Activision RIVER RAID Video Game Cartridge Instructions RIVER RAID BASICS YOUR MISSION IS to score as many points possible by destroying enemy tankers, helicopters, fuel depots, jets and bridges before your jet crashes or runs out of fuel. Here's how to begin: ORIENTATION The River of No Return. The river is divided into sections, with a bridge at the end of each section. You will encounter islands, narrow channels, bays, trees and lots of enemy air and water craft moving in to block your path. Also, the farther down the river you fly, the more harrowing things get. The current bridge number is displayed on-screen and is an indication of your progress up the river. It is updated whenever a bridge is destroyed. Advanced pilots may start the game a later bridges, bypassing the easier sections of the river. Select game by pressing the appropriate number: Start at bridge 1, One Player Start at bridge 1, Two Player Start at bridge 5, One Player Start at bridge 5, Two Player Start at bridge 20, One Player Start at bridge 20, Two Player Start at bridge 50, One Player Start at bridge 50, Two Player To start the action, press any BUTTON or the DISC. Your Jet Fighter will bank to the left or right when you tap the left or right of the DISC. To accelerate, tap the top of the disc. To slow down, tap the bottom. Press ANY SIDE BUTTON to fire missiles (hold for continuous fire). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FUEL GAUGE Always keep an eye and an ear on your fuel gauge. Fuel is used up at a constant rate, regardless of speed. When your fuel drops below 1/4 full, a warning siren sounds to alert you. To refuel, fly over a fuel depot. The slower you fly over it, the more fuel you'll receive. A bell will sound while you ar refueling. This sound changes to a higher pitch when your fuel tank is full. If you don't need fuel, you can blow up the fuel depot. But keep in mind that the farther down the river you fly, the fewer fuel depots you'll find. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEMILITARIZED ZONES Further up, you'll fly over barren stretches of river that are too narrow for enemy encampments. Therein, you may only find an occasional fuel depot or enemy jet. These demilitarized zones range from 1 to 17 bridges in length and are both a blessing and a curse: Pilots get a break but fuel is scarce and the river is very narrow. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TARGET POINTS Tanker 30 Helicopter 60 Fuel Depot 80 Enemy Jet 100 Bridge 500 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACTIVISION "RIVER RAIDERS" If you reach a score of 35,000 points or more, you have reached the official rank of River Raider! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOW TO RAID THE RIVER Tips from Peter Kaminski and Carol Shaw. Peter may be the best Frisbee player on the Activision design team. Carol is a serious bicyclist, and can often be found cycling through the wilds of her native California coast. "The River of No Return holds many special challenges and dangers for would-be River Raiders. You'll not only have to know your assault jet, but you'll need to have a good idea of your basic fight plan before you start." "By knowing the river, pinpointing areas with the highest concentration of enemy, and the most fuel depots, you'll have a much better chance of surviving. We suggest you use the river banks and islands to your advantage, since you can fly over them, while the helicopters and ships can't." "Fuel is also a critical factor. When you're far up the river, fuel is scarce. Hence, flying to the next fuel depot should be your top priority. Also, you'll find you can actually blow up a fuel depot right in the middle of refueling. That way, you can gain points and refuel at the same time." "The really advanced player should practice flying through the trees. Not only is it a lot of fun, but winging it through the forest might get you out of a tight spot sometime." "If you make it back to Allied territory and need some R and R, kick back an drop us a note. We're always up for a high-flying tale." Peter Kaminski Carol Shaw -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ©1983 Activision M-007-03 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks to David Harley for contributing this manual.