Game Panic III: Parcel Success for the Atari 2600

***Game Panic 3  Instructions***

A game programmed by Jason Santuci

GAMEPLAY

A new batch of games has arrived at Retro Tower only to be incorrectly delivered to random floors!  Coral the carts whilst avoiding invaders and dodging death.  Grab Guess Boxes to meet your quota too.  Guess Box effects include bonus score, warping to elevator and more time.  Elevators open and close intermittently.  Any surface that makes contact above your feet can be climbed.  When enough carts/guess boxes are collected the player is placed far left or right on the elevator and moved to a new set of 5 floors.  When enemies warp in they pause and can be safely avoided.  Crouch to avoid flying foes.  Contact with enemies or running out of time loses a life.  Run out of lives and it’s game over.

SCREEN LAYOUT

Guide your player through 5 floors displayed top center.  Lives are displayed as carts bottom left.  The countdown bar is located bottom right.  Current score is centered below the play area. When all lives are lost the current score is displayed in blue while the high score color cycles.

GAME CONTROLS

Press FIRE to progress past title screen, demo mode or game over.  Move horizontally via LEFT and RIGHT.  Move vertically on elevators and climbable surfaces via UP and DOWN.  Duck for cover on floors via DOWN.  Does not work on climbable surfaces.  Reboot clearing score using the RESET button

DIFFICULTY MODES

A or B switch to PRO sets the quota of carts from 3 to 6.  PRO also shortens the time limit.

 COUCH COMPLIANT

Hold down the FIRE button for 10 seconds to reset game

Use LEFT or RIGHT to toggle Novice (1 head icon) or Expert (2 head icons)

SCORING

50 points per cart collected

10-100 points randomly from guess boxes 40 (give or take) bonus points every level

HELPFUL HINTS

* You skip every other space compared to enemies.  This allows you to bypass them with timing.

* Elevators are safe but can push you out.

* When enemies warp in they are grey and harmless.  Use this time to position yourself.

* Enemies will most likely warp in or out when few are on screen.

* If a climbable surface does not extend out of the top of the floor then you cannot climb back down it.

* Avoid long hallways with no vertical egress as the elevators can close while enemies draw near.

* When clearing a level watch the bottom far left and right sides as you may start at either end.

* Crouching can avoid flying enemies but some need timing to avoid their lighting zaps.