Asteroids Atari 7800  FAQ/Strategy Guide
Version: 1.0
Author: Larcen Tyler
Last Revision Date: 06/07/05
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This document is electronically published work Copyrighted ©2005 Larcen Tyler.
Permission is granted to make a copy _ONLY_ as a personal reference copy, in
which case the document _MUST_ remain in its original, unedited form.  Any
other reproduction is strictly prohibited.  This document may not be used as
a promotional item or for profitable means of any kind (even if no profit is
intended to be gained.)

This document is only allowed to appear on the GameFAQs website and no other
website whatsoever, nor may any part of this document appear on any website
for any reason whatsoever.

Asteroids is a registered trademark of Atari Games.

Atari 7800 ProSystem and any accessories mentioned within are also registered
trademarks and copyrighted materials owned by Atari Games.

GameFAQs is a registered trademark and copyrighted 1995-2005 by Jeff 'CJayC'
Veasey.

Any other names mentioned within not mentioned within this section are
registered trademarks and/or copyrighted materials of their respective owners.

Larcen Tyler is in no way affiliated with any of the companies listed above,
or their affiliates in any way.  No affiliation should be assumed for any
reason whatsoever.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. REVISION HISTORY
2. HOW TO PLAY THE GAME
3. SCORING
4. HINTS AND TIPS
5. CONTACT INFORMATION
6. CREDITS
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1. REVISION HISTORY

Version 1.0
06/07/05: Started writing this out of boredom.
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2. HOW TO PLAY THE GAME

STARTING UP
At the title screen, use the joystick to select the game type you wish to play.
You can play the following game types:

One Player - One player playing until their ships are all destroyed.
Two Player - Two players taking turns, with the second player playing after the
first player loses a ship.
Competition Play - Two players play simultaneously to try to earn a higher
score than the other person.  If one player loses all their lives, the game
ends, and the person with the most points is declared the winner.  Shooting
another player will earn you 500 points.
Team Play - Two players work together to earn the highest overall score (both
scores are added together.) Both players share the same set of spare ships,
and players can't destroy one another with their shots.

In two player games, Player 1's ship is gold, and Player 2's ship is blue.

Press the joystick up or down to select the game types.

Move the joystick left or right to choose one of four difficulty settings:
Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert.

The higher the difficulty setting, the faster the asteroids will move around
the screen, and the more accurate the flying saucers (except on Novice, where
they don't appear at all) will be with their shots.

When you are happy with the game selection you have made, press reset or the
button on your joystick to start a new game.


GAMEPLAY
When you start, you will be in the middle of space, with several asteroids
drifting through space in random directions.  The asteroids can pass through
one another (weird enough) but if you touch one, your ship will be destroyed.

To move your ship, press upward on the joystick to activate your thrusters.
Release the joystick to deactivate your thrusters.  Your ship will continue
to glide through space even though you have deactivated your thrusters.  This
is because of the gravity (or lack thereof) in space.

To turn your ship, press the joystick to the left to turn it counter-clockwise,
or to the right to turn it clockwise.

Pulling downward on the joystick allows you to use your hyperwarp.  This will
cause your ship to vanish and reappear at a new spot on screen.  Be careful,
though, since you may actually end up teleporting into the path of an
asteroid, or your ship may be destroyed when it comes out of the hyperwarp.

To fire shots, press either button on your ProLine joystick (or the button
if you're using an Atari 2600 joystick.) You have unlimited shots, but you
can only have four shots on screen at one time.

If you hit an asteroid with a shot (or if you crash into it, although you
really should avoid doing that!) it will split into two medium sized
asteroids, which will begin drifting in a new direction, albeit in opposite
directions from one another.

Shooting a medium sized asteroid will cause it to split again, this time into
two small asteroids.  Shooting a small asteroid will vaporize it, effectively
eliminating it as a threat.

