TRIPLE CHALLENGE
CARTRIDGE INSTRUCTIONS
(For 1 or 2 Players)
TRIPLE CHALLENGE is an exciting breakthrough in home video
games: three COMPLETE games packed into ONE game cartridge.
These games -- Chess, Checkers, and Backgammon -- have not been
abridged; they are complete games with full rules, with multiple skill
levels, and even with special features, such as letting the computer
suggest your next move. Each game can be played against a friend or
against the computer, who, you will find, is a very worthy opponent!
Take the challenge!
CHOOSING A GAME Insert cartridge (always be sure power is OFF
before inserting cartridge). Turn power ON and press RESET to see
title screen. Press any hand controller button or disc and the menu of
games appears. Select CHESS, CHECKERS, or BACKGAMMON by
pressing number 1, 2, or 3 on either hand controller.
CHESS
OBJECT OF GAME Surround your opponent's king in such a way that
your opponent has no available move to keep the king from being
captured (checkmate).
STARTING THE GAME Press the DISC. The game automatically begins
in the Player vs. Computer mode, level 1, computer taking black.
Information about the mode, level, and who moves next appear
onscreen around the chessboard.
CONTROLS You will need to use BOTH hand controllers to play. Refer
to the lists below while playing. When in Player vs. Player mode,
each player can use either or both hand controllers during his or her
turn.
LEFT HAND CONTROLLER
1 Select Bishop (Special Set-Up)
2 Select Rook (Special Set-Up)
3 Select King (Special Set-Up)
4 Select Knight (Special Set-Up)
5 Select Queen (Special Set-Up)
6 Select Pawn (Special Set-Up)
7 Reverse view of board
8 Switch colors/computer takes your next move (PvsC only)
9 Begin a new game
CLEAR Select skill level
0 Remove piece (Special Set-Up)
ENTER Select mode
UPPER KEYS Pick up and set down piece
LOWER LEFT KEY Return piece (before move is complete)
LOWER RIGHT KEY Force computer to make move
DISC Move cursor and pieces
RIGHT HAND CONTROLLER
1 Select Bishop (Special Set-Up)
2 Select Rook (Special Set-Up)
3 Select King (Special Set-Up)
4 Select Knight (Special Set-Up)
5 Select Queen (Special Set-Up)
6 Select Pawn (Special Set-Up)
7 Select Special Set-Up
8 Turn on/off clocks or blank screen on computer's move
9 Retract completed move
CLEAR Clears the board (Special Set-Up)
0 Remove piece (Special Set-Up)
ENTER Replay retracted moves
UPPER KEYS Pick up and set down piece
LOWER LEFT KEY Return piece (before move is complete)
LOWER RIGHT KEY Force computer to make move
DISC Move cursor and pieces
SELECT PLAYING MODE There are three playing modes: Player vs.
Computer (PvsC), Player vs. Player (PvsP), and Computer vs.
Computer (CvsC). Press ENTER on the left hand controller until your
selection appears in the upper left of the screen. You can change
mode anytime it is the Player's turn. (While watching a Computer vs.
Computer game, you can switch to another mode by holding down
ENTER on the left hand controller. After the current move is
complete, you can select a new mode.)
SELECT LEVEL Press CLEAR on the left hand controller until the level
you want appears in the upper right of the screen. There are 8 levels.
You can change level at anytime during a game when it's your turn.
(Note: The level does not affect Player vs. Player games.)
On level 1, the computer makes its moves quickly and plays a simple
game of Chess. As the level increases, so does the skill of the
Computer and the time it takes to make a move. Warning: On levels 4
and above, the computer can take hours or even days to make one
move!
MAKING A MOVE Use the DISC to move the cursor ((insert symbol))
over the board. When the cursor is over the piece you want to pick
up, press either TOP SIDE KEY on either hand controller. The piece
flashes. Pressing the DISC now moves both the cursor and the piece.
Once you have positioned the piece over the desired square, press
any TOP SIDE KEY to set it down. If the move is not legal, you will
hear a buzz and see a question mark on screen. The piece will return
to its original position. If the move is legal, it is now your opponent's
turn. The computer keeps track of legal moves for all pieces, even
during a Player vs. Player game.
If you decide you don't want to play the piece you have picked up,
press the LOWER LEFT SIDE KEY on either hand controller before you
set it down. The piece will return to its last position.
Note: If you have selected Computer vs. Computer, the computer will
wait for you to make the first move. From then on, the computer
makes all moves. You may make the first move, or you can force the
computer to make the first move by pressing 8 on the left hand
controller (computer takes your next move).
CAPTURING When you set down your piece on a square occupied by
an opposing piece, the captured piece disappears from the board.
Captured pieces are shown at the side of the screen.
CASTLING When this move is legal, move the King two squares
towards the Rook. The move then takes place automatically.
PAWN PROMOTION When a pawn reaches the other side of the board,
select any piece by pressing any number from 1 to 6. You can
promote to a queen (number 5) or you can under promote.
EN PASSANT When this move is legal, move the Pawn to the proper
square and the opposing pawn will be automatically removed.
