Cosmic Swarm Manual - Atari Age
COSMIC SWARM
By
CommaVid
INSTRUCTIONS
For 1 player Uses Joystick Controller
(c)1982 COMMAVID, INC.
The immense WAYPOINT interstellar trade depot floats with
its small crew at a distant cross roads between the stars.
It should be a quiet place to command. But beware -- a
dormant colony of giant, alien, mineral-eating termites
hidden in one holding section seven have awakened! The
Termites invade the main power-conversion chamber and begin
assembling a haphazard nest. Your crew is working feverishly,
opening crates of tiny remote-controlled planetary-probe
ships. Its up to you to pilot a fragile probe ship into the
power chamber and clear out the invaders before they jam it
totally. By docking with your refueling ship when necessary,
and by energizing the nest blocks so your probe ship's fire
can destroy them, you may be able to prevail against the
invaders and save WAYPOINT.
GETTING STARTED
* Turn off your game console.
* Insert the COSMIC SWARM cartridge.
* Make sure the left joystick controller is firmly connected
to the console (this is the only controller used).
* Turn on your game console.
* Select the game skill level by setting the console difficulty
switches (Note: On Sears Tele-Game, the difficulty switches
are called "skill switches." The "a" position is called
expert, and the "b" position is called novice).
Beginner: Set both difficulty switches to "b".
Novice: Set left difficulty switch to "a", set right
difficulty switch to "b".
Challenger: Set left difficulty switch to "b", set right
difficulty switch to "a".
Expert: Set both difficulty switches to "a".
* Hold the joystick with the red button in the upper left.
* Start the game by pressing the game reset switch.
CONTROLLING YOUR SHIP
Use the left joystick controller to control your probe ship.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
RED BUTTON UP
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Move
Up
Move Up | Move Up
& Left \ | / & Right
\ | /
\ | / When the red button is UP,
\|/ pushing the joystick will move
Move ====( )==== Move the probe ship horizontally,
Left /|\ Right vertically, or diagonally.
/ | \
/ | \
/ | \
Move Down | Move Down
& Left Move & Right
Down
--------------------------------------------------------------------
RED BUTTON DOWN
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Move When the red button is DOWN,
Up pushing on the joystick will
Move Up | Move Up move the probe ship vertically,
& Rotate \ | / & Rotate rotate the direction of the
CCW \ | / CW ship, or do both at the same
\ | / time. The probe ship's gun will
\|/ fire when the red button is
Rotate ====( )==== Rotate released. If a new bolt is fired
CCW /|\ CW while an old one is in flight,
/ | \ the old one is destroyed. Only
/ | \ one bolt can be in flight at a
/ | \ time.
Rotate CCW | Rotate CW
& Move Move & Move [Note: CW = Clockwise,
Down Down Down CCW = Counter Clockwise]
GAME PLAY
If your probe ship touches a # #
Termite or any of the nest # #
blocks they lay down, it will be #### #
instantly destroyed. Termites ############
can be destroyed by hitting them ######
with a bolt from your ship. Nest ##########
blocks will stop your ship's ##########
bolts without being destroyed ######
unless they are energized ###########
(described later). # ####
# ######
The game begins with a reserve # #### #
force of 3 probe ships displayed * #######
at the top of screen to the ## ##
right of the score. A new ship @ # #
is earned for every 100 points @@@
scored. Up to six ships can be @@@@@@
held in reserve. When the last @@@@
probe ship is destroyed, the @
game ends. Shooting a Termite
You must occasionally refuel
your ship. A warning sound will
alert you when your fuel is low. ##
A refueling ship will then ###
slowly travel down and back up ####
the left or right edge of the #######
screen. The game ends if you ### $$
fail to dock with the refueling $$
ship before it returns to the $$$$$$
top of the screen -- regardless $$$$$$
of how many ships you have in $$$$$$$$$$
reserve.
Docking with the Refueling Ship
GGGGGGG
GGGGGGG # #
GGGGGGG # #
GGGGGGG #### #
GGGGGGG ############
GGGGGGG ######
GGGGGGG ##########
GGGGGGG ##########
GGGGGGG ######
GGGGGGG ###########
GGGGGGG # #### If a termite is carrying a
GGGGGGG # ###### block, and it is hit squarely
GGGGGGG # #### # on the bottom of the block,
GGGGGGG ####### both the termite and its block
GGGGGGG ## ## are destroyed. The remaining
GGGGGGG #BBBBBBB# blocks then turn from green to
BBBBBBB red (or become a darker gray
BBBBBBB on a black-and-white TV). The
BBBBBBB blocks are now "energized" and
GGGGGGG are vulnerable to destruction
* GGGGGGG by your bolts.
GGGGGGG
GGGGGGG
@
@@@
@@@@@@
@@@@
@
Energizing the Nest Blocks
RRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRR RRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRR RRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRR RRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRR RRRRRRR Whenever your bolts destroy
RRRRRRRRR RRRRRRR a termite, unless you hit
RRRRRRRRR RRRRRRR the termite on the bottom of
RRRRRRRRR RRRRRRR a block it is carrying, all
RRRRRRRRR RRRRRRR blocks are de-energized and
RRRRRRRRR become impossible to destroy.
RRRRRRRRR * In this state they are green
RRRRRRRRR (lighter gray on a black-and-
RRRRRRRRR white set).
RRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRR $$
$$
$$$$$$
$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$
Destroying a Nest Block
SCORING
Hitting a termite that is NOT carrying a block 1 point
Hitting a termite that is carrying a block
if the bottom of the block is NOT hit 2 points
if the bottom of the block is hit 3 points
Hitting an energized (red) block 1 point
By scoring properly, an observant and skillful player can
earn bonus points 100 or 200 at a time. These bonus points
do not, however, count toward earning extra probe ships.
DIFFICULTY SWITCHES
The left difficulty switch controls the speed of one of the
termites; the "a" position is the fastest. The right
difficulty switch controls the aggressiveness of the termites.
In the "a" position they are much more likely to chase your
ship after dropping their blocks.
-------------------------------------------------------------
CommaVid is a different kind of game company, formed by a group
of professionals from computing and the physical sciences. We
believe that our experience outside the consumer electronic
market will aid us in developing interesting products for our
customers. New electronic products are like presents, sometimes
it's nice to get what you want and other times a surprise is
welcome. By combining our own ideas, and reactions of our
customers, we hope to create some pleasantly surprising new
products. To help us do this we would like both your reactions
to this game and any suggestions you would care to pass along
for new games or other new computer based consumer products. We
will read everything you send to the address below and answer
as often as we can. Unless you request otherwise, we will
include you in our list for mailings of advance information
about our new releases.
The next time you are shopping for fun and games, remember to
look for CommaVid.
CommaVid
Box 3308
Fox Valley Center
Aurora, Illinois 60505
For fast response to requests for
cartridge repair write to:
CommaVid Service Center
Box 3326
Fox Valley Center
Aurora, Illinois 60505
Tele-Games is a trademark of Sears Roebuck and Co.
Atari and Video Computer System are trademarks of ATARI, INC.
___________________________________________________________________________
This manual was typed by Ben Valdes for Atari Age Manual Archive
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