--------------- SHUTTLE ORBITER --------------- A single player video game for the Atari 2600 Video Computer System and Sears Video Arcade Intended for use with the left joystick controller and a color = television. GAME BY: Bill Hood Cover Photo: NASA Graphics: Jean Baer Typesetting: Colonial Composition Prep Dept. Coordinator: Elaine Adkins=20 Printing: Monarch Services Any cartridge which fails will be replaced when returned to: The Avalon Hill Video Game Company 4517 Harford Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21214 As with any video game, turn off television and game when not in = use. (c)1983 The Avalon Hill Video Game Company All Printed Material, Video Game and Audio Visual Display = Copyrighted SHUTTLE ORBITER IS AVALON HILL'S TRADEMARK NAME FOR ITS SPACE = SHUTTLE=20 MANEUVERING GAME Atari and Atari 2600 Video Computer Systems are = trademarks of=20 Atari, Inc. Sears and Sears Video Arcade are trademarks of Sears Roebuck = Co. INSTRUCTIONS =20 MISSION You are the pilot of the space shuttle Challenger. Your mission is to=20 complete the construction of a space station in as short a period of = time as=20 possible. There are ten sections remaining to be transported to and = installed=20 in the space station. The sections are available at the orbiting = Factory.=20 Additional fuel is available at the orbital Depot. =20 SETUP =20 Ensure the joystick you intend on using is securely plugged into the = LEFT=20 controller port. Insert the game cartridge and turn your game system on. GAME LEVEL SELECTION =20 When first turned on or after pressing RESET, the title display will=20 indicate game level 1. To play a more difficult game, move the joystick = up=20 (or down) to select game 2 or 3. For a practice session (no orbital = debris),=20 select game Q. When the desired game level is displayed, press the = joystick=20 fire button to initiate liftoff. THE ORBITAL DISPLAY Once in orbit you will see the Orbital Display. At the top of the = screen is=20 a view of the earth and various objects in orbit. The white object = represents=20 the Challenger. The gold object is the Space Station under construction. = The=20 red object is the orbiting Factory, and the green object is the orbital = Depot.=20 Orbital debris is not displayed.=20 On the lower half of the screen is the Altitude Indicator. The bars=20 indicate the relative orbital altitude of the Challenger, Space Station, = Factory, and Depot. This indicator is helpful in matching orbits for=20 rendezvous. The elapsed time since entering orbit and the remaining fuel on-board = are=20 displayed at the bottom of the screen. BASIC ORBITAL MECHANICS Maneuvering between orbits follows one basic principle, If you are at = a=20 lower altitude than another object, you will orbit the earth faster than = the=20 object. If you are at a higher altitude than another object, you will = orbit=20 the earth slower than that object. The greater the difference in = altitudes,=20 the greater the relative orbital speed. If you desire to rendezvous with an object that is ahead of you, you = should=20 choose an orbit with a lower altitude to gain on that object. When you = are=20 near the object, you should increase altitude to match the orbit. Adjust = your=20 position by moving slightly higher to drop back, or by moving slightly = lower=20 to move ahead. Then return to the same orbit as the object you seek. Fire main engines Alternate (Raise orbit)=20 Astronaut/Shuttle-\_ ^ Control \ --------- =20 | o | Fire CMTs Fire CMTs <| O |> (Advance) (Drop Back) | | --------- v For Main Engines=20 (Lower Orbit) =20 MANEUVERING DISPLAYS When you are close to another orbiting object, you will automatically = be=20 switched to a maneuvering display. You must first rendezvous with the Orbiting Factory in order to pick up = a section of the space station. You maneuver the shuttle by changing orbits. If you pull down on the = joystick the orbit will lower and the Factory will move upward and to the left on the display, If you = push up on the joystick, you will raise your orbit and the Factory will move down and to the = right on the display.=20 To keep the shuttle and Factory from drifting together or apart, you = must adjust your orbit=20 so that the middle of the Factory is horizontally centered with the = shuttle.