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Star Wars: Death Star Battle - Parker Brothers - Atari 2600    Manual Scan icon HTML Manual   

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi: Death Star Battle
STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI:  DEATH STAR BATTLE

c1983
by Parker Brothers

OBJECT
------

Your ultimate goal is to destroy the sinister DEATH STAR before the EMPIRE
completes its construction!  But reaching this powerful space station won't
be easy.  First, shoot down a relentless swarm of TIE INTERCEPTORS as they
pursue your ship.  Then, with split-second timing, slip through one of the
random openings in the DEATH STAR's energy shield!  Blast as much of the
space station away with your lasers as possible--while avoiding the
destructive, heat-seeking DEATH RAY.  Then, one quick shot to the DEATH
STAR's energy core and POW!  The DEATH STAR turns into an incredible
burning mass, bursting into hundreds of blazing fireballs.  And the heat's
not off until you escape their fury!  But if you do, then you're ready for
another round with the infamous DEATH STAR!



SETTING THE CONSOLE CONTROLS
----------------------------

1. Since this a one-player game, plug the joystick controller firmly into
   the LEFT controller jack.

2. To select a game number (see GAME SELECTION box), press down the GAME
   SELECT switch on the console.  The game number will appear at the bottom,
   right-hand side of the screen.

3. Set the DIFFICULTY switches:
     LEFT DIFFICULTY switch
       Position A (Expert):  Your MILLENNIUM FALCON will explode when it 
                             collides with TIE INTERCEPTORS.
       Position B (Novice):  Your MILLENNIUM FALCON will not collide with TIE
                             INTERCEPTORS.

     RIGHT DIFFICULTY switch
       Position A:  The DEATH RAY moves across the entire length of the 
                    screen.
       Position B:  The DEATH RAY only moves from one side of the DEATH 
                    STAR to the other.

4. Press down the "FIRE" button on the joystick and you're ready to start
   the action.



THE JOYSTICK
------------

Hold the joystick in your hand so that the red "FIRE" button is in the top,
left-hand corner.  The joystick moves left, right, up, down, and
diagonally.  These are the directions in which you may glide your ship.



THE "FIRE" BUTTON
-----------------

To fire your lasers, simply press down the red "FIRE" button on the
joystick.  Each time you press this button, your ship will fire one laser
shot.  To achieve rapid fire succession, hold down the "FIRE" button.

[Image of the joystick.  The fire button is identified in the upper left
hand corner]



PAUSE MODE
----------

If, at any time during play, you wish to "freeze" the action, press down
the GAME SELECT switch once.  The screen images will disappear.  To restore
the game, simply press down the "Fire" button once or move the joystick. 
NOTE:  If you press the GAME SELECT switch while a tune is playing, you
will hear a continuous sound.  When possible, wait until the music has
ended before activating the PAUSE MODE.

THE GAME WILL AUTOMATICALLY ENTER THE PAUSE MODE IF NOT PLAYED FOR MORE
THAN 4 MINUTES.



PLAYING
-------

Before pressing down the "FIRE" button to begin the game, you'll notice
that the TIE INTERCEPTORS are flying away from your ship.  They're heading
back to the DEATH STAR in order to regroup for the forthcoming battle.

When you press the "FIRE" button, your first of six MILLENNIUM FALCONS will
appear in the lower, center portion of the screen.  The remaining
MILLENNIUM FALCONS are shown at the bottom of the screen.

[Image of the playing screen.  The first Millennium Falcon is the ship that
you can move.  The score is the number present.  The remaining Falcons are
the ships lined up at the bottom of the screen.]

Try to shoot down as many TIE INTERCEPTORS as possible before they blast
you with their lasers, or speed off and circle back for another attack. 
And keep a look out for the ever-searching DEATH RAY!

Eliminate a number of TIE INTERCEPTORS and you'll notice random openings
appearing in the DEATH STAR's energy shield.  When the shield's outermost
gray energy band is deactivated, and there is an opening in the shield,
guide your ship through it.  Upon penetrating this opening, you'll enter
into hyperspace and arrive at the DEATH STAR.

Fire your lasers at the DEATH STAR in order to knock out pieces of its
outer wall.  But beware of the DEATH RAY!  It will track your every move,
trying to destroy your ship.  Eliminate as much of the DEATH STAR as
possible (to maximize your bonus points), before you finally aim and fire
on the energy core.  When you hit it, be ready to outrun the explosion of
fireballs before they reach your ship!



