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Hover Strike - Atari - Atari Jaguar     HTML Manual   

Hover Strike Manual
Hover Strike
------------

You fear the worst for the planet's missing colonists. Communications have 
ceased from the distant colony for over six months. Federation scouts have 
discovered that Terrakian Pirates have taken over the planet, their deadly 
machines patrolling every section of the surface.

The planet's colonists have completely disappeared. The Terrakians have 
established a horrible factory in the fourth quadrant, where they process human 
corpses to extract valuable organic compounds. You must lead the rescue mission 
to save the remaining humans, if any, and regain the planet.

There is no contact with the surface. The Terrakians have installed an 
atmospheric cannon which makes invasion plans and the armada's entry 
impossible.

The Federation has chosen you to launch the preemptive strike. They've provided 
you with preliminary reconnaissance reports. A military transport will slip 
through the enemy's shields and take you to your drop zone. Your vehicle is a 
state-of-the-art armored hovercraft. It's the ultimate war machine, equipped 
with rapid-fire cannon and powerful missiles. You have full maneuverability 
over any planetary terrain, including snow drifts, lava floes, desert sands, 
and turbulent water. Anti-grav units let you float just above the ground, so 
you need to use your brakes to slow down.

Your mission is to knock out key targets in each zone, crippling the Terrakian 
forces and halting their bloddy work. Let your sensors guide you to destroy 
enemy radar stations and blow up strategic fuel depots. Once you eliminate the 
atmospheric cannon you'll make way for the Federation armada.

Save the colony before it's too late!


GETTING STARTED
---------------

1. Insert your JAGUAR Hover Strike cartridge into the cartridge slot of your 
   JAGUAR 64-bit Interactive Multimedia System.
2. Press the POWER button.
3. Press the A button to start a new game, or to discontinue any title screens 
   or demos.


NEW GAME/SAVED GAME
-------------------

To start a new game, press the A button when the title screen appears with the 
"Hover Strike" title (Fig. 1). When the Set Difficulty Box appears (Fig. 2), 
use the joypad up and down buttons to select a difficulty level, then press the
A button to start.

To start a saved game, press the B button when the title screen appears with 
the Hover Strike title (Fig. 1). You will begin on the level that you saved (To 
save your game, see Saving the Game).


SELECT MISSION SCREEN
---------------------

Once you've startet a new or saved game, the Select Mission Screen will appear. 
The title of a mission and a brief summary of the mission will be displayed, as 
well as your current game statistics (see Fig. 3).

The Federation has analyzed the reconnaissance reports and has divided your 
mission targets into six increasingly difficult levels, the last being the 
mission to knock out the atmospheric cannons to allow the armada to enter the 
planet's atmosphere. Each level consists of missions in different terrain and 
with different strategic targets; a mission can only be completed when the 
strategic targets are destroyed. You may choose from the selection of missions 
by using the left and right joypad buttons. Details of each mission's 
reconnaissance report will be revealed to you once you select the mission by 
pressing the B button.

If you complete a mission, the game will return to the Select Mission Screen, 
and you can choose from the remaining missions. Clear all missions on a level, 
and you will proceed to the next level.

In a new game, you will begin on level one with a total of three hovercraft, 
referred to in the game and this manual as "lives". You will be able to choose 
from a selection of six different introductory missions by using joypad 
left/right. In a saved game, you will begin on the level where you left off, 
and you can choose from the remaining missions.

The other information on this screen summarizes your game statistics. You can 
see how many rounds of your weapons are left, the number of lives remaining, 
the score, and the current difficulty level.


SELECT MISSION OPTIONS
----------------------

During the Select Mission Screen, you can hit the option key and the up/down 
joypad buttons to select the following items to alter:

Music Volume: Use the left/right joypad buttons to turn the music volume 
              up/down.

Main Volume: Use the left/right joypad buttons to turn the game volume up/down.

Buttons: Hit the A button to enter the Buttons Configuration box (Fig. 4a). Use 
         your left/right joypad buttons to switch the configuration of the A, 
         B, and C buttons. Hit the A button to exit when you have chosen the 
         desired configuration.

