Amiga Collections: The Best of Public Domain/Best of Public Domain, The Nr.39 (19xx)(Garfield, Andi)(DE).zip/Best of Public Domain, The Nr.39 (19xx)(Garfield, Andi)(DE).adf/docn

Text File | 1989-11-20 | 40KB | 666 lines

            SUPERSTAR INDOOR SPORTS

               Reference Card

            LOADING INSTRUCTIONS
1. Insert your joystick into Port 1, and another in Port 2 if you plan to play
two-player games. The first joystick controls all activities on the Main Menu
Board and on the options screens for the four games.
2. If you need to, Kickstart your Amiga (using version 1.2 or later).
3. When the system requests a Workbench disk, insert the INDOOR SPORTS game
disk into the internal disk drive.
4. The game will load automatically.

The title and credits screens will appear and after a few moments, the Main
Menu Board will appear.

            THE MAIN MENU BOARD
Note: The Amiga version of INDOOR SPORTS differs slightly from the manual. Most
notably, Superstar Ping Pong is now available from the Main Menu Board, just
like the other three games. It also has its own high score table which can be
accessed in a similar fashion to the other games.

All high score tables are recorded automatically on disk without user
intervention. Also, there are numerous improvements in speed and realism which
are made possible by the Amiga's increased power.

1. Enter the names of up to four players (only two at a time can play). If you
made a typing mistake, use the Backspace key to correct it. Press Return to
move on to the next slot without entering a name. You must cycle through all
four prompts for player names before you can choose the game you want to play.
2. To choose a game after entering names, press the joystick forward until you
see the first game square change color. Use the joystick to move the highlight
left or right to select the game you wish to play.

                GETTING STARTED

OK, listen up, indoor sports fans. Load the program accoring to the
instructions on the enclosed Reference Card. if you intend to try the ping-pong
game first after loading the program, skip ahead to the Superstar Ping-pong
section of the manual on page 31. If you want to bowl or play darts or air
hockey, read the next section entitled "The Main Menu Board" before moving on
to the individual sections that describe each game.

                THE MAIN MENU BOARD

At the top of the Main Menu Board, the bowling, darts and air hockey icons form
the game menu. The middle of the Main Menu Board gives the victory totals of
each competitor in columns under each game icon. At the bottom of the Main Menu
Board, a variety of choices can be made that will be discussed later, but the
first thing you must do is enter the name of each competitor.

ENTERING NAMES: When the Main Menu Board first appears, the first competitor is
prompted to enter a name at the bottom of the screen. As many as four names can
be entered, although only two players can play each game at a time.
    Use the keyboard to type each name. Only letters are accepted. Names
can be as long as six letters. When a sixth letter is entered, you
automatically will be prompted for the next competitor's name. If the name
contains fewer than six letters, you will need to press Return to go on to the
next name.
    If there are fewer than four players, simply press the Return key
without entering a name to skip past the extra players. You must cycle through
all four prompts for competitors' names before you can choose the game you want
to play.

SPECIFYING THE COMPETITORS WHO WILL PLAY OR CHANGING THE ORDER OF COMPETITION:
When you have finished entering names, each name appears at the bottom of the
Main Menu Board along with the word RESET. The first competitor's name always
appears in red and the second competitor's name always appears in green. To
change this order or to specify new competitors from the player names that have
been entered, first make sure that a name or RESET is flashing at the bottom of
the Main Menu Board. If this is not the case, pull back on the joystick to
toggle from the game menu at the top of the screen to the names at the bottom.
Mow move the joystick to the left or right until the name of the new player who
is to compete first flashes. Press the fire button. This player's name now
appears in red to indicate that the player will be the first competitor. At
this point, the name of the competitor who currently competes second (in green)
will flash. Move the joystick to the left or right until the name of the new
player who is to compete second flashes. Press the fire button. This player's
name now appears in green to indicate that the player will be the second
competitor.

CHOOSING A GAME: To select bowling, darts or air hockey after players' names
have been entered, first push the joystick forware to activate the game menu
(represented by the three game icons) at the top of the Main Menu Board. (Note:
if RESET is flashing at the bottom of the screen, push the joystick to the left
before you push forward.) Notice that when you push the joystick forward, the
bowling icon at the top of the Main Menu Board "lights up." If you want to
select bowling, simply press the fire button at this point. To select darts or
air hockey, push the joystick to the right until the icon for the game you want
lights up, then press the fire button. Each game takes a short time to load.
You'll find instructions for Bowling on page 15, for Darts on page 21, and for
Air Hockey for page 27.

