THE EXPLOSIVE ARCADE HIT!

BATTLEZONE(TM)

NOTE: Always turn the console POWER switch OFF when inserting or removing an ATARI(R) Game Program(TM) cartridge. This will protect the electronic components and prolong the life of your ATARI Video Computer System(TM) game.

GAME OBJECTIVE

The year is 1999, and the nations of the earth have declared a world-wide peace plan. But there is a problem with the proposed truce. A council of military commanders has unleashed battalions of automated weapons into the countryside. These aerial fighters, flying saucers, tanks, and supertanks will turn the world into a lifeless landscape unless you can stop them.

Luckily, you've discovered an old military tank hidden inside the museum. Use your Joystick to steer the tank as you search for enemy automatons. Since your electronic periscope only gives you a front view from the tank, you'll have to rely heavily on your radar screen to detect the enemy. If you see a blip on the radar, you need to move fast! Use your Joystick to turn your tank until the enemy appears on the screen; press the red controller button to fire your turret gun.

GAME PLAY

You have five tanks to complete your mission. Your tank will be destroyed each time it is hit by enemy fire.

The enemies you'll encounter are:

TANKS
Tanks are your most common enemy. They move a bit slower than your tank, and can be identified by their blue turrets.

SUPERTANKS
These look like regular tanks, but have yellow turrets and can move faster than your tank.

FIGHTERS
Fighters always appear directly in front of you then zigzag toward your tank. When a fighter reaches point-blank range, it will veer to the side and fire an anti-tank shell directly at you. You can identify a fighter by the "buzz" sound it makes as it flies.

FLYING SAUCERS Flying saucers do not fire at you, but are hard to hit and can distract you when a tank, a fighter, or a supertank is firing at you.

(Note: Colors may vary with different television sets.)

USING YOUR RADAR SCREEN

Your radar is located at the top center of the screen. Enemy automatons appear on the screen as white "blips" of light, your tank is located in the middle of the radar circle. The two lines at the top of the radar screen indicate your field of view. When you move your tank so an enemy "blip" is between the lines, you should be able to see the enemy on the main screen. Be careful, though! An enemy can shoot and destroy your tank -- even if you can't see it on the main screen.

A black sighting mark is located at the top of the main screen to help you aim at the target. When the enemy is directly in your line of fire, the sighting mark will change from black to white.

SCORING

TARGET          POINTS
Tank            1,000
Fighter         2,000
Supertank       3,000
Saucer          5,000
Bonus Tank      At 50,000 and 100,000 points

USING THE CONTROLLER

Use your Joystick to maneuver your tank. Plug the Joystick firmly into the LEFT controller jack at the back of your console. Hold the controller with the red button to your upper left, toward the television screen.

Push forward on your Joystick to move your tank forward; pull back on the Joystick to move your tank backward. To rotate your tank in position, push the Joystick directly right or left. Move the tank in an arc by pushing your Joystick diagnally in the desired direction.

Fire your turret gun by pressing the red button on your controller. If you miss a target, you cannot fire again for approximately 2 seconds.

CONSOLE CONTROLS

GAME SELECT/GAME LEVELS

Press the GAME SELECT switch to choose one of three game levels. The game level is indicated by the number of tanks displayed at the bottom of the screen.

GAME NUMBER     SKILL LEVEL
Game 1          Novice
Game 2          Intermediate
Game 3          Advanced

DIFFICULTY SWITCHES/TV TYPE SWITCH

The DIFFICULTY switches and TV TYPE switch have no function in the game.

GAME RESET

Press GAME RESET or the red button on your controller to start the game.

STRATEGY

• A good way to evade enemy shells is to rotate your tank 45 degrees, then immediately move the tank forward or backward.
• Listen for the sound of an enemy gun being fired. As soon as you hear a shot, take evasive action. Do not simply rotate in the same spot.
• Keep moving after you fire a shot -- don't want to see if the shot hit its mark.
• If a tank is close behind, you can bring it within sight by moving your tank in reverse until the enemy tank appears on the screen. You'll be able to shoot as the enemy tank turns to face you.
• Try to lure one enemy into another enemy's line of fire. For example, by moving your tank to one side, you can move a flying saucer into a shot fired by an enemy tank.
• Don't waste shots, since you can't shoot your turret gun again until the shell either hits an enemy, or disappears from your main screen.

ATARI SERVICE

FACTORY AUTHORIZED NETWORK

Call toll-free

(800) 672-1404 (in California)

(800) 538-8543 (Continental U.S.)

Atari welcomes your comments. Please address all correspondence to:

Atari, Inc.
Customer Relations
1312 Crossman Avenue, P.O. Box 61657
Sunnyvale, California 94086

GAME CARTRIDGE LIMITED NINETY DAY WARRANTY

ATARI, INC. ("Atari") warrants to the original consumer purchaser that your ATARI (R) Game Program cartridge is free from defects in material or workmanship for a period of ninety days from the date of purchase. If any such defect is discovered within the warranty period, Atari's sole obligation will be to replace the cartridge free of charge on receipt of the cartridge (charges prepaid, if mailed or shipped) with proof of date of purchase at either the retail store where the cartridge was purchased or at one of the ATARI Regional Service Centers listed below.

Atari, Inc.
1312 Crossman Ave.
Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Atari, Inc.
5400 Newport Dr.
Suite 1
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

Atari, Inc.
12 B World's Fair Dr.
Somerset, NJ 08873

Atari, Inc.
2109 East Division St.
Arlington, TX 76001

This warranty shall not apply if the cartridge (i) has been misused or shows signs of excessive wear, (ii) has been damaged by being used with any products not supplied by ATARI, or (iii) has been damaged by being serviced of modified by anyone other than an ATARI Regional Service Center.

ANY APPLICABLE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, ARE HEREBY LIMITED TO NINETY DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE. CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM A BREACH OF ANY APPLICABLE EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES ARE HEREBY EXCLUDED.

Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts or do not allow the exclusions or limitations of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you.

This warranty gives you specific rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.

ATARI(R)
A Warner Communications Company

ATARI, INC., Consumer Division, 1312 Crossman Ave., P.O. Box 61657,
Sunnyvale, CA 94086

C019741-81 REV. A 2681

(C) 1983 ATARI, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Printed in U.S.A.

Document converted to html by gchance@ecst.csuchico.edu
-------------------Atari 2600 Instructions Archive-------------------

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