Astroblast.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ASTROBLAST INSTRUCTIONS (1 Player vs. Computer) Hit as many falling, fast-moving targets as you can. Move your laser base to avoid being hit yourself. Keep shooting as long as your bases last, and try for a great Peak Score! For You Atari* Video Game System C Mattel, Inc. 1982 Mattel Canada, Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada. M8Z 5R5 *ATARI is a trademark of ATARI INC. THE GAME You start with 10 laser defense bases. Several things fall from the sky: rocks, spinning white bombs, "smart" guided missiles and - when your score goes over 20,000 - UFO bombs. If your active laser is hit OR a spinner lands, you lose that base. You get another base whenever your peak score goes up 1,000 points. As the score goes higher more targets appear - falling faster. CONTROLLERS Use joysticks or one paddle controller. The paddle moves the base faster, and we recommend it for a better game. Plug paddles or joystick into LEFT CONTROLLER jack. Joystick Paddle --------- [] ------- |o | [] [] [] [| _ | | | [][][] /____/ \____\ |<- O ->| <-- [][] [][] --> \ | O | / | | [][][] | | | | [][][][][] | | --------- [] [] [] [] \_____/ Move Left Move Left Move Right Move Right Press red button to shoot ... hold in for repeat firing. DIFFICULTY SWITCHES RIGHT SWITCH: Set at "B" to play game at regular skill level. Set at "A" to play at accelerated speed (same pace and targets as if score were over 50,000). LEFT SWITCH: Set at "B" for manual firing mode. Set at "A" for automatic firing. NOTE: Switches can be changed during the game. ACTION! TO START THE GAME, DEPRESS RESET SWITCH, THEN PRESS CONTROLLER BUTTON. Move your active laser base to get directly under a target, then fire your laser. Avoid being hit by any falling object. The number at lower right shows how many laser bases you have. You get a new base whenever your peak score increases 1,000 points. NOTE: If your score goes down, then rises, you don't get an extra base when you pass your old peak level. You must advance another 1,000 points to win a bonus base. WHEN ALL BASES ARE LOST, THE GAME ENDS AND YOUR PEAK SCORE APPEARS. TARGETS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OO OO OOOOOO OO Rocks ... A small rock gives you twice as many points OOOOOOOO as a big one. And small rocks that land OOO OOOOOO unhit cost you twice as many points. When OOOO OOOOOO big rocks are hit they usually split in two. OOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OO OOOOOO OOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOO OOOO OOOO OOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOO OOOO OO OO OOOO OOOO ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OO OO OOOOOOOO Spinners ... If a spinner lands, it costs you one laser OO OO base. Spinners make audible alarm signals. OOOOOOOO OO OO ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OO OO OOOOOO Pulsars ... These guided missiles try to home in on your OOOOOOOOOO base, and change course as they fall. You don't OOOOOOOOOO lose points if pulsars land, but if you can hit OOOOOO one, it has the value of 8 big rocks. Pulsars OO make a beeping sound as they attack. OO ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OOOOOO OOOO OOOO OOOO OOOO UFO's ... When your score is over 20,000, UFOs occasionally OOOOOO fly past, dropping bombs on your active base OOOOOO location. You get no points for hitting the OOOOOOOOOO bombs, but each UFO hit is worth 10 large rocks. OOOOOOOOOOOOOO UFOs make a distinctive sound as they fly across. OO OO OO OO OOOOOOOOOOOOOO ------------------------------------------------------------------------ IF YOU ARE HIT, WAIT FOR EXPLOSION TO STOP THEN PRESS BUTTON TO CONTINUE. SCORING The number at the lower center of the screen is your current score. It changes when you hit a target, when rocks land, and when you lose a base. Score increases when you hit ... Score Big Small Spinner Pulsar UFO Range Rock Rock ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 0- 1,000 10 20 40 80 * 1,000- 5,000 20 40 80 160 * 5,000-20,000 30 60 120 240 * 20,000-50,000 40 80 160 320 400 over 50,000 50 100 200 400 500 Screen background color changes when score goes from one range to another. Score decreases when ... Your Base Is Hit Score Big Rock Small Rock Spinner By Rock, Pulsar Range Lands Lands Lands Or UFO Bomb ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 0- 1,000 5 10 100 100 1,000- 5,000 10 20 200 200 5,000-20,000 15 30 300 300 20,000-50,000 20 40 400 400 over 50,000 25 50 500 500 SCORE IS NEVER LESS THAN ZERO. WINNING TIPS •Whenever you have a choice between big and small rocks, shoot at the small ones. •Don't shoot rocks very close to you - the explosion can blow up your base. •Remember: if any spinners land, you lose a base. Shoot at them as soon as they appear. •Don't try to run away from pulsars and UFOs.. Get directly underneath them fast - then shoot! MATTEL ELECTRONICS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This document converted to html by gchance@ecst.csuchico.edu. -------------------Atari 2600 Instructions Archive------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This document obtained from the History of Home Video Games Homepage, ©1997 by Greg Chance