ATARI (R) 7800 (TM) Game Manual SUPER GAME TOP SECRET! OPERATION: Atombender I.M.A. Special Terrorist Unit MISSION BRIEFING for the Atari 7800 (TM) IMPOSSIBLE MISSION (TM) by Epyx TABLE OF CONTENTS TOP SECRET DOCUMENT 1 Mission Briefing 2 Dossier: Elvin Atombender 3 Intelligence Report 5 Elvin's Stronghold 5 Elvin's Robots 6 Elvin's Security Systems 7 GAME INSTRUCTIONS 8 Getting Started 8 Playing the Game 8 Moving through the Stronghold 9 Searching for Codes 9 Using Security Terminals 10 Code Rooms 11 The Pocket Computer 12 Using the Glove 13 Using the Phone 14 Solving the Puzzles 15 The Control Room 15 Strategy 16 Scoring 17 Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the product documentation in this manual. However, because Atari=A0Corporation is constantly improving and updating its computer hardware and software, it is unable to guarantee the accuracy of printed material after the date of publication and disclaims liability for changes, errors, or omissions. Reproduction of this document or of any portion of its contents is not allowed without the specific written consent of Atari Corporation. Impossible Mission (TM) is a trademark of Epyx, Inc., copyright (C) 1984. Atari (R), the Atari logo, and 7800 (TM) are trademarks or registered trademarks of Atari Corporation. ATARI (R) Copyright (C) 1989, Atari Corporation Sunnyvale, CA 94086 All rights reserved. TOP SECRET DOCUMENT DO NOT ACCEPT IF SEAL IS BROKEN Courier is required by law to obtain proof of identity before releasing this document. Unauthorized possession of these materials is a criminal offense punishable by law. RETURN TO I.M.A., WASHINGTON, DC 20024 TOP SECRET Agent's Eyes Only! Officer Courier Only! To: Special Agent 4125 Re: Mission Briefing Subject: Mission of vital importance to national and global security. Operations to begin immediately. Utmost urgency. Situation: During the past three days, key military computer installations of every major world power have reported security failures. In each case, someone gained access to a primary missile attack computer. Only one person is capable of computer tampering on this scale: Professor Elvin Atombender (hereafter referred to as "Elvin"). We believe that Elvin is working to break the computer's launch codes. When he succeeds, he plans to trigger a missile attack that will destroy the world. Mission: You must penetrate Elvin's underground stronghold and stop him. To succeed, you will have to evade the scientist's robot guards, break his security code, and find his control center. Your predecessors Agents 4116 and 4124 (may they rest in peace), were able to send back some information about Elvin's installation. It is detailed in the following pages. Your only weapons will be your keen analytical mind and your MIA9366B pocket computer. Good luck. The world is depending on you. DOSSIER: ELVIN ATOMBENDER Last Known Picture of Elvin Sex: Male Age: 62 Height: 5' 4" Hair: No Eyes: Yes Traits: Avoids people. Hates animals. Likes brussels sprouts. Childhood: Elvin was a nice boy. Well, his mother liked him. In school, he loathed sports but excelled in mathematics. He seldom caused any problems (at least none with any global consequences). At home, Elvin spent most of his time staring at his computer screen, a seemingly harmless recreation. Oh, there was the time Elvin broke into the phone company's computer system and changed the records. Angry at his parents for some real or imagined crime, the playful youngster added a long distance call to their monthly phone bill: a five-and-a-half-hour call to Afghanistan. His parents were tolerant. They were sure he would eventually outgrow his passion for tinkering with other people's computers. Turning point: It was during his days as a college student that Elvin was transformed from a promising young man into a treacherous evildoer. Elvin had become obsessed with a new computer game, "Giggling Penguin Invaders from Outer Space in the Vicinity of Ursa Minor." (Elvin had always hated penguins from Ursa Minor.) The game's score counter went up to 100,000,000,000, and Elvin was determined to "max it out." After playing the game for several days without sleep, he had vaporized enough penguins to pile up 99,999,999,785 points. One more tuxedoed avian and he'd have it. Elvin shook out his joystick hand. A 250-point penguin waddled onto the screen. Elvin's eyes lit up. He took aim. And then, at that precise moment, the power failed. Elvin's game was lost; he'd never get a score that high again. In that instant, something snapped in Elvin's mind. He became consumed with a single maniacal obsession. He would repay the world for the injustice it had dealt him. For many years, Elvin waited. He became a distinguished professor, a renowned