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Tennis - Activision - Atari 2600     HTML Manual   

Tennis
                               ACTIVISION (TM)

                                  TENNIS

                               INSTRUCTIONS

Now, you'll never have to wait for a court again. With Tennis by
ACTIVISION (TM), you can enjoy the challenge and excitement of tennis
right on your home TV. But before you start, take a minute and read these
important instructions. They'll help you to really  enjoy all the special
features of the game. In no time you'll be playing like a pro!

                             ACTIVISION (TM)

                              TENNIS BASICS

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 TV, then repeat steps 1-3.

4.  Plug in Joystick Controllers.

5.  Select run with game select switch:

         Game 1: You against the Activision computer pro (full speed).
         Game 2: You against a friend (full speed).
         Game 3: You against the Activision computer pro (slow motion).
         Game 4: You against a friend (slow motion).

         NOTE: In games 1 and 3, you are the orange player; the
         computer pro is the blue player. On black and with TVs, the
         orange player is white and the blue player black.

6.  Use of Joystick Controllers. The left joystick controls the orange
    player in all games. The right joystick controls the blue player in
    games 2 and 4. Moving the joystick left moves your player left, and
    moving it right moves him right. Push forward or pull back to move to
    and from the net. Before each serve, you can only move to the right
    or left. During game action, you can move in all directions.

7.  To begin play or start a new set. Press game reset. The orange player
    begins serving each set. Players will change sides following each odd
    game. Server is shown with bouncing ball.

8.  To serve. Use the Joystick to position your player, then push the red
    button to serve. The red button is used for serving only. After serving,
    players will swing automatically if they are in position to return a shot.

9.  Difficulty Switches. With difficulty switches in the b (down) position,
    players can hit shots at a wide variety of angles -- some of them very
    sharp. With switches in the a (up) position, the widest-angle shots are
    eliminated. Left difficulty affects orange player; right difficulty
    affects blue player. Set difficulty switches at b (down) to start.

        Note to owners of Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade system:

        Difficulty switches are called skill left (or right) player and
        a (up) is expert and b (down) is novice.

10. Scoring is the same as in real tennis: 15-30-40, "deuce" at 40-all,
    and "ad in" or "ad out" following "deuce". The first player to win at
    least 6 games and be ahead by two games wins the set. If players tie
    in games at 6-6, the score returns to 0-0, and the first player to go
    two games ahead wins the set. One bell sounds after each point, three
    after each game, and six at the end of each set. Each player has his
    own bell tone.

                        SPECIAL FEATURES OF TENNIS
                            BY ACTIVISION (TM)

                          SERVING AND VOLLEYING

You can serve to any part of the court and your first serve is always
"in". Also, you can never hit the ball to long (beyond your opponent's
baseline or sidelines) or too short (into the net). Just like in real
tennis, when you're volleying at the net, you'll notice that your shots
don't travel as far as they do when you hit them from the baseline. Also,
you'll be able to hit your most sharply-angled shots while playing at
the net.

{screen shot, pointing out "Orange Player (Left Joystick)", "Blue Player
(Right Joystick or Computer)", "Point Score (during game), Game Score
(between games)"}

                            PLACING YOUR SHOTS

Just as in real tennis, in Tennis by ACTIVISION you can aim and "place"
the ball depending on how you hit it. The angle of your shot is controlled
by where you hit the ball on your racket. If you hit the ball in the
center of the racket, your shot will go straight forward. The closer you
hit the ball to the edge of the racket, the sharper the angle will be in
the direction your racket is facing. But you'll need to be careful. It's
easy to attempt a sharply-angled shot and miss the ball entirely. There
are a wide variety of angles to hit the ball. Experiment with them and
you'll soon be able to precisely aim your shots and hit them out of reach
of your opponent.

