ATARI(r) 7800(tm) Game Manual


                                   PLANET(tm)
                                    SMASHERS




Alien Invasion!

While exploring a far-off region of the cosmos, your best friend's starship was 
ambushed by hostile aliens from a remote galaxy.  These hostile aliens have 
informed Earth that they are sending a crack intergalactic invasion force, the 
Planet Smashers, to take over your planet.

You know that with a name like the Planet Smashers these guys are not going to 
leap at a chance to vacation in Geneva and talk peace.  These vicious aliens 
murdered your friend, they intend to pillage your planet and enslave your fellow
humans.  Besides, they're really ugly!

You can't wait to take your starship out to meet these ill-begotten space 
cadets.  You can't allow even one Planet Smasher to reach the Earth!


Getting Started

1.  With your TV switched on, insert the Planet Smashers cartridge into your 
    Atari 7800 as described in your owner's manual.

2.  Connect a controller to the left controller port.  In two-player Planet 
    Smashers, connect a controller to each controller port.

3.  Switch on your console.  The Planet Smashers title screen appears.  If you 
    do not touch your controller, the High Scores screen appears, listing the 
    ten top scores.  Press the fire button to continue.

4.  To select one or two player Planet Smashers move the controller up or down 
    to display the desired selection.

To select difficulty level (Easy or Hard) move the controller left or right to 
display the desired selection.  In easy mode the capsules drop more slowly than 
they do in Hard mode, the enemies are slower to mode and shoot, and the Warp 
Capsule colors needed to progress to the next level are the same every time you 
play.  In Hard mode the enemies are faster and the Warp Capsule colors needed to
progress to the next level are randomly generated every time you play.  In two 
player Planet Smashers, each player can select a different difficulty level.

To select the displayed options and begin play, either player can press a 
controller fire button.


Optional Game Controls

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 press RESET.


Playing the Game

Planet Smashers is an exciting vertical scrolling space shooter.  You must 
expertly maneuver your ship to avoid deadly alien fire.  Blast away with speed 
and accuracy to destroy seven waves of mutant invaders before they get a chance 
to destroy the Earth!  While you do battle with these vicious creatures in their
home galaxies, the Earth will have more time to build shields against alien 
attack.

Begin by commanding the first of your four sleek starships.  You can maneuver 
your starship within the lower half of the game screen.  Moving the controller 
moves your craft right, left, up, or down.  Press the left fire button to shoot.

Without shields, each starship will be destroyed by only one hit from enemy 
fire, or one collision with an alien craft.  Learn to dodge quickly and to 
protect your starship!  The game ends after your last starship is destroyed.

Score points for each alien starship you destroy.  Shoot alien cargo vessels to 
release valuable items.  Move underneath released items to pick them up and 
upgrade your ship.  Be careful!  Some released items are destroyed if you shoot 
them.

You'll need the Warp Capsule to speed on to the end of the current galaxy in 
your fight to keep the alien horde from reaching Earth.

After surviving regular alien attacks, you must destroy the alien leader of each
galaxy.  The leaders are tough to destroy, and have killer attack abilities.  
Your final encounter will be with the dictator of the Planet Smashers, a nasty 
video game alien who will put your most horrible nightmares to shame.

After you have destroyed the evil dictator, the high scores screen appears.  If 
you have managed to beat one of the high scores listed, your score will appear 
on the high scores screen.

In two player Planet Smashers, each player much successfully complete the agme 
before the Earth can be saved.


Screens

Game play takes place on the Action screen.  The Status bar displays game 
information.  

Warp displays the colored Warp Capsules you have collected.  Empty Warp boxes 
flash briefly when needed Warp Capsules are collected out of sequence.

2 (Number of Ships) displays the number of reserved starships.

Range tells how close you are to the galaxy leader.

Shield displays the number of shields remaining.

Cloak displays the number of cloaks remaining.

Earth Shield displays the status of the Earth's protective shields.  Earth 
Shield status will decrease with every alien ship and leader you let slip past 
you.  If the Earth Shield status is zero, your reserve ships are destroyed.

Score displays your score.



                                   Status Bar


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| ## | ## | ## |  /\  | %%%%    | ***   | **    | %%%%%%%%%     |   SCORE    |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      WARP         2     RANGE   SHEILD   CLOAK   EARTH SHIELD      180775


Items

The following capsules are released from destroyed alien cargo ships.  Move 
directly underneath falling capsules to pick them up.
 
 / \    Weapon Capsule increases the fire power of your ship's weapons.  There 
| W |   are 10 levels of Weapon Capsules.  You begin the game with basic fire 
 \ /    power, which means you must press the fire button each time you wish to 
        fire one round.  Weapon Capsules give you automatic rapid fire.  Hold 
        down the fire button and your weapon will fire repeatedly.  Each level 
        will increase the rapid fire speed.

 / \    Shield Capsule protects your ship from a single hit from enemy fire or 
| S |   impact with an enemy vessel.  The impact or hit destroys the shield.  
 \ /    You can store up to six shields.

 / \    Cloaking Capsules make your starship invisible for twenty seconds.  But 
| C |   be careful.  Just because the enemies can't see you does not make you 
 \ /    invulnerable to stray lucky shots!  You can collect and store up to six 
        Cloaking Capsules.  To activate the capsule, push the right controller 
        button.

 / \    Galaxy Warp Capsules drop from special cargo ships.  Each galaxy has a 
|< >|   special three color code.  When playing Easy level Planet Smashers, each
 \ /    level's three color code seuqnce will be the same every time you play 
        that level.  In Hard level Planet Smashers each level's three color code
        sequence is randomly created every time you play that level.

        You must collect Galaxy Warp Capsules in the exact order of the three 
        color code.  You can change the color of a Galaxy Warp Capsule by 
        shooting it before picking it up.

        When you collect the correct color, an empty box will be filled in the 
        WARP section of your statistics screen.  The boxes fill from left to 
        right.  If you collect a needed color out of sequence, the box in which 
        the color belongs will flash briefly but not fill.  When you fill all 
        three boxes, you will be transported directly to the end-of-galaxy 
        encounter with the alien leader of that galaxy.
 
 / \    Extra Ship Capsules can gain you an extra ship to use against the evil 
|/^\|   Planet Smashers.  But this cargo is so precious the aliens have 
 \ /    protected it with a dangerous trap.  When the cargo capsule containing 
        the extra ship is release, it is sometimes charged with a deadly energy 
        that will destroy your ship if you attempt to pick up the capsule.  When
        the capsule is dangerous it will display a chilling death's head symbol.
        It is safe to pick up the capsule during the period when it displays a 
        ship symbol.


Scoring

Earn points by destroying the following alien invaders:

        Enemy Bombs.............................................25
        Cargo Ships............................................100
        Fighters...............................................300
        Bombers................................................500
        Rammers................................................500
        Bosses's Guns.........................................1000
        Bosses........................................5000 or more









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                                     ATARI(r)


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 of any portion of its contents is 
not allowed without the specific written consent of the Atari Corporation.

Atari, the Atari logo, Planet Smashers, and 7800 are trademarks or registered 
trademarks of Atari Corporation.

Copyright (c) 1990, Atari Corporation, Sunnyvale, California  94089-1302.
All rights reserved.

Printed in Hong Kong                   G.C. 7, 1990   C300018-068 Rev.  A