HIGH-SCORE TABLES: The top five scores for each game can be viewed by using the
joystick to highlight either the Bowling, Darts or Air Hockey icon on the Main
Menu Board, then pushing the joystick forward to see the SportTime Hi-Score
table, pull back on the joystick. Note: for Air Hockey, only the top five
scores of one-player games played at the COMPETITOR or SUPERSTAR computer skill
levels qualify for the Hi-Score table.

SAVING HIGH SCORES: To save scores in the Hi-Score tables to your disk so that
they will still be listed the next time you load INDOOR SPORTS, man euver the
joystick so that RESET flashes on the Main Menu Board and press the fire
button. SCORES, NAMES, and EXIT will appear at the bottom of the screen. Push
the joystick to the left until SCORES flashes, then press the fire button
again. Now, SAVE, ERASE, and EXIT appear on the screen, with SAVE flashing. To
save the scores, press the fire button while SAVE is flashing. The screen will
turn solid blue for a few seconds. When the Main Menu Board returns to the
screen, the word EXIT will be flashing at the bottom Press the fire button
while EXIT flashes.

CLEARING NAMES AND SCORES: Be forewarned that clearing the names of all
competitors also clears the accumulated victory totals of each player that
appear in the middle of the Main Menu Board.
    To clear the names, first make sure that a name or RESET is flashing at
the bottom of the Main Menu Board. If this is not the case, pull back on the
joystick to toggle from the game menu at the top of the screen to the names at
the bottom. Now push the joystick to the right until RESET flashes, then press
the fire button. Notice that now SCORES, NAMES and EXIT appear at the bottom of
the screen. If you change your mind about clearing the names, press the fire
button while EXIT flashes, and the original names will be restored to the
bottom of the screen. Otherwise, to clear the names, push the joystick to the
left until NAMES flashes, then press the fire button. Follow the steps outlined
previously in "Entering names" on page 11 to enter new names.
    To clear the scores from the Hi-Score tables, maneuver the joystick
until RESET flashes on the Main Menu Board. Press the fire button. SCORES,
NAMES and EXIT will appear at the bottom of the screen. Push the joystick to
the left until SCORES flashes. Now, SAVE, ERASE and EXIT appear on the screen.
If you change your mind about clearing the scores, move the joystick to the
right until EXIT flashes, then press the fire button. Otherwise, to clear
scores, move the joystick to the left or right until ERASE flashes and press
the fire button. (Note: Erasing score does not erase scores saved to the disk.
It only erases scores in the computer's memory. Scores saved to the disk are
erased only when new scores are saved over them.)

                BOWLING

A number of options are available to you before you take to the lanes (renting
shoes is not one of them, however). Choose the number of players, the weight of
your ball, the number of games to play and the computer's skill level if you
plan to play against the computer. Each of these options is discussed below.

            THE BOWLING OPTION SCREEN

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: You can play a solo game with no competition, a one-player
game against the computer, a two-player game, or if you select DEMO, you can
watch the computer play against itself. Just move the white arrow with the
joystick until the arrow is positioned over your choice of SOLO, ONE PLAYER,
TWO PLAYER or DEMO. then press the fire button to select it.

WEIGHT OF BALL AND ALLEY SLICKNESS: You can adjust the weight of the ball
between 8 and 16 pounds. To change the ball weight, use the joystick to
position the arrow over the number next to WEIGHT OF BALL. Press the fire
button to increase this number by one pound. Continue to press the fire button
until the desired weight is reached. To lower the ball weight, press the button
until the ball weight reaches 16 pounds, then press the button again. Notice
that the ball weight has changed from 16 pounds to 8 pounds. Continue to press
the button until the desired weight is reached.
    Note that alley slickness cannot be changed. It is randomly assigned a
value between 0 and 9 by the computer before each match. The higher the value,
the slicker the alley is.
    Ball weight and alley slickness, combined with the curve you put on the
ball (see "Step 3 Controlling the ball's curve" on page 18), determine how much
and how soon a ball will curve as it rolls down the lane. In general, with
higher alley slickness, a ball will slide and not start its curve right away. A
heavier ball does not curve as much as a lighter ball. A low alley slickness
and a low ball weight make possible the fastest-breaking and most severe curve.

