1,000 Game Manuals/1000gamemanuals.iso/Atari 5200/Countermeasure.TXT

Text File | 2001-11-05 | 14KB | 378 lines

 COUNTERMEASURE

 BY ATARI

 ==========================

 ATARI welcomes your comments.  Please address all correspondence
 to:

 ATARI Customer Relations, 1312 Crossman Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086

 To insert your ATARI 5200 game cartridge, hold the cartridge so
 the name on the label reads right-side-up.  Then carefully insert
 the cartridge into the slot in the center of the console.  Be
 sure the cartridge is firmly seated, but do not force it.  The
 POWER ON/OFF switch is located on the lower right side of the
 5200 console unit.  Press this switch to turn the power on after
 inserting your game cartridge.  See your Owner's Manual for
 further information.

 ==========================

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

 1. Attention!  All Supertank Units

 2. Game Play

 3. Using The 5200 Controllers

 4. Skill Levels

 5. Strategy

 ==========================

 1. ATTENTION! ALL SUPERTANK UNITS

 We've just received word that terrorists have seized one of our
 missile silo complexes and are threatening to blow up Washington,
 D.C.  These lunatics aren't fooling!  They've wired the missiles
 to a silo computer and started the launch sequence timer.  In
 just 10 minutes the missiles will lift off for Washington . . .
 unless YOU stop them.  Destroy all the silos in the complex with
 your long-range turret gun before the timer runs out.  If you
 complete this mission, you'll win the Congressional Medal of
 Honor . . . along with 10,000 bonus points and a bonus life.

 If the timer runs out before you destroy all the silos, you still
 have a chance to prevent disaster.  In the seconds before impact,
 dock your supertank at a silo, enter the War Room, and guess the
 fail-safe code that disarms the missiles:  The code is some
 combination of the letters L, E, and O . . . for example, ELL,
 OOO, or OLE.  Succeed and you win 10,000 bonus points and a bonus
 life.  Fail and . . . well, you'll find out.

 ==========================

 2. GAME PLAY

 SCROLLING MAP

 The scrolling map shows you the seven sites in the missile silo
 complex (see Figure 1 on the following page).  Each site contains
 a silo, a supply depot (which you'll need for refueling), and
 four or five pillboxes strategically placed to protect the silo
 and supply depot.  When you press START to begin a game, the
 computer selects one of the sites at random and places your
 supertank at the bottom of the television screen.  As your tank
 travels to the top of the site, the map scrolls to reveal another
 site.

      [Screenshot with the following items labeled:  Launch
      Sequence Timer, Silo, Supply Depot, Supertank, and Pillbox.]
           Figure 1 - Silo Site

 SUPERTANK

 Your supertank (Figure 1) has three lives and earns a bonus life
 every 10,000 points.  Its long-range turret gun rotates 360
 degrees and moves independently of the tank body. (See Section 3
 - USING THE 5200 CONTROLLERS for tank and turret gun control.)

 The tank moves fast in the open, slower through fields, and
 slowest through woods and towns.

 SILO DEFENSES

 The terrorists control all of the silo defenses:

 *  Pillboxes [pictures of pillboxes]

 *  Remote-controlled tanks and jeeps [pictures of a jeep and a
    tank]

 *  Cruise missiles.  [pictures of cruise missiles]

 Pillboxes:  To reach silos and supply depots, you have to pass
 pillboxes, which rotate and fire in your direction.  Trees and
 buildings do not shield you from them.  Destroy pillboxes with
 your turret gun when they get in the way of your mission.
 Incidentally, don't try to drive through them.  You'll wreck your
 tank and lose a life.

 Tanks, Jeeps, and Cruise Missiles:  The skill level of your game
 determines when these appear and how often.  Tanks and jeeps home
 in and shoot at you, but their range is half that of yours.  Your
 turret gun is the only thing that stops them.  You can run them
 down, but that costs you lives and is probably not worth it.
 Screaming cruise missiles try to impact on your tank but blow up
 if they hit trees or buildings (except at skill level 9).

 Anything you hit with your turret gun explodes and becomes a pile
 of burning rubble.  You can drive through this debris, though it
 may be slow going.

 The longer you survive, the harder the terrorists try to stop you
 and the rougher it gets.  Console yourself with the points you
 pile up for hitting silos, pillboxes, and other terrorist weapons
 (see SCORING).

