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

Text File | 2001-11-05 | 16KB | 426 lines

 DEFENDER

 BY ATARI

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

 To insert your ATARI 5200 game cartridge, hold the cartridge so
 the name on the label faces you and 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 in.  The POWER ON/OFF switch is located on the lower
 right side of the ATARI 5200.  Press this switch to turn the
 power on AFTER inserting your game cartridge.  See your Owner's
 Manual for further details.

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

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

 1. Commanding Orders
 2. Game Play
 3. Using the 5200 Controllers
 4. TRAK-BALL Option
 5. Game Variations
 6. Scoring
 7. Strategy and Tips
 8. Your Best Game Scores

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

 1. COMMANDING ORDERS

 TO:  COMMANDING OFFICER
 FROM:  ASTRO-INTELLIGENCE
 MISSION:  DEFENDER

 I. CIRCUMSTANCES

 Aliens from a distant solar system are swarming over the planet
 Humanis.  They're kidnapping Humanoids and mutating them into a
 permanent part of the alien force.  Their mission is to transform
 all of the Humanoids before destroying the entire planet.

 First, they infest the planet with Landers which close in on the
 cities, abducting the Humanoids.  Then the attack intensifies.
 Baiters, Swarmers, and Bombers terrorize the skys [sic].  And
 then, when you least expect it, a deadly Pod collides with your
 Spaceship, and blasts you to pieces.

 II. YOUR MISSION

 As Captain of the Spaceship Defender, your mission is to destroy
 the alien force and save the Humanoids.  Your speed and skill
 have earned you this heroic mission.  When Humanoids are
 abducted, you'll have to destroy the Lander and catch the falling
 Humanoid before safely returning him to the city below.

 III. DEFENSE STRATEGY

 The Spaceship Defender has full-range scanning equipment which
 enables you to employ seek-and-destroy tactics.  Defender
 discharges fatal missile fire at the push of a button.  You also
 have two escape options for a last resort course of action:
 hyperspace and smart bombs.  Hyperspace temporarily sends you
 into a time warp, possibly only to reappear in a more dangerous
 situation.  Smart bombs can destroy all aliens in sight with a
 touch of a button.

 Report immediately for this dangerous mission!

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

 2. GAME PLAY

 As Captain of the Spaceship Defender, your mission is to destroy
 the aliens before all of the Humanoids are transformed to
 Mutants.  You score points for each alien you destroy and for
 each Humanoid you save.  Try not to shoot your Humanoids; they
 are worth bonus points at the end of each alien attack wave.
 (See Section 6, SCORING.)  In one-player games, your object is to
 top your highest score.  In two-player games, the player with the
 highest score wins the game.  A game ends when all Defender
 Spaceships are destroyed.

 Each game begins with three Defender lives and three smart bombs.
 When Defender collides with an alien or is hit by an alien mine,
 it explodes with a "blast."  If it's the last life, the game is
 over.  If any lives remain, another Defender ship appears on the
 scene.  The number of lives remaining and smart bombs remaining
 is displayed at the upper portion of the television screen.  (See
 Figure 1 for lives remaining and smart bombs remaining.)

      [Screenshot with the "Lives Remaining" and "Smart Bombs
      Remaining" indicators labeled.]
           Figure 1

 The aliens attack in waves; each wave becomes increasingly more
 difficult.  When Defender destroys all the aliens in the first
 wave, another wave of aliens moves in.  The longer that Defender
 survives, the harder the alien attacks become.  Each time a wave
 is completed, the number of the completed wave and the amount of
 bonus points earned flashes in the center of the screen as shown
 in Figure 2.

      [Screenshot of the end of a wave with the "ATTACK WAVE 1
      COMPLETED" message and the tally of surviving Humanoids.]
           Figure 2

 The alien force is made up of six different types of ships:
 Landers, Bombers, Swarmers, Baiters, Mutants, and Pods.  Landers
 are the first to appear.  They search the cities for Humanoids to
 kidnap and mutate.  Bombers lay mines to trap you.  You cannot
 shoot mines, so it's best to avoid them.  Swarmers are housed in
 Pods.  Several Swarmers are released each time a Pod is
 destroyed.  They track you very closely, so kill them the instant
 they appear.  Baiters usually appear near the end of a wave.
 They're large, they shoot fast, and they move faster than
 Defender.  A Mutant is a transformed Humanoid.  Mutants are very
 dangerous; use all your energy to kill them.  If the Landers
 kidnap all the Humanoids and carry them to the top of the screen
 to transform them into Mutants, the entire planet explodes.  The
 most deadly alien of all is the mother ship, also known as a Pod.
 When a Pod is destroyed, it releases 5 to 7 deadly Swarmers.
 (See SCORING to learn what each alien looks like.)

