VECTRON
Cartridge Instructions
(For 1 or 2 players)
Hungrees, G-spheres, splits, sweeps, and prizums -- the nasties of the
universe are back again, and they're nastier and tougher than ever!
This time they're out to stop you from constructing the energy bases
that build your score, level by level. The higher the level, the harder
the nasties are to fend off. Challenge your friends and see who can
rack up the highest score before the nasties destroy your energy
blocks or you run out of energy.
OBJECT OF THE GAME. On each level, construct an energy base, section
by section. Add each section by moving your energy block in place
and filling it with an energy blast. Work fast to complete a base
before the nasties nibble it away. If a section gets nibbled, you must
build it again. When you complete a base you advance to the next
level. Protect your energy block against nasties who can destroy it.
Shoot them down with energy blasts. Or neutralize them with special
energy from an E-Pak. Don't run out of energy or you lose an energy
block. Three energy blocks per game. When they're gone, the game is
over.
YOUR CONTROLS
Free Style Mode: Upper side buttons
Move Energy Block Left: Lower left side button
Move Energy Block Right: Lower right side button
Aim & Shoot Energy Blasts: Disc
USING THE DISC.
There are 7 directions in which you can shoot an energy blast, which
are the 7 directions on the lower half of the disc. Energy blasts are
fired from the "V-gun" at the top of the screen. You aim and fire
SIMULTANEOUSLY. To do this press the OUTSIDE EDGE of the disc in
the direction you want to fire.
YOU CAN FIRE ENERGY BLASTS AND MOVE THE ENERGY BLOCK AT
THE SAME TIME.
GAME START -- NUMBER OF PLAYERS
When game title appears, press the disc or ANY KEY on the keypad.
Computer will ask: 1 or 2 players?
� Press [1] for a 1-player game.
� Press [2] for a 2-player game.
1-PLAYER GAME...Play until all energy blocks are gone.
2-PLAYER GAME...Player 1 plays until he/she loses 1 energy block.
Player 2 then takes over. Each player has 3 energy blocks (plus any
bonus blocks
gained). Players take turns until one player loses all of his/her
energy blocks. (See 2-Player Game, below)
GAME STARTS AS SOON AS YOU SELECT NUMBER OF PLAYERS.
BUILDING THE ENERGY BASE
To complete each game level, build a base out of energy sections. The
shape of the base to be built changes from level to level and is pre-
set by the computer.
The Game Level is displayed under the Player 1 Score on the left of
the screen; the number of Energy Blocks in Reserve is displayed
under the Player 2 Score on the right. In a 2-Player game, Game
Level and Energy Blocks in Reserve are displayed for the person
currently playing.
Use your ENERGY BLOCK to build the energy sections. You don't have
to know the shape you are building, as your energy block will ONLY
move into the correct positions for the base you are currently
building.
TO MOVE THE ENERGY BLOCK.
� Press Left Lower side button to move to the next position LEFT.
� Press Right Lower side button to move to the next position RIGHT.
CREATE AN ENERGY SECTION. Use the DISC to fire an energy blast into
the energy block.
You must create an energy section before you can move the energy
block again. To override this restriction, press either Top Side button.
You can now move the energy block to any position within the base,
without first creating an energy section. TO RETURN TO NORMAL
GAME
PLAY, press either Top Side button again.
IF ANY SECTION OF THE BASE GETS NIBBLED OR DESTROYED BY
NASTIES, YOU MUST REBUILD THAT SECTION AGAIN.
When you complete a base, it turns rainbow colors and shimmers.
The screen changes to display your score. PRESS THE DISC to start the
next game level.
ENERGY LEVEL
The bar at the top of the screen indicates energy left in your current
energy block. If the bar reaches zero, you lose that energy block.
There are 3 ways to lose energy:
1. The energy block uses energy just to exist.
2. The V-Gun draws energy from the energy block to fire blasts.
3. Most nasties drain energy from an energy block when they hit it.
the amount drained depends on the type of nasty. Nasties are
described below.