Joypad: Hit the A button to enter the Joypad Configuration box (Fig. 4b). Use 
        the left/right joypad buttons to reverse the gunsight raise/lower 
        settings. Hit the A button to exit when you have chosen the desired 
        configuration.

Save Game: Hit the A button to save the game. Use the left/right joypad buttons 
           to select OK. Hit the A button to exit. The current level that you 
           are playing, the number of lives, the number of weapons, the 
           completed missions and the score will be saved.


CONTROLS SUMMARY
----------------

A button                 Accelerate*
B button                 Fire Photons*
C button                 Brake*
Joypad Left              Rotate craft left
Joypad Right             Rotate craft right
Joypad Up                Move crosshairs up*
Joypad Down              Move crosshairs down*
Option                   Select alternate weapons system
Pause                    Pause the game
1, 3                     Fire alternate weapon
2                        Guided missile lock-on, closest target
5                        Guided missile lock-on, cycle targets
4, 6                     Change central viewscreen (Radar, Compass)
7, 9                     Switch between internal and external view
0                        Toggle music on and off
8 + Joypad Up/Down       Zoom remote camera in/out (external view only)
8 + Joypad Left/Right    Pan remote camera (external view only)
Joypad Down + A + C      Engage reverse mode
Joypad Up + A + C        Engage forward mode

* - Configurable, see Select Mission Options.


> OVERLAY

You have been provided with a joypad overlay to assist you in playing Hover 
Strike. To use, just insert the tabs into the slots to the left and right of 
the numeric keypad. The overlay will serve as a handy reminder of some of the 
game controls. If you should misplace or lose the overlay, you can cut out the
actual-size overlay template (Fig. 5a).


CONTROLLING YOUR CRAFT:
-----------------------

Your Hover Strike vehicle is a heavily armored hovercraft, and can be thought 
of as a floating tank. It has powerful anti-grav units that enable it to glide 
over any surface. Impulse engines can propel the vehicle to high speeds, and 
can be engaged in both forward and reverse modes. This hovertank also features
anti-inertial gyrospheres that allow rapid rotation of the craft.

Controls are simple; use your left and right controls (joypad left/right) to 
point the vehicle in the right direction and use the impulse engines (A button) 
to propel forward. Remember, you are flying a hovercraft, so you slide smoothly 
over terrain and will need your hydraulic brake system to slow down or stop (C 
button). Press and hold down the C button if you find yourself being tossed 
uncontrollably in a tight canyon, or by enemy fire. Also, avoid flying into 
steep walls or careening down slopes too quickly or you may damage the craft.

Your hovercraft floats just above the ground - there is no friction from 
terrain to slow you down. Holding down the A button will increase your forward 
momentum until maximum velocity is reached; releasing the A Button disengages 
the impulse engines and you will eventually slow to a stop. To come to a quick 
stop, hold the C button down to engage your brakes.

Reverse - For more advanced pilots, the craft has the ability to go backwards. 
Just hit the A and C buttons at the same time, and the joypad down button. This 
will engage the reverse gear. From then on, the A button will send you 
backwards. To put your hovercraft back into forward gear, hit the A and C 
buttons at the same time and hit the joypad up button.


USING YOUR WEAPONRY
-------------------

Your Hover Strike vehicle is equipped with a complete arsenal of fire power. 
First is your main photon cannon; this rapid-fire blaster can produce nearly 
unlimited plasma photons at the touch of a button (B button). You will be using 
this weapon the most often. You can spray the enemy with a hail of photons by 
moving the target crosshairs up and down (joypad up and down), and rotating 
your craft left and right. Note: this is a fixed-gun vehicle, so rotating your 
gun also rotates the craft itself. The target crosshairs will remain in the 
horizontal center of the screen, enabling you to steer and target enemies at 
the same time using the up and down buttons. You can also switch the function 
of the up/down buttons in the option screen, if you prefer the controls 
reversed.

Use your option button to access your alternate set of weapons, and the 
alternate weapon firing buttons (keypad 1 and 3) to launch the currently 
selected weapon.

Missiles: When you select missiles with the option button, you can target the 
 weapon with the same crosshairs as the main photon cannon. These missiles fly 
 straight and are considerably more powerful than a single photon.

