California Games


Table of Contents

BETTER WEAR SHADES!.........1
GETTING STARTED.............2
PLAYING THE GAMES...........3
  BMX Bike Racing...........4
  Surfing...................5
  Half Pipe Skateboarding...7
  Foot Bag..................9
HIGH SCORE SCREENS.........12
CALIFORNIA SPOKEN HERE.....13


BETTER WEAR SHADES!

Warning:  If you are prone to sunburn, we strongly recommend that 
you apply a good sunscreen before attempting to play California Games.

Welcome to California, dude.  Home of, like, the most radical sports 
in the Milky Way.  Rad, bad, and totally aggro.  You are about 
to hit the sand, turf, and asphalt of the Golden State to go for 
trophies in everything from surfing to bike racing.  California 
Games is the ultimate in athletic competition. You compete in the
hottest sports around for the gnarliest sponsors west of the Sierras.

So bleach your hair, slide into that wetsuit, and load your stick 
in the back of the van.  You are about to have the most fun you've 
had since Mom ran over your skateboard.  California Games takes you
from the surf to the turf.  Are you, like, gonna love it, or what?

Begin your quest for an endless summer in Hollywood, where you will 
catch air skateboarding on the totally tubular Half Pipe.  Then 
cruise to San Francisco for some killer footwork on the high-flyin' 
Foot Bag. After that, hit the beach for the most radical sport 
in California, the crown jewel of coastal competition, Surfing. 
You will shoot the tube and carve the biggest breakers of any 
hot-dogger around.

Over the dirt track, you'll hit top speed on your BMX Racing Bike. 
Your moves had, like better be bad.  That's four massive, totally 
rad events.  You're gonna have your hands full.  Not to mention your feet.

Take part in the wildest games of the all--California Games.  You 
will really get into it.  It's only, like, the most totally awesome 
game in the world.  For sure.


GETTING STARTED

California Games is a sports simulation for one or two players. Follow 
these instructions to start the game: 

1. With your system switched off, insert the California Games game 
card as directed in the Lynx Owner's Manual. 
Warning:  Do not touch game card connector pins.  Avoid contact with 
static and extreme heat.  Do not bend, crush, or attempt to clean 
the game card. 

2. Follow the instructions for Single Player or Two Player to start 
the game. 


SINGLE PLAYER: 

Press ON.  The title screen appears. 
To continue the events menu, press A or B.  The events menu 
offers a choice of options. 


TWO PLAYER: 

Each player must have a California Games game card and an Atari 
Lynx. 
With both Lynx systems switched off, follow the instructions 
in the Lynx Owner's Manual to connect the Comlynx Cable. 
After connecting the entertainment systems, turn on the power. 
Try to switch on the entertainment systems as quickly as possible. 
The first one on is the Master and gets to select the options. 
So, like, be fast, dude! 
If both Lynx systems are not turned on within seven seconds,
it's like, a total wipeout and you'll have to try again. 
The Master presses A to continue to the Events menu.  The Master 
then determines the event selection and order. 

3. Select an event by pressing the joypad up or down to highlight 
your choice, then press A or B.

To enhance play, the following optional game controls allow you to 
modify the display, control music output, pause, and restart the game:

To flip the screen 180 degrees and reverse the controls, press 
OPTION 2 and PAUSE at the same time. 
To pause the game, press PAUSE.  Repeat to resume play. 
To return to the title screen and restart the game, press OPTION 
1 and PAUSE. 


PLAYING THE GAMES

California Games is a challenge of skills for one or two players. 
The object of the game is to  get the highest score in each individual 
event.  Players can also compete for the top score in overall 
competition.

California Games includes four exciting events:  Half Pipe Skateboard,
Foot Bag, Surfing, and BMX Bike Racing.  Improve your skills,
compete with family and friends, and become a California Champion.

To prepare for the awesome challenges of the California Games, wax 
your board and slip into your jams, then let the games, like, begin!


