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Freeway - Activision - Atari 2600     HTML Manual   

Freeway
ACTIVISION TM

FREEWAY TM

INSTRUCTIONS

If you think driving on a busy freeway is intense...wait 'till
you try to cross it on foot! In Freeway by ACTIVISION, your
challenge is to guide a chicken across ten lanes of the most
perilous freeway traffic imaginable. Be careful, because those
speeding cars and trucks don't brake for animals! So, before
you start the chicken across the road, take a minute to read
these instructions. You'll find out how to score points by
leading your fearless fowl to safety without getting his
feathers ruffled by a "semi".

ACTIVISION TM

FREEWAY BASICS

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

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 Controllers.

5.   Set difficulty switches at b (down) position.

6.   Select game with game select switch. In all games, there
     are ten lanes of traffic, five in each direction.
          Game 1:   Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, 3 A.M.
          Game 2:   Interstate 5, Seattle, 6 A.M.
          Game 3:   Santa Monica Freeway, Los Angeles, 10 A.M.
          Game 4:   Bayshore Freeway, San Francisco, Midnight
          Game 5:   John Lodge Expressway, Detroit, 9 P.M.
          Game 6:   The Beltway, Washington D.C., 6 P.M.
          Game 7:   LBJ Freeway, Dallas, 5 P.M.
          Game 8:   Long Island Expressway, New York City, 3  
                    A.M.
          (See descriptions under "Special Features.")

7.   Use of Joystick Controllers. The left Joystick controls
     the chicken on the left. The right Joystick controls the
     chicken on the right. Hold Joystick with red button at
     upper left. Pushing the Joystick forward moves your
     chicken ahead (up). Pulling the Joystick back moves your
     chicken back (down). Your chicken can move forward and
     backward only, not side-to-side. The red button has no
     effect.

8.   Difficulty switches. With the difficulty switch in the b
     (down) position, your chicken is knocked back one lane
     when struck by a vehicle. With the switch in the a (up)
     position, your chicken will return to the curb (the
     beginning) after being struck by a vehicle. The left
     difficulty switch is for the left player; the right
     switch is for the right player. Start with difficulty
     switches in the b (down) position; a (up) is for more
     advanced players.

9.   To begin play. Press game reset. One or two players may
     play in any game.

10.  Scoring/Timing. Each time you guide your chicken
     successfully across the freeway, you are awarded one
     point. The score for each player is indicated at the top
     of the screen, directly above each player's chicken.
     There are two minutes and sixteen seconds in each game.
     When the score begins to flash, eight seconds of playing
     time remain. At the end of each game, the traffic comes
     to a stop and the final score is shown. Whoever scores
     the most points is a winner.

                                   Note to owners of Sears
                                   Tele-Game Video Arcade
                                   system:
                                   Difficulty switches are
                                   called skill left (or
                                   right) player and a (up) is
                                   expert and b (down) is
                                   novice.

SPECIAL FEATURES OF FREEWAY TM BY ACTIVISION TM

When game reset is pressed, the traffic in the game you've
selected begins to move. This motion is accompanied by sounds
associated with a typical freeway: the drone of auto and truck
engines, the honks from the horns of the vehicles. Each game
has its own combination of these sounds.

Should your chicken get hit, he'll chirp and be knocked back
either one lane or all the way back to the beginning
(depending on where you've set your difficulty switch). He
always gets up, though, and is ready to try again.

[Screen shot with arrows indicating SCORES, TRAFFIC,
CHICKENS.]

GAMES

Each game offers a different challenge. The type, speed and
frequency of traffic may vary, depending on the game.


     GAME ONE: LAKE SHORE DRIVE, CHICAGO, 3 A.M.
Automobiles only. Traffic is thin. Speeds are relatively slow.
Autos move slowest in lanes closest to curbs, then faster with
each lane closer to center of highway.

     GAME TWO: INTERSTATE 5, SEATTLE, 6 A.M.
Upper lane closest to center of freeway has trucks; all others
have autos. Traffic is thicker and moves faster than in Game
One. Speeds of autos increase in the same order as they did in
Game one.

