Haunted
Adventure - Boo! Game
Program Instructions
1.
Credits
Hack
by Anthony W. Wong
Additional
programming code by Nukey Shay
and Brian "Whipcrack" Wong
Grave and shovel coding and graphics by Nukey Shay
Sceptre
and old man Graves Ghost artwork inspired by James Francis
a.k.a. Out_of_Gas
Label
artwork and Manual by Philip R. Frey
a.k.a. "Rhindle The Red"
Original
Adventure programmed by Warren Robinett
Thanks
to the following for additional assistance:
Simon
Cornwell (November
13, 1994) for disassembling the
Adventure cartridge and commenting the assembly language
Joel D. Park for optimizing and
commenting the Adventure disassembly
Steve
"Atarius Maximus" Engelhardt for making Adventure Plus, the
Create Your Own Adventure editor, and responding to my posts
Nukey
Shay for inspiring me with his own 8kAdvent and his myriad of
informative posts regarding coding and his personal insights
Brian
Wong for step by step instructions for fixing page errors
James
Francis a.k.a. Out_of_Gas for inspiring me to continue with his art
James
Andreasen for programming the original Haunted House
Stan
Jr. and Brian Wong for extensive play testing
and comments
Jack
The Atari Troll Kortkamp, Pixellated Ghost, pmpddytim (Tim), and Gateway for
comments in the forums
Albert Yarusso at AtariAge
for his information on making carts
AtariAge
for keeping the Atari community alive!
2. The continuing tale of the
haunted house...
In
1981, the stories of a magical urn hidden away within the century old
Graves' Manor in the town of Spirit Bay enticed foolhardy explorers
to enter. Unsubstantiated reports of people disappearing were
attributed to the mansion, but these reports were dismissed as pure
fiction by the authorities. Rumours abounded that adventurers to
the
haunted house were being scared to death by supernatural forces.
Eventually, a broken urn was recovered and restored by one brave
adventurer. That individual recounted a tale of being pursued by
giant tarantulas, vampire bats, and the ghost of old man Zachary
Graves himself. The adventurer also claimed that a master key
helped
to open doors locked for years and an ancient sceptre warded off most
of the ghastly creatures of the mansion, but that both of these items
were lost during the frantic escape from the house...
“I
barely escaped with my life...” The Adventurer
The
urn sat on a trophy shelf for over two decades until it was spirited
away one stormy night. Then the townsfolk of Spirit Bay claimed
that
mysterious events began occurring again around the condemned
building of Graves' Manor. They blamed the spirit of Zachary
Graves,
and devised a plan to stop the unexplainable ongoings. It was
rumoured that Graves was buried in a crypt under his own house.
"Preposterous! One would not be
buried under one's own home. His body would more likely be
decaying in a nearby cemetery. The rumours are unfounded!" - Tony
Believing
that he was in league with sinister forces, some people
decided to break into the mansion, find the crypt, and desecrate the
body by removing his head to destroy his powers. They would then
cast his head into the deep caverns near the manor. Despite the
warnings and common sense of many others, these people broke into the
house but were never heard from again...
“People
shouldn't be messing around with things that are none of their
business!” - Jono Care
Unfortunately,
after the break-in, the town of Spirit Bay has become enshrouded with
an omnipresent darkness. The townsfolk believe that Zachary
Graves'
body was disturbed and now his spirit not only continues to haunt the
house but the entire community as well. The people believe that
their once idyllic town of Spirit Bay will
be cursed until old man Graves' head is returned to his tomb.
Some
also say that the ghost of old man Graves has disturbed the slumber
of other malevolent spirits...
“Old
man Graves is very, very angry...” - Old man Johnson
It
is now 2004 and you enter Graves Manor in order to return the skull
of Zachary Graves to its proper resting place in the newly discovered
crypt beneath the house.
"Nonsense!
He would have been
buried in a cemetery, I say!" - Tony
The closer you get to the
mansion,
the more you feel the powerful curse. As you enter the first
floor
of the house, you stumble through a previously unknown section and
become trapped behind a hidden panel. Now the haunted adventure
begins...
3.
Game Objective
The
object of the game Haunted Adventure - Boo! is to find the skull of old
man
Graves and return it to the crypt under the cemetery by utilizing
various keys and tools
to explore the house and avoid the ghosts.
4.
Video Game Console
Instructions
Use your Joystick
Controller with this ATARI(C) Game Program.(tm) Be sure the
Controller is firmly plugged into the LEFT CONTROLLER jack at the
rear of your ATARI Video Computer System.(tm) Hold the Controller
with the red button to your upper left toward the television
screen.
See Section 3 of your Owner's Manual for further details.
