Model CX2630
ATARI, INC., Consumer Division
P.O. Box 427, Sunnyvale, CA 94086
(c) 1980 ATARI, INC.
 

Use your standard Paddle Controllers with this ATARI Game Program.  Be sure the Controller cable is firmly plugged into the jack at the rear of your ATARI Video Computer System.

For one and two player games, plug the Paddle Controllers into the LEFT CONTROLLER jack.

Note:  Always turn the console switch OFF when inserting or removing an ATARI Game Program.  This will protect the electronic components and prolong the life of your ATARI Video Computer System.
 

HOW TO PLAY

POP! POP! POP! Pop the balloons and score points.  A wall of red, blue, and white balloons will appear at the top of the screen.  You must pop balloons by catching a clown on the teeter-totter and bouncing him up to the balloons.  Use the controller to move the teeter-totter across the screen to catch the clowns.  Each time a clown pops a balloon, the balloon will disappear and you score points.

Each player receives five clowns or turns.  If you fail to catch a clown on the teeter-totter he will crash and disappear from the playfield.  Press the red controller button and another clown will bounce off the trampoline from the right or left corner of the playfield.  After five clowns have crashed the game is over.  The clowns may land on any point of the teeter-totter except where the other clown is sitting, which causes them to crash.
 

CONSOLE CONTROLS

To select a game depress the game select switch.  There are 8 variations to this game.  See GAME VARIATIONS for game play differences and explanations.  The game and the number of players is shown in the upper middle of the screen with the game number to the left and the number of players to the right.

To begin a game depress the game reset switch.
 

HANDICAP

Difficulty Switches
When the difficulty switch is in the a position the clowns bounce faster after contact with the balloons and the teeter-totter.  In the b position you have better control of the clowns because they are not moving as fast.  For one-player games use the left difficulty switch.
 

USING THE CONTROLLERS

Use your Paddle Controller to move the teeter-totter across the screen.  Press the red button on the Paddle Controller to start a turn, or press the red button to start a clown bouncing from the trampoline.  Pressing the red button while the clown is in the air changes the direction of the teeter-totter.  This is helpful in preventing the airborne clown from crashing into the other clown on the teeter-totter.
 

SCORING

The first point is scored as the clown leaves the trampoline.  Once the clown starts the bouncing motion, one point is scored each time he hits the trampoline or the teeter-totter.  Additional points are scored as the clown pops the balloons.  Remember, the higher the balloon he pops the more points you score, so it is best to catch him on the edge of the teeter-totter for the highest bounce.

RED 10 Points Each
BLUE 5 Points Each
WHITE 2 Points Each
TOP Entire Row =100 Bonus Points
MIDDLE Entire Row =50 Bonus Points
BOTTOM Entire Row =20 Bonus Points

Each time you pop the entire row of red balloons you receive an extra clown or turn.  The top right corner of the screen will show an "X" to indicate an extra clown or turn.  Although scoring can be infinite, there is only space for four digits on the screen, so when you become a pro your score will read 0000 again as you pass 9999.
 

GAME VARIATIONS

GAMES 1 through 6 may be played by one or two players, but GAMES 7 and 8 are two-player games only.

GAME 1 is called Breakout Circus.  As the clown pops balloons he rebounds from balloon to balloon both horizontally and vertically.  Each time a full row of balloons is popped a new row appears and you receive bonus points.  When the top row of red balloons are all popped you receive and extra clown.  (See SCORING for a breakdown of points and bonus scoring.)

GAME 2 is like GAME 1, except the playfield has an additional wall of barriers added below the balloons, which makes the game more difficult.

GAME 3 is called Breakthru Circus.  In Breakthru Circus the clown does not rebound off the balloons.  He continues to move in a horizontal direction off the balloons.  This version is somewhat easier for the beginning player.  Scoring is the same as GAME 1.

GAME 4 is Breakthru Circus with a row of barriers added to the playfield below the balloons.

GAME 5 is similar to Breakout Circus, except the balloons do not "restore" after the full row is popped.  All balloons on the screen must be popped before you receive three new rows of balloons.  At this time you receive 170 bonus points and an extra clown.

GAME 6 is the same as GAME 5, but with the additional row of barriers added below the balloons.

GAME 7 is for two players.  Both players share the same wall of balloons.  The computer tracks each players' score individually.

GAME 8 is the same as GAME 7 but has the addition of barriers below the balloons to make the game more challenging.

At the end of each game final scores will appear at the top of the screen, left player to the left and right player to the right in two-player games.
 

GAME MATRIX

GAME NUMBER  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8
ONE-PLAYER   X  X  X  X  X  X
TWO PLAYER   X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X
BREAKOUT     X  X        X  X  X  X
BREAKTHRU          X  X
 

BREAKOUT and BREAKTHRU are Trademarks of ATARI, INC.
Printed in U.S.A.    C011402-30 REV. 2