NUMBER OF GAMES PER SERIES: you can play one-, two- or three-game (regulation)
series. Move the arrow wo it's positioned over your choice, then press the fire
button to select it.

COMPUTER SKILL LEVEL: Four choices of computer skill are available: BEGINNER,
AVERAGE, COMPETITOR and SUPERSTAR. The computer's skill level determines its
abilities as an opponent. Move the arrow so it's positioned over your choice,
then press the fire button.

START SERIES: When you are ready to bowl after selecting your options, select
START SERIES at the bottom of the option screen and press the fire button.

                PLAYING THE GAME

WHAT YOU WILL SEE: You view your bowler and the bowling lane from the right
side. The two bowlers, you'll note, are dressed in different colors.
    In the upper left and upper right corners of the screen, the game score
for each bowler will appear after each game series.
    The middle of the screen at the top shows the pins that are standing.
Large circles represent standing pins, while smaller circles represent pins
that have been knocked down. The triangular figures to the left or right below
these pins indicate whether you are taking your first or second shot during a
frame. If only the triange on the left is visible, it's your first shot in the
current frame. If both the left and right triangles are visible, it's your
second shot.
    At the bottom of the screen, you will see a frame by frame tally of
each bowler's score, just as you would see it on the overhead projectors at
bowling alleys - except that INDOOR SPORTS keeps track of the score for you!
    Your point of view changes to a head-on closeup of the pins at the end
of the lane after a bowler releases the ball. From this perspective, scores
from each of the last five frames can be seen in the upper left-hand corner of
the screen, and your bowler's facial reaction to the results of a shot can be
seen in the upper right-hand corner.

GETTING THE BALL ROLLING: Four actions are involved in sending the ball on its
way: positioning the bowler with the joystick, aiming the ball with the fire
button, controlling the curve of the ball with the joystick, and releasing the
ball from the bowler's hand with the fire button. These actions are
interrelated, so experimentation will be necessary. It is advisable to start
with a solo game to give yourself a chance to practice. Each of the four
actions you need to understand to start knocking down a few pins is described
in the following paragraphs.

STEP 1 - POSITIONING THE BOWLER: You control your bowler's position on the lane
by pushing the joystick forward to move him to his left, or pulling the
joystick back to move him to his right.

STEP 2 - AIMING THE BALL: Once the bowler is positioned where you want him, you
will use the "Aiming Arrow" to select the place on the lane where the ball will
hit when the bowler first releases it. This is a no-turning-back selection,
because as soon as the selection is made, the bowler begins his approach to the
foul line. Activate the Aiming Arrow by pressing the fire button and holding it
down. An arrow will appear at the left-most part of the lane (toward the top of
the screen) just beyond the foul line on the right side of the screen. As long
as you hold the fire button down, the arrow will travel from the left of the
lane toward the right of the lane. Let go of the fire button when the arrow
reaches the spot where you want the ball to begin its path toward the pins. If
the arrow passes the spot, continue to hold down the fire button. Whenever the
arrow reaches the right side of the lane while the fire button is depressed, it
returns to the left side of the lane and begins its downward path again.

STEP 3 - CONTROLLING THE BALL'S CURVE: As soon as you have released the fire
button to take aim, the bowler automatically will approach the foul line.
During the approach, you should establish the curve of the ball with the
joystick. You control the severity of the curve with the joystick rather than
the direction of the curve. Both bowlers are right-handed, and the curve of the
ball is always from right to left unless you select to have no curve by pushing
the joystick straight forward.
    Moving counterclockwise from a forward joystick position which puts no
curve on the bal), each of the remaining seven joystick positions puts
progressively more curve in the ball's path. For example, pushing the joystick
up and to the left produces very little curve, whereas pushing the joystick up
and to the right produces maximum curve. Pulling the joystick straight back
would produce a medium curve. Also, keep in mind that alley slickness and ball
weight, discussed on page 15, also affect the ball's path.
    Another important consideration is that the ball curves from an
imaginary straight line connecting the starting position that you chose and the
spot on the lane that you chose with the Aiming Arrow. For example, if your
bowler started at the extreme right of the lane and you selected a spot at the
center of the lane with the Aiming Arrow, then chose to put no curve on the
ball, your ball would go straight into the left-hand gutter if you released it
properly. If, on the other hand, you had started your bowler on the left hand
side of the lane with the Aiming Arrow set to the center of the lane and put a
lot of curve on the ball, you would be more likely to meet with satisfying
results.
    You must continue to hold the joystick in the position you have
selected for the ball's curve as you execute the last step - releasing the
ball.

