REACTOR For Atari & Sears Video Game Systems Rules (c) 1983 Parker Brothers, Beverly, MA 01915. REACTOR is a trademark of D. Gottlieb & Co. and used by Parker Brothers under authorisation. Positrons. Neutrinos. Photons. These are just a few of the nuclear particles threatening to blow your ship apart. There's nowhere to run! No way of escaping! To survive, you must fight them. But that's only half the battle. While you try to destroy these dangerous particles, you must also try to stop the reactor's expanding core before it reaches melt-down. So board your ship and prepare to enter the awesome depths of REACTOR! OBJECT The object of the game is to destroy as many nuclear particles as you can before they smash your ship into the kill wall and to knock down as many sets of control rods as possible to stop the melt-down. SETTING THE CONSOLE CONTROLS 1. To select a game number (see GAME SELECTION box), press down on the GAME SWITCH. The game number will appear at the top of the screen. 2. Set the DIFFICULTY switch: Position A (Expert): Your ship accelerates quickly, requiring more accurate moves of the Joystick. Position B (Novice): Your ship accelerates at a slower rate. In a one-player game, use the left DIFFICULTY switch. In a two-player game, the 1st player uses the left DIFFICULTY switch and the 2nd player uses the right DIFFICULTY switch. 3. Press down on the GAME RESET switch and you're ready to start the action. THE JOYSTICK Make sure that you plug the Joystick firmly into the jacks at the back of your video system. Use the LEFT controller jack for one player games. Use the Joystick to fly your ship left, right, up, down and diagonally. Your ship can accelerate in all 8 directions, too. To slow it down, simply change directions. Press the red button to release your decoys (see "DECOYS"). INSIDE THE REACTOR This is the heart of the nuclear reactor. Your ship must battle enemy particles on the field between the reactor's core and kill wall. PLAYING At the beginning of the game, each player receives 3 ships and 3 decoys. However, only 1 ship will appear on the screen at a time. The remaining ships are indicated by the number displayed at the TOP RIGHT area of the screen. The number of decoys available appears at the TOP CENTRE, while the number of enemy particles "To Go" (number of particles not yet on the screen), is indicated at the TOP LEFT AREA OF THE SCREEN. To start the action: The round begins the moment you press the GAME RESET switch. Enemy particles can approach your ship from any direction and can attack individually or in groups. Your ship can also accelerate in any direction to counter their attack. Destroying the enemy particles: The particles may be small, but they're powerful! Luckily your ship is equipped with an energy shield. This shield is always up, offering needed protection. Using your ship, knock enemy particles into the kill walls. When they hit the kill wall with enough force, they disappear. But beware! Enemy particles gain more speed and weight from one round to the next, making them more difficult to destroy. CONTROL RODS Inside the reactor there are two sets of control rods extending from the kill walls. One set is on the left, one on the right. These rods control the intensity of the nuclear reaction within the reactor's core. In order to stop the melt-down you must try to smash these rods with enemy particles. By knocking the particles against the rods with enough force, using your ship, you can destroy these rods. When you completely destroy one entire set of control rods, the core will shrink. Destroy both sets and you receive an additional decoy. THE SOLID CORE Once the battle begins, the reactor's core continues to expand. Keep an eye on it as you fight to destroy the enemy and blast control rods. If you are not successful in destroying all the enemy particles, or at least one entire set of control rods, the core will keep growing, leaving less space for battle. BONUS CHAMBERS There are two bonus chambers within the reactor's walls-one to the left, one to the right. During the game, these chambers will alternate between the top and bottom of the screen. When a particle enters and then leaves a bonus chamber, the chambers will switch their positions. Likewise, when your ship enters and then leaves a chamber (an indeterminate number of times), the chambers will switch. While battling enemy particles, try to force them inside one of the chambers with your ship. Once captured, the enemy will bounce off the walls many times before disappearing (unless it escapes). Each time a particle hits the wall, you gain an extra 15 points. But an even better way to trap the enemy is with a decoy! DECOYS Your ship is also equipped with a clever device called a decoy. A decoy draws attacking enemy particles away from your ship and attracts them to itself. By pressing the red button on your Joystick, you can release a decoy anywhere within the walls of the reactor. (REMEMBER: You begin the game with 3 decoys.) Position your ship in the area you wish to release a decoy and press the red button. When you move your ship away, the decoy will appear in its place. The best places to release a decoy are next to the kill wall, in front of the control rods and in front of the entrance to a bonus chamber. A decoy cannot be destroyed. However, it will remain on the screen for approximately 