BMX Bike Racing

BMX stands for Bicycle Motocross.  It also stands for radical action 
and gnarly competition.  Riders use strong, lightweight bicycles 
to race on an action-packed course in the California desert.  
There are plenty of jumps, bumps, and dips.  Watch out for the 
whoop-ti-dos (long rows of low bumps).  You will need a good speed,
agood sense of timing, and a heavy dose of endurance.

Cover the course in the fastest possible time, performing stunts 
and avoiding or jumping over obstacles.  The fastest daredevil 
rider wins the event.

                  Steer Left
             __  /
          __(  )/_
Brake ---(__(  )__)--- Start and increase speed forward
            (__)\
                 \
                  Steer Right

Buttons:  A:  Jump/Get back on bike
          B:  Flip

If you crash, press A to get back on the bike. 
Note: Timing is important to perform stunts and jumps. You must time 
the start and finish of each move to complete it successfully. 
If you land off-balance, you will crash.


STRATEGY

Keep your speed up, but slow down to avoid some obstacles.

Start a flip as you reach the edge of a cliff or bump.

Jump over obstacles or small ditches.


SCORING

Try to complete the course within the one minute and 30 second time 
limit. The faster you time, the higher your score will be.

You also get points for flips: 10 points for a single, 50 points 
for a double, 100 points for a triple, 200 points for a quadruple. 
You receive a 25% bonus if you finish the course on time.  You 
get big points for jumping off cliffs.

When you complete the course, you get 1 point for each second left 
in the time limit, so finishing the course in the fastest possible 
time is important.  But the highest scores go to the riders who 
perform the most daring stunts.


Surfing

Surfing began in Hawaii as the sport of kings; now it rules the California 
coastline.  From Santa Cruz to Rincon Point, surfers and their 
colorful boards dot the miles of sunsplashed beaches.

Now you can join them.  Are you a Valley or a Local?  You will soon find out.

Shoot the curl, shred the face, and eat a little sand when you wipe 
out.  It will be totally tubular.  You'll be there.  And you'll be hot.

Competition surfing is a game of staying near the curl of the wave 
and maneuvering your board smoothly at high speeds.  Ride the 
face of the wave, moving back and forth, in and out of the tube. 
"Use" as much of the wave as you can before your ride comes to an end.

Press A to catch a wave and start the event. 
Hold the joypad left to avoid wiping out at the start of your ride. 

Steer the board by moving the joypad left or right. 
You control the surfer from his point of view.  To make the surfer 
go to his right, press the joypad right. 
Hold down A to make sharper turns. Note that sharp turns slow you down. 
If you get too close to the bottom of the wave, you will wipe out. 

If you go over the top and turn your board around in the air, you 
can catch the wave again.  You will wipe out if you come back 
down at a bad angle. 
You get one minute and 30 seconds for the event, or three wipeouts 
(six in a two-player game).  You earn more points for longer rides,
so try to ride each wave as long as you possibly can. 


STRATEGY

Use the wave.  Riding along straight, far out in the break, counts 
for very little.  Take risks.  The more risks you take to do your 
stunts, the more points you earn.

In two-player games, make use of the other surfer.  It's amazing 
what you can do with, like, the extra boost that comes from running 
over another surfer.

Making cutbacks (180-degree turns), moving up and down the wave, 
and doing 360's (complete circles) all earn high scores.  Earn 
maximum points for high-speed turns and aerial maneuvers.


SCORING

You score depends on the length of your ride, the number of turns 
you make, and your speed each time you turn.  You can earn high 
points from the judges for riding in the tube (underneath the 
curl of the wave), and riding near the break. "Catching Air" scores 
extra points: ride up to the top of the wave until the end of 
your board clears the crest, then turn and continue your ride.


Half Pipe Skateboarding

It's time to get air on the half pipe.  Skateboarding is definitely 
an awesome event, combining strength and coordination--often 
with radical results.  You will ride a skateboard in a specially 
biult half pipe. You have a one minute and 15 second time period,
or three falls, to build up speed and successfully complete stunts. 
Score points for each stunt. The highest score wins the event.

The object of the half pipe is to ride the board back and forth on 
the ramp, performing stunts with proper timing and execution.

