Red Mercury™ Presents Atom Smash 1.1h

Copyright © 2000 Red Mercury, LLC

Please read license.txt before installing this software.

Simply double-click the file "ASmash.prc" to start the Install program. If the Install program does not start when you double-click, you can open Palm Desktop, click Install, click Add, and then select ASmash.prc.

If you have purchased a previous version of Atom Smash, your UnlockCode will still work on version 1.1.
If you install Atom Smash 1.1 over a previous version, your high scores will be preserved.

Atom Smash 1.1
- starts up 60% faster than previous versions
- stays in the launcher category that you select

Atom Smash 1.1h
- can now be run from flash ROM
- improved visual contrast on Handspring Visor

To start Atom Smash, tap the Applications button (in the upper-left corner of the Graffiti area), and tap the Atom Smash icon.

To quit Atom Smash at any time, tap the Applications button.

Atom Smash uses the Datebook, Address List, To Do List and Memo buttons for game play, so you can’t exit Atom Smash by pressing these buttons.

If you quit Atom Smash in the middle of a game, your game will be saved. It will be restored the next time you start Atom Smash.

When you start Atom Smash, tap "Start" on the title screen to begin. If Atom Smash enters demo mode, you can press one of the hard keys (Datebook, Address List, To Do List, or Memo button) to return to the title screen.

You will then have the option to start a One Player or a Two Player game. Tap your selection and the game will begin. If you have created new LevelPaks with the Level Editor, or if you have downloaded or beamed new LevelPaks, you can select them with the Choose LevelPak control on this screen.

Once the game starts, you will see a paddle at the bottom of the screen. Use the four hard keys (Datebook, Address List, To Do List and Memo) to move the paddle. The middle two hard keys move the paddle slowly. The outer two keys move the paddle quickly. Use the middle keys until you get used to playing the game. On more difficult levels, you will need to use the outer keys to save the ball in tough situations.

As the game starts, a ball will appear on the paddle. You can move the paddle to aim where the ball will start. Press the Page Up key to launch the ball. Note that the ball will launch automatically after 10 seconds. (The Page Up key is in the center of your Palm OS device, between the Address List and To Do list buttons).

As the ball bounces, move the paddle to continuously bounce the ball back toward the bricks at the top of the screen. The ball will speed up slightly each time it hits an obstacle.

The initial ball speed can be changed by setting the difficulty level of the game. Select "Difficulty..." from the "Options" menu to select Easy, Medium, or Tournament difficulty levels. Note that you can set a different difficulty level for Player 1 and Player 2. In one-player games, the difficulty setting for Player 1 is used.

There are four types of bricks - Normal, Gray, Gold, and Regenerating.

  Normal bricks are destroyed the first time they are hit by a ball.

  Gray bricks must be hit twice before they are destroyed.

  Gold bricks will not be destroyed no matter how many times they are hit by the ball.

  Regenerating bricks disappear the first time they are hit, but they re-appear after a short time.

You must clear all Normal and Gray bricks to continue to the next level. Regenerating and Gold bricks can’t normally be cleared, so you don’t have to destroy them to continue to the next level.

When you hit a Normal brick with the ball, occasionally an object will begin to fall toward your paddle. Catch these if you can! They are called Power Ups and they give you special powers.

There are six types of Power Up:

  Three-ball - Gives you three balls at once. You can safely miss two of the balls without losing your turn.

  H-Bomb - This puts the ball in a highly destructive state, plowing through all types of bricks without bouncing off of them. This is a great way to clear out difficult levels. Remember when we said that Regenerating and Gold bricks can’t be destroyed? Well, this will destroy them.

  Slow - After playing a level for a while, the ball speeds up. The Slow Power Up slows the ball down to its original speed. Grab this if things are getting out of hand.

  Grow - This will make your paddle larger.

  Shrink - This will make your paddle smaller. Avoid this Power Up unless you enjoy punishment.

  One Up - Gives you an extra paddle!! Catch this one at all costs!

If you miss the ball (or all of the balls if you have 3-ball going), your paddle explodes.

You start each game with three paddles. Catch the One Up Power Up to get more paddles (see Power Ups above).

If you lose all paddles, the game ends.

In two-player mode, players only alternate when one player’s paddle explodes. Atom Smash will wait for a button to be pressed when it is time to switch players. Remember your player number - when Atom Smash tells the other player to press a button, hand it over.

Tap the screen or press the Page Down key to pause a game.

To un-pause a game, tap the screen, press Page Down, or press any paddle control button.

To quit back to the main menu, tap the Menu button (in the lower-left hand corner of the Graffiti area) and select "Exit to Main Menu" from the menu that appears.

To quit Atom Smash, tap the Applications button (in the upper-left hand corner of the Graffiti area). Note that since the Datebook, Address List, To Do List and Memo buttons are used for gameplay, they cannot be used to exit Atom Smash. As soon as you tap the Applications button, all buttons will return to their normal functionality.

Atom Smash contains a LevelPak Editor that allows you to build your own LevelPaks and beam them to friends. For instructions on using the LevelPak editor, view the "Editor Instructions" available from the Options menu of Atom Smash. (note: LevelPak Editor is only available to owners of Atom Smash full version).

Atom Smash contains a built in Tilt function that allows you to influence the flight path of the ball. If 30 seconds or more passes without a ball touching the paddle, the Tilt function is activated. Press the Page Up button to shake Atom Smash and alter the ball's trajectory. When Tilt is activated, you will hear a sound effect when you press Page Up. When a ball hits the paddle again, Tilt is deactivated for 30 seconds, and Page Up will not affect the ball trajectory.

Atom Smash is free to try for 30 days. You may purchase the full version of Atom Smash at any time for only $14.95(US) by visiting http://www.red-mercury.com.