CHECK & CHECKMATE When a player or the computer is in check or
checkmated, this information appears on screen automatically.
STALEMATE When a player or the computer has no legal move and is
not in check, the word STALEMATE appears on screen.
SCREEN SAVER To prevent damage to your television screen, the
screen will go blank after about 4 minutes if nothing onscreen has
changed. If the screen goes blank during the computer's turn, the
computer will continue to consider its move. A gong will sound and
the screen will return as the computer makes its move.
You can blank the screen at anytime by pressing 1 and 9
simultaneously on the left hand controller. The screen reappears
when you press any key or the disc or, if it is the computer's turn,
when the computer is ready to make a move.
RETRACT Press 9 on the right hand controller to take back the last
move. There is a slight delay, then the last piece moved returns to its
previous position. You can press 9 repeatedly until you return to the
beginning of the game or to the first move of a special board set up.
REPLAY MOVE After you retract a move (see above), press ENTER on
the right hand controller to replay it. You can press ENTER repeatedly
to replay all of the moves you retracted.
TRADE PLACES WITH COMPUTER Press 8 on the left hand controller
at anytime during a Player vs. Computer game to trade places with
the computer (notice that the P and C in the upper left of the screen
reflect who is black and who is white).
Press 8 at the beginning of a game to take black (the computer
automatically plays black if 8 is not pressed), or during the game if
you need help and want to see what the computer would do in your
situation. Press 8 to switch back.
REVERSE BOARD Black is normally at the top of screen, white at
bottom. Press 7 on the left hand controller to reverse the board,
black at the bottom, white on top.
SET UP A SPECIAL BOARD Press 7 on the right hand controller to
alter pieces on the board. Delete pieces by moving the cursor to a
square and pressing 0 on either hand controller (clear the entire
board by pressing CLEAR on the right hand controller). Add pieces by
moving the cursor to a square and pressing a number from 1 to 6 on
either hand controller to correspond to one of the six possible chess
pieces:
1 -- BISHOP
2 -- ROOK
3 -- KING
4 -- KNIGHT
5 -- QUEEN
6 -- PAWN
Press a number once for a white piece, twice for a black piece. When
the board is set up as you want, press 7 again on the right hand
controller. If you have set up a legal board situation, play will
resume with clocks and number of moves reset to zero. A yellow ?
will appear if the board setup is illegal. Correct the board and press 7
again. Note: You cannot set up a situation that would lead to check or
checkmate on the first move.
FORCE MOVE Press the LOWER RIGHT SIDE KEY on either hand
controller to force the computer to make the best move it has found
so far. If an H appears onscreen (HOLD), the computer has not yet
found any move. Press the LOWER RIGHT SIDE KEY again to have the
computer continue looking.
TIMING OPTIONS Clocks appear onscreen for both black and white,
showing total time spent on moves for each player. You can turn the
clocks off by pressing 8 on the hand controller twice. Press 8 again to
turn them back on.
NEW GAME Press 9 on the left hand controller to start a new game
using the previous game's mode and level. To switch to Checkers or
Backgammon, press RESET.
CHECKERS
OBJECT OF GAME Remove all of your opponent's checkers by jumping
them or trapping them so that your opponent is unable to make a
move.
STARTING THE GAME Press the DISC. The checkerboard appears
onscreen with all checkers in their starting positions.
CONTROLS You will use the numeric keypad and the DISC of your
hand controller to play Checkers (side keys are not used). Refer to
the list below while playing.
BOTH HAND CONTROLLERS
1 Player vs. Player
2 Player vs. Computer (Player moves first)
3 Player vs. Computer (Computer moves first)
5 Computer suggests move
6 High skill level
8 Low skill level
CLEAR Change your move
0 Select checker to move
ENTER Makes your move final
DISC Move cursor and pieces
SELECT PLAYING MODE There are two playing modes: Player vs.
Player and Player vs. Computer. Press 1 for a Player vs. Player game,
2 for Player vs. Computer with you moving first, 3 for Player vs.
Computer with the computer moving first.
In Player vs. Player, the left hand controller moves the white
checkers, the right hand controller moves the blue checkers. Players
flip a coin to determine who goes first. In Player vs. Computer,
whoever moves first controls the blue checkers. You may use either
hand controller.
SELECT SKILL LEVEL In a Player vs. Computer game, you must select
the skill level, either high or low. Press 6 (high) for the computer to
play its best game, press 9 (low) for it to play at a lower level. When
set to high, the computer will take longer to make its moves.
MAKING A MOVE Use the DISC to move the cursor ((insert symbol))
over the board. When the cursor is over the piece you want to pick
up, press 0.
Use the DISC to move piece to an open, adjacent black square. Once
you have positioned the piece over the desired square, press ENTER
to set it down. If the move is not legal or if a jump is available that
you did not take, you will hear a buzz and the piece will return to its
original position. If the move is okay, it is now your opponent's turn.
If you decide you don't want to play the piece you have picked up,
press CLEAR before you set it down. The piece will return to its last
position.
JUMPING Move cursor to open black square on other side of piece to
be jumped. Press ENTER. Your piece moves to correct square and the
jumped piece moves off the board.