Guided Missiles: After selecting guided missiles, you need to lock on to your 
 target using one of your two tracking systems. The first (key 2) locks onto 
 the closest target in front of you, so that you can take care of immediate 
 danger. The second (key 5) will switch from target-to-target, so that you may 
 lock-on to anything currently on your radar screen. Note that the switchable 
 lock-on can also be handy for quickly identifying targets, by referring to the 
 selected target on your cockpit screen (see fig 6). Although their tracking 
 mechanism is highly accurate, you may need to point the guided missile in the 
 general vicinity of your target, or away from obstacles by using the 
 crosshairs or rotating the craft. Guided missiles and normal missiles have 
 equal destructive power. NOTE: If guided missiles are armed, the lock-on 
 target flashes red on the location of the target, and if the regular missiles 
 are selected, the lock-on target remains green.

Mortars: Engaging the mortar launcher allows you to lob powerful explosives at 
 all targets. Move the crosshairs up and the mortars will go farther; move them 
 down and you can hit closer targets. Remember mortars can cause much damage, 
 with a large kill radius to match, but they are useless unless triggered by 
 ground impact (i.e. they will not destroy airborne targets).

Flares: Not really a weapon, but an aid, to assist on missions on the dark 
 sections of the planet. Use just like mortars.


COCKPIT
-------

Your armored hovercraft has a cockpit displayed at the bottom of your screen. 
The cockpit contains gauges and displays crucial to gameplay and your survival.

> TRACKING SYSTEMS

The most important display is at the center of the cockpit: the radar/compass. 
The radar/compass is a dual mode display that can be switched from radar to 
compass mode by hitting key 4 or 6 during gameplay.

Radar: The radar tracks enemy craft, powerups, certain weapon fire, and mission 
 targets. Your craft has been preprogrammed with locations of the mission 
 targets, and the yellow diamond on the perimeter of the radar represents the 
 direction you must head to engage a mission target. If it is blue, then the 
 mission target is within range and it will move within the radar screen. The 
 number in the lower right hand corner of the radar is the number of remaining 
 mission targets. The light blue dots represent enemy in your current area, and 
 the orange dots represent powerups. All weapons except yours and the enemy's 
 photons are represented by green dots.

Compass: Switching from radar to compass, this display shows the direction that 
 you are headed as well as a blue or yellow diamond to represent a mission 
 target and its direction. The red arrow line points in the direction that you 
 are headed. To head towards your mission target, steer your hovercraft so that 
 the diamond is aligned with the red arrow.

> POWER SYSTEMS

During gameplay, the two most important elements that you need to keep track of 
are energy and shields. Should either of these supplies run out, your vehicle 
will be destroyed. The gauges on the cockpit are as follows:

Energy: To the lower right of the radar/compass display is the energy gauge, 
 with a bar representing the remaining energy. When the energy level is above 
 the half way mark, the gauge bar is blue. When it drops below half, the bar 
 becomes yellow. When the energy is dangerously low, the bar will flash red, 
 and an alarm will sound. Energy is drained by driving, and by firing photons. 
 If you run out of energy, your hovercraft will be destroyed.

Shields: To the lower left of the radar/compass display is the shields gauge, 
 with a bar representing the remaining shield level. When the shield level is 
 above the half way mark, the gauge bar is blue. When it drops below half, the 
 bar becomes yellow. When the shields are dangerously low, the bar will flash 
 red, and an alarm will sound. Shields are drained by enemy fire, by dropping 
 too quickly, and by running into impassable slopes.

> ALTERNATE WEAPONS SYSTEMS

A crucial part of your hovercraft's destructive power is the alternate weapons 
systems. To keep track of your weaponry during the game, the following displays 
are available on the cockpit:

Current Weapon: To the upper right of the radar/compass display is the 
 currently engaged weapon. When toggling weapons with the option button, you 
 will see a picture of the weapon you have selected as the alternate weapons 
 system.