Press A or B to start the event. 
To gain speed (kick), move the joypad up when the skater rides 
up the side of the ramp, then move the joypad when the skater rides down. 
To perform a stunt, move the joypad as shown in the diagram.  Pay 
attention to timing.  You will fall if you move the joypad too 
soon, too late, or if you hold it too long.  After three falls,
the event is over. 
To start a kick turn, press A when the skater is in the area of 
the pipe indicated in the diagram below.  Earn maximum points 
by starting your turn early and waiting until the last moment 
to finish the turn. 
To start an aerial turn, press A after the skater is in the air 
off the edge of the ramp.  Again, earn maximum points by starting 
your turn early and waiting until the last moment to finish the turn. 
To perform a hand plant, press and hold B just as the skater reaches 
the top of the ramp.  The skater  plants his hands and flips the 
board over his head.  Wait to release the button until the board 
arcs over and returns to the ramp.  Earn maximum points by releasing 
the button at the last second. 
After falling, press A to get back to the top of the pipe. Press 
A again to start down the pipe. 
While your skater is at the bottom of the half pipe, steer your 
skater left or right.  Move the joypad to steer right, left to steer left. 

               *

               *

Press A  ----- *

to start       *

Aerial turn

             *||                                           ||

Hold B  ---- *||                                           ||

to start     *||                                           ||

Hand Plant   *||                                           ||

               \\                                         //

             *  \\                                       //

    Press A    *  \\                                   //

    to start ----*  \\                               //

    Kick Turn      *  \\___________________________//


STRATEGY

It is important to build up the right amount of speed before trying 
a stunt.  Learn to use the joypad to kick as described above. 
Above all, be sure to get plenty of practice on the half pipe. 
This event takes experience to get the timing down just right.


SCORING

You score points for each stunt completed successfully.  Your score 
increases with the amount of risk you take.  For example, if you 
hold a turn until the last moment, you get more points than if 
you pull out early when it is safer.

Some stunts are more difficult and earn higher scores than others.


Foot Bag

This is probably the most laid back event, but don't get too mellow. 
It is not easy.  The Foot Bag event is like juggling with your 
feet.  You have to keep a juggling bag in the air for one minute 
and 30 seconds without using your hands.  Success is all in the 
timing.  If you time your kicks correctly, you will keep the ball 
high in the air, giving yourself time to gain extra points by 
performing stunts.  The highest score wins the event.

Hacking at the sack with your feet, knees, and head, you must make 
as many kicks as you can before the time runs out.  A timer in 
the upper right corner indicates the amount of time remaining. 
You get extra points for every stunt you perform.

Press A to kick the bag into the air and start the event. 
Press B to attempt to trip the other player (in two player mode). 

Press A again to kick again just before the falling bag reaches 
your foot. 
Move the joypad as indicated in the diagram below to control other 
movements. 

                Jump
                 __ 
              __(  )_
Move Left ---(__(  )__)--- Move Right
                (__)
                      
             Turn Around
             (About Face)

The game automatically chooses the best kick to do, based on the 
position of the footbag when you press the button.  Each kick 
receives a different score based on its difficulty level.  Hit 
the bag with your head by pressing A or pressing the joypad up 
when the bag is above the head.   Catch the foot bag by kicking 
and holding the button until the foot bag falls onto you.  When 
the foot bag hits the ground, move directly in front of it and 
press A to resume play.

The right (red) score is your cumulative score tallied from the time 
you last dropped the bag.  The highest possible cumulative score is
1,000.  If you drop the bag, the score is zeroed and you begin again.

The green score on the left is your total score.  Each time you kick 
the bag, your cumulative score is added to the total score.  To 
get a high score, it is vital that you do not drop the foot bag.


STRATEGY

The more complicated kicks and stunts you complete before time runs 
out, the higher your score will be.  You receive  special points 
for variety, so use as many different stunts as you can.

