SOLAR FOX

for the Commodore 64

SOLAR FOX challenges your reflexes in a fast-paced space strategy game, exactly as in the Bally Midway arcade original. You are the pilot of a spaceship navigating across a grid filled with flashing energy forms, enemy life forms, and a few other surprises. Armed with a laser, your ship cruises over the grid, trying to erase a pattern of flashing forms while avoiding enemy fire. Ther are an unlimited number of levels, and dozens of different patterns.

1. Turn OFF your COMMODORE 64 before inserting or removing any cartridge.
2. Insert the cartridge, with the label side up, into the expansion port on the back of the COMMODORE 64. The expansion port is the opening farthest to the right when the keyboard is facing you.
3. Turn ON the COMMODORE 64. The SOLAR FOX title screen should appear. If the screen remains blank after 5 seconds, turn the computer off, then on again. If this doesn't work, turn the computer OFF and remove the cartridge. Carefully re-insert the cartridge and try again.
4. Press the to begin. The screen lets you choose the number of players and the number of ships by moving an arrow to the game version of your choice. Plug your joystick into port #1 and move the arrow to ONE PLAYER with either 3 or 7 ships. To play the two player version, move the arrow to TWO PLAYERS and the desired number of ships.
5. The next screen then lets you select your speed - either NOVICE or EXPERT level. When playing a two-player game, player two must wait until player one finishes his first turn to select his speed. To change speed during the game, press the key. Press to begin play.

NOTE: To pause the game, press the key. To continue, move your joystick.

You pilot a space ship over a grid patterned with colourful pulsating entities called 'FUZORS', while different energy forms traverse the grid and other life forms patrol the edges of the grid. Your task is to erase teh entire pattern of FUZORS by either running over them or knocking them out with laser fire (by pressing the fire button). The point value of the FUZORS increases as you advance to more difficult racks. Ther are many different patterns of varying degrees of difficulty. In the higher levels, the FUZORS must be run over twice (or shot once) to be eliminated. In this instance, you receive full point value each time you run over them.

The grid often has STATIONARY ENERGY FIELDS positioned among the FUZORS. Running into these fields causes you to momentarily lose control of your ship and spin wildly. You can't run over these fields, but you are able to eliminate them with laser fire.

Another energy form that appears is the PULZOR. After the initial levels, they appear in a random location for a short period of time, and are worth between 200 and 800 bonus points.

The borders of the grid are patrolled by THRUSTORS, who shoot VORTICES at your ship as you travel on the grid. If you are hit by a VORTEX shot from a THRUSTOR, your ship explodes. Your ship also explodes if you collide with a RED THRUSTOR. If you stay too long in any particular rack or advance to higher levels, the THRUSTORS attacks become more intense.

While you can't destroy THRUSTORS, you may disable them. Firing a laser shot into a THRUSTOR temporarily freezes all four THRUSTORS. A warning: immobilizing RED THRUSTORS doesn't mean they stop shooting VORTICES! For short periods of time during a rack, each THRUSTOR will turn YELLOW. You can hit a YELLOW THRUSTOR with your ship or laser fire to freeze it, making it both immobile and unable to shoot VORTICES.

FREEZORS are strange-looking entities that skitter across the grid. If you run over or shoot one all four THRUSTORS will turn yellow and are unable to move or fire VORTICES for about six seconds.

BONUS SHIPS ARE AWARDED AT 70,000, 200,000 AND 500,000 POINTS AND AFTER THAT EVERY TEN RACKS.

In the upper right corner of the screen is a yellow line reading SKIP-A-RACK TIMER which counts down the time. If you are able to clear the pattern before the timer expires, you skip the following rack and still get credit for completing it as well as all the points for FUZORS in that round. You also get a 500 point bonus for beating the timer, and 100 points for every letter block left on the timer. You are not penalized for failing to beat the timer, and you start with a new timer after completing each round.

In addition to the regular racks, there are CHALLENGE RACKS after each four game racks. CHALLENGE RACKS are a race against the timer, where you must erase teh pattern of ONLY FUZORS before the time runs out There are 16 different patterns, and you must successfully navigate one pattern before you can move on to a new one. You get 100 bonus points for completing the first CHALLENGE RACK, and the score for each successfully completed rack increases by 600 points after that.

There are many bits and pieces of information that will help you increase your SOLAR FOX ability. One fact that will be obvious that it is impossible to beat the SKIP-RACK TIMER or complete a CHALLENGE RACK at NOVICE speed. To successfully attain these bonuses, it is a necessity to play at EXPERT speed. The THRUSTORS and their VORTICES provide the major threat to your ship. It is helpful to know that a THRUSTOR has the capability of shooting two successive VORTICES at your ship. A general rule to remember about VORTICES is the easier the level, the shorter the distance they will travel across the grid before disappearing. Conversely, the VORTICES shoot across the entire grid in the more difficult rounds. The same principle applies to their speed; in the easier levels they move slowly, and in the higher levels they move more quickly. These are the only few tips to help you become master of the SOLAR FOX grid. As far as devising the most efficient movement pattern to clear a rack, that is something that you must rely on game experience to discover. Since the number of levels is unlimited, your own reflexes and concentration are what will determine how far you can go.

COMMODORE is dedicated to bringing you the best software designed for your Commodore 64 computer. Our staff of highly-trained professionals create top quality programs for your home, school and business.

This program, SOLAR FOX, is provided in cartridge form for some very important reasons. The cartridge format brings you easy loading, program protection from accidental erasure, and long term reliability. But most important, it means that you're getting a quality-controlled, pretested program that should work first time, every time.

Commodore reserves the right to make changes in materials and specifications without notice.

©1983 Commodore Electronics Ltd., all rights reserved.

SOLAR FOX adapted for Commodore by Judy Braddick

This manual transcribed by https://www.my64.in.nf