STEP 4 - RELEASING THE BALL: As the bowler nears the end of his approach, he
begins to swing the ball. You must decide at what point in the swing the bowler
releases the ball. The bowler will release the ball as soon as you press the
fire button. Remember that you need to continue to press the joystick in the
direction you have chosen to establish the severity of the ball;s curve as you
release the ball. Timing of the release is critical. If you release the ball
too soon, you are likely to hit yourself in the leg; if you let go too late,
you may slide face first down the lane.
    After you release the ball, all you need to do is sit back and watch
your ball roll down the lane - or gutter! Once you have seen the results, the
side-perspective screen automatically reappears and you or your competitor will
be able to start the next shot.
    See the Reference Card for information about restarting or exiting a
game.

                DARTS

A number of options are available to you before you play darts. Choose the
number of players, double on and double off, game length, the computer's skill
level if you plan to play against the computer, and the overall speed of the
game. Each of these options is discussed below.

            THE DARTS OPTION SCREEN

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: you can play a solo game with no competiton,  one-player
game against the computer, a two-player game, or, if you select DEMO, you can
watch the computer play against itself. Just move the arrow until it's
positioned over your choice SOLO, ONE PLAYER, TWO PLAYER or DEMO, then press
the fire button.

DOUBLE ON/DOUBLE OFF:  When DOUBLE ON is set to YES, a player must throw a dart
so that it lands within the thin, colored, outer ring on the dart board before
points from any of that player's throws are counted toward the score. When a
dart lands in this outer ring, the throw is called a "double." When you throw
your first "double," you score twice the point value for that section of the
board, and from then on any points you earn from your throws will be credited
to your score (see "General rules and scoring" on page 23). Until the player
throws a double, all throws earn zero points. DOUBLE ON YES is part of
regulation rules in darts.
    COUBLE ON NO means that a player need not throw a double before points
are counted. All earned points will be credited to the player's score starting
with the first throw.
    DOUBLE OFF YES means that a player must throw a double that perfectly
reduces the player's point total to zero to end the match (see "General rules
and scoring" on page 23). In other words, if you have 14 points remining near
the end of a match, you must throw a double seven to lower your score to zero.
Throwing a single 14, for example, would not win the match for you. DOUBLE OFF
YES is part of regulation rules in darts.
    DOUBLE OFF NO means that a player need not throw a double to reduce the
player's score to zero to win  match.
    You can set DOUBLE ON and DOUBLE OFF for each player. To change DOUBLE
ON or DOUBLE OFF, position the arrow over YES or NO next to DOUBLE ON or DOUBLE
OFF, whichever you want to change, in the PLAYER 1 or PLAYER 2 (or COMPUTER)
column. Pressing the fire button toggles between YES and NO.
    As a beginner, you will find it easier to play darts if you set both
DOUBLE ON and DOUBLE OFF to NO. Once your skill increases, you can try
regulation rules by setting DOUBLE ON and DOUBLE OFF back to YES.

GAME LENGTH: Game length can be set for each player. In darts, points earned
from your throws are deducted from a starting total (see "General rules and
scoring" on page 23). The player who reaches zero first wins the game. You can
set this starting total to 301, 501 or 701 points.

COMPUTER SKILL LEVEL: Four choices of computer skill are available:  BEGINNER,
AVERAGE, COMPETITOR and SUPERSTAR. Your selection determines how formidable the
computer will be as an opponent!

OVERALL GAME SPEED: Game speed affects the rate at which the Aiming Dart, Angle
Meter and Power Meter travel as you try to aim your throw (see "How to throw a
dart" on page 24). The faster you set the game speed, the harder it will be to
line up your throw. Move the arrow to BEGINNER, NORMAL or HYPERDRIVE and press
the fire button.