     GAME THREE: SANTA MONICA FREEWAY, LOS ANGELES, 10 A.M.
Trucks are now in both center lanes. These trucks are the
fastest moving vehicles, and they move faster than the fastest
moving vehicles in Games One and Two. Traffic is thicker in
the two lanes closest to the curbs.

     GAME FOUR: BAYSHORE FREEWAY, SAN FRANCISCO, MIDNIGHT
There are trucks in all lanes. The trucks in the lanes closest
to center, as well as those closest to the curbs, move at the
same speed as the trucks in Game Three. The trucks in lanes 2
and 4 move at half the speed of those in lanes 1 and 5. The
trucks in lane 3 are the slowest, and move at half the speed
of those in lanes 2 and 4. (Lane at bottom of screen is lane
1; lane at top is lane 10.)

     GAMES FIVE THROUGH EIGHT
Similar to Games One through Four in the amount of traffic for
each game. But, take care, because the speeds of the vehicles
are increased and decreased at random throughout each of these
games - without regard to lane. You'll really have to be on
your toes, because you can never tell when the speed of any
particular traffic will change.

GETTING THE FEEL OF FREEWAY TM BY ACTIVISION TM

The objective in Freeway by ACTIVISION is to score as many
points as you can by guiding your chicken across the ten lanes
of traffic as many times as possible in two minutes and
sixteen seconds.

For beginners, try Game One (Lake Shore Drive) with the
difficulty switches in the b (down) position. Get the feel of
how your chicken responds to your Joystick. Since the traffic
flow in Game One is relatively light, you have ample time to
react to oncoming vehicles. You want to guide your chicken
across the freeway as quickly as possible, but you don't want
to put him where he can't avoid an oncoming vehicle. You will
need to be aware of traffic not only in the lane closest to
your chicken, but also in the lanes on either side.

After you get the feel of Game One, try your hand at some of
the tougher highways. And, when you're really feeling bold,
put your difficulty switch up to a and watch out!

Freeway by ACTIVISION is a game of anticipation and timing.
After awhile, you'll learn to judge traffic flow and make the
right move at the right time. Sometimes that means bravely
forging ahead. And, at other times, that will mean sitting
back and waiting for just the right opening.

JOIN THE ACTIVISION "SAVE THE CHICKEN FOUNDATION"

Activision wants to recognize your traffic dodging
achievements. So, if you're successful in guiding your chicken
through traffic at least 20 times in either Game Three or Game
Seven, you can become an official member of the Activision
"Save the Chicken Foundation." Send us a picture of your TV
screen showing your accomplishment, and we'll enroll you and
send you a special membership emblem.

HOW TO BECOME AN ACE "CHICKEN CROSSER" IN FREEWAY TM BY
ACTIVISION TM
Tips from David Crane, designer of Freeway

David Crane is also the designer of Dragster TM, Fishing Derby
TM and Laser Blast TM by ACTIVISION. He consistently comes up
with highly unusual, imaginative and challenging games. 

[Nice photo of Crane (same one that appears in the 1982
Activision games catalog.)]

"As unusual as Freeway is, you still will have to employ some
tried and true gaming skills to do well at it. For instance,
you must become familiar with the different traffic patterns
in order to anticipate and make the right moves. This is
especially difficult in Games Five through Eight, where
traffic speeds can change instantly.

"You'll notice that clusters of vehicles in each lane travel
at generally the same distance apart, at the same speed. If a
cluster happens to be in a fast lane, you'll have to plan in
advance how you're going to get through without being hit.

"Succeeding at Freeway will depend on your ability to develop
quick reflexes to avoid the traffic and "hit the hole" at just
the right time. Have fun and watch the traffic!

"Drop me a line. I'd like to hear about your exploits."

[David Crane signature]

Look for more Activision video games wherever you buy your
video game cartridges. Drop us a note and we'll gladly add
your name to our mailing list and keep you posted on new
Activision game cartridges as they become available.

ACTIVISION TM
Activision, Inc., 3255-2 Scott Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95051

(c) 1981 Activision AG-009-03 Rev. 2         Printed in U.S.A.



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

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