ASTRAWARE | palm os products

GTS Racing Challenge Information

Current released version: 1.00 - 17th February, 2003
Current release expires: never
Feedback to: Andy Wilton (gts@astraware.com)
Game Info: http://www.astraware.com/games/pazzazz/gts/
Recent update headlines:

Copyright 2002 Andy Wilton. Pazzazz and Pazzazz Games are trademarks of Pazzazz Games. Published by Astraware Ltd. - www.astraware.com
All rights reserved.

Introduction

The fastest, the sharpest, the most exciting Palm OS racing game ever!

Engines roar, tyres screech. Pulses pound as the drivers push their cars to the limit, all to be the first past the chequered flag.

Choose between the thrill of a sports car, the style of a coupe or the raw power of a racing car, in the Palm of your hand. Eight different race tracks all with stunning backdrops, eight frenzied competitors with you on the track, and at the end of the day, just one winner. Can you meet the GTS Racing Challenge?

And its 3, 2, 1... GO!!!!! GTS Racing Challenge gives you the adrenaline charged, motor sport experience that you been waiting for in a Palm OS game!

GTS Racing Challenge features:

- Fully textured track and skyline for unprecedented realism
- Stunning 3D graphics engine
- 4 levels of difficulty, each with their own track layouts
- Race across 8 exciting venues
- Travel at blistering speeds in the Sports car, Coupe and Formula (Coupe and Formula cars in Registered version only)
- Total of 32 different tracks available to race on
- 256 colour and 16 shade greyscale versions available
- Razor sharp control using your choice of buttons or the Graffiti® area
- Four thrilling game modes, including Championship and arcade-style Challenge Cup (Registered only)
- Free camera and car movement - power slide round corners, spin around and drive the wrong way or even just 'doughnut' on the spot if you want!

How To Install

Use an extractor program such as WinZip on the PC or Stuffit Expander on the Mac to get at the GTS Racing Challenge files. Install the game by double-clicking the ".prc" file for the colour or greyscale version (depending on your Palm.

Use the HotSync button as usual to transfer the game onto your handheld.

Now run GTS Racing Challenge and tap the screen to play the game!

If you've got any queries about GTS Racing Chellenge or the registration process, first check out our knowledge base on our website (you must be connected to the internet to access this). If this doesn't help, get in touch with us at support@astraware.com. If you've got any questions (or suggestions, we love those) about the game itself, please get in touch with us at the email address at the top of this page

Registered users only: After entering your registration code, you will need to install the file "colour-registered.pdb" or "grey-registered.pdb" (depending on your screen type) onto your Palm as well, in order to use the additional tracks and cars.

Quick Start!

Follow these instructions to get into the game and get driving!:

- From the opening screen, tap to proceed to get to the menu
- On the main menu (the "Select Mode" menu), tap on "Single Race"
- On the next screen, ("Select Level"), tap on either "Easy" or "Normal"
- Tap on the red Sports car, and then on "Accept" on the next screen
- Select the "Honolulu" track, and then tap "Race" in the bottom left of the track map screen
- You will then see the starter's countdown, as the camera pans around your car. Once the countdown reaches "Go!", put the pedal to the metal!

Car Controls, or "Driving 101"

GTS Racing Challenge has two car control methods, Buttons (uses the buttons on the bottom of your Palm) and Graffiti (uses the stylus in the Graffiti area).
On installation, the game defaults to the "Button" system. If you want to change to use the Graffiti system instead, use the Car Controls menu (Options->Settings->Car Controls). You can also change in game, simply pause the game by tapping on the screen or the menu button and choose the Options menu

The 'Buttons' control layout. In automatic mode, reverse gear is selected with the brake button (see below)

The Graffiti control layout. In automatic mode, reverse gear is selected manually using the 'gears' buttons (see below)

Each car can be driven with either an automatic or a manual transmission, selectable from the "Transmission" menu (Options->Settings->Transmission). There are three options here, "Automatic", "Manual" and the default, "Auto + Revs", "Auto + Revs" gives an automatic transmission but still displays the rev counter and currently selected gear.

Hints and Tips

Controls Revisited

If you get stuck against the edge of the track, you may find it helpful to use reverse gear. How you engage reverse gear depends on the control method and the transmission type:

- In 'Buttons' mode with automatic transmission, engage reverse gear by braking while stationary. Once in reverse gear, 'brake' accelerates the car backwards, while 'accelerate' slows the reversing action down, and switches you back into forward gears once you are stationary again.
- In 'Graffiti®' mode with an automatic transmission, reverse gear is selected by pressing on the lower 'gears' button: after reversing you can return to forward gears by pressing on the upper 'gears' button.
- With a manual transmission in either control mode, reverse gear is selected by changing down from 1st gear.

The camera and car are both free to rotate through 360 degrees: together with the photo-realistic track and horizon textures, this give GTS Racing Challenge even more freedom and realism.

