ACTIVISION. “INSTRUCTIONS Everybody knows how surprise. Checkers is r whole family > play Checkers, right? You're in for a longer just o one-on-one game. Now, the { play against the Activision computer at these instruc three levels of tions carefully move your checkers you start playing, ré ic rules and learn how to pick up andCHECKERS BASICS Hook up your video game system. Follow manufacturer's instructions. . With power OFF, plug in game cartridge. Turn power ON. If no picture appears, check connection of your game system to TY, then try steps 1-3 again. . Select game with game select switch. Game 1: You against the novice Activision computer. Game 2: You against the intermediate Activision computer. Game 3: You against the expert Activision computer Game 4; You against another human opponent Use left Joystick Controller to play the pieces on the bottom of the screen (Games 1, 2, 3, 4). Use right Joystick Controller for pieces at the top of the screen (Game 4 only). Computer plays the pieces at the top of the screen (Games 1, 2,3). . Choose position of red and white pieces by using right difficulty switch. The white pieces fallow the switch position (up or down). (Left difficulty switch has no effect on game.) To stort each new game, press game reset. The color of the flashing X tells you whose turn it is. White always moves first When it's your turn, use your Joystick to move the flashing X diagonally and place it on top of the piece you want to pick up. Press the red button on your Joystick. The checker will now start flashing, showing that you've picked it up. Corry the piece to its new square by moving the Joystick. Put the piece down by pressing the red button again. If you try to mave a piece to an illegal square, the computer won't let you put your piece down, “Note: Once you pick up a checker, until you press the button a second time to release it, you may still put it back where it was or move it to. an adjacent legal square. A play is not complete until you press the button to put down a checker in a new spot. But once you've put it down in a new square, it's too late to change your mind. So take your time! Activision's computer enforces the rules of Checkers! You must take a jump if a jump. is available (you can't pick up any other piece). When jumps are available with more than one piece, you can choose any one —but only one. If you make a jump and can jump again with the same piece, you ‘must put down your piece to complete one jump, pick up your piece again, jump. again, and put it dawn again. White X indicates white’s move . When it's the computer's move, the game screen goes blank. That means he’s think ing. Don't adjust your set! In Game 1, he'll Checkeruse 5 to 15 seconds per move; inGame 2, up to 30 seconds; at expert (Game 3), 2 tod Note to owners of Sears minutes per move. At each level, he’s looking | Tele-Game™ further ahead for his next moves. On your Sears system, right difficulty (instruction #5) is called skill right player. Average game times? Game 1—15 minutes; Game 2—30 minutes; Game 3-2 hours or longer. . Toend the game: if each player has only one piece left, call ito stalemate and try @ new game. But if a player loses all pieces or cannot make a legal move, then that ployer loses the game. When the computer loses, he will return the X to the upper right corner without making a move (sulking in the corner). GENERAL RULES OF CHECKERS 1, You can move only ene checker per move, one square per move (unless jumping), and you move anly along diagonals of the same color toward your opponent's end of the board, You can't move backwards unless you've been “kinged” (see Rule #4) 2. If you have a chance to jump one of your opponent's pieces, you must jump it. Any other move is illegal, If you are able to jump more than one piece in sequence, you must complete all jumps in a sequence. 3. When you jump an opponent's piece, it is removed from play, 4, Acchecker becomes a king by reaching the back line of the opponent's side of the board (a king appears as two stacked checkers). Kings move forward or backward, one square ata time, along diagonals of the same color. 5. The player who removes all of his opponent's pieces is the Winner. Any player who cannot make a legal move has lost the game.HOW TO BECOME AN EXPERT AT CHECKERS BY ACTIVISION... Tips from Alan Miller, designer of Checkers Alan Miller loves the challenge of playing video games and hos become the champion of Checkers and Dragster. He was a senior design engineer at Atari before joining Activision. “| can't be very much help with tips on how to beat the computer at Checkers. When I discovered any weakness in his play, | worked to improve it The darn machine frequently beats me ‘The computer will take the time allowed him by the difficulty level and examine all moves available for the next several plays. He will add up total pieces remaining for himself and his opponent and decide which move works best. You'll want to do the same, looking ahead as many moves as you can. “One weakness the computer still has is that he lacks a killer instinct at the end of a game. Even when he has greater firepower than you do, he seems content to diddle about in the center of the board, not willing to risk an attack, content with a draw. This is your chance to take over the attack —but carefully! “If you want to become a really good Checkers player, | suggest you go to the library and read up on the game, as | did before designing Checkers by ACTIVISION. There's a lot of strategy to learn. In many ways, Checkers is more difficult to play well than Chess "| want to acknowledge A. L. Samuels, whose pioneering work in the field of computer artificial intelligence has been a source of inspiration to me and to an entire generation of computer programmers and game players.” be. WIQACIIVIsioN.. presents more new video game cartridges for your Atari Video Computer Systent": Es al DRAGSTER DRAGSTER Drop your Dragster into gear, siond en the g watch the countdown, pop the clutch and GO! Your motor revs. up (watch that red line or you'll blow your engine!), you shift quickly through the gears and burn rubber across the screen to beat the competition or knock a hundredth of a second off your best time. Bet you can't get to the finish line in under six seconds! And if you get really hot, you can try the spine-tingling Game 2, where you have to steer, too! BOXING Put on your gloves. Here's your chance to go toe to joe with the Activision computer ora friend. Lis- ten to the thud of those jabs ond power punches Keep bobbing and weaving — ond don't get pinned to the ropes! At the end of 62-minute round, you'll be exhausted. But keep in training and you'll be a champion FISHING DERBY.» Here's the first videogome that is os much fun for grandparents and grand children as it is for all the sharp-eyed game playe in between. You've got hook, line ond bait; the bay 15 full of beautiful sunfish; ond all you have to do is land ‘em foster thon your opponent (or the Activision computer). The fish love your bait; they grab your line and run with it, But watch out for the shark! If your fish gets too close, he'll swing round and gobble up your catch! Look for these new Activision game cartridges (and more to come!) wherever you buy video game cartridges. If you can’t find them, write us and we'll tell you who has them in your area ACTIVISION. Activision, Inc., 759 € Evelyn Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086ACTIVISION.