Note: Always turn the console power
switch OFF when inserting or removing an ATARI Game Program. This
will protect the electronic components and prolong the life of your
ATARI Video Computer System.
Note:
For more enjoyment of the Haunted Adventure - Boo! Game Program, please read
all instructions carefully before beginning play. Keep this
instruction booklet handy for quick reference.
Plug
your Haunted Adventure - Boo! Atari cartridge into your Atari 2600
VCS.
You
are a proud owner of a real Atari 2600 VCS, aren't you?
What? You're
using an emulator and a binary?! Well, then skip that last
part and look at the readme files. Anyways... turn ON your Atari
2600 VCS.
5. Console Controls
SELECT and RESET
Choose the Skill Level you wish to
play by depressing the game select switch. To begin play depress
the
game reset switch.
If you get killed by one of the
ghosts, use can use the powerful force known only as reset. Just
depress the game reset switch and your life force will be returned to
you and you will materialize back on the first floor of the haunted
house. Unfortunately, any ghosts you may have banished will also
return to haunt the mansion. If you were carrying any object with
you, it will remain where it was.
If
you have finished one game and wish to begin another depress either
the game reset or the game select switch. The number of the skill
level at which you were playing will appear on the television
screen.
Depress the game reset switch and begin play.
DIFFICULTY SWITCHES
By using the difficulty switches you
can increase or decrease the difficulty of the game at each Skill
Level.
When the left difficulty switch is in
the b position, the ghosts will hesitate before they try to consume
your life force. Therefore, when the left difficulty switch is in the
a position, it is more difficult to escape them.
If the right
difficulty switch is in the a position all ghosts will flee from the
sceptre.
BLACK & WHITE SWITCH
The Black & White switch does not
function in
Haunted Adventure - Boo!
6. Using the Controller
You can move in any of eight
directions with the joystick in that direction (see diagram).
Each
area shown on your television screen will have one or more barriers
or walls, through which you cannot pass. There are one or more
openings. To move from one area to an adjacent area, move "off"
the television screen through one of the openings, the adjacent area
will be shown on your television screen.
Scattered throughout the house are
certain objects to help you in your search for the skull. To pick
up
an object, all that is necessary is to touch it. You will hear a
sound that will notify you that you have the object in tow. To
drop
the object, press the red controller button. You will hear a
different sound that will tell you that the object has been released.
To open any locked door, touch it
with
that door's corresponding coloured key. The door will slide open
and
you can enter by moving upward through the door. If you are
leaving
through the door with the key, it is advisable to push the key out
first or you may inadvertently close the door behind you.
7.
Objects
Skull
The
skull of old man Graves is hidden secretly somewhere beneath the
mansion in a vast, dark cavern. Return this wretched skull to the
purple crypt to release the town of Spirit Bay from its curse!
Sceptre
The
sceptre will protect you from ghosts. It
has been broken by someone or something, altering its original
powers. Now touching a ghost with the sceptre banishes it to the
nether realms, hopefully ceasing their haunting forever... If
the right difficulty switch is in the a position all ghosts will flee
from the sceptre.
If
there are four or more objects (including doors) in your area of the
house, the power of the sceptre may or may not work. Sometimes
you
can banish a ghost, sometimes you can't. However, it is easier to
avoid being killed by a ghost.
Ladder
The
ladder will help you climb over the walls into normally unreachable
areas and perhaps some secrets... The
ladder
cannot be used to pass through any barrier into the next
portion, nor can it be used to move from right to left or left to
right over a barrier or wall. It also cannot
be used to get past a locked door. Pick up the ladder the same
way
you would any other object. Place the ladder across the wall that
you
wish to pass over and release it by pushing the red controller
button. One end of the ladder may need be visible on the lower
sides
of the wall for it to work. After releasing the ladder you can
then
pass through it to the other side of the wall or barrier. If
you should happen to touch the inside of the ladder while you are
passing over the wall, the ladder may cause you to be trapped.
To
release yourself, press the red controller button. If, for some
reason you should fail and you still cannot release yourself, press
game reset. Use rest as a last resort, especially if you have
banished one or more ghosts.
Dismembered
Hand
It
is rumoured that this hand can mysteriously entice inanimate objects
into its grasp. The hand
may try to hinder you with its
power. It
can remove objects that are stuck in a wall and out of reach. The
hand can also be used to move objects in an adjacent part of the
house by putting it in front of you before entering next room or
area.
Keys
and Locked Doors
Use
the coloured keys to unlock the corresponding locked doors to
enter areas deeper under the mansion. Doors can be found with
small cross-like locks that can be opened when touched by the proper
key. Old man Graves believed these crosses would keep evil
spirits from passing through the doors. Too bad he neglected to
have crosses on his walls, or floors, or ceilings...
