{Fuji} Atari 2600(TM) Game Manual SOLARIS Blast Those Cobra Ships, Mechnoids, and Raiders Before They Blast You! The Zylons are back -- those spaceway sneaks, villains of Venus, Saturnian scoundrels! They're swarming through the galaxy in huge forces, attempting another takeover. They've got to go! And we need YOU to go get 'em. But it's a hush-hush missions. If the Zylons guess you're onto them, you're a goner. So the official report says you're out to find the lost planet Solaris and rescue the Atarian Federation Pioneers stranded there. But if the Zylons reach Solaris before you do, they'll destroy it. You've got to hyperwarp from quadrent to quadrent, facing vicious attackers such as Kogalon Star Pirates, Planet Destroyers, and Cobra Fleet. But don't worry -- your fighter, the StarCruiser, is specially outfitted with a Galactic Scanner and plenty of photon torpedoes. Just don't let the Zylons destroy a Federation Planet, or your quadrant mutates into a terrifying Red Zone. Ready? Then hop into the StarCruiser, rev the engine, and go! And remember -- if anything flies your way, blast it! Getting Started 1. With your TV turned on, insert the SolarisTM cartridge into your Atari(R) 2600TM (or 7800TM) as explained in your Owner's Manual, and turn on your console. The Solaris title screen appears, with your fighter, the StarCruiser, at the bottom center. 2. Plug a joystick into the left joystick jack. (For professional play, plug a second joystick into the right joystick jack to use for viewing your Galactic Scanner at will.) 3. Press _(Reset)_ or the joystick fire button. Your StarCruiser's Instrument Panel appears with your Targeting Computer in the center of the Panel. The left side of the Panel shows how many fighters you have left; the right side shows your fuel level. 4. Press the joystick fire button to launch your StarCruiser into hyperspace and begin the game. SCANNER Cobra Fleet Blockader (3 DN) (2 DN) __________ __________ ___ ___ __________ __________ __________ | . . | | | | . . | | | . .| | | | . .| | | . . | | | | . . | | |__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________| | . . | Wormhole | | | \ = / | . . | | . .|\ /--\ | | | |> <| | . .| | . . | \/ . \ | | | /="\" | . . | |__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________| Kogalon | . . | | |Star | | | Star \ | . .| | \ | \/Cruiser| | | Pirate\ | . . | | ___\_ | /\ | | | \ |__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________| | | | . . | . . | ( @@ | | E Zylon |_---_| | | . .| . .| @@@ | x Planet | | | | . . | . . | @@ ) | i (5 R) |__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________| t | | | | * * * | . . | | Fed | | | | * *** * | . .| | Planet | | | | * * * | . . | | (4 R) |__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________| | . . | | | | | . . | Corridor | . .| COR | |="======" | | . .| (2 R) | . . | | |// / | | . . | |__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________| | . . | | /*****\ | | | | Star | . .| | # | | | | Cluster | . . | | \*****/ | | | | |__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________| | | | | . . | . . | | | | | | . .| . .| | | | | | . . | . . | | |__________|__________|___ ___|__________|__________|__________| JUMP: 40 <------- Jump Value FlagShip Attack Group (2 UP) (2 UP) The Galactic Scanner A few moments after you launch your StarCruiser, the Galactic Scanner appears, detailing one of the 16 quadrants in the galaxy. The quadrant's 48 sectors can be occupied by Zylons, Zylon Planets, Corridors, Wormholes, Star Clusters, or Federation Planets. The quadrant has four Exits, one on each side, leading to other quadrants. A flashing X shows your sector position. Move the joystick handle left, right, forward or back to move the StarCruiser to an occupied sector in the quadrant. Sectors with Star Clusters are blockades, you cannot enter them. Zylons often occupy sectors blocking an exit or threatening a Federation Planet. Watch the Jump Value at the bottom of the Scanner. When it reaches 0, Zylons may change their sector positions. A Federation Planet starts flashing when Zylons enter its sector. You must defend the planet immediately or it will be destroyed. The Mission Your mission is to destroy Zylons as you battle your way through galactic mazes trying to reach Solaris. You start the game with three fighters. You score points by blasting the enemy with your photon torpedoes. When you lose a ship replaces it until all your StarCruiser are gone. When a reserve ship appears, press your fire button to restart game action. Push the joystick handle to the right or left to fly your StarCruiser in that direction. Push the handle forward to dive (or speed up when flying over a planet), pull backward to climb (or slow down over a planet). Press the joystick fire button to fire your photon torpedoes during battle. ____________________________________________________________________________ | | | Left-Right Distance Up/Down Distance | | | | _____________________________________ | | | | |- | __ | | | | |> | |_---_| |- | \/ | | | | 1 | | --- | |- | 7 | | | |> |> |______|___________|___________|______| | | | | FUEL |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ | | | | Remaining Fighters Fuel Level | | | |____________________________________________________________________________| TARGETING COMPUTER Playing the Game To attack a Zylon force or defend a Federation Planet, move to its sector and press the fire button. You immediately hyperwarp to that sector. Watch your Targeting Computer during hyperwarp. It shows your StarCruiser hyperwarping in and out of focus, while the number on the right of the Computer displays your hyperwarp focus value (0 is a perfect warp, 3 is terrible). Move the