      [Unnumbered figure showing and naming the alien types.]

 YOUR DEFENSE

 Defender fires missiles to blast the alien ships.  But, when
 things look real bad, Defender can employ one of two last resort
 weapons.  First, you have three smart bombs which blow up every
 alien in sight.  With every 10,000 points you score, you earn
 another smart bomb and another Defender life.  Use smart bombs
 sparingly and strategically.  It's a good idea to keep one smart
 bomb in reserve in case you get stuck and need a little help to
 earn another Defender life.

 When you use a smart bomb, you earn points for every alien it
 destroys on the screen.  Another weapon that can be used as a
 last resort is hyperspace, which enables Defender to disappear,
 warp through time and space, and reappear somewhere on the
 screen.  You have no control over where you'll reappear.
 Hyperspace can be tricky and dangerous.  Sometimes invisible
 space matter can blow up your spaceship during the time warp.
 Try to use hyperspace only when you have no other alternative.
 (See Section 3, USING THE 5200 CONTROLLERS for using smart bombs
 and hyperspace.)

 USING THE SCANNER

 Your scanner is located at the top center of the screen.  It
 works like a radar screen to reflect alien attacks in your
 viewing screen and at long range distances.  The scanner provides
 the following important information:

 *  How many aliens are approaching, what kind of aliens they are,
    and what their positions are.

 *  Where the Humanoids are being abducted by Landers.

 *  How many Humanoids remain and where they are.

 Each blip on the scanner represents an object in the game.  Your
 playing area is bracketed by short lines in the center of the
 scanner.  The blips are colored to help you distinguish between
 different alien ships.  Get into the habit of monitoring the
 scanner to help destroy aliens and defend Humanoids.  (See Figure
 3 for a diagram of the scanner.)

      [Close-up view of the scanner and a screenshot of a game in
      progress.  The relationships between each item on the
      playing field and the scanner are shown with arrows drawn
      between each.]
           Figure 3

 RESCUING HUMANOIDS

 Here's where the heroics come in.  Your mission is to destroy
 aliens while protecting Humanoids.  At the end of a wave, you
 score 100 bonus points for every Humnaoid [sic] survivor,
 multiplied by the number of the wave just completed (up to a
 maximum of 500 bonus points).

 All the Humanoids are stranded helplessly within the cities at
 the bottom of the screen as shown in Figure 4.  You are their
 only hope for survival.  Use the scanner to patrol their
 positions.  When a Humanoid is being abducted by a Lander, you'll
 hear his cry for help.  Go to his rescue immediately.  The
 scanner is the fastest way to spot his position.  Look for the
 Humanoid being lifted from the city as shown in Figure 4.

      [Screenshot of a game in progress with the following items
      labeled:  scores (players 1 and 2), Humanoid (on the
      ground), Captured Humanoid (being abducted by a Lander).]
           Figure 4

 There are two techniques for rescuing a Humanoid:

 *    Destroy the Lander and let the Humanoid fall back to the
      city.

 *    Destroy the Lander, catch the Humanoid, and carry him back
      to the city.

      Letting the Humanoid fall to the city is only effective if
      the Humanoid is close enough to land safely.  Experiment to
      find out what a safe distance is.  If the Humanoid falls
      safely to the city, you score 250 points plus 150 points for
      destroying the Lander.  If he crash lands, you only score
      the 150 points for destroying the Lander.

 Catching a Humanoid in midair is more difficult and is worth more
 points.  To catch a Humanoid, shoot the Lander and maneuver
 Defender to touch the Humanoid, then bring him back to the city.
 If you succeed, you earn 1000 points plus 150 points for
 destroying the Lander.  If you catch the Humanoid but don't
 return him safely, you earn 500 points plus the 150 points for
 destroying the Lander.  Note:  You may carry any number of
 Humanoids at a time.  If you are carrying Humanoids at the end of
 a wave, they count as survivors and the program automatically
 returns them to the city.

 MUTANT TAKEOVER

 If Defender does not succeed in protecting a Humanoid, a Lander
 abducts him and carries him up into space and transforms him into
 a Mutant.  Mutants then return to attack the planet.  When all of
 the Humanoids become Mutants, the cities blow up and disappear.
 You continue playing to score points.  If you survive past the
 next four waves without the cities below, all Humanoids are
 reincarnated, and the cities below are rebuilt.

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

 3. USING THE 5200 CONTROLLERS

      [Photo of a 5200 controller.  You know what it looks like.]
           Figure 5

 Use one 5200 controller with this ATARI game cartridge.  Be sure
 to plug the controller cable firmly into jack 1 at the front of
 the 5200 console.  For two-player games, simply pass the
 controller between turns.

