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                              Yar's Revenge
                           For the Atari 2600

                                 Full FAQ
                          Last Updated 2/24/05
                               Version 1.1

                     Written & Compiled by "TestaALT"
                      Email address [email protected]


This file is Copyright (c) 2005 Andrew "TestaALT" Testa. All rights reserved.

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==================
Table of Contents:
==================

1. Version History
2. Introduction
3. Dedication
4. Controls
5. Overview
6. Strategies
7. Frequently Asked Questions
8. Credits
9. Legal Disclaimer
10. Contact Information

=============================================================================
    1. Version History
=============================================================================

Version 1.1  (02/24/05):  Added the easter egg.

Version 1.0  (02/23/05):  Initial version of document - it's complete.

=============================================================================
    2. Introduction
=============================================================================

Sadly, AboveAverage's guide was removed from GameFAQs, so I'm here to fill
the void, if you know what I mean. Though I can't possibly remember all AA's
strategies to this game, I'll try to put his in along with some of my own.
Yar's Revenge is a fun little bugger of a game that's challenging, addictive,
and epic. Revenge is sweet!

=============================================================================
    3. Dedication
=============================================================================

I dedicate this guide to all Atari 2600 gamers out there. They really keep
this system alive, even though it seems "dead." Atari 2600, in a lot of
people's minds, was the first gaming console ever created. This really isn't
true, as there were other obscure systems before it. However, this was most
people's first video game system. This is the system that brought them into
gaming. And so, I dedicate this guide to the Atari 2600 gamers that still
play this old system and keep it alive.

This guide is also dedicated to Brian P. Sulpher and AboveAverage. Where did
you go, AboveAverage? You told me which system to write for! And of course,
Brian taught all of us that you can write billions and billions of guides for
old games and still be "cool."

=============================================================================
    4. Controls
=============================================================================

Fire Button: The fire button is used to fire. >_>

Joystick: Used to move the character.

=============================================================================
     5. Overview
=============================================================================

The basic layout of the game:

=============================================================================
                    |     |                            /----/
                    |     |                           /----/
                    |     |                          |----/
     You            |     |                          |---|  /\
                    |     |                          |---|  \/
                    |     |   _ <- Missile           |----\
                    |     |                           \----\
                    |     |                            \----\
=============================================================================

<http://www.vgmuseum.com/images/2600/02/115.htm>


Your job is to get Yar's revenge. To do this, you have to penetrate Qotile's
(that's the guy you want revenge on) shield and throw a big bomb at him. But
the funness doesn't stop just yet! You'll also have a homing missile on you
that will get faster each time you kill Qotile.

It might not sound like ogles of fun, but it is. As a... err... dragonfly (?)
you move pretty swiftly, making penetrating the shield while dodging the
missile an enjoyable experience. As you burst round after round into the
shield, you'll have to change position because of both the missile and the
moving shield.

If the missile proves too much for you, one can always hide in the center
"safe" zone. This is basically a no fire zone. The missile can't kill you but
you can't shoot at the shield. However, Qotile can still kill you. See,
sometimes Qotile swirls into a red circle and tries to hit you with his body.

In fact, this happens pretty often. It's easy enough to dodge, though, at the
beginning of the game. Just keep firing at the shield until it's completely
gone. Additionally, you can ram into the shield, but that's a bit more risky.
When the shield is gone, drive Yar right up to Qotile and get ready for the
fireworks.

Press the fire button while on Yar to set off one of your own missiles. It's
a little hard to be accurate, considering Qotile is in constant up-down
movement, but when you do hit Qotile everything will blow up and the game
will restart the level, only with a little higher difficulty.

And a different shield, of course. The game actually alternates between two
shields, so their isn't much diversity there. However, as I stated earlier,
things get tougher - the missile goes faster and Qotile throws himself at you
a heck of a lot more often. If you remember the shield patterns, can dodge
the missile, and have some skill with firing, this game will still prove
difficult in the later levels. ;)

=============================================================================
     6. Strategies
=============================================================================

War tactics to get your revenge!

 *  Get used to the swiftness of Yar, most importantly. At first, he'll
    seem a little fast, almost laggy, but you should later get used to it.
    If you get his speed down, it will make dodging stuff substantially
    easier.

 *  To dodge Qotile, merely go up or down. If you have time to play, when
    he turns red, just keep strafing up and down in the safe zone. Qotile
    will probably completely miss you when he tries to launch himself.

 *  Another way to dodge Qotile is to get as far away as possible, but this
    requires you to evade the missile.

 *  The missile is easy to dodge in the beginning of the game, but slowly
    gets faster until it's tough just to not get hit by the missile!

 *  To dodge the missile in the beginning, simple movement strategies will
    work.

         *  For example, the best strategy is to stay in one corner, wait
            until the missile is close, and go over to the other side of
            the screen. This will ensure that you won't have to worry about
            the missile for a little while.

         *  Another way is simply moving very north, waiting until the
            missile gets close, and then moving completely south.

 *  Use the safe zone to its fullest possibilities. If the missile is giving
    you trouble use the north-south strategy on the missile while in the
    safe zone, peak out of the zone, and fire at the shield.

 *  In the beginning, you can take away a lot of the shield by mashing the
    fire button in the middle of the screen and waiting for the missile to
    arrive.