Outside kick to outside kick scores very high.  Kicking from the 
front is easier to control than from the back.  Since there are 
no knee kicks from the back, it's easy to lose control.  Do difficult,
high scoring kicks until you get a good cumulative score.  The 
do safe, easy tricks like toe kicks to keep adding to your score. 
Do wild stunts at the end when you have little to lose.

If things get too crowded in a two-player game, trip the other footbagger 
by positioning your man just to the left of the other and pressing B.


SCORING

You earn points for each successful stunt or kick.  More difficult 
stunts, like turning aroun while the bag is in the air, earn higher 
scores.  If you do the same combination twice in a row, your score 
for that combination doubles.  Three in a row triples the score. 
You get ten bonus points for turning around, hitting the bag 
with your head, or catching the foot bag.

You get very few (if any) points for hitting the foot bag off your 
toes.  When you are facing away, you cannot kick the footbag off 
the ground with your toes.  You must move so the foot bag is exactly 
between your heels, then move the joypad up to score a 40 point bonus.

If you keep your foot bag  up when tripping the other player, you 
earn 25 points.

Score an extra 50 points for hitting the seagull in the beak with 
the footbag (but only in this game--be kind to the birdies in 
the other events).


STUNTS

Here are some stunts to try by combining different kicks and moves:

Half Axle:  Any two kicks with a half spin in between. 
Full axle:  Any two kicks with a full spin in between. 
Horseshoe:  Left back kick + right back kick. 
Jester:  Left or right jumping kick. 
Double Arch:  Left outside kick + right outside kick + left outside kick. 
Doda:  Left outside kick + head butt + right outside kick. 


HIGH SCORE SCREENS

After each event, the screen displays the top three scores for each event.

If your score for the game you just completed is one of the top three,
it will appear highlighted on the screen.


CALIFORNIA SPOKEN HERE

AGGRO (a-gro) adj.  if you are a daredevilly dude you will go "way 
aggro," executing aggressive moves on the ramps and waves of California. 

AWESOME (ah-sum) adj.  awe-inspiring, as in "Scope out the awesome babe."

BIO (bi-o) adj.  You must be superhuman with aggro moves to be known as bio.

DUDE (dyud) noun.  buddy: can be used to express disbelief as in 
"DUDE!" or surprise as in "DUDE!", or as a friendly greeting, 
as in "Hey DUDE!"  Say while laughing for an attention-getting 
effect, i.e., "Duhuhuhude!"

GNARLY (narly) adj.  mind-and-body-bendingly difficult. Waves, ramps,
and aggro moves can be gnarly.    Then there are gnarly tests,
gnarly prom dates, gnarly curfews, etc.

LIKE (lik) prep.  insert anywhere you like, like, in any sentence,
in, like, any context.  used most effectively when upset: "It's,
like, geez..."  Or the coolest way to  use "like" is with "all" 
(for more description) "It's, like--I'm all--Duuude you've 
got sand in your jams." 

LOCAL (lo-kol) noun.  A person who livesnear the beach and usually 
soends at least all of his time there, as opposed to a "Valley." 

RADICAL (raa-di-cul) adj.  1. outrageous: "Radical moves, dude!" 
2. cool: "It'd be, like, radical if you could cruise to the ramp 
around 5 o'clock." Often shortened to "rad" when used with "totally." 

STICK (stik) noun.  a colorful fiberglass board used by surfers as 
a means of riding on rapidly moving ridges of seawater. Sometimes 
called a "surfboard." 

TOTALLY (toh-tul-ly) adv.  completely, entirely; something or someone 
is totally awesome, radical, or aggro.  In California, everything 
is totally something. (companion word: see Tubular) 

TUBULAR (tyu-byu-lar) adj.  an adjective that came from the sea and 
has evolved into an everyday term.  Parties, concerts, and just 
about everything else can be totally tubular.  Its use is endangered 
by the word "awesome." (companion word: see Totally) 

VALLEY (val-leee) noun.  1. a freak of nature who spends his days 
making a living, his nights in the shopping malls of the San Fernando 
Valley, and his weekends crowding out the locals at the beach. 
2. the ultimate slur: "Hey you VALLEY!" 

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