ATARI (R) 7800 (TM) Game Manual

Fatal Run (TM)


Atari Corporation is unable to guarantee the accuracy of printed material
after the date of publication and disclaims liability for changes, errors,
or omissions. Reproduction of this document or any portion of its contents
is not allowed without the specific written consent of Atari Corporation.

Atari, the Atari logo, Fatal Run, and 7800 are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Atari Corporation.

ATARI (R)
Copyright (C) 1990, Atari Corporation
Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1302
All rights reserved.


DRIVE FOR YOUR LIFE!

The year is 2089. A collision with a comet has left the earth reeling from
radiation poisoning. There's little hope for humanity's survival. It's up
to you to help the few people remaining.

You must leave the protective fortress Albagon and deliver the newly
developed radiation vaccine to the few survivors. Your journey will not be
an easy one. Nefarious henchmen are waiting to knock you off and steal the
vaccine to ensure that they will survive to rule the planet. Every driver
on the road is out to get you. Your only hope is to get them first.

You must find the rocket poised to launch a satellite that can nullify the
effects of this cosmic accident that turned the world upside down. If
you're sharp enough to learn and remember the secret code words and tough
enough to live to use them, you can launch the rocket and save the world!

Good luck! Humanity is in your hands.


GETTING STARTED

Fatal Run is a challenging futuristic adventure that demands nerves of
steel and Grand Prix driving skill. Follow the steps listed below to start
the game.

1.  With your 7800 game system switched off, insert the Fatal Run cartridge
    into the cartridge slot as described in your owner's manual.

2.  Connect a controller to the left controller port.

3.  Press the POWER button on your console and switch on your TV. The
    Fatal Run title screen appears.

    NOTE: If you do not begin the game, the system shows a short
    demonstration of game action.

4.  You may choose to start a new game at the beginnng, or continue play at
    a specific location. Select your play option as follows:

    To begin a new game, move the controller left or right to highlight
    NEW. Press the fire button and game will begin.

    OR

    To begin the game at a specific level, move the controller left or
    right to highlight CONTINUE. Press the fire button. A screen displaying
    a row of characters appears. Identify the code (up to seven characters)
    of the level you wish to play by using the controller to position the
    square Character Selector over the letter or number you wish to choose,
    then pressing the fire button. After entering the code, move the
    Character Selector to the end and press the fire button to start the
    game.

    NOTE: Level codes are shown after every fourth run. Each level has
    several runs. You may wish to remember these codes to begin play at a
    specific level later.

To enhance play, the following optional game controls allow you to pause
and restart the game.

To pause the game press PAUSE. Repeat to resume play.

To return to the title screen and restart the game, press either SELECT or
RESET.


PLAYING THE GAME

The object of the game is to drive through all 32 levels and release the
life-saving satellite. Along the way you must distribute the radiation
vaccine throughout the major cities, while collecting the pieces of the
launch code. If you complete the code and all levels, the satellite
launches and you win the game.

Use the controller to maneuver your vehicle. Move the directional control
forward to accelerate and back to brake. Move the directional controller
left or right to move the car in that direction. When the directional
control is in the center position, the car will remain at its current
speed.

To survive, you must use sophisticated weapons to destroy the enemy. You
begin with a machine gun and buy more powerful weapons along the way. Press
the left fire button to use the currently selected weapon. Press the right
button to select a new weapon from your arsenal.

The Status Display at the bottom of the screen gives you the information
you need to plan your strategy and complete your run. The Status Display
shows you your current score and the speed at which your car is traveling.
In addition you can see the status of your car's engine, tires, and armor;
the number of shots you have left; and the amount of fuel remaining in
your car.

You receive points for using items and destroying enemies. You also receive
bonus points for reaching each city quickly. The faster you get to the
city, the more people will survive, resulting in additional points. Plus,
you receive points for each level you complete. The Status Display shows
the percentage of points which you have not yet received.

As you move from city to city, you will encounter various obstacles. The
black patches on the screen are oil slicks, which can damage your tires.
Yellow and white striped roadblocks should be avoided at all costs; if you
hit one of these, it can damage your car severely. Other roadside obstacles
include trees, and other hazards you will discover along the way. Hitting
obstacles will damage your car and slow you down.

You must also be on the lookout for henchmen. They will try to run you off
the road, often banding together to stop your progress. Press the fire
button to destroy the enemy vehicles with your weapons.