 *  The first shield looks like a bracket ([). The best way to destroy it
    is to simply take out the middle. Once you have that done, go northern
    or southern of the shield and shoot from the opposite direction at the
    shield. This will make clearing the sides of the shield easier because
    if you miss you're bound to hit another shield.

 *  The second shield is a square box that rotates from north to south. It's
    actually pretty easy to penetrate because you can mash X while in the
    middle of the screen and destroy it. To mop up the remaining shield
    pieces, go to the north and south and shoot at the shield from those
    directions. It's easier to line up because it doesn't rotate from left
    to right.

 *  You can also bash the shield, but it's pretty risky because you're
    spending all your time on one side of the map.

 *  Once all the shield is gone it's time to destroy Qotile. Get up right
    next to him and you should see a square missile on the opposite end of
    the screen. Press the fire button to fire one of your missiles
    directly at where you are. It's your job to move out of the way and
    hope it hits Qotile.

         *  Try to line it up so he will hit the missile on the way back
            from his movement pattern.

         *  You CAN get killed by your own missile if it hits you before it
            makes contact with Qotile.

 *  Due to a fastidious err... rejector (?), I've been requested (or forced,
    depends on how you look at the glass) to talk about the EASTER EGG in
    Yar's Revenge. Accordingly to him/her, it's of utmost importance. So,
    here we go:

    Kill the swirl while it's in the air and position Yar's black spot (on
    his back) so it's vertical with the "black streak" in the explosion.
    After the explosion, you should see "HSWWSH," which is Howard Scott
    Warshaw's initials. If that wasn't clear enough, I'll list two sites
    that have a similar description:

    "Kill the Swirl in mid-air. Position Yar so that spot on it's back is
    in the same vertical plane as the black "streak". Programmer's initials
    will appear after explosion (HSWWSH = Howard Scott Warshaw)"
    <http://www.digitpress.com/faq/vcstrick.htm#Yar's%20Revenge>

    "After a few screens, if you destroy a swirl in mid-air and fly up the
    back line while firing, you will see the initials HSWWSH."
    <http://www.eeggs.com/items/3178.html>

=============================================================================
    7. Frequently Asked Questions
=============================================================================

Question: How many levels are in this game?
 Answer: As many as you can bear. :)

Question: Okay... so how many different shield forms are there?
 Answer: Two.

Question: What makes this game exceedingly harder, then?
 Answer: The missile gets unbearably fast.

Question: How many lives can you have?
 Answer: Four.

Question: What is the thing that you are trying to kill?
 Answer: It's called Qotile and it's some kind of beast.

Question: What is the flickering thing in the middle of the screen?
 Answer: That's your "safe" zone from the missile. Use it wisely. You can't,
         however, shoot there, and you can still get hit by Qotile in this
         zone.

Question: What is the "_" that follows me around?
 Answer: That's the missile! It will get faster as you progress in the
         game.

Question: When did this game come out?
 Answer: '81.

Question: Who created this game?
 Answer: Atari.

Question: Who programmed this game?
 Answer: Howard Scott Warshaw...

Question: My game doesn't work, how do I get it to work!?
 Answer: You might have a corrupted version of the game, or perhaps the old
         2 K version, which doesn't work very well.

Question: Where can I get this game?
 Answer: The Atari 2600 hasn't had any new games made for years, so you
         can't buy it from them. You can get the game at a garage sale or
         ebay, if you like. ROMs also work, if you have the game and it is
         broken, that is. I'm sure Activision made one of their "five hun-
         dred games-in-one," too, and you get one from them.

=============================================================================
    8. Credits
=============================================================================

 *  CJayC for creating GameFAQs.

 *  Brian Sulpher for referring me to a good ROM site.

 *  The woman/man on the other side for telling me about the easter egg.

=============================================================================
    9. Legal Disclaimer
=============================================================================

This document is Copyright (c) 2005 Andrew "TestaALT" Testa. All Rights
Reserved. This document may not be reproduced or retransmitted in any form
and under any circumstances without the complete consent of the author. It
may not be sold, altered, or published in any way without the advanced
permission of the author. All sources, which have contributed to this
document, are cited and/or credited in some form. The only sites I allow this
document to be viewed at are:

GameFAQs <http://www.gamefaqs.com>
IGN <http://www.ign.com>

If you see this document at any other site please email me as I do not allow
this document to be published at any other sources. Please do not ask me if
you want this document on your website, as the answer will most likely be no.
These terms have become binding once the recipient (or reader) opened this
document. Violation of these terms are strictly prohibited and will result in
a lawsuit. Please do not take these terms as threats and/or not read them as
they are all very much true. I can sue you for an act of plagiarism and will
not hesitate to do so. Thank you for reading this legal disclaimer and have a
nice day! =)

=============================================================================
    10. Contact Information
=============================================================================

Contact me via email ([email protected]) or AIM (TestaALT) if you have any
questions, comments, or suggestions about this guide. Just make sure that you
put the game name in the subject line. If you don't, I'll probably delete
you're email thinking it's spam. Also, make sure that the question isn't
answered in the latest version of the document, which can be found at
GameFAQs. Try to ask me legibly, as I can't decipher chickenscratch. For AIM,
just beep me whenever you like. Thanks for reading, and check some of my
other work at:

        -> http://gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/23249.html <-

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