3.5. THE BONUSES

When a BRICK or a hostile object is destroyed, the player may get a BONUS or a CHANCE. Bonuses are cumulative.

The UPPER LEVEL bonus: this bonus allows the player to pass directly at the upper level. If this level doesn't exist (the player is at the last level of the game) then the player wins and can finish the game.

The FIRE BALL bonus: When a player gets this bonus, all active balls in the level will get their power of destruction passing to 1000. If the ball destroys the object that it has just touched, it doesn't change a direction, it pursues his/her/its initial trajectory.

The ROBOT BONUS: this bonus generates an automated racket in the middle of the last line of the screen and destroys all bricks that are underneath at the time of its creation. At this occasion, the game can be promoted to the next level. Any hostile object (BRICK, BUZZ, BOSS etc.) that enters into collision with the ROBOT (at the time of a scrolling for example) is destroyed automatically. So are BONUSES, CHANCES as well as the different SHOOTINGS. This computer controlled racket plays unaided. The ROBOT remains on the display until the player loses a racket. The ROBOT RACKET disables the WALL.

DOUBLE THE BALL BONUS: This bonus enables any ball in play to clone itself. That means that when it enters in collision with a brick, it doubles. However, the CLONE BALL doesn't possess the same faculty of cloning that the original otherwise the screen would be flooded very quickly with balls.

SHOOT BONUS: This BONUS adds a SHOT to the player's racket. There are 5 different SHOTS that the player can get by catching five times the SHOOT BONUS.

SILVER BALL BONUS: When this bonus hits the racket, all the balls in play have their power of destruction jumping to 1000.

BIGGER BALL BONUS: This bonus increases the size of the balls present on the screen. There are 5 different ball sizes. Every time that a player recovers a bonus of this type, the size of every ball present on the screen increases and its power of destruction gains one level.

BIGGER RACKET BONUS: This bonus increases the size of the racket. There are 5 different racket sizes, each corresponding to a specific GIGA BLITZ. As the racket grows, so does its capacity of energy but its capacity of regeneration is lowered so that it will take more time to fire the GIGA BLITZ. A bigger racket is heavier and moves slower.

FLYING RACKET BONUS: With this bonus, the racket can move vertically as well as horizontally. Use the mouse if this device exists. Collisions with the objects are taken in charge during the vertical movements.

STICKY RACKET BONUS: When the player recovers this bonus, the design of the racket is modified. The ball sticks on the player's racket and can be shot the same way as at level start.

BALL CONTROL BONUS: With this bonus, the player will be able to control the direction of the ball. It benefits any ball on the screen. Each time the left mouse button or the action key of the keyboard is activated, the direction of the ball is incremented by one degree. This option is cumulative with the others and disappears at the end of the level but doesn't affect the new balls that appear afterward.

SLOW BALL BONUS: Each time the player recovers this bonus, all the balls on the screen will reduce their speed. At the moment a ball is created, it is assigned a minimal speed according to the ongoing mode of game (Easy, Normal, and Difficult) and also to the level of game reached by the player. As the player accesses to higher levels, the ball moves faster. However, the ball cannot slow bellow its minimal speed.

MINE BONUS: When the player gets this bonus, all balls present to the screen are turned into exploding mines. At this moment, the design of the ball and its size are modified. The mine moves on till it collides with a hostile object (BRICK, BUZZ, etc.).    The MINE then sticks on the object and starts marking time like a pounding heart during one or two seconds before exploding. Because of their great power of destruction, the mines destroy the objects which they hit. After the explosion the MINE returns to normal and continues on its trajectory. If the object on which the mine was attached is destroyed before the mine explodes, it resumes its initial trajectory until entering again in collision with another object.

ALL BONUS: When the player catches this bonus, a WALL appears at the bottom line of the screen and destroys all bricks that were underneath. This action triggers the scrolling or the transition to the following level. Any hostile objects (BRICKS, BUZZ, etc.) entering into collision with the WALL at the time of a scrolling is automatically destroyed. The same fate happens to BONUSES, CHANCES as well as to the SHOOTINGS. The WALL only remains during a certain time (about 30 seconds or more according to the mode of the game: Easy, Normal and Difficult). The WALL disables the ROBOT RACKET.

FIREWALL: When the player catches this bonus, a FIREWALL appears three lines above the racket and destroys all hostile objects that are underneath. Any hostile objects (BRICKS, BUZZ, etc.) entering into collision with the WALL at the time of a scrolling is automatically destroyed. BONUSES can pass through but CHANCES are systematically destroyed, so are the different hostile shootings. The FIREWALL remains during a certain time (about 30 seconds or more according to the mode of the game: Easy, Normal and Difficult)

MULTIPLY POINTS BONUS: points are simply added on each time the player destroys an enemy. Each time it is captured, this bonus increments the multiplier of the points up to 5 times. The player's points are multiplied by 2, 3, 4 and 5 after successive captures of this bonus. The bonus multiplier is put back to one at the end of each level.

ENERGY BONUS: as in the first version the player's racket is dotted with an energy gauge. When it falls below zero, the player loses a life and it racket is destroyed. When the player receives a bonus of this type, the energy gauge shows instantly a flow of energy according to the mode of game: 100% in Easy mode, 50% in Normal mode, 25% in Difficult mode. Normally, the energy gauge grows slowly following the mode of game. However, lower the level of game and faster the energy is loaded or discharged. Bigger the racket and slower the energy is loaded and discharged. When the player captures a bonus of this type as the energy gauge is already at its the maximum, a shock wave is generated that destroys all hostile objects on the screen.