ACTIVISION DOLPHIN DECODER DOLPHIN BASICS -------------- Listen! An endangered dolphin is calling you! Only by learning the dolphin's sonic language can you guide her through schools of seahorses, battling a monstrous squid, to gain magic powers from and elusive seagull. Hurry! Lend an ear... 1. Hook up your video game system. Follow manufacturer's instructions. 2. With power OFF, plug in the 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 Controller/s (solo player uses left Joystick). 5. Difficulty Switches. Set both difficulty switches to b to begin. With the switches in this position, your dolphin will have 4 seconds to touch the squid after intercepting a seagull. In position a, she'll have only 2 seconds to do so (see "Seagull" under "How to Decode"). [Note to owners of Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade. Difficulty is called skill: a is expert and b is novice] 6. Game variations. There are eight game variations. Games 1, 3, 5, and 7 are for one player. Games 2, 4, 6, and 8 are for two players. Level of difficulty rises accordingly, with games 1 and 2 being the easiest. At higher levels, the squid will be smarter and quicker. 7. To start, press game reset switch. The action will begin as soon as you press the red button. 8. The Joystick Controller is held with the red button in the upper left position. Push your Joystick forward, and your dolphin will rise. Pull your Joystick back, and your dolphin will dive. Push the Joystick left or right and your dolphin will swim in that direction. 9. Bonus Dolphins. You start the game with one active dolphin and a school of four on reserve. For every 20,000 points you score, a bonus dolphin will be added to your reserves. HOW TO DECODE DOLPHIN BY ACTIVISION ----------------------------------- You will guide your dolphin through openings in the seahorse schools by listening to sonic tones and catching waves (see "Cues" and "Currents" under "Special Features"). Pay attention to the following: ^ The Seagull. Periodically, a seagull will fly overhead. You'll know he's coming when the squid changes color. Have your dolphin leap up, touch the seagull and then quickly turn and chase the squid. This is the best way to gain points. Also, the game resets at the next difficulty level putting distance between your dolphin and the squid. ^ The Slip. Another great way to outsmart the squid is by giving him "the slip". If the squid is right on your tail, wait until he catches a good wave. Then, reverse your dolphin's direction and swim under him immediately. As long as the squid's good wave remains on the screen, he won't be able to reverse and catch you. ^ Scoring. Points are earned in a variety of ways. Every time your dolphin touches a seagull, or a squid, you score points. The number of points depends on the color of the squid (see "Increasing Difficulty" under "Special Features"). Scoring peaks at 800 per seagull and 8000 per squid. Also, you'll score 100 points each time your dolphin catches a good wave or each time you run the squid into a bad wave. And, when your dolphin swims through the seahorses, you'll score 0 to 50 points, depending on your degree of accuracy in getting her through the opening. SPECIAL FEATURES OF DOLPHIN BY ACTIVISION ----------------------------------------- Sonic Cues. The dolphins are communicating with you! The higher the tone, the higher up the opening will be in the upcoming school of seahorses. A lower tone means that the next opening will be lower on your screen. Let your ears guide you! Each time your dolphin doesn't swim perfectly through the opening, she will be slowed down. Audio Chart for Dolphin by Activision Sound Indication ----- ---------- Sonic Echoes five different frequencies indicate specific openings in the seahorse schools. Seagull's Cry Seagull is flying overhead. Danger Claxxon Dolphin's energy charge is dwindling. Thud Dolphin has bumped into seahorses. Series of Dings Dolphin has successfully swum through seahorses. Low Rumble Squid has caught a good wave OR dolphin has caught a bad wave. High Frequency Beep Dolphin has caught a good wave OR squid has caught a bad wave. Ocean Currents. Catch a good wave! 'Good' waves are arrows moving in the same direction as your dolphin. They'll increase her speed. 'Bad' waves are the arrows moving head-on into your Dolphin. They'll slow her down. Avoid hitting bad waves, but try to lead the squid into them to increase your dolphin's lead. Increasing Difficulty. The longer you play, the tougher the chase becomes. Each time the squid changes color, he's getting smarter, tracking your dolphin's every move with greater speed and accuracy. So, it gets much tougher to give him "the slip". Meanwhile, the Seagull flies by faster and bad waves more so quickly you'll think you're swimming upstream. GETTING THE FEEL OF DOLPHIN BY ACTIVISION ----------------------------------------- As you'll learn, the ocean is full of unique sights and sounds. At first, just keep listening to the dolphin's sonic tones to learn which opening matches each tone. Also, practive catching good waves and leading the squid into bad waves. Don't get frustrated! With practice, you can really develop these necessary skills. Since dolphins don't fly, you can't hold them in the air when a seagull flies by. So get used to timing her leaps our of the ocean with the speed and position of the seagull. And remember, the squid changes color just before the seagull appears. JOIN THE ACTIVISION "FRIENDS OF DOLPHINS" AND THE "SECRET SOCIETY OF DOLPHINS" ---------------------------------------- Can you reach a score of 80,000 points? If so, you will be eligible to join the ranks of "Friends of Dolphins" and wear their patch. Then, there is that handful of you who will reach the ultimate. A certain very high score (the amount is secret, but it is under 500,000) will cause the score to be replaced by a secret word. This is the requirement for initiation into the Secret Society of Dolphins." The ultimate in deep sea dedication and skill. Just send us a photograph of your TV screen, with your name and address and you'll receive the appropriate patch. THE DOLPHIN ----------- Tursiops Truncatus Brains: First class - same order of complexity as that of humans. Respiration: Must surface for air - breathes through blowhole. Hearing: Ears receive sonic emmisions for underwater scanning. Maximum Velocity: 30 knots / 35 mph Speech: Complex click and whistle system with ability to mimic human speech. Sonar: Computes size, shape, speed and distance of far away objects. Dolphins have amazing abilities, and have often used them to help people, saving swimmers and boats in distress. Find out more at your library! HOW TO ENTER THE "SECRET SOCIETY OF DOLPHINS" --------------------------------------------- Tips from Matthew Hubbard, designer of Dolphin. Matthew Hubbard is full of surprises. Besides designing top-notch video games, he's a member of a new wave band! Matt also knows a lot about dolphins, and we're pleased to introduce them in his first work on behalf of Activision. "The best tip I can give you is this: 'He who hesitates is lunch.' But, for the record, here are a few more pointers. "At first, don't completely rely on the 'slip'. Instead, become an expert at decoding sonar. Work with one tone at a time until you can easily predict the exact location of each opening. Notice, too, that there is never an opening at the very bottom or very top of the schools. "Another thing to notice is that a bad wave often follows each opening. So, after your Dolphin swims through, be ready to make a quick move. "Dolphins are truly amazing, and I hope my work will inspire you to find out more about these great mammals. If you read any interesting facts, or would like to discuss the game, send me a note. I look forward to hearing from you." [Matthew Hubbard] We'd like to get to know you. If you have questions about our games or clubs, or want to get on our mailing list, drop us a note or call the "Game Hotline" toll-free at (800)227-9757/8 (in California call (415)960-0410 ext 5245). ACTIVISION Activision, Inc., Drawer No. 7287 Mountain View, CA 94039 (c) 1983 Activision AX-024-03 -------------------Atari 2600 Instructions Archive-------------------