN Fight the pull of gravity from the sun in the center of the Space Galaxy. In some games your Star Ship will explode from exposure to the extreme heat and reset to the starting position. HYPERSPACE Pull your Joystick towards you. Your Star Ship goes into Hyperspace and becomes invisible. When in Hyperspace, your Star Ship uses more fuel. It is impossible to be hit by your opponents missiles or to collide with the Space Sun while in Hyperspace. To make your Star Ship drop out of Hyperspace and reappear, pull the Joystick towards you. STARBASE Make contact with the Starbase at the center of the galaxy to refuel and resupply your missiles. Your missile and fuel gauges at the top of the playfield will reflect resupplies as your Star Ship resets to the starting point. SPACE WAR GAMES You and your opponent blast off into space. Each player controls one Star Ship with the Joystick Controller. The object is to score points by shooting your opponent's Star Ship with missiles fired by the red button on your Joystick Controller. Aim the nose of your Star Ship in the direction you want to fire. Space War games last ten minutes or until one player scores ten points. Player's scores appear at the top of the playfield and are color coordinated with the Star Ships. The two lines to the right of your score refer to fuel and missile supply. The top line is the fuel gauge; the bottom line is the amount of missiles remaining. Each player begins with eight missiles. Once the arsenal is depleted, the game will automatically reset each player with eight more missiles ONLY when both players are out of missiles. In most War games, fuel cannot be resupplied. In games 6 and 7, players can refuel and resupply missiles by docking with the Starbase. Fuel is used by adding "thrust" to your Star Ship or by putting your Ship into Hyperspace. GAME 1 It's war in space as two players attempt to score 10 points first. You have Galaxy boundaries in this game. GAME 2 Engage in combat in a galaxy which features Galaxy Boundaries and Hyperspace. GAME 3 Oppose your space opponent in a galaxy which has Warp Drive. Use Hyperspace as a defensive move. GAME 4 The Space Sun in the center of the galaxy exerts gravity during combat. Avoid your opponent or collision with the Space Sun by using Hyperspace. You also fight within Galaxy Boundaries. GAME 5 The Space Sun, Warp Drive, and Hyperspace are the features of the galaxy playfield. GAME 6 You can refuel and receive more missiles at any time during this game. Steer your Star Ship to the Starbase. This galaxy also features Galaxy Boundaries and Hyperspace. GAME 7 Steer your Star Ship to the Starbase at any time during the game to refuel or receive more missiles. This galaxy also features Warp Drive and Hyperspace. SPACE SHUTTLE GAMES If you have mastered the exercises, you are ready to try Space Shuttle. Connect your Star Ship with the Space Module to score. Recommended strategy is to first match your Star Ship's speed to the Space Module's speed. Then slowly maneuver your Star Ship towards the Space Module. During Shuttle games the Star Ships have an unlimited supply of fuel. In one-player games, you control one Star Ship with the left Joystick Controller and compete against the clock. You have ten minutes to score a maximum ten points. During two-player games each player maneuvers his Star Ship to score. In two-player games with two Space Modules, the target Space Module will be the same color as your Star Ship. First player to score ten points or the most points in ten minutes wins. 2-PLAYER GAMES GAME 8 Two players each control one Star Ship and attempt to connect with the Module which is color coordinated with the Ship. Warp Drive is present in this galaxy. GAME 9 Two players each control one Star Ship and compete to connect with the same Space Module. This galaxy features Warp Drive. GAME 10 Each player controls a Star Ship and attempts to connect with a color coordinated Space Module. This galaxy has a Space Sun and Galaxy Boundaries. GAME 12 Galaxy Boundaries characterize this galaxy. Each player controls a Star Ship and attempts to connect to the same Space Module. GAME 13 Each player controls a Star Ship and attempts to connect with the Space Module that is color coordinated to the Star Ship. Galaxy boundaries are featured. 1-PLAYER GAMES GAME 14 One player controls a Star Ship and attempts to connect with the Space Module. This galaxy features Warp Drive. GAME 15 A Space Sun and Warp Drive characterize this space galaxy. One player steers the Star Ship to connect with the Space Module. GAME 16 One player controls a Star Ship and attempts to dock it with the Space Module. Galaxy Boundaries characterize this playfield. GAME 17 A Space Sun and Galaxy Boundaries could affect one player's strategy to connect the Star Ship with the Space Module. SPACE WAR STRATEGY TIPS After you master controlling your Star Ship, you're ready to develop game strategy. The following tips should help you begin your competitive strategy for Space Shuttle and Space War games. SPACE WAR * Change your Star Ship's position as soon as the game is in the Start position. The initial location of the Star Ships makes it easier for players to score a direct hit. * Keep close surveillance on your opponent's missile supply gauge. Plan your shots so that your opponent deletes his missile supply first, leaving no defense against your missiles. * Note that missile supplies are automatically replenished only when BOTH players have used all their missiles. Use this feature to you advantage when these three variables occur at once: * Your opponent has no remaining missiles. * You have remaining missiles. * You are playing in a galaxy with a Starbase. Leave your opponent without a chance for resupplying missiles by obtaining all of your missiles at the Starbase BEFORE your supplies are completely depleted. SPACE SHUTTLE * The easiest way to match you Star Ship's speed with the Space Module speed it to first, stop your ship. Point it in the DIRECTION the module is travelling. Apply thrust until the Star Ship and the Space Module are moving at the same speed. Then move the Star Ship towards the Space Module. * To efficiently make your Star Ship contact the Module: * Your Star Ship must travel at the same speed as the Space Module. * Your Star Ship must travel in the same direction as the Space Module. Now point your Ship at the Module and apply thrust. SPACE WAR / 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 . ---------------------+----------------------------- No. of Players | 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 | 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 Single Module | | X X X X X X Galaxy Boundary | X X X X | X X X X X Warp Drive | X X X | X X X X X Space Sun | X X | X X X X Hyperspace | X X X X X X | Starbase | X X |