Weapon Status: To the upper left of the radar/compass display is the weapons 
 status. The number displayed is the number of currently engaged weapons left 
 (see Current Weapon above). To the left of the number is a bar graph with 
 three bars. Each bar is a graphic that represents the number of weapons left 
 for all alternate weapons. The top bar signifies the number of regular 
 missiles in your stocks, the middle is the number of guided missiles, and the 
 bottom is the number of mortars. The one marked with the red dot is the 
 currently selected weapon. Note that the bar graph indicates how much of a 
 weapon is left relative to sixteen. The graph is a handy way of seeing whether
 or not you are about to run out of any type of weapon. If you have more than 
 sixteen of any weapon, the bar graph will indicate a full stock. The actual 
 number of a weapon is only displayed when it is selected as the current 
 alternate weapon.

> LIVES AND SCORE

Above the cockpit, you are looking out of the cockpit window. On the upper left 
of the window, the number of remaining lives are displayed, and on the upper 
right is the current score.


POWERUPS
--------

Scattered about the planet's surface, you will find powerups that will help you 
on your missions. There are separate powerups for energy, shield recharge, 
missiles, guided missiles, and mortars. To retrieve a powerup, just drive over 
one. You may also see enemy carrying powerups; shoot them to see if they will 
drop the powerup. Remember, any weapons that you collect during a mission, you 
get to keep for future missions, up to a maximum capacity of 64 for each type 
of weapon. If you abort or your craft is destroyed during a mission, you lose 
any powerups that you collected, and your supplies will be restored to the 
levels before you started the mission.


OPTIONS MENU
------------

During gameplay, press the pause key and hit the A, B, or C button to bring up 
the options menu. Use the joypad up and down button to select the following 
options:

Music Volume  : Use the left/right joypad to turn the music volume up/down.

Main Volume   : Use the left/right joypad to turn the game volume up/down.

Abort Mission : Use the left/right joypad to abort the mission or cancel to 
                return the previous option menu.


EXTERNAL MONITOR
----------------

Your hovercraft is equipped with a remote observation robot, that constantly 
follows your craft. By pressing key 7 or 9, you may engage the external view 
monitor which represents the view from the observation robot. The remote camera 
robot is adjustable. Hold down key 8 while using the joypad. The joypad up/down 
buttons will bring the camera closer/further from your ship. The left/right 
buttons rotate the camera around the hovercraft, enabling you to see all around
your vehicle. You still have the same control over your craft, but you will be 
able to survey the terrain around you. In addition, the radar, compass, and the 
current weapon count will be displayed.

To return to your cockpit view, press the 7 or 9 keys again.


FINISHING A MISSION
-------------------

To finish a mission, you must destroy the mission targets, as specified in the 
mission description. When you finish a mission, your transport will retrieve 
you and your hovercraft, and your shields and energy will be recharged for the
next strike. To cancel the transport pickup sequence and go directly to the 
Select Mission Screen, hit any key.


ENEMY DESCRIPTIONS
------------------

HEAVY ARMORED TANK: This is a powerful offensive weapon, but it is not very 
 mobile. Equipped with a rapid-firing missile-launcher, it can withstand 
 several hits before going down.

LAND CRAWLER TANK: This tank is much bigger than your own craft, and the 
 armament includes twin missile-launchers, giving it devastating firepower. It 
 is extremely tough, with armor almost four times as strong as that of a heavy 
 tank.

"MAD DOG" M.T. WALKER: Able to walk over the ground, this robot is one if the 
 most fearsome weapons the Terrakian's have to offer. The walker's attack 
 begins with blasts from a laser cannon. This unit is well armored and can take
 many hits; but once the body has been destroyed, you must stay alert for the 
 walker's head! It will separate from the body and attack you with photons. The 
 computer-controlled head will "buzz" your tank while firing, and it will 
 eventually try to ram you!

GUN TURRET: The remote-controlled gun emplacement comes standard with laser 
 cannons, and it's firing is extremely accurate, even against a moving target. 
 Although not heavily armored, it is still very dangerous.

TRAP-DOOR GUN TURRET: Similar to the regular gun turret in appearance only. 
 This tough machine will be found placed in the ground, and can hide 
 effectively under any surface. It comes armed with rapid-firing missile 
 launchers and can be very damaging if not dispatched quickly. It can often be 
 taken out with mortar shells.

