Vectron for Intellivision

 VECTRON

Cartridge Instructions

(For 1 or 2 players)

Hungrees, G-spheres, splits, sweeps, and prizums -- the nasties of the universe

are back again, and they're nastier and tougher than ever! This time they're out

to stop you from constructing the energy bases that build your score, level by

level. The higher the level, the harder the nasties are to fend off. Challenge

your friends and see who can rack up the highest score before the nasties

destroy your energy blocks or you run out of energy.

OBJECT OF THE GAME

On each level, construct an energy base, section by section. Add each section by

moving your energy block in place and filling it with an energy blast.  Work

fast to complete a base before the nasties nibble it away. If a section gets

nibbled, you must build it again. When you complete a base you advance to the

next level. Protect your energy block against nasties who can destroy it. Shoot

them down with energy blasts. Or neutralize them with special energy from an E-

Pak. Don't run out of energy or you lose an energy block. Three energy blocks

per game. When they're gone, the game is over.

YOUR CONTROLS

Free Style Mode: Upper side buttons

Move Energy Block Left: Lower left side button

Move Energy Block Right: Lower right side button

Aim & Shoot Energy Blasts: Disc

USING THE DISC

There are 7 directions in which you can shoot an energy blast, which are the 7

directions on the lower half of the disc. Energy blasts are fired from the "V-

gun" at the top of the screen. You aim and fire SIMULTANEOUSLY. To do this press

the OUTSIDE EDGE of the disc in the direction you want to fire.

YOU CAN FIRE ENERGY BLASTS AND MOVE THE ENERGY BLOCK AT THE SAME TIME.

GAME START -- NUMBER OF PLAYERS

When game title appears, press the disc or ANY KEY on the keypad.

Computer will ask: 1 or 2 players?

* Press [1] for a 1-player game.

* Press [2] for a 2-player game.

1-PLAYER GAME...Play until all energy blocks are gone.

2-PLAYER GAME...Player 1 plays until he/she loses 1 energy block. Player 2 then

takes over. Each player has 3 energy blocks (plus any bonus blocks gained).

Players take turns until one player loses all of his/her energy blocks. (See 2-

Player Game, below)

GAME STARTS AS SOON AS YOU SELECT NUMBER OF PLAYERS.

BUILDING THE ENERGY BASE

To complete each game level, build a base out of energy sections. The shape of

the base to be built changes from level to level and is pre- set by the

computer.

The Game Level is displayed under the Player 1 Score on the left of the screen;

the number of Energy Blocks in Reserve is displayed under the Player 2 Score on

the right. In a 2-Player game, Game Level and Energy Blocks in Reserve are

displayed for the person currently playing.

Use your ENERGY BLOCK to build the energy sections. You don't have to know the

shape you are building, as your energy block will ONLY move into the correct

positions for the base you are currently building.

TO MOVE THE ENERGY BLOCK.

* Press Left Lower side button to move to the next position LEFT.

* Press Right Lower side button to move to the next position RIGHT.

CREATE AN ENERGY SECTION. Use the DISC to fire an energy blast into the energy

block.

You must create an energy section before you can move the energy block again. To

override this restriction, press either Top Side button. You can now move the

energy block to any position within the base, without first creating an energy

section. TO RETURN TO NORMAL GAME PLAY, press either Top Side button again.

IF ANY SECTION OF THE BASE GETS NIBBLED OR DESTROYED BY NASTIES, YOU MUST

REBUILD THAT SECTION AGAIN.

When you complete a base, it turns rainbow colors and shimmers. The screen

changes to display your score. PRESS THE DISC to start the next game level.

ENERGY LEVEL

The bar at the top of the screen indicates energy left in your current energy

block. If the bar reaches zero, you lose that energy block.

There are 3 ways to lose energy:

1. The energy block uses energy just to exist.

2. The V-Gun draws energy from the energy block to fire blasts.

3. Most nasties drain energy from an energy block when they hit it. The amount

drained depends on the type of nasty. Nasties are described below.

When you complete a game level, the energy block you are currently playing with

is restored to full level. During game play you can re- energize a block by

shooting down an E-PAK.

E-PAK REINFORCEMENT

E-PAKS CONTAIN ENERGY WHICH CAN RE-ENERGIZE AN ENERGY BLOCK AND TEMPORARILY

REINFORCE IT AGAINST DAMAGE BY NASTIES.

To get the energy from an E-PAK, shoot the E-PAK. Then maneuver your energy

block to catch the freed energy that drifts down. If you capture the energy, it

will show in the energy block as a color -- orange, tan or brown. the energy bar

will indicate your energy gain.

As long as the captured energy remains in an energy block, the block is

reinforced against damage by most nasties. Once the energy is fully absorbed,

the color disappears and the reinforcement is lost.

E-PAKs can be polluted by nasties. When orange, their energy is full strength.

ORANGE energy completely re-energizes and reinforces the energy block. TAN

energy partially re-energizes the energy block, but provides no reinforcement

against nasties.  BROWN energy is useless.

NASTIES AND OTHER CRITTERS

RED HUNGREES (Levels 1-3)

These nibble away at the base and are nuisance, but pose no danger to your

energy block. They can be shot down with an energy blast or will self-destruct

upon hitting your energy block. When a red hungree hits your energy block, you

gain a small amount of energy.

YELLOW HUNGREES (Levels 1-3)

Stronger than the red variety. They eat up the base and also destroy the energy

block if the block is not reinforced with energy from an E- PAK. They can be

shot down with an energy blast. They will only self-destruct on a reinforced

energy block.

G-SPHERE (Levels 1-3)

It generates the hungrees. When red it creates red hungrees. When yellow, it

creates yellow hungrees. It cannot be destroyed but it can be reduced from

yellow to red by energy blasts. (The number of blasts needed varies.) Does not

damage base or your energy block, but can get in the way of your energy blasts.