=20 You can maneuver forward or backward in your orbit without gaining or = losing altitude by using the=20 Compensated Maneuvering Thrusters (CMTs). You control the CMTs by = pushing the joystick left=20 or right. Once you have maneuvered the shuttle close to the Factory, press the = fire button once to gain control of=20 the astronaut. Note that the blue band above the clock shifts to white = whenever the joystick controls the=20 astronaut and returns to blue when the joystick controls the shuttle. Move the astronaut out of the shuttle to the door at the top of the = Factory. Safety precautions require that=20 the astronaut be tethered and that he remain in sight of the cockpit. = Additionally, the Challenger's engines=20 cannot be fired while an astronaut is outside the shuttle. If the = astronaut cannot reach the door you will=20 have to return the astronaut to the shuttle and maneuver the shuttle = closer. When the astronaut reaches the=20 door he will be provided a section for the space station. Return the = astronaut to the shuttle and press the=20 fire button once to stow the section and regain control of the shuttle. = If you chose to pick up a second=20 section, press the fire button again to gain control of the astronaut = and repeat the above procedure.=20 Be sure you are controlling the astronaut so you don't mistakenly drive = the shuttle into the factory.=20 When you have loaded the shuttle, press the fire buffoon so that the = band above the clock is blue and=20 maneuver the shuttle away from the Factory toward your next destination. = You will automatically be=20 switched to the Orbital Display when you sufficiently clear the Factory. = When the shuttle is low on fuel,=20 rendezvous with the Orbital Depot. You must line up the nose of the = shuttle into the slot on the left side of the Depot without bumping into = it. Maximum fuel load for the shuttle is 9000 kgs. ALIGN TOP OF SECTION WITH TOP OF MARK In order to complete the space station, you must properly insert the = last=20 ten sections into the proper place. After you rendezvous with the Space=20 Station, move the astronaut out of the shuttle near to the rotating = station.=20 If you hold down the fire button while the astronaut is out of the = shuttle=20 the space station will slow its rotation to facilitate insertion of the=20 section. The section must be inserted so that it properly fits one of = the gaps=20 in the left side of the space station. If the section hits the space = station=20 or is inserted into the wrong gap, it will be damaged and you will have = to=20 return it to the Factory for replacement. If the station is inserted = correctly=20 it will remain attached to the space station. If you have carried a = second=20 section in the shuttle, return the astronaut to the shuttle and press = the fire=20 button TWICE to get the second section. =20 The earth recently passed through the tail of a comet and a ring of = debris=20 is forming around the earth. The ring is orbiting in the opposite = direction of=20 the shuttle. When you are near the ring the display will automatically = shift=20 from the orbital display until you have passed through the debris. WINNING You win the game when you successfully install all ten sections of the = Space Station. The elapsed time in orbit and game difficulty level will = be=20 displayed. LOSING You lose when you run out of fuel, failing to complete the space = station.=20 The elapsed time in orbit is displayed above the game difficulty level = and=20 the number of sections successfully installed. PLAYING TIPS =20 Any time the shuttle hits the Factory, Depot, Space Station, or debris = it=20 will be damaged and leak fuel. The greater the number of hits, the = greater=20 the rate of fuel loss. Any time the Challenger hits an object there is at least a 25% chance = you=20 will damage your cargo. Due to packing constraints, if you are carrying = two=20 sections and hit an object, you will definitely damage one section - = possibly=20 both. You can only examine the sections at the Factory or Space Station. = If=20 the section has no prongs on the right-hand side, it is damaged and = cannot be=20 used. If one of the two sections being carried is damaged, the good = section=20 will be brought out first by the astronaut. The shuttle consumes more fuel carrying two sections (damaged or not) = than=20 carrying one section, and more fuel carrying one section than with no = cargo. Only one refueling should be necessary for the truly proficient pilot. GAME CONTROLS No switches other than the ON/OFF, COLOR/BW, and RESET switches are = used. =20 You can pause the game by pushing the COLOR/BW switch to the BW = position.=20 To resume, push to the COLOR position. The RESET switch will start a new = game. ------------------------------------------------------------------ This file was downloaded from, the Classic Cartridge Web page at: http://www.cet.com/~steverd ------------------------------------------------------------------