expert in computers and robots. Then, eight years ago, he disappeared. His whereabouts were unknown until now. INTELLIGENCE REPORT ELVIN'S STRONGHOLD Using the fortune he amassed by raiding the computer systems of various financial institutions, Elvin has constructed a vast underground stronghold packed with computer equipment. Room Screen There are 32 rooms in Elvin's stronghold. Some of them are used as living quarters, and others are computer rooms. These are not ordinary rooms, however. Elvin has constructed them so that only he can negotiate them easily. Each room has a number of floors or catwalks that are connected by lifts. The floors and catwalks often end abruptly, dropping off into space. And they're guarded by Elvin's nasty, human-seeking robots. ELVIN'S ROBOTS Height: 1.57 meters Weight: 67 kilos Armor Type: Ablative (AC: -4) Vcc: 5 megavolts Weaponry: High-voltage ionic plasma generator Energy Reserves: 3.14 megajoules (est.) Maximum Angular Velocity: 1.2 megaradians/fortnight Longitudinal Velocity: Alpha Class: 2.5 x 10-8 c Beta Class: 1.2 x 10-8 c Gamma Class: 5.9 x 10-9 c Omega Class: 0 c Photovoltaic Threshold: 0.12 lumens Entropic Conversion Rate: 3.71828 ergs/nsec Thermionic Coefficient: 6.07 therms/hour Elvin's robots are equipped with sound/motion sensors. These sensors act as the robot's ears, allowing the robot to home in on you whether it can see you or not. The robots are propelled by linear induction motors embedded in the floors of the complex. The magnets keep the robots from leaving the floor's surface. The robot's high-voltage electrode projects a lethal electrical discharge approximately six feet. Infrared photocells act as the robot's eyes. They can detect the presence of human body warmth anywhere in front of the robot. {diagram of a robot} Sound/Motion Sensors High-Voltage Electrodes Infrared Photocells Linear Induction Magnet ELVIN'S SECURITY SYSTEM Intelligence indicates that Elvin uses three types of codes (or passwords) in his security system. One code deactivates the robots, another operates the lifts, and the third code (a password) unlocks the control room. Elvin is very tricky, not to mention a little strange. He hides the passwords in his furniture! Elvin frequently forgets the passwords for his security computer, so he scatters them around, stashing them in the weirdest places. You might find a password in the sofa, stereo, or candy machine. But you must find the passwords to stay alive. Once you find the codes, using them should be relatively easy for the most part. You should be able to log onto a security terminal as you enter each room and deactivate the robots or reset the lifts (if necessary) from there. The control-room password is another matter. Elvin has broken up this important code into dozens of pieces and scattered them throughout the complex. You will have to find and retrieve all the pieces of the code and fit them together like a puzzle to form the password. With the completed password, you can gain access to the control room where Elvin is preparing to launch the missiles. You have to stop him, or the world's going to pay an awfully high price for a 250-point penguin! GAME INSTRUCTIONS Getting Started 1. Insert the Impossible Mission cartridge into your Atari 7800 as explained in your Owner's Manual. Plug a joystick into the left controller port. 2. Turn on your television or monitor; then press [Power] to turn on your Atari console. The Impossible Mission title screen will appear. 3. Press the joystick fire button or [Reset] to begin the game. 4. To restart the game during play, press [Reset]. The rooms and robots will be rearranged, and the computer will generate a new set of puzzles. Playing the Game You must penetrate the rooms and tunnels in Elvin's stronghold, avoid his robot defenders, and put together his secret password. You can then enter Elvin's control room and put a stop to his plans to destroy the world. You score points by finding puzzle pieces and putting them together and by reaching Elvin's control room before time runs out. As your skill at the game increases, you can achieve higher scores by completing the password and reaching the control room with more time left on the clock. However, each time you play, the rooms and robots will be rearranged and the puzzles will be different. MOVING THROUGH THE STRONGHOLD You can move through the stronghold in the following ways: In the elevator: Push the joystick handle forward or back to go up or down. Push the joystick handle left or right to move in either direction along the corridor. Running off the edge of the screen takes you into a room. In the rooms: Push the joystick handle left or right to move in either direction. If you press the joystick fire button, your