LAND MINE: Very small and difficult to see, this trap laid by the Terrakian 
 troops can cause a great deal of damage to sensitive components on the 
 underside of your Hovertank. Pay close attention when these are nearby.

MAGNETIC MINE: Attracted to the metallic alloys of your Hovertank, these 
 floating bombs will pursue your craft relentlessly, and then explode on 
 impact. Use your radar to assist in clearing out these hazards.

DURIAN T-5 JET: The Terrakian air raider fires lasers, and is extremely 
 accurate from quite a distance. Shielded with little armor, it can be tracked 
 down easily. That is, if you are an accurate shot also. Be aware that the 
 pilot will sometimes attempt to ram your Hovertank, effectively sacrificing 
 their plane just to damage your craft.

> FLOATERS

The Terrakians have mastered the technology of nullifying gravity, and have 
built a large fleet which possess this ability. These crafts are called 
Floaters, and there are several types that you will encounter. Most are lightly 
armored and carry only a single photon cannon. But they do move quickly, and 
can pursue you over any terrain.

DREDGING FLOATER: These enemy crafts sometimes carry powerups, transporting 
 them for the Terrakian troops. When destroyed, they will drop their payload 
 and you can use it for yourself! These floaters will also be found without 
 powerups, emerging from their underground factories. Although not heavily 
 armored, they can be dangerous in groups.

CLOAKING FLOATER: Identical to the Dredger in appearance and weaponry, the 
 Cloaking Floater has the ability to disappear from your radar screen while 
 under its cloak of invisibility. Targeting one is difficult, and they only 
 become visible when attacking.

PATROL FLOATER: The Patrol Floater is equipped with twin photon cannons and 
 guided by vicious seek-and-destroy robotics. Their small attack profile can 
 make them difficult for even a guided missile to hit.

SURVEILLANCE FLOATER: The fastest moving craft you will face, this seeing-eye 
 robotic device will report your presence to Terrakian forces. They are 
 equipped with a single photon cannon.

DREADNOUGHT FLOATER: Dark, tough, and ominous. These enemy vehicles will stop 
 at nothing to destroy you. The most heavily armored Floater, it will strike 
 quickly and repeatedly.

> VARIOUS ENEMY TARGETS AND INSTALLATIONS

Throughout your many missions, you will often be given Terrakian installations 
and industrial buildings as targets. These are a few of the targets you will be 
asked to disable:

NUCLEAR GENERATOR: Important source of power to enemy bases.

FUEL TANK: Vital to keeping the Terrakian troops mobile.

PROCESSING STATION: The heart of the Processing system. These must be destroyed 
 to put an end to the Terrakian's bloody work and save the planet's colonists.

RADAR DISH: For the Federation's rescue armada to arrive safely, the majority 
 of these planet-wide monitoring devices must be destroyed.


SAVING A GAME
-------------

You may only save a game in the Select Mission screen. To save during gameplay, 
you must either complete or abort the mission (see Options Menu) to return to 
the Select Mission Screen. Once there, hit the option key and use the joypad up
and down buttons to select the "Save Game" option. Hit the A button to save the 
game. Use the left/right joypad buttons to select OK. Hit the A button to exit. 
The current level that you are playing, the number of lives, the number of 
weapons, the completed missions, and the score will be saved. Select "Exit 
Options Screen" to continue.


2-PLAYER COOPERATIVE MODE
-------------------------

Hover Strike will allow 2 players to play simultaneously during gameplay. This 
2 player cooperative game can be started at any point by simply plugging a 
second controller into Controller Port 2 on your JAGUAR console. The player who 
has controller 2 can now take on the role of the Hovertank's "gunner", taking 
over responsibility of all weapon actions, while player 1 controls all flight 
and maneuvering of the Hovertank. One advantage of cooperative play is that 
player 2 is able to move the crosshairs over the entire play screen, 
independently of player 1. Also, this gives player 1 the ability to concentrate 
on finding targets quickly. Note that the button assignments on controller 2 
are slightly different from controller 1. Player 2 can control only weapon 
actions; he cannot affect movement of the Hovertank.