The
green key unlocks the Storage Area.
The
dark key unlocks the Cavern
Entrance
The
Shovel and Grave
Use the
shovel to dig up the grave
to uncover the mysterious crypt beneath...
Old
Man Graves' Eye (Transmolecular Micro Dot)
This
eye can help you see the way into a previously inaccessible
passageway. The use of several objects with the eye may assist in
gaining entry...
8.
Creatures
Ghosts
These
restless, angry spirits will attempt to drain your life force.
Avoid
contact or use the sceptre to protect yourself. The ghost of old
man
Graves has returned to haunt his manor and has awoken other spirits as
well...
Ghosts
may become attached to objects they held dear in life and guard
them.
Beware!
Green
Bat
This
bat has given up on its previous blood sucking ways and has turned to
a life of thievery. Sometimes it will steal away an object it
sees
or that you are carrying and will replace it for another.
Sometimes
this is a good thing, but most of the time it's a bad thing. You
can
carry the bat like an object, even when it is carrying another
object.
In
Skill Levels 2 and 3 (see Skill Levels description), besides the
ghosts, the vampire bat now carries objects around
the house and trades them for an object that you may be carrying.
The
bat may trade a ghost for the sceptre and leave you defenceless,
or it may trade you something for the skull just as you are ready to
put it into the crypt.
Sometimes
the vampire bat can be used to your advantage by getting it to swap
for an object you need that may be stuck in a wall. You
can catch the vampire bat and carry it and whatever the bat may be
carrying. However, sometimes the bat will escape (usually at the
most
inopportune times).
Tarantulas
No
way!!! I hate spiders!!! Especially giant, hairy ones.
9. Skill Levels –
Warning:
Do not read if you want to figure out Haunted Adventure - Boo! for
yourself!
Level 1 Floor plan
This is the simplest Skill Level.
When
you depress the game reset switch to begin play, you will be on the
first floor and see the shovel that you can use to dig up the grave in
the cemetery. Travel northward
and
west to find the Sub Basement and the Cemetery. Dig up the grave
with the shovel and enter. You will find the sceptre
inside the crypt, but it is not immediately reachable. Travel
westward to the tunnels under the house. Beware of ghosts
haunting the house. You will need the ladder to retrieve the
sceptre. The key to the dark
cavern
under the house may be guarded in the tunnels by a ghost. Other
ghosts are doomed to float about, haunting the mansion or guarding
the cursed skull, which is hidden with the dismembered hand inside
the dark cavern past the tunnels.
Level 2 Floor plan
This house is much larger than Level
1.
First
Floor
The
game begins in a previously unexplored portion of the first
floor. As
you progress through the house, all new areas lead downward.
The
Basement
The
first new area you will encounter is the basement. The lights
have
long since gone out and you must rely on your own light source to
traverse this area. Finding your way westward and down takes you
to...
The
Cellar
The
damp walls of the cellar possess a greenish glow from bioluminescent
moss. Behind a locked door are stairs leading down to...
The
Storage Area
The
storage area is dark inside and bats can be heard fluttering about.
An
object vital to your quest may be stored here.
The
Sub Basement
Below
the basement is a series of rooms with an unearthly hue which can be
reached by travelling northwards and down while in the basement.
Continuing westward and immediately northward will eventually take you
to...
The
Cemetery
The
skull of old man Graves has been removed from the crypt under the
cemetery. You will need to find an object to unearth and open the
grave to gain access to the crypt. From
some
reason the grave and crypt have been resealed, but by whom? And
what might
you
find lurking within a crypt?
Returning
southwards, continuing west and heading downwards to the north will
take you to ...
The
Tunnels
This
region is pitch black and full of twisting mazes. A dark key may
be
hidden here which will enable you to open...
The
Cavern Entrance
Guarded
by another locked door leading downwards into...
The
Unknown
The
skull and eye of old man Graves are hidden in the depths of the
unknown in the dark caverns, but something here will allow you to
reach them... The eye
can be found when your light source
flickers unexpectedly...
Beware of old man Graves!
Other
Secret Rooms
The
eye of old man Graves will lead you to enter previously unaccessible
rooms at the end of the sub-basement, containing the storage key and...
???
The crypt is initially hidden.
You will need something to help
you reach it...
All objects, the
ghosts, and the bat will start in the same place in the haunted house
each time you play the game at Level 2.
Level 3
The haunted house is the same as
Level
2, but is more difficult to play as the mysterious curse has placed
all the objects and the ghosts randomly within the house. You will
never know for sure what is in the next area of the house until you
enter it, nor will you know for sure where the cursed skull may be
hidden. The ghosts could be haunting anywhere, ready to drain
your
life force.
May 30th, 2004