START MATCH: When you are ready to play darts after selecting your options,
select START MATCH at the bottom of the option screen and press the fire
button.

                PLAYING THE GAME

GENERAL RULES AND SCORING: Each player gets three throws per turn. Points are
awarded according to what section of the board you hit with the dart. These
points are then subtracted from the starting total, which you set on the option
screen. The first player to reduce this point total to zero wins the game. When
one player reaches zero, the other player will continue to be given the
opportunity to reach zero unless you manually exit the game accoring to the
instructions on the Reference Card. The winning player's scores will still
register on the Hi-Score table (if they qualify among the top five) even if the
second player doesn't finish the game.
    The total length of time you take to aim and throw your darts and the
total number of throws it takes you to reach zero determine your score for the
match. A timer for each player counts down, starting from 999, while the player
lines up the throw. The faster you can accurately aim and throw the dart, the
better your score will be. If, at the end of a match, your timer score
qualifies among the top five, it will appear in the  darts Hi-Score table. Note
that the timer runs fastest when a player starts with 301 points. It runs
slower with 501 starting points, and slower still with 701 starting points.
this is done to even out the scoring with regard to the darts Hi-Score table.
The total number of throws for the five players who require the fewest number
of throws to reach zero also appears in the Hi-Score table.
    When you throw a dart within the thin, colored outer ring of the dart
board, you are awarded twice the point value for that section of the board.
This is called a "double." If DOUBLE ON is set to YES on the option screen, you
need to throw a double or a bullseye before your starting total can be reduced.
If DOUBLE OFF is set to YES on the option screen, you need to throw a double
that reduces your score to zero at the end of the game in order to win.
    The thin, colored inner ring on the board is called the triple ring. If
your dart lands within this ring, you will be awarded three times the point
value for that section of the board. In the board's center, a bullseye that
lands in the outer portion is worth 25 points and a bullseye that lands in the
inner portion is worth 50 points.

WHAT YOU WILL SEE: The first screen you will see is a closeup of the dart board
itself. From this screen, you will aim the dart, select the angle (arc) of your
throw, and decide how much power you put into the throw. On either side of the
dart board are "chalkboards" for each player. The timers play an important role
in scoring (see "General rules and scoring" on page 23).
    The three vertical columns at the bottom of the screen on the left side
form the Power Meter. Use of the Power Meter is explained under "How to throw a
dart" on page 24, as is the use of the Angle Meter, the thing that looks like a
piece of pie at the lower right. The large dart on the lower portion of the
screen is the Aiming Dart, also explained under "How to throw a dart."
    After you have aimed the dart and made your angle and power selections,
the scene switches to a nice, cozy room. You'll be able to watch your player
throw the dart with the placement, angle and power that you specified. You'll
also see your opponent's throw.

HOW TO THROW A DART: There are three steps involved in throwing the dart: using
the Aiming Dart to select the area on the left side, right side or center of
the board in which the dart will land, setting the Angle Meter to establish the
arc of your throw, and setting the Power Meter to determine how hard you throw.
The combination of angle and power determine whether the dart lands high, low
or in the middle of the dart board. Experiment to find the combination of angle
and power that works best for you.
    These three steps occur in a continuous combination of joystick and
fire button movements, so once you start the first step, be prepared for the
second and third steps, which follow immediately with no break.

STEP 1 - AIMING THE DART: The Aiming Dart appears at the bottom of the screen.
The computer randomly places it on either the left side or the right side
before each throw. To aim the dart, move it with the joystick to the left or
right until it is aligned with the area on the dart board for which you are
aiming. To make things a little tougher on you, the Aiming Dart "homes" on its
original starting position. If you let the joystick return to its center
position, the Aiming Dart will travel back toward its starting point. The rate
at which the Aiming Dart homes is determined by the OVERALL GAME SPEED
selection on the darts option screen. When the Aiming Dart is where you want
it, press and hold down the fire button. Pressing and holding the fire button
will lock the Aiming Dart into position.