You can destroy cars by running into them, but this will also damage the
part of your car with which you hit the enemy. In other words, if you
sideswipe an enemy vehicle, you will damage your armor; if you hit an enemy
with the front or rear end of your car, you will damage the bumpers.

To survive a side-attack, you must smash into the vehicle and destroy it.
If the enemy car gets you first, you will receive damage.

When you reach a city, you will see a side view of your car as it
approaches the city and the waiting survivors. If you are too late to save
the city when you arrive, fewer survivors appear and you receive fewer
bonus points.

If you arrive safely at the rocket base, the rocket will launch the
world-saving satellite and you will win the game.

After saving the world and completing the game, if you wish to begin a new
game you must press RESET to return to the title/option screen.


SHOPS

You can buy parts to repair or upgrade your car. Upgrading is very
important. As you reach higher levels, the enemies get tougher and the
demands upon your vehicle increase. Display the shop screen to access a
complete list of items available for sale.

Each city shop is divided into two sections: Repairs (lower section of the
screen) and items for Sale (upper section). When you enter a shop, Repairs
displays a diagram of your car. Use the controller to move the cursor from
one section of your car to another. When the cursor moves over a section,
that section is highlighted. The statistics for that section display: the
amount of damage sustained, the parts needed for repair, and the cost of
each repair.

Refer to the following list for repairs available and the cost of each
repair.

$30 TIRES will improve your traction on curves. Each set of tires can be
repaired individually.

$40 BUMPERS (2) protect you during collisions, if the bumpers are in good
shape. Damaged bumpers will fail to protect your car from general damage
sustained in collisions.

$50 BRAKES (4) increase the response time of braking maneuvers. Brakes are
especially important for surviving sudden curves and oil spills on the
road.

$50 SIDE ARMOR (2) protects the sides of your car the same way bumpers
protect the front and rear.

$50 WINDSHIELD lowers wind resistance and thereby increases speed and gas
mileage.

$70 GAS TANK improves gas mileage. The better the condition of the tank,
the better your mileage.

$100 ENGINE will increase speed and acceleration.

$150 GENERAL repairs overall car condition and performance.

The Items for Sale area in the upper half of the screen displays the items
available for purchase. Use the controller to move the cursor over the item
you want to buy. A description of that item and the price will appear on
the screen. Press the left button to buy the item and repair your vehicle.
You can also use the right button to sell items back to the shop. You can
not sell fuel back -- once you buy fuel it's yours to keep.

You must determine which items to buy based on the repairs you need and the
amount of money you have. Just like real life!


WEAPONS

The following list describes each weapon available in the game. Not all
weapons are available in every shop. More powerful weapons become available
as the game gets more difficult. Display the Shop screen to access a
complete weapons price list.

DYNAMITE destroys all vehicles behind you.

DEATH CRYSTAL destroys any vehicle you crash into, without damaging your
vehicle.

ROCKET blasts vehicles in the distance ahead of you.

OIL slows down all vehicles behind you. The slowed vehicles will also
sustain some damage.

GUNS shoot the enemies directly in front of you. The closer the enemy, the
more damage that enemy will sustain.

SHIELD protects you from collision damage for 5 to 10 seconds.

NITRO increases acceleration and gas mileage.

SMOKE decreases the speed of cars following you.


STRATEGY

Don't waste money buying items you don't need. You may need the cash for
future repairs and upgrades.

Get to cities as quickly as possible. Your main mission is to rescue
survivors. Their lives depend on your speed.

Use the right weapon at the right time. It won't do you any good to fire a
rocket when there is a swarm of enemies behind you.

Write down the codes at each level. That way you won't have to replay
levels you've already finished.


SCORING

You score points for using each specific weapon and for destroying vehicles
with a specific weapon.

Weapon           Use    Destruction

Dynamite         100       500
Death Crystal    500      1000
Rocket          1000       500
Oil              200       500
Guns              25       500

You also receive points for using your shield, nitro, and smoke, as shown
below.

Shield          500 points
Nitro             0 points
Smoke           200 points

When you complete a level, you will receive 5000 bonus points.


ATARI (R)
Copyright (C) 1990, Atari Corporation
Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1302.
All rights reserved.

Printed in Hong Kong.          G.C.12.1990            C300018-054 Rev. A