For multiple jumps, continue moving the cursor and pressing ENTER
until all pieces have been jumped.
Note: You MUST jump a piece when you can.
CROWNING When a man reaches his King Row, a DASH appears in the
center of the checker to mark it as a King. Crowning completes a
move, even if the new King is now in a position to jump an
opponent's man.
COMPUTER SUGGESTS MOVE Press 5 to see what the computer would
do if playing your pieces. The cursor will move to the suggested man
and a small white arrow will show the suggested move. You are then
free to make the suggested move or a different one.
In a Player vs. Player game, the computer will not suggest a move. "I
can't help you" appears onscreen.
END OF GAME The game is over when one player has no more
checkers on the board or has no available move. In a Player vs.
Player game, "You Lose" appears onscreen in the loser's color. When
playing the computer, you will hear a victory tune if you win,
otherwise "You Lose" appears onscreen. Press RESET to play a new
game.
BACKGAMMON
OBJECT OF GAME Object of game is to move all your pieces around
and off the board (bearing off). First player to succeed is the winner.
STARTING THE GAME Press the DISC. The Backgammon board
appears onscreen with all pieces in their starting positions. White
moves pieces around the points clockwise to the six lower left points
(White's home table); Black moves pieces around the points
counterclockwise to the six upper left points (Black's home table).
CONTROLS You will use the numeric keypad, upper side buttons, and
the DISC of your hand controller to play Backgammon (lower side
keys are not used). Refer to the list below while playing.
BOTH HAND CONTROLLERS
1 Move 1 point
2 Move 2 points
3 Move 3 points
4 Move 4 points
5 Move 5 points
6 Move 6 points
7 Player vs. Player
8 Player vs. Computer (low skill level)
9 Player vs. Computer (high skill level)
CLEAR Change your move
0 Move two at once (rolled doubles)
ENTER Makes your move final
UPPER KEYS Show pip count
DISC Move cursor
SELECT PLAYING MODE & SKILL LEVEL There are two playing modes:
Player vs. Player and Player vs. Computer. Press 7 for a Player vs.
Player game, 8 for Player vs. Computer with the computer playing a
conservative game, 9 for Player vs. Computer with the computer
playing a more daring game (a challenge for advanced players).
In a Player vs. Player game, the left hand controller moves the white
pieces, the right hand controller moves the black pieces. In a Player
vs. Computer game, the computer controls the black pieces. You
control the white pieces with either hand controller.
STARTING THE GAME As soon as you select the mode, the dice roll
automatically. One is black and one is white to indicate the black
player and the white player. The higher number moves first, using
both numbers rolled. (If the numbers are the same, the dice are
automatically rolled again.)
MAKING A MOVE With each press of the DISC, the cursor ((insert
symbol)) moves to the next point on which you have a piece. When
the cursor is over the piece you want to move, press the number
from 1 to 6 indicating which number on the rolled dice you want to
use. That die will turn blue ("used up") and the piece will move that
many points.
You will hear a buzz if the number you press isn't available (the
number either was not rolled or it's been used), if it would move the
piece to a point occupied by two or more of your opponent's pieces (a
blocked point), or if it would move the piece off the board while you
still have pieces outside your home table (see BEARING OFF, below).
Make a different choice.
DOUBLES If you roll doubles, four dice with that number will appear,
allowing you four moves. You also have the option of moving two
pieces at the same time by pressing 0 before pressing 1 to 6.
ROLLING After you have used all your available moves, press ENTER
to roll the dice for your opponent. After the computer moves, the
dice automatically roll for your next move.
If you change your mind about moves you have made, press CLEAR
to return all pieces to their original positions. You can press CLEAR at
any time during your turn until you press ENTER.
STACKING PIECES When there is no more room on a point, pieces are
stacked. A dash on a piece means two pieces are there, two dashes
means three pieces are there.
HITTING A BLOT If have only one piece on a point (left a blot) and
your opponent lands on it (hits the blot), your piece will be moved to
the bar in the center of the board. On your next turn, the cursor
automatically appears over this piece. You must re-enter hit pieces
before moving others.
PIP COUNT Press either TOP SIDE BUTTON to see the pip count, which
is the running score of the game. The pip count is obtained by
multiplying the number of pieces on each point by that point's count
away from "home." The lower your pip count, the better.
BEARING OFF Once all of your pieces are in your home table, you can
begin to remove them from the board (bearing off). You move pieces
using the numbers on the dice as before, but now, when you run out
of points, you simply move the pieces to the left off the board (no
"exact count" is needed).
Note: If, after you have started to bear pieces off, your opponent hits
your blot, the hit piece will have to be re-entered and moved back to
your home table before you can continue to bear off pieces.
The first player to bear off all of his or her pieces presses ENTER to
win the game!
RESIGNING Resign by pressing 9 twice.
NEW GAME When the game is over, you can play Backgammon again
by pressing 7, 8, or 9 as described under SELECT PLAYING MODE &
SKILL LEVEL, above, or switch to Chess or Checkers by pressing
RESET.
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�1987, 1997 Intellivision Productions, Inc.