When you complete a game level, the energy block you are currently
playing with is restored to full level. During game play you can re-
energize a block by shooting down an E-PAK.
E-PAK REINFORCEMENT
E-PAKS CONTAIN ENERGY WHICH CAN RE-ENERGIZE AN ENERGY
BLOCK AND TEMPORARILY REINFORCE IT AGAINST DAMAGE BY
NASTIES.
To get the energy from an E-PAK, shoot the E-PAK. Then maneuver
your energy block to catch the freed energy that drifts down. If you
capture the
energy, it will show in the energy block as a color -- orange, tan or
brown. the energy bar will indicate your energy gain.
As long as the captured energy remains in an energy block, the block
is reinforced against damage by most nasties. Once the energy is
fully absorbed, the color disappears and the reinforcement is lost.
E-PAKs can be polluted by nasties. When orange, their energy is full
strength. ORANGE energy completely re-energizes and reinforces the
energy block. TAN energy partially re-energizes the energy block,
but provides no reinforcement against nasties. BROWN energy is
useless.
NASTIES AND OTHER CRITTERS
RED HUNGREES (Levels 1-3)
These nibble away at the base and are nuisance, but pose no danger
to your energy block. They can be shot down with an energy blast or
will self-destruct upon hitting your energy block. When a red
hungree hits your energy block, you gain a small amount of energy.
YELLOW HUNGREES (Levels 1-3)
Stronger than the red variety. They eat up the base and also destroy
the
energy block if the block is not reinforced with energy from an E-
PAK. They can be shot down with an energy blast. They will only
self-destruct on a reinforced energy block.
G-SPHERE (Levels 1-3)
It generates the hungrees. When red it creates red hungrees. When
yellow, it creates yellow hungrees. It cannot be destroyed but it can
be reduced from yellow to red by energy blasts. (The number of
blasts needed varies.) Does not damage base or your energy block,
but can get in the way of your energy blasts.
SPLITTERS (Levels 4-6)
Like yellow hungrees, these eat up the base and destroy your energy
block if it is not reinforced by energy from an E-Pak. Will self-
destruct ONLY on a reinforced energy block. If hit with an energy
blast, they split into two red splitters.
Red splitters do less damage, can be shot down with an energy blast
or will self-destruct on any energy block. Like red hungrees, they
add a small amount of energy to your energy block when they hit it.
DIAMONDBACKS (Levels 7-9)
Attracted to your energy block in swarms. Drain energy from an
unreinforced block and eat the base. Can be destroyed by an energy
blast or will self-destruct on a reinforced energy block.
BLUE MEANIES (Levels 10-12)
These dastardly little critters seek out your energy block. If TWO
meanies hit an unreinforced block at the same time, they will
destroy the block. Of course, they also tear down the base. Can be
destroyed by energy blast or will self-destruct on a reinforced
energy block.
SWEEPS (Levels 13-15)
These large nasties join together to form walls that sweep across the
screen, destroying the base as they pass over it. If they touch an
unreinforced energy block, hey quickly drain energy from it. Can be
destroyed by energy blast or will self-destruct on a reinforced
energy block.
PRIZUMS (Levels 16-18)
Beautiful and bad, these multi-colored nasties destroy unreinforced
energy blocks, as well as the base. Require 3 energy blasts to destroy
them. Will NOT self-destruct on a reinforced energy block.
AFTER 18 LEVELS, THE CYCLES OF NASTIES BEGIN AGAIN, BUT ALL
NASTIES GET FASTER AND NASTIER WITH EACH NEW CYCLE.
ENERGY BLOCKS
You have 3 energy blocks with which to play the game. If you lose
your third energy block, the game is over.
An energy block can be lost by:
� running out of energy, or
� an un-reinforced encounter with a strong nasty.