STEP 2 - SETTING THE ANGLE METER: The Angel Meter, the pie-shaped figure in the
lower right portion of the screen, begins to operate as soon as you press and
hold the fire button to aim the dart. The Angle Meter is set as soon as you
release the fire button, so don't let go until you have it where you want it.
The Angle Meter fills the pie-shaped figure with color while it operates. The
more color that appears in the meter, the greater the arc of your throw. Don't
worry if the Angle Meter passes by the level you want to set it for. When it
reaches the end of its cycle, it automatically starts over at the beginning.
The rate at which the Angle Meter fills is determined by the OVERALL GAME SPEED
selection on the darts option screen. The faster the game speed, the harder it
is to accurately set the Angle Meter. When the Angle Meter is in the desired
position, release the fire button. The Angle Meter will lock into position.

STEP 3 - SETTING THE POWER METER: The three vertical columns made up of
rectangles at the lower left side of the screen form the Power Meter. Once you
have set the Angle Meter, the Power Meter automatically begins to operate. One
at a time, each rectangle in the Power Meter will change colore, staring with
the bottom rectangle of the left column and moving upward through each column.
If you press the fire button when each rectangle in all three column is
colored, your throw will have maximum power. The fewer colored rectangles there
are when you press the fire button, the softer the throw will be. The rate at
which the rectangles of the Power Meter change color is determined by the
OVERALL GAME SPEED selection on the darts option screen. The faster the game
speed, the harder it is to accurately set the Power Meter. When the Power Meter
reaches the end of its cycle, it automatically starts over at the beginning.
    To select a power setting, press the fire button when the meter reaches
the desired setting. The Power Meter will lock into place.
    Once the Power Meter is set, all you need to do is sit back and watch
the result of your throw. Sometimes, a dart will hit a metal wire on the dart
board and fall to the floor. But don't worry, the computer is very forgiving
about hitting the floor and walls. After you have viewed the throw, the first
screen automatically reappears so that you or your opponent can start the next
throw.
    Options for viewing previous throws and interrupting or exiting the
game are explained on the Reference Card.

                AIR HOCKEY

A number of options are available to you before you begin to play air hockey.
Choose the number of players, the computer's skill level if you plan to play
against the computer, whether or not to alternate sides of the table after each
game, the overall speed of the game, and the number of games to play in each
playoff match. Each of these options is discussed below.

            THE AIR HOCKEY OPTION SCREEN

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: You can play a solo game with no competition, a one-player
game against the computer, a two-player game, or if you select DEMO, you can
watch the computer play against itself. Just move the white arrow with the
joystick until the arrow is positioned over your choice of SOLO, ONE PLAYER,
TWO PLAYER or DEMO. then press the fire button to select it.


COMPUTER SKILL LEVEL: Four choices of computer skill are available: BEGINNER,
AVERAGE, COMPETITOR and SUPERSTAR. The computer's skill level determines its
abilities as an opponent. Move the arrow so it's positioned over your choice,
then press the fire button to select it. (Note: Only one-player games against
the computer at the COMPETITOR or SUPERSTAR skill levels will qualify for the
air hockey Hi-Score table.)

ALTERNATE SIDES: If you select YES for ALTERNATE SIDES, you and your opponent
will switch sides of the table after each game. If you decide to alternate
sides, you will hear a "flutter" to indicate that players have switched sides
of the table between games.

OVERALL GAME SPEED: You can set the game speed to BEGINNER, NORMAL, WORKOUT or
HYPERDRIVE. Move the arrow so it's positioned over your choice, then press the
fire button.

NUMBER OF GAMES PER PLAYOFF: You can play a one-, two-(best of three),
three-(best of five) or four-(best of seven) game playoff. Move the arrow so
it's positioned over your choice, then press the fire button. When a playoff is
set for more than one game, you will hear a "flutter" to indicate that one game
has ended and another game is about to start.

START PLAYOFFS: When you are ready to play air hockey after selecting your
options, position the arrow over START PLAYOFFS at the bottom of the option
screen and press the fire button.

                 PLAYING THE GAME

GENERAL RULES AND SCORING: A game ends when one player scores 12 goals or when
time runs out. The game time limit is 15 minutes. Time remaining is displayed
on the screen. If time runs out, the player who has scored the most goals wins
the game. If the score is tied when time runs out, a sudden death overtime
begins. The timer will flash to indicate the start of sudden death, and the
first player to score a goal wins the game.

