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1995-08-15
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9KB
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263 lines
┌─────────────────────┐
──────────┤ Welcome ├──────────────────────────────────────────
└─────────────────────┘
Welcome to the shareware Invasion of the Mutant Space Bats of Doom!
Join over 1000 users from around the world who have ordered their
registered version from Pop Software! See info at the end of the game.
You should have received a filed called BATS.ZIP containing this file
along with the others listed in FILES.DOC. If so, feel free to share
BATS.ZIP with your friends and favorite BBSes, FTP sites, and so on.
If not, you have an incomplete copy of Bats- please don't distribute.
┌─────────────────────┐
──────────┤ Winning ├──────────────────────────────────────────
└─────────────────────┘
In this shareware version, the game will end after Round 20. The registered
version of the game goes all the way up to Round 64, where you win the
game and receive a medal for saving the earth. Remember, we do not receive
any income from the distribution of this Shareware version, even if you
paid for it. The only support we receive is from your registrations.
The Registered version also includes extra goodies such as a two-player
game, cheat-mode (where you are invincible), and smart bombs (which
help a lot).
┌─────────────────────┐
──────────┤ Game Requirements ├──────────────────────────────────────────
└─────────────────────┘
The game runs best under DOS. The PC should be a 386 or better.
As far as we know, Bats runs great under Win 95, but as of this
writing, we haven't tried it ourselves.
Windows 3.1: The game runs okay under a DOS session in Microsoft Windows.
Make sure the session is full-screen and exclusive. You may also need to
turn off DIGITAL FX under the SOUND menu, in the game. We cannot guarantee
best performance. If things seem choppy, quit Windows and play from DOS.
We recommend having a disk cache installed- if not, or if you
are running from a slow drive (or floppy drive), you may notice some
chunkiness as new rounds are loaded. This shouldn't affect game play.
Memory: 554K of free DOS memory is required to run the game with digital
sound effects, or 534K to run it without digital sound effects. No expanded
or extended memory is needed.
Graphics: The game runs under EGA or VGA, but VGA users will be treated
to better graphics.
Sound: The game supports music and digital sound-effects on Sound Blaster
and compatibles. No setup is necessary.
┌─────────────────────┐
──────────┤ Starting the Game ├──────────────────────────────────────────
└─────────────────────┘
Start the game by typing BATS at the DOS prompt. You will see the Quick
Start directions- press any key to proceed. Then you may watch the
slide-show- it will advance automatically in time with the music. To
speed it up, press SPACE, or to skip to the game, press ESC.
If you want to disable the slide-show from running each time you start
BATS (for example if you've already seen it), toggle the INTRO setting
under the MORE... menu.
There are two command-line parameters that you can use:
2: Double the number of Bats in Rounds 1 - 6
n: Nasty mode! Makes everything harder
For example:
c:\bats> bats 2 <-- double bats
c:\bats> bats n <-- nasty mode
c:\bats> bats 2 n <-- double bats, nasty mode
┌─────────────────────┐
──────────┤ Using The Menus ├──────────────────────────────────────────
└─────────────────────┘
Move the cursor with UP-ARROW and DOWN-ARROW, and press ENTER to make
a selection. When you are in a sub-menu you can return to the main menu
by choosing MAIN MENU or by pressing Esc. Pressing Esc from the main menu
is the same as choosing QUIT. If a mouse is attached you can use the
mouse to move the cursor, and you can click to make a selection- likewise
for the joystick.
┌─────────────────────┐
──────────┤ Controls ├──────────────────────────────────────────
└─────────────────────┘
The default keyboard controls are:
Arrow Keys: Move ship (up, down, left, right)
Space Bar: Fire guns (press repeatedly, or hold for auto-fire)
Backspace: Pause game
ESC: Abort game, return to main menu
In the CONTROLS menu, you can change these keys by choosing CONFIGURE.
Or, to play using a mouse choose MOUSE, or JOYSTICK for joystick. If
either choice is gray, then the mouse driver or joystick wasn't found.