When you lose an energy block, it is immediately replaced by
another, as long as you have energy blocks left. The replacement
appears wherever the energy block first appeared at the START of
that level.
The number of energy blocks left, NOT COUNTING THE ONE WITH
WHICH YOU ARE CURRENTLY PLAYING, is displayed in the upper
right corner of the screen. Energy block is abbreviated E.B.'s in this
display.
SCORING
Levels 1-8....10,000 points for completing a level
Levels 9-17...20,000 points for completing a level
Levels 18 and up...30,000 points for completing a level
BONUS POINTS ARE AWARDED AT THE END OF EACH LEVEL FOR
ENERGY LEFT IN THE CURRENT ENERGY BLOCK. Number of bonus
points depends on amount of energy left in the energy block with
which you were playing when the level ended. Bonus points are not
doubled or tripled. Doubling and tripling applies only to points
acquired for completing a level.
BONUS ENERGY BLOCKS are awarded at the end of level 4, level 9 and
level 14.
At the end of each level, the scoring screen displays bonus points
received for the last level, the current high score, your new score,
your opponent's score*, game level just complete, game level coming
up, and notices of point value increased or bonus energy blocks.
*In a 1-player game, opponent's score stays at 00000.
2-PLAYER GAME
Player 1 starts the game and plays until he/she loses one energy
block. (This may take more than one game level.) On losing an energy
block, Player 1's turn ends immediately. No score is displayed.
When the screen displays PLAYER 2, Player 2 begins his/her turn by
pressing the DISC. Player 2's turn lasts until he/she loses one energy
block.
When Player 1's turn comes around again, he/she picks up game
play EXACTLY where it left off when the last turn ended. Player 1
again plays until he/she loses an energy block.
Scores for both players are displayed at the end of each game level
played...not at the end of each turn.
BE PREPARED...If a player accidentally hits the Disc an extra time
after his/her turn is over, the next player's turn will start
immediately.
Each player has 3 energy blocks (plus any bonus energy blocks
gained) with which to play the game. When one player loses all of
his/her energy blocks, the game ends for that player. Opponent
continues playing until that player also loses all of his/her energy
blocks. Final game score is then displayed
GAME OVER
You have 3 energy blocks (plus any bonus blocks gained) with which
to play the game. The game ends when you lose all 3 energy blocs
and any bonus energy blocks you may possess.
When the game ends, the screen displays the final score for all
players and lists the high score.
In the unlikely event that you successfully complete all 99 possible
game levels, you will receive a special little visual treat.
STRATEGY TIPS
1. Stay away from Free Style Mode in normal game play. It is
difficult to precisely control the movement of the energy block in
Free Style Mode.
2. HOLD DOWN either Lower Side button while pressing the disc to
fire energy blasts into the energy block. This saves time and lets you
move around the energy base more rapidly, increasing your chances
of completing it before the nasties nibble it away.
3. Try to position your energy block to capture released energy from
an E-PAK just before completing a game level. This will restore your
current energy block to full energy and increase the number of
bonus points you receive for that level. No new E-PAKS will appear
on the screen after you have completed a base.
4. Concentrate on constructing your energy base, rather than on
destroying nasties. Remember, energy blasts USE energy. If you
deplete your energy block on nasties, you may run out of energy
before completing the base.
5. A reinforced energy block is your best defense against nasties. Try
to hit the E-PAK as soon as it appears on the screen, positioning your
energy
block to capture the energy while it is still orange.
If you are not in the right position to capture the energy, switch to
Free Style mode temporarily. When you get the energy, return to
normal game play.
6. If a nasty is hovering at the point where new energy blocks
appear, a new energy block could be destroyed as soon as it is
created. To prevent this, shoot the nasty BEFORE the new energy
block appears. You can still fire your V-Gun, even without an energy
block on screen.
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(c)1982, 1998 Intellivision Productions, Inc.