 REFUELING

 WARNING!  Supertanks explode when they run out of fuel.

 The fuel gauge turns red (see Figure 2) when your tank is low on
 fuel.  To refuel, drive to a supply depot and dock (touch the
 depot).  After refueling, the fuel gauge turns green.  (NOTE:
 Colors may vary, depending on your TV control settings.)

 FAIL-SAFE CLUES

 In addition to fuel, you pick up fail-safe clues at supply
 depots.  One letter of the code, in its correct position, appears
 in the center of your fuel gauge (Figure 2).  The computer gives
 clues at random.  Don't count on getting all three code letters,
 even if you reach all seven supply depots.

      [Screenshot with the Fuel Gauge in the lower left corner and
      the Fail-Safe Code in the lower center labeled.]
           Figure 2 - Refueling

 GUESSING THE CODE

 If the launch sequence timer runs out before you have destroyed
 all the silos, you must dock at a silo and enter your fail-safe
 code guess into the computer in the War Room (Figure 3).
 However, you do not have to wait until the timer runs out.  You
 can dock at a silo and guess the code any time you're ready.  Use
 your controller keypad to enter the code (see KEYPAD in Section
 3).  If you guess right, you win 10,000 points and a bonus life.

 WARNING!  If your tank gets too close to a silo, you will be
 transported into the War Room and have to guess the fail-safe
 code, ready or not.

      [War Room Screenshot--just a map of the world.]
           Figure 3 - War Room

 END OF A MISSION

 A game continues until you run out of lives, whether your mission
 succeeds or fails.  If a life remains at the end of a mission,
 the terrorists seize another silo complex, reset the launch
 sequence timer, and begin a new wave of terror at the next
 highest skill level.  The computer starts the new wave
 automatically; you do not have to press any keys on your 5200
 controller.

 If you have no lives left at the end of a mission, the computer
 resets to the scrolling map.  Press START to begin a new game at
 the same skill level.

 TWO-PLAYER GAMES

 Player 1 (using the controller plugged into jack 1) starts the
 game.  When he loses a life, Player 2 takes his turn.  Players
 alternate until one player loses his last life.  The play then
 continues with the remaining player until he also runs out of
 lives.  The player with the highest score wins.

 SCORING

 Score counters, lives remaining counters, and the highest game
 score appear at the top of the television screen (Figure 4).

      Reaching Depot                50 Points
      Pillbox                      100 Points
      Jeep                         200 Points
      Tank                         300 Points
      Silo                         500 Points
      Cruise Missile              1000 Points
      Destroying Silos in Time  10,000 Points
      Guessing Fail-Safe Code   10,000 Points
      Bonus life every 10,000 points.

 NOTE:  Zapping silos after the launch sequence timer runs out is
 cause for courtmartial and dishonorable discharge from the Super
 tank Corps.  If you destroy the last silo after the timer runs
 out, you forfeit the 10,000 bonus points and bonus life.

      [Screenshot with the following items on the bar at the top
      of the screen labeled:  Player 1 Lives Remaining, Player 2
      Lives Remaining, Player Scores, and Highest Game Score.]
           Figure 4 - Game Counters

 ==========================

 3. USING THE 5200 CONTROLLERS

 For one-player games, plug a 5200 controller into jack 1 on the
 front of the console unit.  For two-player games, plug an
 additional controller into jack 2 (see Figure 5).

      [Photo of a 5200 pointing out where to plug in the
      controllers.  Duh!]
           Figure 5 - Controller Connections

 KEYPAD OVERLAYS

 For your convenience, two keypad overlays are included with this
 game (Figure 6).  Slip the overlay tabs into the slots provided
 on the controller keypad.

           L          E            O
       --------    --------    --------
      |        |  |        |  |        |
      |        |  |        |  |        |
       --------    --------    --------

       --------    --------    --------
      |        |  |        |  |        |
      |        |  |        |  |        |
       --------    --------    --------

       --------    --------    --------
      |        |  |        |  |        |
      |        |  |        |  |        |
       --------    --------    --------

      1-2 PLAYERS  AUTO-TANK  SKILL LEVEL
       --------    --------    --------
      |        |  |        |  |        |
      |        |  |        |  |        |
       --------    --------    --------
                   STOP-TANK

           Figure 6 - Keypad Overlay

 CONTROL KEYS

 START.  Press START to begin a game.  In two-player games. Player
 1 starts the first game.  Thereafter, the one who played last
 starts the game.  To interrupt a game and start over, press PAUSE
 and then START

 PAUSE.  Press PAUSE to freeze the action temporarily.  Press
 PAUSE again to continue playing.

