--- Comet Ball ---


System requirements:
====================

Atari Falcon 030 Computer, 14 MB RAM (should work on 4 MB but untested), 
about 20 MB free space on harddisk.

Required resolution: 640x480 in 16 colors

Cometball will also work on Atari TT computers (but without music) and on 
PCs with Hatari Emulator with both EMUTOS and TOS 4.04. 
Depending on your PC hardware / emulator settings music or sfx may be 
delayed or not played correctly. Sorry folks, I don' t have a PC to try. 

Use real hardware for the real fun.

Cometball will play better and smoother if you use NVDI and/or an 
accelerator like Nemesis, Phantom or the CT60/E.


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Installation:
=============

On a real Atari:
----------------
Copy the contents of the folder "Com-Ball" to any place of your harddrive. 
That's it.
    
On Windows:*
-----------
Copy the Folder "Com-Ball.win" to any place of your harddrive. 
Start "Hatari.exe" and adjust the paths by hitting F12 if necessaire. 

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Start the game:
===============

On a real Atari:
----------------
Start the game by doubleclick on "com-ball.prg"

On Windows:*
-----------
Start "Hatari.exe" with doubleclick on it.

* only affects the boxed version. If you downloaded the game, then you have
to arrange the files for the emulator and doubleclick on "com-ball.prg".

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After the highscores and credits were shown 
(you can leave both screens with the left mouse button), you are prompted 
to either start the game in story or arcade mode. 

You can also quit the game at this point if you feel like.


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Quickstart:
===========

Left Mousebutton = Fire Plasma Cannon
Right Mousebutton = Freeze Comets
HELP = Pause


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What is Cometball...
====================

It's the Armageddon...


Huge comets are flying through space towards mother earth.

In case of an impact, we all would be extinct.

You are mankind's last and only hope. All other computers fail due to cosmic
radiation, but your Atari Falcon is still up and running.

World's top scientists have found a way to connect your Atari to the 
world's most powerfull weapon: the plasma cannon.
                                  
Your screen is the window to the (hopefully not) impact zone.
                                  
By hitting the left mousebutton the plasma cannon will shoot inverted black
holes to space that will reflect the incoming coments.  

This technology will allow you to "draw" black lines to the sky that will 
hold the comets away from earth if you keep pushing the left button while 
moving the mouse.

A small crosshair will point to where you shoot.

On the top left of the screen, you can see the energy bar of your plasma 
cannon. As long as any is left, you can fire. 

The cannon also will reload itself while not in use by collecting solar 
energy. (safe the environment! :))

Unfortunately inverted black holes are not very stable. So they will 
disappear from time to time and when they got hit by a comet. 
So don't rely too much on them. You have to be quick!
        
As a fallback solution, the cannon has also a plasma freezer that works on 
the comets specific frequency.
                  
By pushing the right button the freezer is activated. The lower line in the
top left corner is the freezer's energy. As long as you have some left it 
will freeze the comets - and only them - in their current position.
                          
As the freezer consumes much more energy than the plasma cannon it takes 
much more time for it to recover.

Of course you can combine your two weapons, that means you can freeze and 
fire at the same time.

Your goal is to destroy the comets by sending them to the sun what will burn
them.

But the sun will of course only appear when it's the right time of day/play 
:)

When the comet hits the sun it will explode. If it doesn't, try again!

If the screen is cleared of comets, you will move on to the next level.
                                
Other obstactles that fly around the screen may also affect the comet's 
path and hinder you from sending it to the sun, or reflecting the comets 
towards the earth.

The game consists of 5 actionpacked levels that will keep you busy for a 
while.

In addition to that there's an arcade mode. It plays like the story mode, 
but you cannot win. Your only goal -just like in real life ;) - is to 
survive as long as possible and to score as many points as you can to enter
the hall of fame.

There are also some extras flying around the screen from time to time. 
To activate just guide a comet through them.
 
If you achieve a highscore, you will be asked to enter your name.

Cometball will save the 5 best scores in Arcade mode and the top score in 
story mode.

Enter your name by using your keyboard. If you are all set, press RETURN or
ENTER. 

If you mistyped, you can enter your name again after pressing ESC.


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Cometball is free of use software. You can download it from where you did :)
You are also free to spread the software as long as you don't charge any
money for it!
Cometball is (C) by C. Hellmuth (HM-Pictures). It' s not allowed to modify
or use the files for more than personal purposes!

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If you want the boxed version with printed manual and some goodies - 
send 24.99 EUR via paypal to christian.hellmuth@gmx.de - that includes
worldwide shipping! 
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Credits:


Main Code, Idea and SFX:
 
Christian Hellmuth (MacFalcon)


Falcon XBIOS- Soundroutine:


Markus Binder (Omikronman)


Cometball Theme and Music
composed and Performed by Mark Connelly Wilson
(P) Magic Room Productions used with permission


Great Balls of Fire (C) Jerry Lee Lewis
Johnny B. Goode (C) Chuck Berry
Congratulations (C) Cliff Richard

GEMA fees free as for non commercial use regarding email correspondence