SPLITTERS (Levels 4-6)

Like yellow hungrees, these eat up the base and destroy your energy block if it

is not reinforced by energy from an E-Pak. Will self- destruct ONLY on a

reinforced energy block. If hit with an energy blast, they split into two red

splitters.

Red splitters do less damage, can be shot down with an energy blast or will

self-destruct on any energy block. Like red hungrees, they add a small amount of

energy to your energy block when they hit it.

DIAMONDBACKS (Levels 7-9)

Attracted to your energy block in swarms. Drain energy from an unreinforced

block and eat the base. Can be destroyed by an energy blast or will self-

destruct on a reinforced energy block.

BLUE MEANIES (Levels 10-12)

These dastardly little critters seek out your energy block. If TWO meanies hit

an unreinforced block at the same time, they will destroy the block. Of course,

they also tear down the base. Can be destroyed by energy blast or will self-

destruct on a reinforced energy block.

SWEEPS (Levels 13-15)

These large nasties join together to form walls that sweep across the screen,

destroying the base as they pass over it. If they touch an unreinforced energy

block, hey quickly drain energy from it. Can be destroyed by energy blast or

will self-destruct on a reinforced energy block.

PRIZUMS (Levels 16-18)

Beautiful and bad, these multi-colored nasties destroy unreinforced energy

blocks, as well as the base. Require 3 energy blasts to destroy them. Will NOT

self-destruct on a reinforced energy block.

AFTER 18 LEVELS, THE CYCLES OF NASTIES BEGIN AGAIN, BUT ALL NASTIES GET FASTER

AND NASTIER WITH EACH NEW CYCLE.

ENERGY BLOCKS

You have 3 energy blocks with which to play the game. If you lose your third

energy block, the game is over.

An energy block can be lost by:

* running out of energy, or

* an un-reinforced encounter with a strong nasty.

When you lose an energy block, it is immediately replaced by another, as long as

you have energy blocks left. The replacement appears wherever the energy block

first appeared at the START of that level.

The number of energy blocks left, NOT COUNTING THE ONE WITH WHICH YOU ARE

CURRENTLY PLAYING, is displayed in the upper right corner of the screen. Energy

block is abbreviated E.B.'s in this display.

SCORING

Levels 1-8....10,000 points for completing a level

Levels 9-17...20,000 points for completing a level

Levels 18 and up...30,000 points for completing a level

BONUS POINTS ARE AWARDED AT THE END OF EACH LEVEL FOR ENERGY LEFT IN THE CURRENT

ENERGY BLOCK. Number of bonus points depends on amount of energy left in the

energy block with which you were playing when the level ended. Bonus points are

not doubled or tripled. Doubling and tripling applies only to points acquired

for completing a level.

BONUS ENERGY BLOCKS are awarded at the end of level 4, level 9 and level 14.

At the end of each level, the scoring screen displays bonus points received for

the last level, the current high score, your new score, your opponent's score*,

game level just complete, game level coming up, and notices of point value

increased or bonus energy blocks.

*In a 1-player game, opponent's score stays at 00000.

2-PLAYER GAME

Player 1 starts the game and plays until he/she loses one energy block. (This

may take more than one game level.) On losing an energy block, Player 1's turn

ends immediately. No score is displayed.

When the screen displays PLAYER 2, Player 2 begins his/her turn by pressing the

DISC. Player 2's turn lasts until he/she loses one energy block. When Player 1's

turn comes around again, he/she picks up game play EXACTLY where it left off

when the last turn ended. Player 1 again plays until he/she loses an energy

block.

Scores for both players are displayed at the end of each game level played...not

at the end of each turn.

BE PREPARED...If a player accidentally hits the Disc an extra time after his/her

turn is over, the next player's turn will start immediately. Each player has 3

energy blocks (plus any bonus energy blocks gained) with which to play the game.

When one player loses all of his/her energy blocks, the game ends for that

player. Opponent continues playing until that player also loses all of his/her

energy blocks. Final game score is then displayed

GAME OVER

You have 3 energy blocks (plus any bonus blocks gained) with which to play the

game. The game ends when you lose all 3 energy blocs and any bonus energy blocks

you may possess.

When the game ends, the screen displays the final score for all players and

lists the high score.

In the unlikely event that you successfully complete all 99 possible game

levels, you will receive a special little visual treat.

STRATEGY TIPS

1. Stay away from Free Style Mode in normal game play. It is difficult to

precisely control the movement of the energy block in Free Style Mode.

2. HOLD DOWN either Lower Side button while pressing the disc to fire energy

blasts into the energy block. This saves time and lets you move around the

energy base more rapidly, increasing your chances of completing it before the

nasties nibble it away.

3. Try to position your energy block to capture released energy from an E-PAK

just before completing a game level. This will restore your current energy block

to full energy and increase the number of bonus points you receive for that

level. No new E-PAKS will appear on the screen after you have completed a base.

4. Concentrate on constructing your energy base, rather than on destroying

nasties. Remember, energy blasts USE energy. If you deplete your energy block on

nasties, you may run out of energy before completing the base.

5. A reinforced energy block is your best defense against nasties. Try to hit

the E-PAK as soon as it appears on the screen, positioning your energy block to

capture the energy while it is still orange.

If you are not in the right position to capture the energy, switch to Free Style

mode temporarily. When you get the energy, return to normal game play.

6. If a nasty is hovering at the point where new energy blocks appear, a new

energy block could be destroyed as soon as it is created. To prevent this, shoot

the nasty BEFORE the new energy block appears. You can still fire your V-Gun,

even without an energy block on screen.

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(c)1982, 1998 Intellivision Productions, Inc.