> CONTROLLER 2 SUMMARY

Button A                     Fire alternate weapon *
Button B                     Fire Photons *
Button C                     Select alternate weapons system *
Joypad Left                  Move crosshairs left
Joypad Right                 Move crosshairs right
Joypad Up                    Move crosshairs up *
Joypad Down                  Move crosshairs down *

* configurable, see Select Mission Options

All other joypad functions remain the same as those on controller 1. During 
cooperative play, player 1 still has control over all of the tank's functions, 
and his joypad commands can interfere with those of player 2. So remember, 
during cooperative play, both players must work as a team to succeed. Talk to 
each other and plan your strategies accordingly!


ADJUSTING VOLUME
----------------

Press pause during play and press the A, B or C button to access the option 
menu. Then use the joypad up/down button to select the music volume slider or 
the main volume slider. To adjust volume, press the joypad to the left to 
decrease volume, to the right to increase volume.

To adjust volume during the Select Mission Screen, see Select Mission Options.

Note: If you have muted the music (using key 0) any time prior to trying to 
 adjust volume, the music volume will not be adjustable, and the word "MUTED" 
 will be displayed instead of the volume slider. You must unmute the music 
 before attempting to change the music volume.


GAME STRATEGY TIPS
------------------

1. To make sharp turns 'on the fly', press and hold the joypad toward the 
 direction you want to turn. Release the A button to slow down, and then press 
 it again to guide you through the turn as you go into it. Using this technique 
 of tapping the A button while turning requires precision timing, but it is 
 extremely useful. Remember; you are flying a HOVERCRAFT. Acceleration and 
 braking, along with speed and momentum, are more important to good piloting 
 than traction and terrain.

2. Use the 5 key often while navigating through heavily occupied areas. This 
 targeting system is helpful with identifying enemies that are not in visual 
 range. By determining where the most dangerous enemies are, you can plot 
 strategies. For example, you will probably want to attack a floater factory 
 entrance and attempt to seal it off as soon as you suspect one is present. Or, 
 if you are low on shields, you might rather stay clear of enemies and search 
 for powerups.

3. Avoid slamming into steep mountains or falling off high ledges. These events 
 can cause great amounts of damage to your shields. Be especially aware of your 
 surroundings in the night missions, and lay down several flares at a time for 
 better visual navigation.

4. Remember that the quickest way (or maybe even the only way) to reach your 
 mission targets, may not take you along a straight path. You will often have 
 to circle around mountains, ridges, or other impassable structures to find 
 them.

5. Search the Urban missions for hidden passages within some structures. These 
 might be the only way to find a target.

6. Know your enemy! If you can kill one with only a couple of photon blasts, 
 don't unleash a flurry of missiles, these are too valuable to waste!

7. Pay attention to the distant planets in the sky. They can be used for 
 navigating the planet, as their locations are relative to a compass, and those 
 locations will remain fixed.


MEMORY SAVE
-----------

Volume, key configuration, high scores, and mission information are retained in 
the cartridge even if you have turned off your Jaguar 64-bit Interactive 
Multimedia System. The cartridge will store up to 100,000 changes. After 
100,000 changes have been recorded, no more changes will be retained. To clear 
the currently saved changes, press *, Option, and # while on the Hover Strike 
Select Mission Screen.


CREDITS
-------

Programming and Game Design    : Denis L. Fung, Cary Gee, Craig Suko
Additional Programming Support : Eric Smith, Rob Zdybel, Hand Martin Krober, 
                                 Dave Staugas
Producer                       : Leonard Tramiel
Music and Sound Design         : Brad Wait
Computer Voice                 : Erin Carson
Lead Artist                    : Chris Thompsom
Lead Test and 
World Design Coordination      : Lance J. Lewis
Artists                        : Ed Pearson, Donald Wang, Ken Saunders, 
                                 Keoni Los Banos, Jennie Birch
Additional Test and 
World Design                   : Hank Cappa, Tal Funke-Bilu, Scott Hunter,
                                 Harry Kinney, Joe Sousa
Manual Text                    : Denis L. Fung, Lance J. Lewis, Elizabeth Shook

Image of M100 galaxy courtesy of the Space Telescope Science Institute/NASA.