Over scorching deserts, through dark, icy caverns, around a fiery volcano, and under the leafy cover of a steamy jungle, you and five brave friends set out to retrieve the treasures stolen by the Evil Master.  Your goal is his castle, far, far away.

Your friends are unarmed, but you carry your trusty crossbow.  By shooting swift arrows you can save your companions from the dangerous attacks of the Master's Evil Creatures - scorpions, ants, vultures, man-eating plants, bats, monkeys, and other horrible beings.

When you reach the castle, the Evil Master's expert archers await you, ready to test their aim with deadly swords and arrows.  Inside the castle a fierce dragon also waits, guarding the treasure with his fiery breath.

Few adventurers have dared to make this trek.  No one yet has come back alive.

Which Way to the Castle?
 

Getting Started

1. Plug the Crossbow cartridge into your Atari 2600 or 7800 console.  For one player, connect a joystick to the left controller port.  For two players, connect a second joystick to the right controller port.

2. Use the left difficulty switch on your console to change the speed of your crossbow.  Move the switch to the "A" or left position for faster shots.  Move it to the "B" or right position for slower shots.

3. Turn on your television, then press the [Power] key to turn on your console.  The Paths screen appears, where you start your trek.

4. Press [Select] or move the joystick handle to choose a difficulty level.  For one player, choose an odd number (1, 3, 5, or 7).  For two players, choose an even number (2, 4, 6, or 8).  Levels 1 and 2 are easiest; levels 7 and 8 are most difficult.  The number appears at the bottom of the screen.

For game variety, choose a level in which your friends are protected from your crossbow shots.  For a greater challenge, choose a level that has an invisible crossbow sight (you can only see it after you press the fire button to shoot).  Or choose both.

Levels  Crossbow Sight  Friends Protected
1-2       Visible              Yes
3-4       Visible              No
5-6       Invisible            Yes
7-8       Invisible            No

5. Press the joystick fire button or [Reset] to start play.

6. During play, press [Reset] to start a new game.  During or after play, press [Select] to choose a different game level.
 

Playing the Game

Setting Out

Your adventure begins on the Paths screen.  This screen shows your first friend and the six Danger Zones you must pass through to reach the treasure.  Once you've chosen a game level and pressed [Reset] or the fire button, the crossbow sight (a small square) appears in the center of the Paths screen.

You must figure out which paths to take to reach the castle and the treasure.  Move the crossbow sight (with the joystick handle) to either the red or green path at the bottom of the screen.  Then press the fire button to instantly arrive at a Danger Zone.

Protecting Your Friends

Once you get to a Danger Zone, the Master's Evil Creatures immediately begin attacking your friend.  If they touch him, he'll dissolve.  You must stop these enemies by shooting them with your crossbow.  With the joystick handle, move the crossbow sight onto a target to aim, then press the fire button to shoot.

If you escort your friend safely through the Danger Zone, you return to the Paths screen and choose a path once again, this time either red, green, or blue.  Then press the fire button to transport yourself to a Danger Zone.

If you lose a friend, another one replaces the unfortunate companion.  If you lose all your friends, your trek is prematurely over.  When you make it safely through a Danger Zone, your surviving friends appear on screen.  Then you return to the Paths screen for another choice.

If you fulfill your quest and rescue the treasure, you'll return to the beginning of the trek with your surviving companions and start again.

Through the Danger Zones

You start your trek with two Friends.  You gain a new friend the first time you make it safely through the Desert, Caverns, Volcano, and Jungle Zones (up to a maximum of four friends at one time).

In the Desert your friends are attacked by deadly scorpions, vultures, snakes, and ants.  You gain another friend the first time you survive this zone.

While wandering through the Caverns, watch out for swooping bats and falling stalactites.  Shoot down the hanging stalactite to fill in the crevice in the path so you can get across.  Another friend joins you the first time you make it safely through the Caverns.

The Volcano spews burning rocks and fiery lava, so watch out.  Shoot the resting rock to make a bridge over the lava river.  Passing by the volcano safely for the first time gains you another friend.

In the steaming depths of the Jungle, wicked monkeys hurl coconuts with deadly aim and man-eating plants are a constant danger.  The first time you survive the Jungle Zone you earn a new friend.

If you're not careful, you'll meet your match at the Drawbridge as the Evil Master's loyal archers and vultures try to stop you.  To enter, shoot through the two ropes holding up the drawbridge.

At the Castle Hall, a dragon breathes fire, daggers drop from the ceiling, and arrows fly from the walls.  A trap door is your last barrier to the treasure - shoot the statue's flashing staff to open it.

Shoot the Evil Master's Eye that appears once on every screen and earn bonus points.
 

Scoring

Shoot the Master's Evil Creatures and score points.  Scores appear at the bottom of the screen.  Player 1's score is on the right and Player 2's score is on the left.

Across the Desert
Snake................ 200 points
Vulture.............. 100 points
Scorpion.............. 50 points
Ant................... 50 points

Through the Caverns
Bat.................. 100 points
Falling stalactite.... 50 points
Hanging stalactite.... 50 points

At the Volcano
Burning lava......... 100 points
Falling rock.......... 50 points
Resting rock.......... 50 points

In the Jungle
Monkey............... 100 points
Coconut.............. 100 points
Voracious plant....... 50 points

Outside the Drawbridge
Vulture.............. 200 points
Archer............... 100 points
Arrow................. 50 points

Inside the Castle Hall
Statue's staff....... 200 points
Dagger............... 100 points
Arrow................ 100 points
Dragon's fire........ 100 points
Torch................. 50 points

In Every Danger Zone
Evil Master's Eye... 1000 points

When you get all your friends through the trap door in the Castle Hall, you earn 10,000 bonus points and gain another friend (unless you already have four friends).  Then you return to the Paths screen to start again.
 

Atari, the Atari logo, 2600, and 7800 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Atari Corporation.  Crossbow is a trademark of Exidy, Inc.

Copyright (C)1988, Atari Corporation.  All rights reserved
Printed in Hong Kong  C300016-139 Rev. A