STAR STRIKE
Cartridge Instructions
(For 1 Player)

YOUR MISSION: Destroy the alien station BEFORE Earth passes directly over the
launch trench! Shoot down the alien defenders stalking you. Bomb 5 Hot Targets,
or Earth will be destroyed! Good luck...and good hunting!

OBJECT OF THE GAME

Get a high score by quickly bombing five red targets, and by hitting as many
alien spacecraft as you can. You must hit all red targets before "Planet Earth"
moves directly over the green trench. The first red target that you fail to hit
when Earth is in alignment will become a missile that blows up Earth. If this
happens, the game is over. Avoid hits by alien spaceships to keep controls and
lasers working.

EXAMINE YOUR CONTROLS

KEYPAD 1 - 5: Skill Level / Flying Speed
UPPER SIDE KEYS: Fire Air-To-Air Laser
LOWER SIDE KEYS: Drop Bomb
DISC: Flying Control

GET READY!

Start by setting the skill level:

Press * (Keypad 3) to play at Level 1 (best for learning the game).
Press ** (Keypad 2) to play at Level 2.
Press *** (Keypad 1) to play at Level 3.
Press DISC to play at Level 4.
Press ***** (Keypad 4) to play at Level 5.
Press ****** (Keypad 5) to play at Level 6 (miss once -- game's over).

NOTE: The higher the skill level, the more difficult it will be to fight the
alien defenders...and the less time you'll have to bomb all 5 red targets.

FLYING CONTROL

Press the edge of the Disc in the direction you want to go. DON'T LET YOUR
SPACESHIP CRASH...IT'S THE ONLY ONE YOU HAVE! If you crash into any part of the
green space station, you lose! Watch your spaceship's shadow. It helps you gauge
your altitude and shows the spot directly beneath your spaceship.

TO CHANGE YOUR FLYING SPEED: Press one of the "WARP" Keys. WARP 1 (Keypad 1) is
"Standard" (and is your flying speed at game start), WARP 2 (Keypad 2) is "Fast"
and WARP 3 (Keypad 3) is "Super Fast." We recommend WARP 1 while you're learning
the game.

WATCH OUT! YOU'RE BEING FOLLOWED!

Pairs of defending alien ships will appear behind your spaceship. They pause
briefly before attacking, then overtake your ship. When they get within range,
they start to fire. If any of their white lasers hit you, there's a brief flash
of flame. Your ship is out of control while it's on fire!

Press the top of the Disc to gain altitude. Take evasive action to avoid further
hits. Then, FIGHT BACK!

Either TOP action button on your Hand Controller is your air-to-air laser
trigger. When an alien passes your spaceship, its color changes to light blue.
When an alien is in front of your spaceship, you can hit it.

All air-to-air lasers go toward this "vanishing point," roughly at the center of
the trench. Bear this perspective in mind when firing at alien ships.

IF YOU ARE HIT...

Damage to your spaceship gets more severe every time you're hit. These serious
problems will occur (in random order): You won't be able to climb as
fast....you'll have slower movement left or right....you won't be able to
descend quickly....you won't be able to change flying speed....your air-to-air
laser will misfire (making a noise like static)....you lose your targeting radar
signal....your ship is out of control longer after being hit.

EVEN IF ALL THESE MISFORTUNES OCCUR, DON'T GIVE UP...YOU CAN STILL SAVE THE
DAY-- IF YOU'RE FAST ENOUGH!

YOU HAVE 5 TARGETS...

You get score points for shooting down alien spaceships, but it will all be in
vain, unless you successfully bomb 5 red targets before the Planet Earth moves
over the center of the trench. If any unbombed (red) targets get past you at
that point, the game is over. At the two highest skill levels, you have to hit
all the red targets the first time they appear.

To release a bomb, press either lower action button. A beeping radar warning
alarm will give you a signal just before each target comes over the horizon. If
your bomb hits a red target, the picture shakes from the concussion, and that
target turns black. The concussion effect increases every time you hit a red
target. When you bomb the 5th target, you'll destroy the enemy star completely
and "save the Earth" -- and your score. At Level 6, the number of targets is
limitless!

SCORING...

At the start of the game, you have 8,000 points. This score decreases rapidly
with every second that passes, until you have bombed the 5th (and final) target.
Every time you hit an alien spaceship, 250 points are added to your score total.
The highest level game (******) starts at zero and scores 50 points for each
alien and 100 for targets. At Level 6, you must hit every target!

STRATEGY TIPS

* When engaged in air-to-air combat, remember that whoever is behind another
spaceship has the shooting position. When the aliens pass you, they turn light
blue. Then you're in position to shoot them down.

* Part of the aliens' strategy is to draw your ship away from the trench where
it is harder to hit them and, of course, where you are way out of bombing
position. Try to stay near the center target area as much as you can.

* Keep track of the number of targets you have bombed. The targets always appear
in the same sequence. If you remember that the next one is black (already hit),
you won't have to fly in the vulnerable bombing position, and can concentrate on
shooting down aliens for more score points.

* The best bombing position is low altitude, in the center of the trench. Your
bombs fall too slowly for high-altitude precision. Also, you cannot fire your
laser while a bomb is falling.

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©1981, 1998 Intellivision Productions, Inc.