agent will perform a midair forward flip that is especially useful in somersaulting over persistent robots. On lifting platforms: If you're standing on a striped lifting platform in one of the rooms, you can push the joystick handle forward or back to go up or down. SEARCHING FOR CODES As you explore Elvin's stronghold, your pocket computer at the bottom of the elevator screen will display a map of the rooms and tunnels you have entered. In every room, you should conduct a search. Search every object or piece of furniture in the rooms for codes and password puzzle pieces. (Remember to be on the lookout for robots.) You can do this by standing directly in front of an object (such as a sofa, desk, or fireplace) and pushing the joystick handle forward. The word "Searching" will appear in a box near your agent's shoulder. You will also see a horizontal bar indicating the length of time it will take to search the object. You must continue holding the joystick handle forward until the bar disappears. If your search is interrupted for any reason, you can go back to the object and resume searching where you left off. If you leave the room, however, you'll have to start the search from the beginning if you return. When you have finished searching the object, one of four things will appear above your agent's shoulder: The words "Nothing here." A picture of a sleeping robot. This picture represents a SNOOZE password, which allows you to deactivate the robots in a room temporarily. A picture of a striped lifting platform with an arrow above it. This represents a LIFT INIT password, which allows you to reset all the lifting platforms in a room to their original positions. A puzzle piece. This is part of the password that allows entry to the control room. It will be entered into the memory of your pocket computer automatically. USING SECURITY TERMINALS You can use the SNOOZEs and LIFT INITs at any security terminal. These are terminals that are located near the entrance to each room. They look like television sets with darkened screens. To use a security terminal, move directly in front of it and push the joystick handle forward. The screen of the security terminal will enlarge to fill your display. You can select one of the three functions by moving the joystick handle forward or back; press the joystick fire button when the arrow points to the function you want. Reset lifting platforms: To use this option, you must have a LIFT INIT password in your possession. (Your pocket computer displays the number of LIFT INITs you have.) Temporarily disable robots: To use this option, you must have a SNOOZE password in your possession. (Your pocket computer displays the number of SNOOZEs you have.) Log off. CODE ROOMS Elvin's stronghold contains two code rooms where you can earn additional passwords. Move your agent up to the console and push the joystick handle forward as if you were searching it. A sequence of squares will flash on the wall, each with a musical note, and a white glove will appear. Use the white glove to touch each square in a sequence so that the notes are sorted in ascending order (from low to high). If you produce the proper sequence of notes, the checkerboard will flash and you'll get a SNOOZE or LIFT INIT password. You can do this as many times as you like, but the sequence gets longer each time. You can quit at any time by pushing the joystick handle forward to touch the purple bar with the glove. THE POCKET COMPUTER Your pocket computer allows you to play with the puzzle pieces, twisting them around to figure out how they go together. To activate your pocket computer, your agent must be standing in one of the elevators or corridors. Press the joystick fire button to turn on the pocket computer. Note: You can't use the pocket computer in any of the rooms. Pressing the fire button in a room will make your agent do a somersault. When the computer is activated, the map of Elvin's stronghold will vanish and a white glove will appear. Use the glove to put the puzzle pieces together, forming the password that will let you enter Elvin's control room. {diagram of pocket computer} The pocket computer consists of these components: The Selected Puzzle Piece is the piece you are working with. The Memory Window displays two of the puzzle pieces you have collected. Arrow keys move the puzzle pieces into the memory window. The Phone Key dials out for help. (See Using the Phone.) The Vertical Flip Key flips the selected puzzle piece vertically. The Horizontal Flop Key flops the selected piece horizontally. The Trash Can Key deletes the selected puzzle piece from the display (but not from memory). The Off Key turns off the pocket computer. If you have just deleted a puzzle piece or put two pieces together, you