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Plaque Attack - Activision - Atari 2600     HTML Manual   

Plaque Attack
                               ACTIVISION
                                 DENTAL 
                                DEFENSE
                                 MANUAL

                              PLAQUE ATTACK!

ACTIVISION DENTAL DEFENSE MANUAL

Flash!  Across America, awful jawfuls of junk food are causing deadly dental 
decay.  Plaque is spreading its invisible film, turning teeth yellow as they 
decompose before our very eyes.  Blast this junk with toothpaste before it gets
to your teeth!  And don't let up.  This is the Plaque Attack, by cuspid, the 
last stop before gum city!

1.  Hook up your video game system.  Follow manufacturer's instructions.

2.  With power OFF, plug in game cartridge.

3.  Turn power ON.  If no picture appears, check connection of your game system
    to your TV; then repeat steps 1-3.

4.  Plug in Joystick Controller(s).  Solo player uses left Joystick.

5.  Set both difficulty switches to b to begin.  Switches in this position will
    cause fast continuous fire from your tube when the red button is depressed.
    Set switches in position a for slower continuous fire.

[Note to owners of Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade.  Difficulty is called skill:
a is expert and b is novice.]

6.  Select the game with the game select switch.
     
    Game 1:  One player.  Advanced.  Difficulty and points increase rapidly as
             your score rises.

    Game 2:  Two players.  Same as above.

    Game 3:  One player.  Beginner.  Less rapid increase in difficulty, less
             rapid increase in points.

    Game 4:  Two players.  Same as above.

7.  To start, press game reset.

8.  The Joystick Controller is held with the red button in the upper left 
    position.  Push Joystick left or right and you'll move left or right.  Pull
    Joystick back and you'll aim toward the lower mouth.  Push Joysitck forward
    and you'll aim toward the upper mouth.  Press the red button to squirt the 
    toothpaste.

9.  Time is a factor.  As soon as you press game reset, you'll have 35 seconds
    to wipe out each wave of food.  Your tube will shrink as time runs out.

10. Scoring.  Points are scored each time you shoot a food article.  Bonus
    points are received at the end of every eave for each tooth remaining and
    for each second of time left.


                     Points Per   Points for Each    Points for Each            
        
Wave  Food              Hit       Remaining Second   Remaining Tooth     
---------------------------------------------------------------------
 1    Hamburgers         5            5                   5
 2    Hot Dogs          10           10                  20
 3    Fries             15           15                  45
 4    Strawberries      20           20                  80
 5    Gum Drops         25           25                 125
 6    Donuts            30           30                 150
 7    Candy Canes       35           35                 175
 8    Ice Cream Cones   40           40                 200


For example, if you've shot all the food in wave 2, with 10 seconds remaining
(100 bonus points) and 8 teeth remaining (160 bonus points), you'll receive a
total of 260 bonus points (see chart).

After the eighth wave, the scoring peaks, and the food cycle repeats.

11. Bonus Teeth.  You begin with eight teeth in your mouth.  With each increase
    of 2000 points, a bonus tooth will appear beneath your score.  Bonus teeth
    are automatically placed in your mouth at the beginning of the next wave.

12. The game ends when you've lost all your teeth and have used up all your
    toothpaste.



SPECIAL FEATURES OF PLAQUE ATTACK

Junk Food Cycles.  When you've blasted all of the food in all eight of the 
waves, brace yourself for a super Plaque Attack!  All eight waves will return
in ferocious retaliation.  And the harder you work, the harder they work,
taking on hectic motion patterns and evading your moves with each new cycle.

Limited Time, unlimited shots.  There's no limit to the number of shots you can
fire.  However, your toothpaste tube will shrink as time runs out, and 
eventually disappear.  Careful!  Without a tube in your mouth, your teeth are
defenseless against the food remaining in that wave.

Dental Restoration.  Once plaque attacks a tooth, it turns yellow.  But it can
still be saved if you act quickly!  And immediate blast of toothpaste at the
food invader will wipe out the food and plaque and restor your tooth's health
and whiteness.



GETTING THE FEEL OF PLAQUE ATTACK

If you lose all your teeth at first, don't get too down in the mouth.  All you
need is practice.  You'll soon develop a sense of rythm and timing.  Notice 
that the food waves alternately attack the top and bottom teeth.  So, begin to
anticipate their movement.

Be generous in your shots of toothpaste.  That is, blast away!  You've got 
nothing to lose, since shots are unlimited and time is of the essence.



JOIN THE ACTIVISION "NO PLAQUE PACK"

Can you reach a score of 35,000 points or more?  If so, you can become a "No
Plaque Packer", a leader in the bitter war against tooth decay.  Just send us a
photo of the TV screen showing your score, along with your name and address,
and we'll send you the official No Plaque Pack emblem.



"Flash!  90% of American mouths are now under plaque attack.  Will you be 
another casualty?"

FACT:     Plaque is a bacteria that grows all over your teeth.  It uses sugar
          to form acids that cause tooth decay.  whenever you eat stuff like
          candy, cakes, sweetened cereals, soda, honey, sweetened juice...
          you're bathing your teeth with acidic plaque.  It's a regular tooth
          torture test!

Freddie Fluoride says--"You can win the war against plaque, just by taking
these precautions":

DENTAL   1.  Cut down on sugary foods!  Sure they taste good, but that's just
DEFENSE:     tastebud propaganda.  Beneath that sugary coating lies tooth
             decay.  If eaten, avoid panic--remain calm.  Brush within 20
             minutes.
         2.  Learn proper brushing techniques and floss daily.
         3.  See a dentist twice a year for a checkup and a professional 
             cleaning.

"That's all it takes!  Won't you give it a try?"



HOW TO JOIN THE NO PLAQUE PACK
Tips from Steve Cartwright, designer of Plaque Attack.

Steve is one of Activision's most prolific game designers.  His previous 
releases, Barnstorming, MegaMania, and SeaQuest quickly established his 
outstanding reputation.  Aside from video games, Steve enjoys motorcycle 
touring, photography, and brushing after every meal.

"Hello there!  Let me give you some tips to help you survive the Plaque Attack.
It's almost impossible to recover from poor oral hygiene (i.e., sloppy game-
play) experienced in the early stages.  The best strategy is to acquire as many
bonus teeth as possible as soon as you can.

"Next...when things get really hairy, don't bother going after food particles
that are not moving towards your teeth.  If they're moving off to the side, let
them go, concentrating only on defending your teeth from food heading their 
way.  This means playing defensively when the going gets tough.  Whereas, in 
the early stages, it's best to play offensively, blasting away all the junk
food in sight.

"Also, remember that the food always reverses direction as soon as a tooth is
attacked.  Try to save the tooth, then turn your tube around immediately and
continue shooting.

"You know, this game is just like real life:  Poor tooth care at the star will
get you in the end.  And the sooner you develop good dental habits, the longer
your teeth survive.  So put down that junk and write me a letter!  Tell me 
about your system of tooth care--on screen and off!"

[Steve Cartwright]



Let us get to know you!  If you have questions or comments about our games or
clubs, or want to be added to our mailing list, drop us a note or call the
"Game-Hotline" toll-free at (800)633-GAME.

ACTIVISION
Activision, Inc. Drawer No. 7287
Mountain View, CA  94039

(c) 1983 Activision AX-027-03


-------------------Atari 2600 Instructions Archive-------------------

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