 KEYPAD OVERLAYS

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

                  ONE PLAYER
         EASY       NORMAL       HARD
       --------    --------    --------
      |        |  |        |  |        |
      |        |  |        |  |        |
       --------    --------    --------

                  TWO PLAYER
         EASY       NORMAL       HARD
       --------    --------    --------
      |        |  |        |  |        |
      |        |  |        |  |        |
       --------    --------    --------

          DURING GAME PLAY PRESS ANY
       KEYPAD BUTTON TO ENTER HYPERSPACE

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

                     DEMO
       --------    --------    --------
      |        |  |        |  |        |
      |        |  |        |  |        |
       --------    --------    --------

           Figure 6

 GAME SELECTION

 The first screen to appear in the ATARI DEFENDER game is a menu.
 It allows you to choose either a one-player game or a two-player
 game.  It also gives you three difficulty levels to choose from.
 If you want to see how the ATARI DEFENDER game is played, select
 a demonstration game which is automatically played by the
 program.  (See Figure 7 for the game menu.)

 Press the appropriate button for the game variation you want to
 play.

      [Screenshot of the game menu screen.]
           Figure 7

 GAME CONTROL KEYS

 START

 Press START to begin a game.

 PAUSE

 Press PAUSE at any time to freeze the action.  Press PAUSE again
 to resume game play.  During game play, press PAUSE before
 pressing START or RESET to start the game over.

 RESET

 Press PAUSE and then RESET to reset the game.

 GAME CONTROLS

 SPACESHIP DEFENDER

 Use the joystick to thrust the Spaceship Defender up, down,
 right, and left through space.  Also use the joystick to catch
 falling Humanoids.

 MISSILES

 Press the lower red controller button to fire missiles at aliens.

 SMART BOMBS

 Press the top red button to detonate a smart bomb.

 HYPERSPACE

 Press any keypad button to enter hyperspace.

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

 4. TRAK-BALL OPTION (Future Accessory)

 This DEFENDER cartridge offers a TRAK-BALL option.  An ATARI
 TRAK-BALL may be purchased separately, and will be available in
 mid-1983.  To play DEFENDER with a TRAK-BALL, plug the TRAK-BALL
 into jack 1 at the front of the 5200 console.  To select a game
 variation and to use the keypad, follow the instructions in
 Section 3, USING THE 5200 CONTROLLERS.

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

 5. GAME VARIATIONS

 There are seven game variations in ATARI DEFENDER.  Use the menu
 to select the variation you wish to play (see Figure 7).  Press
 the correct number, and the game variation is displayed under the
 name DEFENDER at the top of the screen.  Regardless of the
 difficulty you start with, you will automatically progress to
 more difficult attack waves.

 You also have the option of watching a demonstration game
 (selection 7 on the menu).  The demonstration game is a good
 learning tool for first time DEFENDER players.

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

 6. SCORING

 Scores appear at the top of the screen.  Player 1, or a single
 player's score, is on the top left; the score for player 2 is on
 the right.  Lives remaining and smart bombs remaining are
 displayed next to these scores.  (See Figure 4 for scores.)

 At the end of each wave, you score 100 bonus points for each
 surviving Humanoid, multiplied by the number of the wave, up to a
 maximum of 500 bonus points.

      [The points values table below has pictures of each type of
      alien or rescue mission.]

 POINT VALUES: Aliens Destroyed
      Lander  150    Mutant  150    Swarmer 200
      Baiter  200    Bomber  250    Pod    1000

 POINTS VALUES: Humanoid Rescue Mission
      Points Plus 150 For Lander
      Humanoid falls but lives                 250
      Caught but not brought back to the city  500
      Caught and brought back to the city     1000

 You earn an additional DEFENDER life and smart bomb every 10,000
 points.

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

 7. STRATEGY AND TIPS

 1.  One of the most important strategies to remember is to keep
     moving and firing at the same time.  Your continuous fire
     will build a "wall of fire" to protect your spaceship.

 2.  Fly low.  Most good DEFENDER players seldom fly more than two
     inches above the cities.  This helps in protecting the
     Humanoids.

 3.  Destroy the Landers, but don't shoot your Humanoids.

 4.  Listen to the game sounds.  When you hear a Humanoid's cry
     for help, immediately go to the rescue.

 5.  Learn to use the scanner.  Try playing DEFENDER using only
     the scanner.  When you learn to rely on it, it will help you
     improve your score.

 6.  Reversing direction suddenly is good strategy.  It confuses
     and stops aliens.  By the time the alien recovers, you can
     reverse directions again, and blast the alien.

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

 8. YOUR BEST GAME SCORES

 Name             Date      Score
 ______________   _______   ________
 ______________   _______   ________
 ______________   _______   ________
 ______________   _______   ________
 [etc.]

 END