BLASTO*(TM) Cartridge Instructions TI-99/4A ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *trademark of the Milton Bradley Company Copyright © 1980 by Texas Instruments Incorporated. Command Module program and data base contents copyright © 1980 by Milton Bradley Company under Berne and Universal Copyright Conventions. See important warranty information at back of book. INTRODUCTION Have you ever wondered what it would be like to maneuver a tank through a mine field? The Blasto* Solid State Software Command Module, developed for Texas Instruments by the Milton Bradley Company, puts you in command of an armored tank. The object of the game is to guide your tank through a treacherous mine field, blasting as many mines as possible, or to maneuver around dangerous barricades while firing at the enemy. Depending on the type of game you select, you can: *Race against the clock, trying to improve your score with each game. *Play against a friend and try to hit the other tank, as well as the mines in the field. *Increase the speed of the tank as your skill improves. Movement on the screen can be controlled by the Wired Remote Controllers or from the keyboard. GETTING STARTED After you select the module, the next display asks you to choose a one or two-player game. To see a demonstration of Blasto, do not press any key. After a moment, a sample two-player game automatically appears. When you are ready to set up your own game, press any key and the first option selection display reappears. For information on the keys used to play the game and on the point values of the targets, press AID. The information appears on the display for a short time, followed automatically by the options display. (Once you select all your game options, AID is no longer available.) Then press 1 for a one-player game or 2 for a two-player game. One-Player Games If you choose a one-player game, you have three additional options: *Speed- The speed you enter determines the length of the game and how fast your tank moves around the mine field. With Sluggish speed, the game lasts 90 seconds; with Rapid, 75 seconds; and with Full Tilt, 60 seconds. *Tank Trails- With several Tank Trails, the computer provides paths, thus increasing the tank's maneuverability. With no Trails, your tank is forced to clear its own paths. *Mine Density- When selecting Mine Density, keep in mind that the higher the density, the greater your scoring possibilities. Based on the type of target you hit, points are added to your score. A typical field consists of small green mines and large blue mines. These mines are positioned at random at the start of each game. Two-Player Games The playing time for a two-player game is always 90 seconds. After you select your playing speed, additional options are displayed. *Tank Motion- With Tank Motion, you and your opponent have the option to have the tanks always displayed - Normal - or be Invisible when they are being moved. *Battleground- This selection offers two options: Mine Field and Obstacles. The playing field for Mine Field is identical to the board in a one-player game. In a two-player game, however, you fire both at the targets and your opponent's tank. The playing field in Obstacles consists of an open arena with barriers in the middle and in the four corners. Your objective is to maneuver your tank around the barriers and blast your opponent's tank. If you choose Obstacles under Battleground, you are ready to begin the game. If you select Mine Field, the Tank Trails and Mine Density options appear on the screen. At anytime during the game selection process, you can return to the first option screen by pressing BEGIN. PLAYING THE GAME After you select the game options, the playing field appears. A black tank appears at the left side of the playing field. In a two-player game, a white tank (the opposing player) appears at the right side of the field. In a one-player game, the playing time and the current score are shown in the upper left-hand comer of the display. The best score in the present series of games appears in the upper right-hand corner. In a two-player game, the left area gives the time and score for the black tank, while the right area gives the time and score for the white tank. (Remember, two-player games always last for 90 seconds, regardless of the speed selected.) You can stop a game at anytime and return to the option selection displays by pressing BEGIN. To start a game over with the same options, press REDO. Object of the Game As soon as the playing field appears, the game begins. During the allotted time period, you try to score points by blasting the mines (and your opponent, in a two-player game). If you are playing Obstacles, you score only by hitting your opponent. To move the black tank around the field, press the arrow keys, [UP] (E), [LEFT] (S), [RIGHT] (D), and [DOWN] (X). Then, when you are ready to fire at the mines, aim the tank in the desired direction and press Q. In a two-player game, press I to move the white tank up, J to move it left, K for right, and M for down. Press ENTER to fire. If the Wired Remote Controllers are used, move the lever to direct the tank and press the FIRE button to fire the tank's cannon. Scoring As you move the tank around the mine field, your object is to destroy as many mines as possible. If you hit a small green mine, 10 points are added to the score. If you destroy a large blue mine, 50 points are added. In addition, hitting a blue mine causes a chain reaction, and many adjacent mines, both green and blue, are destroyed by a single hit. In a two-player game, you also receive 1000 points each time you hit your opponent's tank. Both tanks then return to their starting positions. If the tanks run into each other, no points are scored, and both tanks return to their starting positions. Occasionally, your tank may be caught in a chain-reaction explosion. When this happens, your tank spins around and then returns to its original starting position. As a penalty in a one-player game, 200 points are deducted from your score. If you don't have 200 points, your score returns to zero. If you blast your own tank with a chain reaction in a two-player game, your opponent scores 1000 points. If, in a one-player game, you destroy all of the mines before the time runs out, you receive 1000 points for each second left on the clock. END OF THE GAME When the time runs out, the game is over. The computer flashes the best score so far in a one-player game or the winning score in a two-player game. To play another game with the same options, press REDO. To change the options for the next game, press BEGIN and the first selection list is displayed. When you have finished playing Blasto, press QUIT to return to the master title screen.