CONTENTS

Click the words below to select the topic of interest.

OVERVIEW

PLAYING THE GAME

SCORING

USING KEYS

STRATEGY AND HINTS

(To learn how to use HELP, choose How to Use Help from the Help menu, or press F1.)


Overview

A runaway nuclear reactor needs your attention. You have to deactivate the runaway atoms by striking them with your neutron. You must deflect your neutron back and forth until the entire screen is safe, using your deflector paddle.

Only you can stop an ecological disaster that will make Chernobyl and Three Mile Island look like wet firecrackers!

There are 30 levels to decontaminate. Good Luck!

PLAYING THE GAME

SCORING

USING KEYS

STRATEGY AND HINTS


Playing the Game

By rapidly moving your neutron deflector back and forth across the bottom of the screen, you can bounce your neutron into the overexcited atoms.

Be aware that some atoms require 2 or 3 hits to deactivate.

Keep your neutron from falling off the bottom of the screen, because each time you lose a neutron, you lose a life.

If you have more than one neutron on the screen, however, there is no penalty until

you lose the last one. You start out with the current life and 3 spares.

If you lose all your spare lives you are dead and the game is over.

You can get useful features by catching various balls.

drops a silver cats-eye ball, removes steel plates

drops a solid gold ball, 1 extra life (to max 5)

drops a purple ball, removes last attribute

drops a red ball, changes paddle size, a smaller paddle is more difficult to use.

drops a dark blue ball, gives you 2 more neutrons on screen

drops a green ball, gives you a 'sticky' paddle

drops a light blue ball, gives you missiles

drops a gold cats-eye ball, blows up surrounding atoms

OVERVIEW

SCORING

USING KEYS

STRATEGY AND HINTS


Using Keys

You can use the cursor keys (arrow keys) to move the paddle instead of using the mouse, and the space bar or Shift keys to fire the missiles or neutrons. The left and right Shift keys launch the neutron to the left or right in keyboard mode.

F1 - Gets you the Quick Help screen

F3 - Pauses the game

OVERVIEW

PLAYING THE GAME

SCORING

STRATEGY AND HINTS


Strategy and Hints

The sloping sides of the paddle will return the neutron directly back on a reverse course. The flat top will deflect the ball off on a mirror course. The neutron will slide down the rear slope of the paddle, so be careful which surface you deflect it with.

You can 'scoop' the neutron by sliding the paddle over towards a wall just as the neutron hits it. This may change the path of the neutron to one which is more advantageous to you.

Remember that you get bonus points at the end of the round for all the dropping balls you catch, regardless of whether they change your paddle.

Sometimes it will be advantageous to let a neutron fall off the screen so you are able to aim the next one at a particularly difficult atom. The right mouse button launches the neutron to the right and the left launches the neutron  to the left.

Try breaking a path through at one side of the reactor tank to get your neutron up above the atoms. It will bounce around up there, taking out many atoms before it falls back down.

OVERVIEW

PLAYING THE GAME

SCORING

USING KEYS

STRATEGY AND HINTS


Scoring

You score 5 points for each atom you deactivate.

If you deactivate an atom while you are using any small paddle, except the triangular paddle, you get 10 points.

When you are using the small triangular paddle, you get 20 points for each atom deactivated.

You also get bonus points calculated by multiplying the time remaining at the end of the round by 10, so the faster you complete a round, the more points you will score.

Points are also awarded for each falling ball you catch, regardless of what color it is. If you have the small triangular paddle, and actually manage to catch a falling ball on the point, you will be given an immediate 300 point bonus!

Extra lives are awarded at 5 000, 10 000, 25 000, 75 000, 100 000, and 500 000 points.

OVERVIEW

PLAYING THE GAME

USING KEYS

STRATEGY AND HINTS