ACTIVISION DENTAL DEFENSE MANUAL

Flash!  Across America, awful jawfuls of junk food are causing deadly dental decay.  Plaque is spreading its invisible film, turning teeth yellow as they decompose before our very eyes.  Blast this junk with toothpaste before it gets to your teeth!  And don't let up.  This is the Plaque Attack, by cuspid, the last stop before gum city!

1.  Hook up your video game system.  Follow manufacturer's instructions.

2.  With power OFF, plug in game cartridge.

3.  Turn power ON.  If no picture appears, check connection of your game system to your TV; then repeat steps 1-3.

4.  Plug in Joystick Controller(s).  Solo player uses left Joystick.

5.  Set both difficulty switches to b to begin.  Switches in this position will cause fast continuous fire from your tube when the red button is depressed.  Set switches in position a for slower continuous fire.

6.  Select the game with the game select switch.

Game 1:  One player.  Advanced.  Difficulty and points increase rapidly as your score rises.

Game 2:  Two players.  Same as above.

Game 3:  One player.  Beginner.  Less rapid increase in difficulty, less rapid increase in points.

Game 4:  Two players.  Same as above.

7.  To start, press game reset.

Note to owners of Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade.  Difficulty is called
skill: a is expert and b is novice.

8.  The Joystick Controller is held with the red button in the upper left position.  Push Joystick left or right and you'll move left or right. Pull Joystick back and you'll aim toward the lower mouth.  Push Joystick forward and you'll aim toward the upper mouth.  Press the red button to squirt the toothpaste.

9.  Time is a factor.  As soon as you press game reset, you'll have 35 seconds to wipe out each wave of food.  Your tube will shrink as time runs out.

10.  Scoring.  Points are scored each time you shoot a food article.  Bonus points are received at the end of every eave for each tooth remaining and for each second of time left.
 

                Points Per    Points for Each    Points for Each
Wave  Food             Hit   Remaining Second    Remaining Tooth
----------------------------------------------------------------
 1    Hamburgers         5            5                   5
 2    Hot Dogs          10           10                  20
 3    Fries             15           15                  45
 4    Strawberries      20           20                  80
 5    Gum Drops         25           25                 125
 6    Donuts            30           30                 150
 7    Candy Canes       35           35                 175
 8    Ice Cream Cones   40           40                 200

For example, if you've shot all the food in wave 2, with 10 seconds remaining (100 bonus points) and 8 teeth remaining (160 bonus points), you'll receive a total of 260 bonus points (see chart).

After the eighth wave, the scoring peaks, and the food cycle repeats.

11. Bonus Teeth.  You begin with eight teeth in your mouth.  With each increase of 2000 points, a bonus tooth will appear beneath your score.  Bonus teeth are automatically placed in your mouth at the beginning of the next wave.

12. The game ends when you've lost all your teeth and have used up all your toothpaste.
 

SPECIAL FEATURES OF PLAQUE ATTACK

Junk Food Cycles.  When you've blasted all of the food in all eight of the waves, brace yourself for a super Plaque Attack!  All eight waves will return in ferocious retaliation.  And the harder you work, the harder they work, taking on hectic motion patterns and evading your moves with each new cycle.

Limited Time, unlimited shots.  There's no limit to the number of shots you can fire.  However, your toothpaste tube will shrink as time runs out, and eventually disappear.  Careful!  Without a tube in your mouth, your teeth are defenseless against the food remaining in that wave.

Dental Restoration.  Once plaque attacks a tooth, it turns yellow.  But it can still be saved if you act quickly!  And immediate blast of toothpaste at the food invader will wipe out the food and plaque and restore your tooth's health and whiteness.
 

GETTING THE FEEL OF PLAQUE ATTACK

If you lose all your teeth at first, don't get too down in the mouth.  All you need is practice.  You'll soon develop a sense of rhythm and timing.  Notice that the food waves alternately attack the top and bottom teeth.  So, begin to anticipate their movement.

Be generous in your shots of toothpaste.  That is, blast away!  You've got nothing to lose, since shots are unlimited and time is of the essence.
 

JOIN THE ACTIVISION "NO PLAQUE PACK"

Can you reach a score of 35,000 points or more?  If so, you can become a "No Plaque Packer", a leader in the bitter war against tooth decay.  Just send us a photo of the TV screen showing your score, along with your name and address, and we'll send you the official No Plaque Pack emblem.
 
 

"Flash!  90% of American mouths are now under plaque attack.  Will you be
another casualty?"

FACT:  Plaque is a bacteria that grows all over your teeth.  It uses sugar to form acids that cause tooth decay.  whenever you eat stuff like candy, cakes, sweetened cereals, soda, honey, sweetened juice...you're bathing your teeth with acidic plaque.  It's a regular tooth torture test!

Freddie Fluoride says--"You can win the war against plaque, just by taking these precautions":

DENTAL DEFENSE:
1.  Cut down on sugary foods!  Sure they taste good, but that's just tastebud propaganda.  Beneath that sugary coating lies tooth decay.  If eaten, avoid panic--remain calm.  Brush within 20 minutes.
2.  Learn proper brushing techniques and floss daily.
3.  See a dentist twice a year for a checkup and a professional cleaning.

"That's all it takes!  Won't you give it a try?"
 
 

HOW TO JOIN THE NO PLAQUE PACK

Tips from Steve Cartwright, designer of Plaque Attack.

Steve is one of Activision's most prolific game designers.  His previous releases, Barnstorming, MegaMania, and SeaQuest quickly established his outstanding reputation.  Aside from video games, Steve enjoys motorcycle touring, photography, and brushing after every meal.

"Hello there!  Let me give you some tips to help you survive the Plaque Attack.  It's almost impossible to recover from poor oral hygiene (i.e., sloppy game-play) experienced in the early stages.  The best strategy is to acquire as many bonus teeth as possible as soon as you can.

"Next...when things get really hairy, don't bother going after food particles that are not moving towards your teeth.  If they're moving off to the side, let them go, concentrating only on defending your teeth from food heading their way.  This means playing defensively when the going gets tough.  Whereas, in the early stages, it's best to play offensively, blasting away all the junk food in sight.

"Also, remember that the food always reverses direction as soon as a tooth is attacked.  Try to save the tooth, then turn your tube around immediately and continue shooting.

"You know, this game is just like real life:  Poor tooth care at the star will get you in the end.  And the sooner you develop good dental habits, the longer your teeth survive.  So put down that junk and write me a letter! Tell me about your system of tooth care--on screen and off!"

Steve Cartwright
 

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ACTIVISION
Activision, Inc. Drawer No. 7287
Mountain View, CA  94039

(c) 1983 Activision AX-027-03   Printed in U.S.A.