MODEL CX2638
34 GAME VARIATIONS
SPECIAL FEATURE
HELPFUL HINTS Section 7
 

SPECIAL FEATURE
This Game Program contains additional versions for young children.

NOTE: Always turn the console power switch off when inserting or removing a Game Program. This will protect the electronic components and prolong the life of your ATARI Video Computer System.
(c) 1981, ATARI, INC.
 

CONTENTS

1. YOUR COMMANDING ORDERS
2. GAME PLAY
3. USING THE CONTROLLERS
4. CONSOLE CONTROLS
5. SCORING
6. GAME VARIATIONS
7. HELPFUL HINTS
8. GAME MATRIX
 
 

1. YOUR COMMANDING ORDERS

Aliens from the planet of Krytol have begun an attack on the planet Zardon. The Krytolians are warriors out to destroy and seize the planet of Zardon. Zardon is the last of the peaceful planets. The Zardonians are skillful and hardworking people. Their cities are built-up and rich in resources. It is truly a planet void of crime and violence.

Zardon has built a powerful defense system. Several antiballistic missile bases have been established within the cities of Zardon. The Zardonians are ready for this attack, and are prepared to fight to save their cities.

As base commander it is your responsibility to protect and defend six cities on the planet of Zardon. The Krytolians have begun firing interplanetary ballistic missiles. They are aiming at your cities and missile bases. Your only defense is
to fire back with antiballistic missiles. But watch out, the Krytolians are sly, they also have cruise missiles. Cruise missiles look like satellites, but they are just as deadly as the interplanetary ballistic missiles.

Use your antiballistic missiles (ABMs) to stop the enemy before your happy and harmonious planet is destroyed.
 

2. GAME PLAY

The object of the game is to defend your cities and missile bases. the enemy fires interplanetary ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, both of which are aimed to destroy your cities and missile base. There are only two types of cruise missiles; smart cruise missiles, which try to evade your anti-ballistic missiles (ABMs), and dumb cruise missiles, which fall in a straight path.

The enemy attacks in a series of waves that may vary in the number of attacking interplanetary ballistic missiles. Each consecutive wave moves faster. The faster the wave, the more difficult it is to defend the cities. So, the faster the wave, the higher the scoring. See Section 5 for details about waves and scoring.

With each wave you have 30 ABMs for defense (see Figure 1). Your launching missile base, (bottom, center of playfield) contains only 10 ABMs at a time. As each set of 10 ABMs is fired, you automatically receive 10 more from you underground missile dump (bottom, left corner). Once you have fired all 30 ABMs, you are defenseless until a new wave begins.

You must protect your launching missile base from enemy fire. Once it is hit, all of its contents are destroyed. However, you still have the remaining missiles in the underground dump. The game ends when all of the cities are destroyed.
 

3. USING THE CONTROLLERS

Use your Joystick Controllers with this ATARI Game Program. Be sure to plug the controller cables firmly into the jacks at the back of your Video Computer System. Hold the controller with the red button to your upper left toward the television screen. Use the LEFT CONTROLLER jack for one-player games. See Section 3 of your owner's manual for further details.

Use the Joystick Controller as a target control for your ABMs. Move the Joystick up, down, right, left, or diagonally to move the cursor (blinking light) to the target where you wish your antiballistic missile to explode. Push the controller button to launch you ABM's. (See Figure 2.)

Consider the Joystick as a target control for your missiles. Wherever the target control is on the screen when the button is pressed will be the exact location that your ABM explodes. Once you have launched an ABM, you can move to a new target and launch again while the first ABM is in flight. The best
way to destroy the enemy is to place the target control directly in the path of the interplanetary ballistic missiles. The ABM must make contact with the tip of the enemy's interplanetary ballistic missile.

Some game variations have a fast target control and some have a slow target control. The faster the target control moves, the harder it is to position below the enemy missiles. (See the GAME SELECT MATRIX for games which feature a fast target control or slow target control).
 

4. CONSOLE CONTROLS

To select a MISSILE COMMAND game, press down the game select switch. To quickly change the game number, hold down the game select and the game reset switches at the same time.

The game number and the number of players appear in the middle of the screen. The game number is to the left of the number of players. (See Figure 3.) When you have selected the game you wish to play, press down the game reset switch to start the action. Each time game reset is pressed down the game starts over. When game play starts the score appears at the top of the screen.

Difficulty Switches

MISSILE COMMAND has two difficulty levels -a and b. The b level is for normal game play. Level a is for the skilled MISSILE COMMAND player. When the difficulty switch is in the a position, your ABMs move at a slower pace, making it more difficult to defend your cities and missile base. Each player may choose his or her own difficulty level.

In a one-player game use the left difficulty switch. For two-player games, the left player uses the left difficulty switch; the right player uses the right difficulty switch. When you become skilled at MISSILE COMMAND, try GAME 16 with difficulty level a for a real challenge.
 