WHAT YOU WILL SEE: The names of the two players will appear at the top and
bottom of the table. The number to the left of either name represents the
number of games won in the current playoff by that player. The number to the
right of either name indicates the total number of goals scored by that player
in the current playoff. Above the name at the bottom of the screen, a counter
indicates the time remaining in the game.
    The shapes at either rnd of the table tell you how many goals each
player has scored in the current game. Starting on the left, one whape will
change color each time the player on the corresponding side of the table scores
a goal. The total number of shapes that have changed color indicates the total
number of goals scored by that player.

HOW TO PLAY: Use the joystick to move your "hitter" to block the puck from
entering your own goal, and to shoot it toward your opponent's goal. You can
move the hitter in eight directions. IF YOU PRESS THE FIRE BUTTON AND HOLD IT
DOWN, YOUR HITTER WILL MOVE FASTER.
    The puck never stops moving. It continually "floats" on the air. The
puck can be hit in 32 different directions and is capable of moving at 40
different speeds.
    After each goal is scored, a new puck automatically appears on the
table. Each game starts automatically in a multiple-game playoff.
    See the Reference Card for information about how to restart, interrupt
or exit a game.

                SUPERSTAR PING-PONG

A number of options are available to you before you begin to play Superstar
Ping-Pong. Use the joystick to make changes in any of the nine option
categories, which are discussed in detail below. Note that selection of the
SIDE VIEW table perspective limits the number of options you can make. SIDE
VIEW is recommended for advanced players only (see "Play perspective" on page
32).

            THE SUPERSTAR PING-PONG OPTION SCREENS

Push the joystick forward or pull it back to move the hand icon on the left
side of each of the three option screens from one option category to another.
When the hand is aligned horizontally with an option category you want to
change, push the joystick left or right to highlight the option you want within
that category. You need not press the fire button to select a desired option.
    At the bottom of each screen, you will see an option to see the NEXT
MENU or LAST MENU. To move from menu to menu, pull back on the joystick to move
the hand icon to the bottom of the screen, then move the joystick to the left
or right to highlight your choice (NEXT MENU or LAST MENU). Press the fire
button, and the new option screen will appear.

                FIRST OPTION SCREEN

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: You can play a one-player game against the computer, a
two-player game, or, if you select TOO TIRED, you can watch the computer play
against itself. In a one-player game, the computer's skill will vary from match
to match. NOTE: WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO VIEW A MATCH FROM THE SIDE PERSPECTIVE, A
TWO-PLAYER GAME AUTOMATICALLY IS IN EFFECT, REGARDLESS OF YOUR SELECTION FOR
NUMBER OF PLAYERS.

PLAY PERSPECTIVE: You can elect to see the game from an END VIEW of the table
or a SIDE VIEW of the table. However, if you choose SIDE VIEW, a two-player
game with manual paddle control automatically is in effect, regardless of other
selections you may have made for numbers of players or paddle control. SELECT
SIDE VIEW ONLY WHEN YOU AND YOUR OPPONENT ARE ACCOMPLISHED PLAYERS READY FOR A
NEW CHALLENGE.

PADDLE CONTROL: When MANUAL MOVE is selected, you have to move the paddle to
the ball with the joystick in order to make contact. If you choose AUTO MOVE,
the computer will move the paddle to the ball for you. However, control of the
paddle is returned to you when serving in AUTO MOVE.

GAME SPEED: Select either NORMAL, BEGINNER or HYPERDRIVE. BEGINNER is the
slowest speed; HYPERDRIVE the fastest speed (strictly for advanced players).

