Q*bert (Atari)

/|\ ATARI 2600(TM) Game Manual

Q*bert(TM)

The Supreme Moser!

Q+bert is an energetic IittIe guy, with a big nose, who hops up and down cubicle pyramids
in a magical world.

When Q*bert hops on a cube, its top changes color, so Q*bert invented a little game: he
loves to go from pyramid to pyramid, changing all the cube tops in each pyramid to another
color.

But nothing comes easily, even in Q'bert's world. Q*bert's enemies, Sam and Coily, do their
best to thwart Q*bert in his colorful game. Sometimes they make Q*bert mad enough to say,
"!#?"

It takes quick thinking and a quick wrist to help Q*bert change all of the cube tops to the
desired color When you succeed, YOU are the Supreme Noser!

Getting Started

1. With your television turned on, insert the Q*bert cartridge into your Atari 2600 (or
7800(TM)) as explained in your Owner's Manual, and turn on your console. First a pyramid of
cubes will appear and then Q*bert, standing on top of the pyramid.

2. Plug a joystick into the left joystick port.

3. If you are using an Atari 2600, select color using the TV switch.

4. Set the Left Difficulty switch to either the B (novice) or A (expert) position.

5. Press [Reset] or thejoystick fire button to start the game.

Making Q*bert Hop

Hold the joystick so that the four corners make a baseball diamond, with the fire button at
the top.

Move thejoystick in the four diagonal directions to hop diagonally from cube to cube all
around the pyramid.

Be careful not to hop off the sides of the Pyramid or the bottom row of cubes. If you do,
you'll lose poor Q*bert.

Jump onto one of the flying disks if you're ever in trouble. It will carry you to the
safety of the highest cube. Be careful to hop from the correct exit cube, or you'll fall off
the pyramid.

Playing the Game

With Q*bert, your goal is to score as many points as possible by changing the color of
every cube in the pyramid into the pyramid's "destination" color. To do so, you must hop
onto each cube in the pyramid one at a time, while avoiding the nasty creatures that lurk
there. These creatures want nothing more than to stop your progress.

You'll start the game with four Q*berts. Whenever you reset the game, Q*bert #1 appears on
the highest cube. The remaining three backup Q*berts await their turn under the scorekeeper
at the top of the screen. You'll lose a Q*bert if you accidentally jump off the pyramid into
space or if you run into trouble with certain nasty creatures. If you fall off the pyramid,
your next Q*bert will appear on the highest cube. If Q*bert is squashed by a red or purple
ball, or by Coily the snake, your next Q*bert continues playing where the last one was.

After you transform the entire pyramid, the round is over. As long as you have at least one
remaining Q*bert, you'll earn points and advance to the next round. There you'll find a new
pyramid, a new destination color, and a new pack of revitalized creatures.

The game has five game levels, each having four rounds. As you proceed through each round,
both Q*bert and the creatures speed up, and the path you must follow to reach the
destination color becomes more and more difficult. The backup Q*berts and scoreboard display
the destination color for each pyramid.

The game is over when you run out of Q*berts. If you reset the game, you'll begin at level
1, round 1.

If you complete all five game levels, the game repeats level 5, beginning with round 1.

Nasty Creature Strategies

Nasty Creature Strategy

Red Ball When the ball starts rolling, get out of its path or it will squash
you!

Purple Ball Get out of its path. When it reaches the bottom of the pyramid. it
will hatch Coily the snake!

Coily Stay away from Coily, or you'll get squashed! Lure him off the
pyramid by hopping onto one of the flying disks. Just before Coily
reaches the exit cube, jump onto the disk. Coily will follow and
fall into space.

Sam Watch out for Sam. He poses no direct threat to Q*bert, but this
crafty little fellow changes the cubes back to their original
colors, forcing you to retrace your tracks. You can stop this
prankster by running into him. if you do, you'll earn bonus points.

Green Ball The green ball can't hurt you. When you touch it, all the creatures
except for Q*bert will freeze for a few seconds. You can keep on
hopping while they're frozen, and you'll win bonus points. You can
even hop through Coily and the red balls.

Transforming Pyramids

Game
Level Path to Destination Color

1 1. Jump on a cube.
2. The cube changes to the destination color.
3. If you jump on the cube again, the destination color remains.

2 1. Jump on a cube.
2. The cube changes to the intermediate color.
3. If you jump on the cube again, it changes to the destination color.
4. If you jump on the cube a third time, the destination color remains.

3 1. Jump on a cube.
2. The cube changes to the destination color.
3. If you jump on the cube again, the cube changes back to the original color.
4. Start over again.

4 1. Jump on a cube.
2. The cube changes to the intermediate color.
3. If you jump on the cube again, it changes to the destination color.
4. If you jump on the cube a third time, it changes to the intermediate color.
5. If you jump on the cube again, it changes back to the destination color.

5 1. Jump on a cube.
2. The cube changes to the intermediate color.
3. If you jump on the cube again, it changes to the destination color.
4. If you jump on the cube a third time, it changes back to Scoring the original color.
5. Start over again.

Scoring

Q*bert changes cube to destination color ................. 25 points
Q*bert catches Sam ....................................... 300 points
Q*bert catches green ball ................................ 100 points
Q*bert lures Coily off pyramid ........................... 500 points
Bonus points for every round you complete ................ 3100 points

You earn one extra Q*bert after the first five rounds and one extra Q*bert for every four
rounds after that.

Atari Corporation is unable to guarantee the accuracy of printed material after the date of
publication and disclaims liability for changes, errors, or omissions. Reproduction of this
document or any portion of its contents is not allowed without the specific written consent
of Atari Corporation

ATARI, the ATARI logo, 2600, and 7800 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Atari
Corporation. Q*bert trademark used under sublicense from JWI/ Electronics, Inc, 2600 version
(C)1983, by JVW Electronics, Divsion of Kenner Parker Toys, Inc.

Printed in Taiwan, C300016-150 K.I. 1 1. 1987

This document obtained from the History of Home Video Games Homepage, Š1997-1998 by Greg Chance