Once you've successfully cleared the screen of asteroids, another set will
appear onscreen, this time with more of them than the previous round.
See how far you can go.

From time to time, flying saucers may appear on one side of the screen and
move toward the other side in a zig-zag manner, while firing shots at random.
If you collide with a flying saucer, or are hit by a shot, your ship will
be destroyed.

If you lose a ship, a reserve ship will be put on screen as soon as the
center of the screen is clear of any danger, meaning that it may take a
moment for you to return to action.

You start out with three ships, one on screen, and two in reserve, as is
indicated at the top of the screen.  If you lose all of your ships, the game
is over.
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3. SCORING

You earn points for hitting things with your shots.  The scoring values are as
follows:

Shooting A Large Asteroid: 20 Points
Shooting A Medium Asteroid: 50 Points
Shooting A Small Asteroid: 100 Points
Shooting A Large Saucer: 200 Points
Shooting A Small Saucer: 1000 Points
Shooting Opponent In Competition Mode: 500 Points

For every 10,000 points earned, a bonus ship will be awarded.
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4. HINTS AND TIPS

-Remember that, due to the lack of gravity in space, your ship won't stop right
away, even if you stop thrusting.  If you need to slow down quickly, turn your
ship to the reverse direction and then thrust in small bursts by tapping the
joystick upward.

-The flying saucers can be dangerous, but they aren't all that smart.  They will
sometimes run into asteroids themselves.

-While hyperwarping can be risky, since you may reappear in the path of an
asteroid, or lose your ship because of the instability of hyperwarping, it
can also be a lifesaver if you're about to crash.

-It is possible to play the game just sitting still and turning your ship, but
to get maximum points, you should learn to work with the thrusters your ship
is equipped with.

-Instead of randomly moving and shooting, learn to prioritize your targets.
First, you should go after asteroids that are close to your ship and/or
are in danger of hitting it.  Second, you should go after any remaining
asteroids that are onscreen.  Worry about saucers last, since while they
do give good points, they aren't worth going out of your way for.

-And most importantly, HAVE FUN!
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5. CONTACT INFORMATION

CONTACT INFORMATION

READ THIS BEFORE YOU SEND ME ANY E-MAIL!

The following types of E-Mail I will _NOT_ accept under any circumstances:

-Mail that contains flaming (insults) or offensive content within.  If you
don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything!

-Spam/Advertisements of any kind.  This is against the law, and will not be
taken lightly.

-Asking if you can use this on your website/in your FAQ/Magazine/anything
like that will not be tolerated.  In case you missed it, I specifically
stated that I won't allow it in the disclaimer section at the beginning.

-Asking where to find this game in a ROM format, or any other illegal
software requests will be ignored.

-Asking me where to find this cartridge.
(Honestly, I wish I knew where to find Atari games, but I have as much of
a hard time finding them as you probably do! Your best bet is to check
online.)


The following types of E-Mail I will accept:

-Suggestions and/or constructive criticism.
-Strategies of your own.
-Any information I may have left out in this version.
-Generally, anything that will help me improve this guide in future revisions!
(Make sure you put "Asteroids Guide" as your subject line.)

You can reach me at: [email protected]
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6. CREDITS

Writing a guide is a big task in itself, and if it weren't for other people,
I wouldn't have been able to write this guide, so without further ado:

-My mother, for buying the Atari 2600 when it first came out, which made me
learn to love video games and buy an Atari 7800 when my 2600 was on the
fringe a few years back.
-Atari, for releasing the Atari 7800 ProSystem, and for releasing a great
port of Asteroids for it.
-Jeff 'CJayC' Veasey, for providing the 'GameFAQs' website, where authors like
myself can share our work.
-AtariAge (www.AtariAge.com) for providing information on the game when it
was needed.
-And of course, the person who I always save my best thanks for, the one
who makes me truly appreciate the work I did: YOU, for reading this guide!
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©2005 Larcen Tyler

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