THE DEATH STAR
--------------

As the game begins, you'll see that the DEATH STAR is rebuilding itself
piece by piece.  If it is completed, all will be lost.  The Death Ray will
become fully operational and will destroy all of your remaining MILLENNIUM
FALCONS.



TIE INTERCEPTORS
----------------

Out-flying and out-shooting these IMPERIAL warriors is no small task.  They
approach your ship in droves, firing their lasers one after the other.  If
your ship is hit by their fire, you lose it.  But if you blast them with
yours, you gain 50 points for each one you shoot down.  When the game is
over, the TIE INTERCEPTORS head back to the DEATH STAR to regroup.



THE ENERGY SHIELD
-----------------

This is what stands between you and the DEATH STAR!  But penetrating it is
not impossible--just tricky.  You'll notice that at the edge of this shield
there is a thin gray band of energy.  The band will intermittently appear
and disappear.  When it does disappear, and there is a black hole in the
energy shield, guide your ship to the opening and slip through it.  
Beware!  If you hit the gray band while it is activated, you'll lose your 
ship.



THE IMPERIAL SHUTTLE
--------------------

Aboard this shuttle rides a well known figure--THE DARK LORD!  Eliminating
this transporter won't be easy.  But with the right moves and good aim, you
can beat it at its own game!  Randomly throughout the battle, you'll hear a
"warning" sound.  This means that the IMPERIAL SHUTTLE is approaching.  If
it collides with your MILLENNIUM FALCON, your ship is destroyed.  But one
well placed laser shot to its upper body and you'll vaporize this SHUTTLE
in its tracks!  YOU GAIN 3000 BONUS POINTS!



THE DEATH RAY
-------------

Always be on the lookout for the DEATH RAY!  It's that small green shape
that's continually moving about the DEATH STAR.  While you're busy fighting
off TIE INTERCEPTORS outside the energy shield, or knocking out pieces of
the DEATH STAR itself, the DEATH RAY ruthlessly tracks you.  If this evil
ray strikes your ship, you're a goner!



HYPERSPACE
----------

Hold on tight!  Once you make it through an opening in the energy shield,
your ship streaks across the galaxy to the DEATH STAR--now many times
larger than it looked before!



DESTROYING THE DEATH STAR
-------------------------

Finally, your chance to rid the galaxy of the evil fortress!  But keep your
wits about you.  There are still TIE INTERCEPTORS pursuing your ship.  And
there's the IMPERIAL SHUTTLE, too.  Fire your lasers at the DEATH STAR's
walls, knocking out as many pieces of it as you can.  For each piece you
hit, you gain 20 points.  The more you knock out before you hit the energy
core, the more points you gain when the fireballs start flying.  Knock out
all of the pieces, except the core, and you gain an extra MILLENNIUM
FALCON.  Hit the core and the DEATH STAR becomes a glowing red mass with
fireballs spewing out in all directions.



FIREBALLS
---------

These fireballs are more than hot--they're DEADLY!  It only takes one to
blow your ship apart.  But the trick is to avoid them for as long as
possible.  The longer you do, the higher your bonus points.



ROUND PROGRESSION
-----------------

As you progress from round to round, the following will occur after each
10,000 points are scored:

A. TIE INTERCEPTORS will fire more often.
B. The DEATH RAY will seek more rapidly.
C. The rate of construction of the DEATH STAR will increase.
D. The number of openings in the energy shield will decrease.



END OF GAME
-----------

The game ends when you have lost all of your MILLENNIUM FALCONS.  Begin
another round by pressing the "Fire" button.



GAME SELECTION BOX
------------------
 ____________________________________
|               |                    |
|  Game Number  |  Difficulty Level  | 
|_______________|____________________|
|               |                    |
|       1       |      Beginner      |
|_______________|____________________|
|               |                    |
|       2       |      Advanced      |
|_______________|____________________|

NOTE:  In Games 1 and 2, the difficulty level is automatically increased
every 10,000 points scored and you are awarder a bonus MILLENNIUM FALCON at
that time.


And of course, this game was made by Parker Brothers in 1983.  This game
manual was typed in by me!  Who am I?  I am Eddie Beiles.  I can be reached
at [email protected] if you have any questions about this game
manual.  Or you can email me and thank me for typing it in.  Anyway, enjoy
the game and this wonderfully typed in manual.
 



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