Reissued by Atari in 1988 (CX-26150)
Q*bert Atari 2600 Instruction manual
Q*BERT OBJECTIVES
To score as many points as possible by changing the colour of the cubes on the pyramid from a starting colour to a destination colour. You’ll do this by hopping Q*bert from cube to cube while avoiding the “nasty” characters who will try to stop him. Each time you complete a pyramid, you’ll proceed to a new pyramid – or round. Try to complete as many rounds as you can. There are five games levels in all: four rounds per level.
Q*BERT – SETTING THE CONTROLS
- Since this is a one player game, plug the Joystick controller firmly into the LEFT controller jack.
- Set the Left Difficulty switch: Position B(Novice): This is an easy game; there are no Red Balls rolling after Q*bert Position A(Expert): This is the regular game. All the characters described in the following rules will appear.
- Press down the game RESET switch and you’re ready to start the action.
THE JOYSTICK
Hold the Joystick in your hand so that the four corners make a diamond with the Fire Button at the top. The Joystick moves in the four diagonal directions shown. These are the directions in which Q*bert moves around the pyramid.
PLAYING Q*BERT
Q*bert
You’ll start the game with four Q*berts. The first Q*bert will appear on the topmost cube as soon as you hit RESET. The remaining Q*berts are shown at the top of the screen throughout the game. Try to hop q*bert onto each and every cube, so that eventually, the entire pyramid becomes the destination colour. The destination colour is the same as the colour of the remaining Q*berts and score as seen at the top of the screen.
Be careful not to hop Q*bert off the sides of the pyramid or off the bottom row of cubes. If you do, he falls and you lose that Q*bert. When this happens, the next Q*bert will appear on the topmost cube ready to try again to complete the pyramid.
Red Ball
When Red Ball starts rolling, get Q*bert out of its path or it will squash him! If this happens, the next Q*bert appears on the cube where the last one was squashed.
Purple Ball
Poses the same kind of danger as Red Ball, except that when Purple Ball reaches the bottom of the pyramid, it hatches Coily the snake!
Coily
He’s the snake with the perilous pounce! The only way to get rid of Coily is to lure him off the pyramid by hopping a flying disc. The best way to do this is to hop Q*bert onto the exit cube. (There is only one correct exit cube for each flying disc). Then as soon as Coily approaches the exit cube, hop Q*bert aboard the flying disc. Q*bert flies off to safety while Coily falls into space.
Flying Discs
When Q*bert is in trouble, he can board a flying disc that will whisk him off to safety at the top of the pyramid. The number of discs and their placement to the sides of the pyramid will differ, depending on the game level and round. Just make sure Q*bert boards the flying discs from the correct exit cube, or else he’ll fall off the pyramid.
Sam
Even though Sam can’t catch Q*bert, he’s still a very crafty fellow. He changes the cubes’ colours back again so Q*bert has got to retrace his tracks. If Q*bert stops him, however (by running into him), you’ll earn extra bonus points.
Green Ball
Green Ball is the other green character that can’t catch Q*bert, either. But if Q*bert catches Green Ball, all the characters except Q*bert freeze for a second, Q*bert can continue to hop, and you’ll earn bonus points.
Q*BERT – END OF ROUND
The round ends when you complete the pyramid. As long as you have a remaining Q*bert, a new pyramid will appear with a new destination colour.
Q*BERT ROUND PROGRESSION
As you progress from round to round, Q*bert’s speed, the speed of the other characters, and the frequency of the other characters’ appearances will increase.
Q*BERT END OF GAME
The game ends when you run out of Q*berts. To play again, press RESET. The game will begin at Level 1, Round 1.
Q*BERT SCORING
Q*bert changes cubes
to destination colour 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 3100 points for every round you complete
Bonus Q*berts one after the first five rounds; then one for every four rounds thereafter.
Q*BERT – REACHING THE DESTINATION COLOUR
The following describes Q*bert’s colouring pattern in each of the five game levels.
S=Starting colour I=Intermediate colour D=Destination colour
Level 1(Rounds 1-4)
When Q*bert jumps on S, it changes to D. When he jumps on D, it stays at D.
Level 2(Rounds 1-4)
When Q*bert jumps on S, it changes to I. When he jumps on I, it changes to D. When he jumps on D it stays at D.
Level 3(Rounds 1-4)
When Q*bert jumps on S, it changes to D. When he jumps on D, it changes back to S. Q*bert has got to start again.
Level 4(Rounds 1-4)
When Q*bert jumps on S, it changes to I. When he jumps on I, it changes to D. When he jumps on D it changes back to I. Q*bert has got to start again.
Level 5(Rounds 1-4)
When Q*bert jumps on S, it changes to I. When he jumps on I, it changes to D. When he jumps on D it changes back to S. Q*bert has got to start again. Once you complete Level 5, Level 5 is repeated, starting with Round 1.