ASTROBLAST

INSTRUCTIONS

(1 Player vs. Computer)

Hit as many falling, fast-moving targets as you can. Move your laser base to avoid being hit yourself. Keep shooting as long as your bases last, and try for a great Peak Score!

For You Atari* Video Game System

C Mattel, Inc. 1982 Mattel Canada, Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada. M8Z 5R5
*ATARI is a trademark of ATARI INC.

THE GAME

You start with 10 laser defense bases. Several things fall from the sky: rocks, spinning white bombs, "smart" guided missiles and - when your score goes over 20,000 - UFO bombs. If your active laser is hit OR a spinner lands, you lose that base. You get another base whenever your peak score goes up 1,000 points. As the score goes higher more targets appear - falling faster.

CONTROLLERS

Use joysticks or one paddle controller. The paddle moves the base faster, and we recommend it for a better game. Plug paddles or joystick into LEFT CONTROLLER jack.

 Joystick                                                          Paddle
---------                          []                              -------
|o      |                      []  []  []                         [|  _  |
|       |                        [][][]                         /____/ \____\
|<- O>|               <-- [][] [][]>                \  |  O  |  /
|       |                        [][][]                            |     |
|       |                      [][][][][]                          |     |
---------                    []  []  []  []                        \_____/
Move Left                                                         Move Left
Move Right                                                        Move Right

Press red button to shoot ... hold in for repeat firing.

DIFFICULTY SWITCHES

RIGHT SWITCH: Set at "B" to play game at regular skill level. Set at "A" to play at accelerated speed (same pace and targets as if score were over 50,000).

LEFT SWITCH: Set at "B" for manual firing mode. Set at "A" for automatic firing. NOTE: Switches can be changed during the game.

ACTION!

TO START THE GAME, DEPRESS RESET SWITCH, THEN PRESS CONTROLLER BUTTON.

Move your active laser base to get directly under a target, then fire your laser. Avoid being hit by any falling object.

The number at lower right shows how many laser bases you have. You get a new base whenever your peak score increases 1,000 points.

NOTE: If your score goes down, then rises, you don't get an extra base when you pass your old peak level. You must advance another 1,000 points to win a bonus base.

WHEN ALL BASES ARE LOST, THE GAME ENDS AND YOUR PEAK SCORE APPEARS.

TARGETS

      OO  OO
      OOOOOO  OO      Rocks ... A small rock gives you twice as many points
      OOOOOOOO                  as a big one.  And small rocks that land
    OOO  OOOOOO                 unhit cost you twice as many points.  When
    OOOO  OOOOOO                big rocks are hit they usually split in two.
      OOOOOOOOOOOO
  OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
    OOOOOOOOOO  OO
  OOOOOO  OOOOOO         OOOOOOOO
    OOOO  OOOO       OOOO    OOOO
      OOOOOOOO       OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
        OOOOOO               OOOO
      OO    OO           OOOO
        OOOO

OO
              OO
      OOOOOOOO     Spinners ... If a spinner lands, it costs you one laser
      OO  OO                    base.  Spinners make audible alarm signals.
    OOOOOOOO
  OO
  OO

OO
      OO
    OOOOOO      Pulsars ... These guided missiles try to home in on your
  OOOOOOOOOO                base, and change course as they fall.  You don't
  OOOOOOOOOO                lose points if pulsars land, but if you can hit
    OOOOOO                  one, it has the value of 8 big rocks.  Pulsars
      OO                    make a beeping sound as they attack.
      OO

OOOOOO
    OOOO  OOOO
    OOOO  OOOO    UFO's ... When your score is over 20,000, UFOs occasionally
      OOOOOO                fly past, dropping bombs on your active base
      OOOOOO                location.  You get no points for hitting the
    OOOOOOOOOO              bombs, but each UFO hit is worth 10 large rocks.
  OOOOOOOOOOOOOO            UFOs make a distinctive sound as they fly across.
  OO  OO  OO  OO
  OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

IF YOU ARE HIT, WAIT FOR EXPLOSION TO STOP THEN PRESS BUTTON TO CONTINUE.

SCORING

The number at the lower center of the screen is your current score. It changes when you hit a target, when rocks land, and when you lose a base. Score increases when you hit ...

Score                Big         Small        Spinner        Pulsar        UFO
Range                Rock        Rock

0- 1,000         10           20            40            80           *
 1,000- 5,000         20           40            80           160           *
 5,000-20,000         30           60           120           240           *
20,000-50,000         40           80           160           320          400
  over 50,000         50          100           200           400          500

Screen background color changes when score goes from one range to another.

Score decreases when ...

                                                              Your Base Is Hit
Score           Big Rock       Small Rock       Spinner       By Rock, Pulsar 
Range            Lands           Lands           Lands          Or UFO Bomb

0- 1,000       5              10             100               100
 1,000- 5,000      10              20             200               200
 5,000-20,000      15              30             300               300
20,000-50,000      20              40             400               400
  over 50,000      25              50             500               500

SCORE IS NEVER LESS THAN ZERO.

WINNING TIPS

• Whenever you have a choice between big and small rocks, shoot at the small ones.
• Don't shoot rocks very close to you - the explosion can blow up your base.
• Remember: if any spinners land, you lose a base. Shoot at them as soon as they appear.
• Don't try to run away from pulsars and UFOs.. Get directly underneath them fast - then shoot!

MATTEL ELECTRONICS

This document converted to html by [email protected].
-------------------Atari 2600 Instructions Archive-------------------

This document obtained from the History of Home Video Games Homepage, �1997-1998 by Greg Chance