joystick handle left or right to keep your fighter in focus. Once you land in an enemy sector, start blasting. Watch your Targeting Computer to find unseen Zylon ships. The number on the left of the Computer tells their left/right distance from you; the number on the right tells their up/down distance. Zero means they're straight ahead. When your Targeting Computer is damaged it will flash bright white. Use the left/right, up/down numbers to track the enemy until you can dock at a Federation Planet for repairs. When you've destroyed all Zylons in a sector, the Galactic Scanner reappears. (If you're using a second joystick, press its fire button to redisplay your Scanner at will, even during battle.) To hyperwarp to another quadrant, move the StarCruiser to a sector with an Exit and press the fire button. Choose an enemy sector from that quadrant and get going! An alarm will ring when Zylons are attacking a Federation Planet in your quadrant, or you'll spot the attack on your Galactic Scanner (the planet will flash). You've got 40 seconds to save the planet. If you fail, the whole quadrant regresses into a Red Zone, and joystick control is reversed. Watch it! When your fuel gets critically low, another alarm buzzes. Hyperwarp to a Federation Planet as soon as you can for refueling. Dock in a Docking Bay, by flying into it, to refuel and repair any damage to your StarCruiser. If you run out of fuel, your StarCruiser explodes. Battle gets increasingly fast and furious as the game goes on. You must continue to search for Solaris while destroying all enemy ships. You'll know Solaris when you find it -- it's the only blinking planet in the galaxy. The game ends when all your ships are destroyed or you can reach Solaris. Press _(Reset)_, then the fire button, to play again. Scoring Making it through a Corridor ...................... 8,000 points Rescuing all Cadets on a Zylon Planet.............. 8,000 points FlagShip ............................................ 500 points Raider .............................................. 400 points Kogalon Star Pirate ................................. 320 points Targeter ............................................ 320 points Glider .............................................. 320 points Mechnoid ............................................ 300 points Blockader ........................................... 260 points Cobra Ship ........................................... 80 points Guardian ............................................. 60 points Distractor ........................................... 20 points When you rescue all Space Cadets on a Zylon Planet, you earn an extra StarCruiser and blow up the planet. You blow up another Zylon Planet when you make it safely through a Corridor. Strategy Map your progress! It will help you find Solaris more quickly. Try to keep your StarCruiser in focus during hyperwarp. The better job you do at focusing, the less fuel you waste. When you arrive in the enemy sector you'll also be closer to the Zylon fleet. Destroy the enemy closest to Federation Planets first. Save fuel in an enemy sector by blasting at neutral planets only to avoid colliding with them. Don't shoot your Docking Bays or you'll turn the quadrant into a Red Zone. Good Guys \ | / _Solaris_ is the only blinking Federation Planet in the <\|/> galaxy. Watch your Scanner to find it. - --<+>-- - / | \ | _Federation Planets_ can't defend themselves from Zylons. <\|/> When the enemy destroys one, the whole quadrant turns into ---<+>--- a Red Zone. To rescue your planet you have to blast all Zylons off it. If you don't, a whole new fleet attacks. | / _Space Cadets_ are stranded on Zylon Planets. Fly over them \_O_/ to pick them up. Rescuing all Cadets on a planet earns you = 8,000 points, an extra fighter, and blows up the planet. / \ (Ignore Space Cadets on Federation Planets -- they're just / \ waving at you.) __________ | | _Docking Bays_ are where you refuel and repair damage to |__________| the StarCruiser. Find them on Federation Planets. |___====___| __ \ / \ Hyperwarp through a _Wormhole_ to jump over a wall of Star \__/ . \ Clusters in the Galactic Scanner. Bad Guys /\ Hyperwarp to _Zylon Planets_. Rescuing all Space Cadets / \#### stranded there blows up the planet and earns you a bonus \ ###### fighter and points. \########\ ###### \ ####\ / \/ COR _Corridors_ are tricky. _Guardians_ protect the entrance --- and won't shoot unless you shoot first. Once inside a __ Corridor, you must fly over the _Key_ (and blast some __(__)__ Guardians) to gain safe passage through the Ion Doors. \/ \/ If you make it through, another Zylon planet blows and __ you earn 8,000 points! |__|------% % _ |#| |\ /| _Blockaders_ are space minefields. Dodge 'em or |#> <#| shoot 'em. |/ _ \| |#|="=" _Attack Groups_ contain Mechnoids, FlagShips, and a //="======/" smattering of Kogalon Star Pirates. // // _ _ | _____ | _Kogalon Star Pirates_ attack Federation and Zylon |__|_____|__| ships alike. They hang back, then take pot shots. | |_____| | They'll also make sweeping runs to ram your ship. |_ _| Look out! ________ / \ Vicious _Cobra Ships_ are sent out to persuade you |__\____/__| to vacate a sector. /|____|\ ________ /__ __\ Big, clumsy _FlagShips_ send out Distractors as ___| |___ defenders. They also shoot Federation Ships. A \________/ FlagShip's direct hit will destroy your StarCruiser. /\ _Distractors_ are fast but carry little firepower. ///\\\ You lose fuel when hit by one. \\\/// \/ /\______/\ _Mechnoids_ are easy targets at first, then get <__> nastier. These mechanical ash cans like to move \ |__| / up close or just off to one side, then pow! | ___ | / / \ \ \_\ /_/ /\ _Gliders_ have a slippery, sliding-gliding motion. / \ / /^\ / / /