The first time you choose JOYSTICK you will go to CALIBRATE automatically.
If you change the trim settings on your joystick, or change to another
joystick, or find that the joystick is being weird, you should CALIBRATE
again.
┌─────────────────────┐
──────────┤ Your Choices ├──────────────────────────────────────────
└─────────────────────┘
These are your choices from the main menu:
Play: Starts a new game.
Orb Game: Try ten different bonus levels! See if you can get the
maximum score of 144,000 (by hitting all 144 orbs).
Demo: Attract mode- the game runs a demo until you press ESC.
Controls: Lets you to choose between keyboard, mouse, and joystick.
Sound: Allows you to select sound elements and the sound device.
Sneak Preview: Allows you to check out a little bit of the sequel!
Hints: Gives playing hints- including some not described here!
More: Lets you toggle the intro, and see or reset high scores.
┌─────────────────────┐
──────────┤ Playing ├──────────────────────────────────────────
└─────────────────────┘
You have four major goals:
1. Stay Alive! Use evasive maneuvers to avoid Space Bats and their weapons.
2. Eliminate Space Bats! Fire your guns with careful timing to better
protect yourself.
3. Power Up! Many Space Bats carry power-crystals with them. When you
hit such a Space Bat its power crystal will pop out. Grab it before it
weaves by.
4. Register! (Oh sorry- that's *OUR* major goal!)
If you are skilled enough, you can survive the entire onslaught of the
Mutant Space Bats of Doom and become Earth's greatest hero.
┌─────────────────────┐
──────────┤ Power Crystals ├──────────────────────────────────────────
└─────────────────────┘
The key to doing well in Space Bats is to catch power crystals. Each
different crystal improves your ship in a different way:
Green: Makes your shots faster.
Red: Alternately makes your shot-spread wider or enables another gun.
Blue: Makes everything except your ship go slower.
White: Turns all your enabled guns into MEGA guns.
Purple: Collect six of these to gain a free ship.
When you catch a crystal, your ship will sparkle, and the window on the
left will display the effect of the crystal.
┌─────────────────────┐
──────────┤ The Bonus Rounds ├──────────────────────────────────────────
└─────────────────────┘
The bonus board contains four large bars, each highlighted with a
different color. Shoot each target orb when it is over the bar of the
matching color. For example, shoot the red orb when it is flying over
the red bar. Higher bars are worth more points. If you do well you may
receive a reward. Each bonus round is different- good luck!
For intensive bonus board practice, run the ORB PRACTICE!
┌─────────────────────┐
──────────┤ Free Ships ├──────────────────────────────────────────
└─────────────────────┘
You get a free ship every time you reach the score shown in purple below
your current score. You also get a free ship each time you collect six
purple crystals. In a two-player game, both players get a free ship when
six purple crystals are collected.
┌─────────────────────┐
──────────┤ Problems ├──────────────────────────────────────────
└─────────────────────┘
If you have any problems, see the file HELP.DOC for some answers, and
for information about contacting us.
┌─────────────────────┐
──────────┤ Credits ├──────────────────────────────────────────
└─────────────────────┘
Invasion of the Mutant Space Bats of Doom was created by
Mike Pooler (programming) and Dave Cockerill (artwork).
This software and related documentation are:
Copyright (c) 1995 by Pop Software. All rights reserved.
Space Bats, Mutant Space Bats, Invasion of the Mutant Space Bats
of Doom, and Return of the Mutant Space Bats of Doom are
trademarks of Pop Software.
┌─────────────────────┐
──────────┤ To Reach Us ├──────────────────────────────────────────
└─────────────────────┘
Pop Software
PO Box 60995
Sunnyvale, CA 94088
USA
Orders: 1 (800) 531-GAME
Orders and Tech. Support: 1 (510) 441-7720
Fax: 1 (510) 441-1030
Internet: spacebats@aol.com
AOL: SpaceBats
CompuServe: 71460,2432
┌─────────────────────┐
──────────┤ The End ├──────────────────────────────────────────
└─────────────────────┘