Sound effects

Game sound can be adjusted from the sound options menu (Options->Settings->Sound Volume). The default setting is "100%", and you can change this by tapping on the bar or on the "+" and "-" icons either side of the bar. Tapping "Cancel" will return you to the Settings menu without saving your changes, and tapping on "Enter" accepts and stores the change.
Tapping on "Off" or "Max" sets the volume level to 0% or 100% respectively, allowing quick setting of the most common volume choices.

Technical Info - for the Curious!

Technical details

Palms don't have the kind of specialised display hardware that modern console or PC racing games like Mario Kart rely on, so GTS Racing Challenge has to use the CPU to create all elements of the display. This is a very tall order for the Palm's Dragonball processor, and required radical coding methods to get game-quality performance. The heart of the software renderer, the DDA (Differential Digital Analyzer) module, was built from over 30,000 lines of assembly language, mechanically generated by a special-purpose compiler.

The result is a game engine that can display a high-definition texture-mapped track with scaled car and tree sprites, scrolling background and onscreen instruments, at 18-20 frames per second on a Palm m130.

Registering

If you downloaded the game straight from the internet, from Astraware's web pages, or from one of the popular handheld download sites, then your copy is in 'Demo' form. Demo means that you can play free for a while, and then decide whether to register it or not.

In Demo form, you can play GTS Racing Challenge for free, as you decide whether you like it or not. After each time you play, the program will display a short message asking you to register or purchase a full version!

Registering Online:

For those that like the speed and convenience of buying of the internet, when you register for the game, you'll get a key which will unlock the game and remain valid for future upgrades. Go to the web page at www.astraware.com/games/pazzazz/gts/ for more details.

You'll need to know your HotSync ID which you can find by which you can find by running GTS Racing Challenge, and selecting "Register" from the "Options" menu item. Your HotSync ID (or username) will be filled in for you. You can also find it by tapping on the "HotSync" icon of your Palm, and looking in the top right hand corner of the screen.

When you register, Astraware will generate a key based on your ID, which will normally be sent out by email within 48 hours of you registering. When you receive your key, go to the same register option, and enter the key into the space provided.

Astraware Products

You can find out about Astraware and the product range we have for the Palm-powered platform by visiting our website at www.astraware.com.
Here are our top products at time of writing:

Astraware Palm Packs
GameHouse Games Pack 1 | Get shuffling with Nisqually, blast those blocks with Collapse and test your word power with TextTwist!
GameHouse Games Pack 2 | Make crazy chains in Glinx, match stunning gems in Gem Drop, and get them balls bouncing in Bounce Out!
It's A Blast! Shooting Pack | Let out your tension with some target practice with Galaxy Ranger, Police Range and Bang Bang!
Palm Games Pack 2001 | Zap!2000, Biplane Ace and Bzzz! together for under $25 - save over 25%
PopCap Games Pack | Get the web games revolution that is Bejeweled, plus Alchemy, Seven Seas, Mummy Maze and Atomica!
Astraware Palm Games
Abysma | It's a race against time as you attempt to fill in the puzzle pieces before the descending bar of doom!
Alchemy | Turn lead into gold in Astraware's addictive PopCap puzzle game!
Astro Defence | Defend your city from the asteroid threat!
Atomica | Make Molecules in Dr. Atomica's Laboratory in Astraware's addictive PopCap puzzle game!
Bang! Bang! | Backyard blasting fun
Bejeweled | Bejeweled is a Palm version of the incredibly popular and addictive online game by PopCap
Big Money! | Coin collecting fun in another Pop Cap classic!
Biplane Ace | Dogfight against rival fighter pilots
BookWorm for Palm | Feed the bookworm’s loquacious appetite with words made from connected letter tiles.
Bounce Out | Brain bending ball matching action
Bzzz! for Palm | Fly-catching action for the Palm
Candy Cruncher for Palm | Candy Crunching Fun
ChromaGames | Great triple pack of classic games
Collapse! | Tap matching blocks in this simple but frantic GameHouse game.
Dynomite | Get prehistoric with this dino egg-citing game!
Elixir | Collect valuable elixir from a stack of capsules without upsetting the balance in this ultra addictive game from Trixiam Studios.
Eye of Horus | Unleash your magical powers with this Astraware puzzle game.
Galaxy Ranger | Be a Galaxy Ranger, Save the Universe!
Gem Drop | Gem dropping, jewel matching fun
Glinx | Make chains of gems as long as you can!
Insaniquarium | Feed fish and fight aliens in the craziest aquarium ever!
Link Letters for Palm | Form chains of words by altering single letters in Astraware's version of a classic word linking game
Mad Gab | ...It's not what you SAY, it's what you HEAR!
Mahjongg | Relax your mind with the most authentic Mahjongg solitaire game for Palm-powered handhelds
Mars Needs Cows | The challenging PopCap puzzle game of animal abduction!
Mummy Maze | Escape the maze and outsmart the mummy in this great PopCap game!
Nisqually | Make lines of blocks to clear the screen and complete the level
Noah's Ark | Save pairs of animals from the rising water in this great PopCap game!
Police Range | Police Range is a fast game of reactions, dexterity, accuracy and good judgment!
Ricochet | Classic brick blasting fun comes to the Palm in this conversion of the PC favourite.
Rooks Revenge | Try to kill king in this real time chess game from ASAP Games.
Round Up | Marble Moving Madness
Seven Seas | Ship Ahoy! Blast pirates with a broadside and navigate through dangerous waters, in this PopCap puzzle game
T-Blaster | Practice your graffiti/text entry by blasting aliens!
TacTic | A twist on the classic Tic-Tac-Toe game pits you against the brain
Text Twist | Juggle letters to make as many words as you can in a limited time!
What Word for Palm | Word finding fun on your palm
Zap!2000 | Arcade gaming on the Palm has never looked so good!
Zap!2016 | The essential showcase for your 16-bit color Palm
Astraware Palm Applications
e.Guide | Your essential TV episode guide for Palm
Timetable Lite | Know whats when with Timetable!
Timetable ProPlus | The essential tool for teachers and students, with assignment tracker
Astraware Pocket PC Games
Abysma for PocketPC | It's a race against time as you attempt to fill in the puzzle pieces before the descending bar of doom!
Alchemy for Pocket PC | The Pocket PC version of this gold making game
Atomica for Pocket PC | Make Molecules in Dr. Atomica's Laboratory in Astraware's addictive PopCap puzzle game!
BookWorm for Pocket PC | Feed the bookworm’s loquacious appetite with words made from connected letter tiles.
Bounce Out! for Pocket PC | Brain bending ball matching action for the Pocket PC
Collapse! for Pocket PC | Tap matching blocks in this simple but frantic GameHouse game.
Diamond Mine | The Pocket PC version of the addictive PopCap gem-swapping game, Bejeweled
Elixir for Pocket PC | Collect valuable elixir from a stack of capsules without upsetting the balance in this ultra addictive game from Trixiam Studios.
Link Letters for Pocket PC | Form chains of words by altering single letters in Astraware's version of a classic word linking game
Mummy Maze for PPC | Escape the maze and outsmart the mummy in this great PopCap game!
Nisqually for Pocket PC | Make lines of blocks to clear the screen and complete the level
Rooks Revenge for Pocket PC | Try to kill king in this real time chess game from ASAP Games
Seven Seas for Pocket PC | Ship Ahoy! Blast pirates with a broadside and navigate through dangerous waters, in this PopCap puzzle game
Text Twist for Pocket PC | Juggle letters to make as many words as you can in a limited time!
What Word for Pocket PC | Word finding fun on your Pocket PC

Release Revision History!

Release 1.00 : 17th February, 2003

- First public release!

Feedback

If you've got suggestions about how to improve Astraware GTS Racing Challenge - or with reports of any problems you've had, then please contact us!

GTS Racing Challenge enquiries/feedback: gts@astraware.com
Registration problems: registrations@astraware.com
General Astraware enquiries: feedback@astraware.com

Contributors

Design, Programming, Graphics

- Andy Wilton (Programming)
- Florence Pirotais (Artwork)

Compatibility Testing

- Graham Harrison
- Kieren Smith
- Sarah Pender
- Tom Berman

Beta Testing
Conner, Avi, Hiroshi, Gavin, David, Ray, Jason, Roman, Tobias, Ivan, Scott, Dennis, Chris, Kevin, Steve, James, Moishe, Zac, Cheryl, Len, Frank, Roger, John, and all other contributors to the Astraware beta testing community!

Legal

Astraware Ltd takes no responsibility for any adverse effect that this software could cause to your machine or the data on it: backup important data before using GTS Racing Challenge. GTS Racing Challenge is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties. GTS Racing Challenge is licensed, not sold.

You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble this software.
Astraware’s and its suppliers’ entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be, at Astraware’s option, either (a) return of the price paid, if any, or (b) replacement of the product that does not meet the warranty and which is returned to Astraware with a copy of your receipt. This warranty is void if failure of the product has resulted from accident, abuse, or misapplication. Any replacement software product will be warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period or thirty (30) days, whichever is longer. These remedies are not available without proof of purchase from an authorized source.

Written permission must be obtained before distribution of this game, either in demo form or full form, through any online or offline methods.

Copyright 2002 Andy Wilton. Pazzazz and Pazzazz Games are trademarks of Pazzazz Games. Published by Astraware Ltd. - www.astraware.com.

Astraware and the planet logo are trademarks of Astraware Limited. All rights reserved.