ColecoVision Cartridge Instructions for Choplifter! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Choplifter! PILOT A CHOPPER ON A DARING RESCUE MISSION! CODE NAME: CHOPLIFTER! DANGER LEVEL: HIGH MISSION #: 2690-00-01 PROSPECTS FOR SURVIVAL: DOUBTFUL PRIORITY: CRITICAL PILOT ALERT! The following orders have been classified confidential--Top Secret. A crisis situation has developed in the cold war between the United States and the Bungeling Empire. The 64 delegates to the United Nations Peace Conference have been kidnapped by the militaristic Bungelings near their territorial border. Escalation must be avoided! The U.S. has launched a mission to rescue these hostages, and the call has gone out for a heroic but level-headed pilot to command the rescue helicopter--you! Your mission begins at the U.S Command Post just east of the Bungeling border. After your chopper lifts off and heads into the hostile territory, you'll see barracks where the prisoners are being held. Your goal--release and rescue! It won't be easy! The Bungelings are not going to give up the hostages without a fight and will use all the weapons at their disposal to thwart the rescue mission. Success depends on your valiant effort. There can be no rest as long as lives are in peril and a threat to world peace exists! GETTING READY TO PLAY MAKE SURE THE COLECOVISION OR ADAM UNIT IS OFF BEFORE INSERTING OR REMOVING A CARTRIDGE. One-Player Game Use the Port 1 Controller. Two-Player Game (Alternating Players) Player 1 uses the Port 1 Controller. Player 2 uses the Port 2 Con- troller. Player 1 goes first and each turn lasts until the player's helicopter has been eliminated, or until all 64 hostages have been rescued--or killed. CHOOSE: YOUR CHALLENGE: Press the Reset Button. The Title Screen for Choplifter will ap- pear on your TV. Wait for the Game Option Screen to appear. It contains a list of eight game options. SKILL 1 (Game Options 1 and 5) is the easiest, a good assignment for beginning pilots. SKILL 2 (Game Options 2 and 6) is a little harder, with more frequent enemy attacks. SKILL 3 (Game Options 3 and 7) is even tougher, requir- ing quick reactions and skillful maneuvering. SKILL 4 (Game Options 4 and 8) is a real challenge, for experienced pilots with nerves of steel! Select a game option by pressing the corresponding number on your Controller Keypad. USING YOUR CONTROLS CONTROL STICK Move the Control Stick left, right, up or down to make your helicopter move in the selected direction. SIDE BUTTONS Left Side Button: As your heli- copter lifts off from the Com- mand Post, it is facing right. Press the Left Side Button once to make your helicopter face toward you. Press it again and the helicopter faces left. Another press and it faces toward you again. One more press and your helicopter faces right. Right Side Button: Press the Right Side Button to have your helicopter fire at enemies or barracks. Hold down the Right Side Button and your chopper fires continuously. You can fire on a tank only when your helicopter is fac- ing toward you. To aid the hostages' escape, you can fire on barracks only from the left or right of the helicopter position. You can shoot down jets from any chopper direction. KEYPAD Press Keypad Buttons 1-8 to select a game option before beginning a game. Press * after a game to replay the game option you have just completed. Press # after a game to return to the Game Option Screen. PAUSE FEATURE To pause the action during a game, press * on your con- troller. The game screen disappears and the chopper sound continues. Press * again and the game screen reappears at the point at which you paused. There is a brief delay for you to size up the situation before play begins again. RESCUE MISSION UNDERWAY Bungelings Hold 64 Hostages Your chopper is fully armed and ready to go! The govern- ments of the nations involved have given assurances that if the hostages are returned safely, the peace talks can continue. It's time to lift off from the helicopter pad at the Command Post and begin your heroic but hazard- ous mission! Fly west, crossing the bound- ary line into the Bungeling territory. For security reasons, you are working under cover of darkness, but it's a starry night with a full moon, which should help you get your bearings. Suddenly, you catch sight of frantic activity below. One barracks has been blown open so the hostages can get free, and the prisoners are running in the direction of your chopper, waving to attract your attention. Bring that 'copter in for a landing to pick them up, but use extreme caution! 'COPTER PILOT RETALIATES Bungeling Tanks Attack Fleeing Delegates and Chopper Now you've got trouble! As you're jockeying for a safe landing position, Bungeling tanks appear, firing their deadly artillery at your chop- per and the vulnerable hostages, jeopardizing the rescue attempt! Destroy those tanks by turning your helicopter to face toward you and fire down on them until they've been demolished, Don't rest on your laurels, though! The Bungelings have a large tank battalion and more keep rolling in. Get them before they get you! Once you land, the hostages run toward the chopper--and freedom! There's room inside for 16. If, unfortunately, some of the escapees have been lost, you can either return to the Command Post with fewer than 16, or open another barracks to release more prisoners and take on addi- tional passengers until you've filled your quota. Others will have to be left behind until you've evacuated those aboard at the Command Post and can return to the militarized zone to save more lives! To release 16 more hostages, approach an unopened bar- racks with the chopper facing left or right and fire down on the building. The barracks bursts into flame, and the prisoners rush outside, to be picked up immediately or to wait for rescue at a later time. JET FIGHTERS POSE THREAT Liberation of Hostages Uncertain Don't think you're out of danger just because you've reached the hostages and gotten them on board the chopper! At any time and without warning, a Bungeling jet may come streaking out of the sky, shooting air-to-air missiles at you--a vicious attack! Shoot down these deadly enemies from any chopper position--if you can! Sometimes evasive action is the only way to get out of this sticky situation. At the Command Post on your return trip, set down your chopper, gently. The hostages swiftly leave the 'copter and hurry into the safety of the Command Post. Battle-weary but determined, you must set off once again into the militarized zone! PEACE TALKS RESUME Rescue Mission Complete--Kudos to Chopper Pilot Your mission ends when all hostages have been ac- counted for or when you have lost three choppers. The number of captives that you have successfully saved appears in the right scoring indicator. The number that have been lost in the hostilities is shown in the left scoring indicator. Whatever the outcome, your bravery as the catalyst in this risky mis- sion is praiseworthy, and you have won the admiration of all liberty-loving citizens of the world! SCORING There are three scoring indicators at the top of the game screen. * The left indicator shows the number of hostages lost in the rescue attempt. * The center indicator shows the number of hostages on board the chopper before they have been returned to the Command Post. * The right indicator shows the number of hostages who have been safely returned to the Command Post. At all Skill Levels, each player has three game lives, called sorties, to rescue and return the hostages to safety. The game is over when all the hostages have been accounted for, or when all three game lives have been lost. RESET The Reset Button on the console stops the game and returns you to the Title Screen. It can be used to start a new game at any time or in the event of game malfunction.