10 seconds before disappearing. ATTACK OF ENEMY PARTICLES Enemy particles attack your ship in an effort to knock you against one of the kill walls. They may approach your ship alone or in groups, and can approach from any direction. If they succeed in forcing your ship into a wall, your ship is instantly destroyed. THE VORTEX CORE In levels 3, 4, 7, & 8 (see GAME SELECTION box), the reactor's solid core is replaced by the deadly vortex-a swirling mass of nuclear energy. Similar to the solid core, the vortex starts to expand once the round begins. But be careful! If you guide your ship too close to this violent spinning centre, your ship will be drawn inside and destroyed. To shrink the vortex, you must smash an entire set of control rods or destroy all enemy particles. THE KILL WALLS Throughout the battle, you must try to knock enemy particles against the kill walls to destroy them. If the enemy succeeds in forcing your ship into these walls, then it is destroyed. As the game progresses however, the challenge becomes more difficult! In levels 5, 6, 7, & 8 the kill walls become invisible. Only the control rods can be seen. You'll need nerves of steel-and a good memory-to avoid hitting the kill walls! ROUND PROGRESSION There are 4 levels with 8 successive rounds in each level. The game begins with level #1 and continues to progress from round to round and level to level, unless your ships are destroyed. If you wish, you may select any other level than #1 to begin playing. Simply press the GAME SELECTION switch (see GAME SELECTION box), and stop when the level number you desire appears. (NOTE: Levels 1, 3, 5 & 7 are one-player games. Levels 2, 4, 6 & 8 are two-player games.) Round Core Maximum Enemies on Screen # of Particles # of "To Go" Control Rods LEVEL 1. Solid 3 Positrons 12 4 1 and 2 2. Solid 3 Positrons, 1 Photon 16 4 3. Solid 3 Positrons, 2 Photons 20 4 4. Solid 3 Positrons, 1 Photon, 1 Neutrino 24 4 5. Solid 1 Positron, 1 Photon, 2 Neutrinos 32 4 6. Solid 3 Neutrinos 36 4 7. Solid 1 Positron, 1 Photon, 1 Lepton 36 4 8. Solid 1 Neutrino, 1 Lepton 40 4 LEVEL 9. Vortex 3 Positrons 12 6 3 and 4 10. Vortex 3 Positrons, 1 Photon 16 6 11. Vortex 3 Positrons, 2 Photons 20 6 12. Vortex 3 Positrons, 1 Photon, 1 Neutrino 24 6 13. Vortex 1 Positron, 1 Photon, 2 Neutrinos 32 6 14. Vortex 3 Neutrinos 36 6 15. Vortex 1 Positron, 1 Photon, 1 Lepton 36 6 16. Vortex 1 Neutrino, 1 Lepton 40 6 LEVEL 17. Solid 3 Positrons 12 7 5 and 6 18. Solid 3 Positrons, 1 Photon 16 7 19. Solid 3 Positrons, 2 Photons 20 7 20. Solid 3 Positrons, 1 Photon, 1 Neutrino 24 7 21. Solid 1 Positron, 1 Photon, 2 Neutrinos 32 7 22. Solid 3 Neutrinos 36 7 23. Solid 1 Positron, 1 Photon, 1 Lepton 36 7 24. Solid 1 Neutrino, 1 Lepton 40 7 LEVEL 25. Vortex 3 Positrons 12 8 7 and 8 26. Vortex 3 Positrons, 1 Photon 16 8 27. Vortex 3 Positrons, 2 Photons 20 8 28. Vortex 3 Positrons, 1 Photon, 1 Neutrino 24 8 29. Vortex 1 Positron, 1 Photon, 2 Neutrinos 32 8 30. Vortex 3 Neutrinos 36 8 31. Vortex 1 Positron, 1 Photon, 1 Lepton 36 8 32. Vortex 1 Neutrino, 1 Lepton 40 8 END OF GAME The game ends when the enemy particles have destroyed all of your ships. TWO-PLAYER GAMES There are four one-player games and four two-player games. In the two- player games, players alternate turns. The left goes first. Each player's score is displayed throughout his or her turn. At the end of the game, final scores are displayed alternately. The last player's score is displayed first, while the other player's score is displayed second. In a two-player game, when all your ships are destroyed, you're out of the game. Your opponent, however, may continue as long as he or she can avoid destruction and stop the melt-down. REACTOR STRATEGY HINTS * Lure enemy particles close to the wall for easier hits. * Place your decoys by the kill wall for easier hits. * Place your decoy in front of the bonus chamber to lure enemy particles inside for extra points. * Place decoys near control rods to attract enemy particles for easier hits. * Guide your ship in a CLOCKWISE direction if it should become caught in the vortex. This may help you escape it. * Remember to watch the number of enemy particles "To Go" (number of particles not yet on the screen), at the top of the screen in order to keep track of each round. SCORING Your score is displayed at the top of the screen throughout each round. Points are accumulated with each additional round. You'll receive your final score at the end of the game. Here's how the points are scored: Each unused decoy..................500 points Destroying: # # ### # ## # ## Leptons................200 points ## # ## # ### # # ### ##### ### Neutrinos..............200 points ##### ### ### ##### Positrons...............50 points ##### ### ## Photons.................50 points ## Control Rods............50 points Trapping enemy particles inside the bonus chambers: Bonus Chambers......................15 points per bounce (NOTE: Each enemy particle trapped inside the bonus chamber will bounce an indeterminate number of times. As the particle nears self-destruction within the chamber, points accumulated will decrease from 15 to 10 points per bounce.) Bonus: For every 10,000 points you accumulate, you earn an extra ship. Knocking down both sets of control rods earns you an extra decoy. -------------------Atari 2600 Instructions Archive-------------------