can use the Exclamation Key to "undo" it. The Paws Key pauses the game. The Color Keys change the color of the selected puzzle piece. Each time you complete a puzzle, one letter of Elvin's password will appear at the bottom of the pocket computer screen. USING THE GLOVE To move the glove, move the joystick handle in the desired direction. To activate a function key, point to it with the glove and press the joystick fire button. To pick up a puzzle piece in the memory window, point to it with the glove and press the fire button. You can then move it by moving the joystick handle. To drop a puzzle piece, press the fire button. To make a copy of the selected puzzle piece, point to it with the glove and press the fire button. To put back a copy of the selected piece, position the copy directly over the selected piece and press the fire button. To select a puzzle piece that isn't selected, point to it with the glove and press the fire button. To find out if two pieces match, position one piece directly over the other and press the fire button. USING THE PHONE When you touch the phone key on your pocket computer, it dials up the Agency's main computer to help you solve the puzzles. However, there is a charge for this service: each use of the phone costs two minutes on the game clock. The Agency's computer will give you three choices: Correct orientations of the leftmost pieces. The computer will flip the two puzzle pieces in the memory window to put them in their correct positions. A red mark appears to the left of each piece that has been flipped. Have we enough pieces to solve the upper left puzzle? The computer will look at the upper puzzle piece in the memory window and tell you whether or not you've found all three of the pieces that go with it to complete the puzzle. Hang up. This hangs up the phone. Select the phone function you want by pointing to it with the glove and then pressing the joystick fire button. SOLVING THE PUZZLES Some pieces are upside down or backwards (or both) when you find them. If a piece doesn't seem to match anything, try flipping it with the function keys. Pieces must be the same color, or they won't match. If two pieces with different colors look as if they might match, use the color keys to change them. A completed puzzle looks like a computer punch card: a solid rectangle with several little holes in it. A completed puzzle may be upside down or backwards when you finish putting it together. You may have to flip it around before it is recognized as a solution. There are four pieces in each completed puzzle and nine puzzles in the game. Once you have solved all nine puzzles, you will have the nine-letter password that opens the door to Elvin's control room. THE CONTROL ROOM The door to Elvin's control room is in one of the blue rooms. When you have completed the password, position your agent directly in front of the control-room door and push the joystick handle forward. The door will open, and Elvin's plot is foiled. Strategy Some rooms are harder to navigate than others. If a room seems too hard, come back to it after you have acquired enough passwords to reset the lifts and turn off the robots. Each robot has a different behavior program. Some robots move faster than others, some shoot lightning bolts, and some can't see or hear. Watch each robot closely. You can often figure out which program is running the robot before you try to get past it. Your pocket computer will let you combine any two puzzle pieces that don't overlap. However, puzzle pieces that don't overlap don't necessarily belong together. If you find that it's impossible to finish partially completed puzzle, you may have combined the wrong pieces. You don't need to somersault over every hole in the floor. If a gap is no wider than a lifting platform, try stepping across it. But don't let up on the joystick until you get to the other side, or you'll fall. If you have to cross a very large chasm, you can actually have one foot in the abyss before you press the fire button to jump. If you do this correctly, it will give you the extra distance you need. Scoring The game clock on the pocket computer display starts at 12:00. The game ends when the clock reaches 6:00. Each time you fall off the bottom of the screen or get zappedd by a robot or a floating orb, you lose ten minutes. Each time you use the phone, you lose two minutes. When the game ends, you are awarded points as follows. Each second remaining on the clock 1 point Each puzzle pieces found 100 points Each SNOOZE or LIFT INIT found 100 points Each puzzle solved 500 points Mission completed 1000 points ATARI (R) Copyright (C) 1989, Atari Corporation Sunnyvale, CA 94086 All rights reserved. Printed in Hong Kong B.T.2.1989 C300018-032 Rev. A