                SECOND OPTION SCREEN

POWER ASSIGNMENTS: Power assignments give you the flexibility to "design"
players so that they have individual strengths and weaknesses. For example, you
might decide that it is more important for your player to have great endurance
than a terrific backhand. To accomplish this, take a power point or two away
from the BACKHAND category in your player's column and assign more of you
AVAILABLE POWER POINTS to the ENDURANCE category. As you learn more about your
own playing abilities, power assignments can become an effective part of your
strategy.
    AVAILABLE POWER POINTS indicates the total number of points that you
can split up among the following six categories that appear on the option
screen: SMASHING, FOREHAND, BACKHAND, REACTION TIME, SPEED and ENDURANCE. Each
player can change the number of AVAILABLE POWER POINTS to any number between 12
and 20 (inclusive). The greater the number of power points, the greter the
player's overall strength.
    You can assign as few as one or as many as four points to each
category, as long as the combined total of the six categories does not exceed
the total number of power points available for the player. When you assign a
value of four to a category, you give yourself maximum ability in that
category; three gives you above average ability, two gives average ability, and
one gives minimal ability. The total number of points already assigned is given
for each player next to POWER POINTS USED, which appears below the six
categories.
    To change the distribution of power points, first select the player you
want to redesign by moving the hand icon up to the top of the screen, then move
the joystick to the left or right to highlight PLAYER 1 or PLAYER 2 (COMPUTER
if you are playing a one-player game).
    If you want to change the total number of power points available for
the player you have selected, pull back on the joystick so that the hand icon
is aligned with AVAILABLE POWER POINTS. Then move the joystick to the right to
increase the total, or to the left to decrease the total. Use this same method
to change the number of power points assigned to any of the six categories.
When you are through, highlight NEXT MENU or LAST MENU and press the fire
button.

                THIRD OPTION SCREEN

PADDLE COLOR: The paddle colors of each player can be changed. To see the
colors available, use the joystick to move the hand icon up to PLAYER 1 PADDLE
COLOR or PLAYER 2 (or COMPUTER) PADDLE COLOR. Then move the joystick left or
right. Each time you move the joystick left or right, the paddles shown on the
screen will change color. The computer prevents you from choosing the same
color for both players.

ALTERNATE SIDES: If you select YES for ALTERNATE SIDES, you and your opponent
will switch sides of the table after each game. Otherwise, everyone stays put.

NUMBER OF GAMES NEEDED TO WIN: Matches can be set for one game, best of three
games, best of five games, or best of seven games.

START MATCH: When you are ready to play ping-pong after selecting your options,
pull back on the joystick to move the hand icon to the bottom of the third
option screen. Highlight START MATCH with the joystick and press the fire
button to get underway.

                PLAYING THE GAME

GENERAL RULES AND SCORING: Players automatically switch service every five
points. The first player to score 21 points with at least a two-point lead over
the opponent wins the game. If a score of 20-20 is reached, players will change
service after every point, and the first player to establish a two-point lead
wins the game.
    A scorecard for each player appears on either side of the table. The
two-digit number gives the number of points scored by each player in the game
in progress, and the single digit number gives the number of games won in the
current playoff by each player.

HOW TO PLAY: Use the joystick to move the paddle. Press the fire button to
serve the ball. If you have selected AUTO MOVE, after the serve, the computer
will mover the paddle toward the ball for you. In MANUAL MOVE, use the joystick
to move the paddle toward the ball. When you are playing from the END VIEW
table, push the joystick to the left to move the paddle to the left and push
the joystick to the right to move the paddle to the right. On a SIDE VIEW
table, pull the joystick back to move the paddle toward the bottom of the
screen, and push the joystick forward to move the paddle toward the top of the
screen. Press the fire button to seing your paddle. Both players in Superstar
Ping-Pong are right-handed.
    The timing of your swing controls the direction in which the ball will
be hit. The ball can be hit in 15 different directions by mastering your
timing. Swinging the paddle a little early or a little late will increase the
angle of your shot.
    You can use the joystick while you press the fire button to either
smash or put backspin on the ball. When you are playing from the END VIEW
table, you can smash the ball by pushing the joystick forward while you press
the fire button to seing. To put backspin on the ball, pull the joystick back
while you press the fire button to swing. You automatically put topspin on the
ball just by pressing the fire button to swing in both the SIDE VIEW and END
VIEW games.
    From the SIDE VIEW table, smash the ball by pushing the joystick to the
left as you press the fire button to seing the paddle. You can put backspin on
the ball by pushing the joystick to the right.
    A smash is tough to get over the net, and it wears down your endurance
- so smash sparingly. You also fatigue when you chase the ball. As your
endurance decreases, all aspects of your game decline. A good strategy is to
work your opponet "all over the table" to wear down the player.
    See the Reference Card for information about how to restart, interrupt
or exit a game.

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