5. SCORING

You score points when you destroy interplanetary ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. You also score points for unused antiballistic missiles and saved cities. Because each wave of interplanetary ballistic missiles moves faster, the points for the higher numbered waves are multiplied. For example, waves 9 and 10 are worth 5 times their original point value. (See Table 1 for SCORING MULTIPLIER.)

Points are scored as follows:

Interplanetary Ballistic Missiles  25 points
Enemy Cruise Missiles             125 points
Unused Antiballistic Missiles       5 points
Saved Cities                      100 points

Table 1
SCORING MULTIPLIER

WAVES 1-2                Single Scoring
WAVES 3-4                Double Scoring
WAVES 5-6                Triple Scoring
WAVES 7-8            Four Times Scoring
WAVES 9-10           Five Times Scoring
WAVES 11 and ABOVE    Six Times Scoring

Wave 13 is the most difficult wave in this Game Program Cartridge.

Unused ABM's and saved cities are tallied at the end of each wave. Between each consecutive wave, the cities fall and rise again when the next wave starts (see Figure 4). A bonus city is awarded every 10,000 points. If your score reaches 10,000 points at the end of a wave and all six of your cities are destroyed, you still receive a bonus city and another wave of interplanetary ballistic missiles will attack.

Bonus cities are saved if none of you cities are destroyed. A musical tune is played each time a bonus city is used.
 

6. GAME VARIATIONS

MISSILE COMMAND has 34 game variations. Games 1 through 17 are one-player, and games 18 through 34 are two-player games. this ATARI Game Program includes game variations for young children, games 17 and 34. The game play is slower in the children's versions (see CHILDREN'S GAMES).

SLOW/FAST TARGET CONTROL

Some game variations have fast target control and some have slow target control. This means that your may move the cursor fast or slow around the screen. Because you use the Joystick to move the target control, the slower it moves, the more control you will have; but the fewer amount of targets you'll be able to hit. The faster the target control moves, the more difficult it is to control; but the more targets you will be able to hit.

SMART ENEMY CRUISE MISSILE/DUMB ENEMY CRUISE MISSILE

After the 6th wave of interplanetary ballistic missiles, the enemy may attack with cruise missiles. The dumb cruise missiles travel in a straight line and are fairly easy to destroy. The smart cruise missiles can detect and evade your ABM explosions, making them more difficult to destroy.

STARTING WAVE

The higher the wave number, the faster the enemy missiles attack. Some game variations start at a low wave number and progress to a higher  and faster wave number. The games that start at a high wave number are fast in the beginning and progress even faster with each wave. The faster waves score more points.

CHILDREN'S GAMES

Games 17 and 34 play at a slower and easier speed for young children. They have dumb enemy cruise missiles, slow target control, and the enemy attacks at a slower rate with less missiles. As children become skilled at this level, they should try the more difficult game variations, starting at Game 1.

TWO-PLAYER GAMES

Games 18 through 34 are two-player games. In two-player games each player alternates as base commander, one wave at a time. The left controller player begins the game. Each player's score appears at the top of the screen with each turn. At the end of the game both players' scores are alternately displayed on the screen.
 

7. HELPFUL HINTS

1) You may fire up to three defense missiles simultaneously. After pressing the controller (fire) button, move to the next enemy site and fire again. Do not wait for the explosion before moving.

2) Once a city is destroyed you no longer can defend it, so concentrate only on your missile base and saved cities. Ignore enemy fire aimed at cities already destroyed.

3) Smart enemy cruise missiles are easiest to destroy if your target control is directly on them. When it is directly on them, the enemy cannot detect your ABMs.
 

8. GAME SELECT MATRIX

ONE-PLAYER GAME NO.  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
FAST TARGET CONTROL     X     X     X     X     X     X     X     X  C
SLOW TARGET CONTROL  X     X     X     X     X     X     X     X     H
DUMB CRUISE MISSILE  X  X        X  X        X  X        X  X        I
SMART CRUISE MISSILE       X  X        X  X        X  X        X  X  L
FIRST WAVE           1  1  1  1  7  7  7  7 11 11 11 11 15 15 15 15  D

TWO PLAYER GAME NO.  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
FAST TARGET CONTROL     X     X     X     X     X     X     X     X  C
SLOW TARGET CONTROL  X     X     X     X     X     X     X     X     H
DUMB CRUISE MISSILE  X  X        X  X        X  X        X  X        I
SMART CRUISE MISSILE       X  X        X  X        X  X        X  X  L
FIRST WAVE           1  1  1  1  7  7  7  7 11 11 11 11 15 15 15 15  D
 

ATARI, INC., Consumer Division
P.O.Box 427, Sunnyvale, CA 94086
C016943-38 REV. 1  Printed in U.S.A.