TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. GAME PLAY                 1
2. USING THE CONTROLLERS     1
3. CONSOLE CONTROLS          2
4. GAME VARIATIONS           2
5. SCORING                   3
6. GAME SELECT MATRIX        4
 

1. GAME PLAY

Your objective is to roll as high a score as possible, whether you're playing a one-player or a two-player game.  There are ten "pins" to knock down.  You have two tries (or rolls) to knock down the pins each time you're up.  Each game consists of ten "frames" (or turns).

If you succeed in knocking down all the pins on your first roll, it's called
a "strike".  A strike is marked with an "x" on the TV screen.

If you leave pins standing, but "pick them up" on your second try, it's called a "spare".  Spares are marked with a "/" on the screen.

An "open frame" occurs when you fail to knock down all then pins in two rolls.  Open frames are indicated with a straight horizontal line (-) on the screen.

The ultimate goal in BOWLING is to roll 12 consecutive strikes for a "perfect" score of 300.  See the SCORING section for a more detailed breakdown of point scoring.
 

2. USING THE CONTROLLERS

Use your Joystick Controllers with the ATARI Game Program cartridge.  Be sure the Joystick Controller cables are firmly plugged into the CONTROLLER jacks at the back of your ATARI Video Computer System(TM) game.  For one-player games, use the Joystick Controller plugged into the LEFT CONTROLLER jack.  Hold the Joystick with the red button to your upper left, toward the television screen.  See Section 3 of your owner's manual for further details.

Move your Joystick forward (away from you), back (toward you), to position the Bowler.  Press the red button on your Joystick Controller to relase the ball.

NOTE: Before pressing the red button to release the ball, the Joystick
controls the positioning of the Bowler.  After pressing the red button, the Joystick controls the direction of the ball as it moves down the "alley".

3. CONSOLE CONTROLS

GAME SELECT AND GAME RESET

To start the action:
* Press the game select switch to choose the game you wish to play.  The number of each game appears at the upper left corner of the screen.  A 1 or a 2 is displayed at the upper right corner of the screen to indicate whether the game is for one or two players
* Press the game reset switch to begin play.

During game play the number of each frame is displayed at the upper left corner of the screen for one-player and two-player games.  In two-player games the number of the player who is currently up is shown at the upper right corner of the screen.  (Player number 1 is blue; Player number 2 is green.)

DIFFICULTY SWITCHES

When the difficulty switch is in the a position, the computer makes it more difficult for you to roll strikes and spares. (Use the left difficulty switch is in the b position.

TV TYPE SWITCH

Set this switch to color if you have a color television set.  Set it to b-w if you are playing the game in black and white.
 

4. GAME VARIATIONS

In GAMES 1 and 2 the ball stays in a steady curve pattern once the
Joystick is moved in either direction.  The ball does not come out of this pattern until that roll is completed.

* Push the Joystick forward to curve the ball up toward the top of the screen.
* Pull the Joystick back to curve the ball down toward the bottom of the screen.

In GAMES 3 ahd 4 you can steer the ball up and/or down while it is moving down the alley.  If the Joystick is returned to its neutral position the ball straightens out. GAMES 5 and 6 are straight ball games.  In these games the direction of the ball cannot be altered after it is released.  Positioning the Bowler is the most important move.

GAMES 1, 3, and 5 are one-player games.  GAMES 2, 4, and 6 are two-player games.
 
 

5. SCORING

You have the possibility of scoring from 0 to 30 points in each frame.  However, the difference in your score depends on whether you strike, spare, or leave an open frame.

For instance, in an open frame the number of pins you pick up (for both rolls) is simply added to your running score.

However, when you pick up all the pins on the second roll for a spare, your running score is not totaled immediately.  Instead, the score for that frame remains empty until your next roll.  At that time, 10 is added to the number of pins you pick up.  This subtotal is then added to your
total running score.

Whenever you roll a strike your running score is not totaled until after the next TWO rolls.  Ten points are then added to the total number of pins you pick up for those rolls.  Therefore, if you roll three consecutive strikes, you score 30 points for the frame in which the first strike occurred.

* In two-player games, the score for the left player is displayed at the top left corner of the screen; the right player's score is shown on the right.
* In one-player games the score is on the left.

TENTH FRAME BONUS

If you spare in the tenth frame, you are allowed one more roll.  The number of pins you pick up, plus 10 (because of the spare), is then added to your score.

If you strike in the tenth frame, the pins you pick up for the next TWO rolls are added to your total score.
 

6. GAME SELECT MATRIX

+-------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| Game Number       | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
+-------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| Number of Players | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
+-------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| Game Number       |   |   | X | X |   |   |
+-------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| Number of Players |   |   |   |   | X | X |
+-------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| Game Number       | X | X |   |   |   |   |
+-------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+