 RESET.  Press RESET to display the options (Figure 7) before
 starting a game.  After starting a game, press PAUSE and then
 RESET to display the options.

      [Screenshot before the start of a game with the options
      display at the top of the screen.]
           Figure 7 - Options Display

 KEYPAD

 L, E, and O (Keys 1, 2, and 3).  Press these keys to enter the
 fail-safe code.  Keep pressing keys, in any sequence, until you
 guess the code and save Washington or the missiles impact and you
 take the consequences.

 1-2 PLAYERS (Key *).  COUNTERMEASURE is set for one player. Press
 this key to select the 2 PLAYERS option.  Press it again to
 select the 1 PLAYER option.

 AUTO-TANK/STOP-TANK (Key 0).  COUNTERMEASURE is set for
 AUTO-TANK. Press this key to select STOP-TANK.  Press it again to
 return to AUTO-TANK.

 * STOP-TANK.  Supertank stops when you press the bottom red
 button to turn the turret gun (see JOYSTICK).

 * AUTO-TANK.  Supertank keeps moving when you press the bottom
 red button to turn the gun.

 SKILL LEVEL (Key #).  Press to change the skill level.
 COUNTERMEASURE is set for skill level 1.  (Skill levels are
 discussed in Section 4.)

 RED BUTTONS

 See Figure 8.

 Top Button.  Press to fire your turret gun.

 Bottom Button.  Press to turn the turret gun with the joystick.

      [Photo of a 5200 controller.  The top fire button is labeled
      "Fire Gun," and the bottom button is labeled "Turn Gun."]
           Figure 8 - 5200 Controller

 JOYSTICK

 Use the joystick on your 5200 controller to drive your supertank
 and to turn the turret gun (see Figure 9).  Hold in the bottom
 red button to turn the gun.  Release the button to drive the
 tank.  The turret gun is independent of the tank and remains set
 when you move the tank.

      [Drawing of a compass rose indicating the possible
      directions of movement, e.g. up, down left, right and
      diagonal.  Did they really need to include a figure for
      this?]
           Figure 9 - Joystick Moves

 ==========================

 4. SKILL LEVELS

 There are 10 skill levels, from 0 to 9.  In general, the higher
 the skill level, the faster the game.  Advancing to a higher
 level increases the pace and difficulty as follows:

 * Turret gun shoots faster and further.

 * Pillboxes rotate faster and shoot further.

 * Jeeps, tanks, and cruise missiles appear sooner and more often.

 * Cruise missiles home in more accurately.

 * Impact timer counts down faster.

 Level 9 is the most difficult skill level and may even be hard
 for experts.  If you're an expert, give it a try.  Cruise
 missiles never impact on trees and buildings and seldom miss the
 target.

 Level 0 is slow and easy.  It's a good level for practicing
 maneuvers and working out strategy.

 ==========================

 5. STRATEGY

 Here are a few tips to help you succeed in your mission:

 KEEP MOVING.  As everyone knows, a moving target is harder to
 hit.  For that reason, you may prefer the AUTO-TANK option to
 STOP-TANK at higher skill levels.

 REMEMBER YOUR GOAL.  Your primary objective is to destroy all the
 silos before the timer runs out.  You'll never make it if you go
 for every pillbox and supply depot.  Concentrate on the pillboxes
 that are in your way.  Pass up a supply depot if you have enough
 fuel to make it to the next depot.

 PACE THE PILLBOXES.  At the start of a game, pillboxes will
 rotate twice before they start firing at you.  Take advantage of
 this to zap one or two.  You can also draw their fire and then go
 for them while their guns are rotating away from you.  But watch
 out for crossfire from other pillboxes.  They don't all rotate in
 sync.

 SHOOT DIAGONALLY.  Your turret gun shoots further when it's line
 of fire is diagonal to the target.

 DON'T BE AN EASY TARGET.  When cruise missiles start looking for
 you, trees and buildings are your best defense.  So stick to the
 forests and towns and cross open country as fast as possible.
 (This tip won't help you at skill level 9.)

 END