                        GETTING THE FEEL OF TENNIS
                            BY ACTIVISION (TM)

Once you understand the game's basics, we suggest you start off with
game 3 or 4 and play in slow motion for a while. Put the difficulty
switches in the b (down) position. You'll soon get the feeling of the
court, when to rush the net, when to lay back and play the baseline, and
how the ball reacts when it's hit from various positions on your racket.
If the wide-angle shots are too much at first, move either or both
difficulty switches to the a (up) position while you practice. After
you've gotten a little confidence, take on the Activision computer pro
or a friend at full speed (Game 1 or 2) with full wide-angle shot
capability (difficulty switches down at b). You'll find it quite a
challenge.

                      HOW TO BECOME A PRO AT TENNIS
                            BY ACTIVISION (TM)

{photo of Alan Miller}

Alan Miller is a Senior Designer at Activision. A fierce video game
competitor, he's the designer and undisputed champion of Checkers and
Tennis by ACTIVISION.

"My Activision Tennis, like real tennis, puts a premium on anticipation,
 reflexes, and conditioning. You really have to stay on your toes, try
 and anticipate where your opponent's shot will land, and get in position
 to return.

"Practice moving quickly to the area where you think your opponent's shot
 will go. If you can do that, then you'll get a jump on placing your shot
 out of your opponent's reach.

"For an extra tough challenge, try to serve and volley against the computer
 with the difficulty switches set on b. Hit a sharply-angled serve off the
 edge of your racket to either the right or left side, then move quickly
 about two-thirds of the way to the net.

"If you've anticipated properly, you can nail his return with a cross-court
 volley for a winner. But, guess wrong and he's passed you. This strategy
 demands a high level of concentration, razor-sharp reflexes, and lots of
 practice.

"But you know the old saying, practice makes perfect. So, keep at it, good
 luck and have a great game. Drop me a line and let me know how you do.
 I'd love to hear from you."

{signature of Alan Miller}


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

  Atari (R) and Video Computer System (TM) are trademarks of Atari, Inc.
      Tele-Games (R) and Video Arcade (TM) of Sears, Roebuck and Co.


(C) 1981 Activision AG-007-03 Rev. 3                   Printed in U.S.A.



                    ACTIVISION LIMITED 90-DAY WARRANTY

Activision warrants to the original consumer purchaser of this computer
software product that the recording medium on which the software programs
are recorded will be free from defects in the material and workmanship
for 90 days from the date of purchase. If the recording medium is found
defective within 90 days of original purchase, Activision agrees to replace,
free of charge, any product discovered to be defective within such period
upon receipt at its Factory Service Center of the product, postage paid,
with proof of date of purchase.

This warranty is limited to the recording medium containing the software
program originally provided by Activision and is not applicable to normal
wear and tear. This warranty shall not be applicable and shall be void if
the defect has arisen through abuse, mistreatment, or neglect. Any implied
warranties applicable to this product are limited to the 90-day period
described above. Except as set forth above, this warranty is in lieu of
all other warranties, whether oral or written, express or implied, including
any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, and
no other representation or claims of any nature shall be binding on or
obligate Activision. In no event will Activision be liable for special,
incidental consequential damage resulting from possession, use, or
malfunction of this product, including damage to property and, to the extent
permitted by law, damages for personal injury, even if Activision has been
advised of the possibility of such damages.

Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts
and/or the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages,
so the above limitations and/or exclusion or limitation of liability may
not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you
may have other rights which vary from state to state.

                            COPYING PROHIBITED

This software product is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by
Activision, Inc. The distribution and sale of this product are intended
for the use of the original purchaser only and for use only on the computer
system specified. Copying, duplicating, selling or otherwise distributing
this product without the express written permission of Activision are
violations of U.S. Copyright Law and are hereby expressly forbidden.

                                 WARNING

Any attempt to duplicate this product may damage it. Such damage is not
covered by the warranty. UPS or registered mail is recommended for returns.
Please send it to:

                          CONSUMER REPLACEMENTS
                            Consumer Relations
                             Activision, Inc.
                       2350 Bayshore Frontage Road
                         Mountain View, CA 94043

AG-940-00                     ACTIVISION (R)                06/85 Rev. 4

-------------------Atari 2600 Instructions Archive-------------------

This document obtained from the History of Home Video Games Homepage, �1997-1998 by Greg Chance