SUPER SMASH       (Game called "THRESHOLD" in Europe!)
(c)1983 Commodore Business Machines, Inc.
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(This game was published earlier in 1982 for the VIC 20.)

STARTING THE GAME

Commodore 64 Machine:
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1. Turn OFF your Commodore 64 before inserting or removing any
   cartridge.

2. Insert the cartridge, with label side up, into the expansion 
   port on the back of the Commodore 64. The expansion port is 
   the opening farthest to the right when the keyboard is facing 
   you.

3. Turn ON the Commodore 64. The opening SUPER SMASH title 
   screen should appear. If the screen remains blank after 5 
   seconds, turn the computer off, then on again. If this doesn't 
   work, turn the computer OFF and remove the cartridge. Then 
   carefully reinsert the cartridge and try again.

CCS64 Emulator
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The paddle controllers can be replaced by the PC mouse by setting 
the input for Control Port 1 as follows:

Control Port 1             Paddles
                           PC Mouse +
                           PC Mouse

For two players the players may use different controllers if they 
desire by having a joystick in place of the mouse for one of the 
directions of the paddle. Set the emulator input as follows:

Control Port 1             Paddles
                           PC Mouse +
                           PC Gameport 1

Player 1 will then use the joystick. A joystick is of course not
a very good replacement for a paddle.


GAME DESCRIPTION

A few seconds after start SUPER SMASH goes into the DEMO mode.  
Press the F1 key on the keyboard to start the game.

SUPER SMASH presents you with three games on a single cartridge!  
In each game, you must break through a multi-colored brick wall 
using a ball that you deflect with your paddle.  The objective is 
the same in each game, but the differences are based on the walls 
themselves.

SUPER SMASH "NORMAL" presents you with 6 different-colored rows 
of bricks to smash through.  As you break bricks, the ball speeds 
up and starts taking more unpredictable bounces at different 
angles.  Once you break through to the back wall, your paddle is 
cut in half, making it even tougher to keep the ball in play.

SUPER SMASH "SPECIAL" has not one...not two...but THREE separate 
walls of bricks!  The lowest wall starts very close to the 
paddle, making the action extremely fast-paced and challenging.

SUPER SMASH "PROGRESSIVE" challenges you with the same three-
wall screen as "SPECIAL", but with a twist:  the WALLS ADVANCE 
TOWARD YOUR PADDLE as you play!!  When you knock out a wall or 
one drops off the screen, another appears to take its place!  
It's as challenging as it seems to keep the ball in play!!

All three games have 5 balls per play, with a free ball at 
10,000 points.  SUPER SMASH is a game for one or two players, 
so you can play by yourself or share the challenge with a family 
member or friend.


CONTROLS

SUPER SMASH is designed to be used with paddles. With a C64 
emulator you can use the PC mouse an/or the joystick instead. 
Plug your paddle set into CONTROL PORT 1 to play. Each player has 
a paddle. To move your paddle to the RIGHT, turn the knob 
CLOCKWISE. To move to the LEFT, turn the knob COUNTER-CLOCKWISE. 
To launch each ball at the beginning of play, press the FIRE 
BUTTON on the paddle.


STARTING THE GAME

Press the F1 key to start the game.  To select the game you wish 
to play, press F1 (again) for SUPER SMASH, F3 for SPECIAL, and F5 
for PROGRESSIVE. To choose the number of players, press the F1 
key for 1 player or the F3 key for 2 players.

Press RUN/STOP - RESTORE to restart from the title screen at 
any time.

DEMO MODE

If you don't hit the F1 key when you turn on the SUPER SMASH 
cartridge, the game goes into DEMO MODE.  The game screens and 
the title page will be displayed.  Your computer will play the 
game until you press the F1 key or the fire button to start the 
game.


SCORE VALUES

Orance Bricks......................     10 points each
Lt. Blue Bricks....................     20 points each
Red Bricks.........................     30 points each
Green Bricks.......................     40 points each
Dk. Blue Bricks....................     50 points each
Yellow Bricks......................     60 points each
Free Ball.......................... 10,000 points


STRATEGY HINTS

Normal:  Try to position the paddle so that the ball keeps 
hitting spaces in the same column. Once you knock out a column 
position the paddle so that the ball goes through the space and 
starts knocking out bricks from the top. As the bricks vanish 
from above, place your paddle in position to hit the ball when 
it drops out of a space in the bricks. When shooting at the 
bricks you will find that the ball moves slowly until you hit 
green bricks or higher. At that point the ball will move much 
faster. Use the corners of your paddle to return a ball 
travelling at a steep angle. Use the center of the paddle to 
bounce the ball around the screen, or change ball return 
placement. Put "English" on the ball by moving the paddle as 
you hit the ball. This can be helpful in straightening a wild 
flying ball or slowing a speeding ball. Hitting the back wall at 
any time will reduce your paddle size.

Special:  Break through a single hole in the lowest wall as soon 
as possible. Try to move your way into higher walls early in the 
game. Let the spaces between walls work for you by placing the 
ball between two or more brick-filled walls, but try avoiding a 
back wall as long as possible because your paddle size will be 
cut in half. Follow the Normal game instructions on ball and 
paddle positioning.

Progressive:  Play this game in much the same way as you play 
Special. Don't worry about the advancing walls. The walls will 
keep moving down as long as you play. Aim for the walls at the 
top because low walls will simply drop off the screen. Once 
again, try to avoid the back wall as long as possible. If you 
break through to the back wall before a new set of bricks drops 
down from the top of the screen, your paddle will be shortened. 
However, if a new row of bricks make up the back wall of the 
screen your long paddle will remain intact. Follow the Normal 
game instructions for ball and paddle positioning.


-----------------------------------Comments--------------

GAME TYPE:  A variation on the "Breakout" theme.

GRAPHICS :  Very simple, as any Breakout clone is. Big colorful 
            blocks. Might be easy to see on an older laptop, if 
            you're running in emulation.
SOUND    :  See overall.
GAMEPLAY :  See overall.
OVERALL  :  Just what you'd expect from a Breakout clone. Simple 
            and fun.

AD TEXT  :  "The World Championship is at stake! As a finalist do 
            you have the cat-like reflexes to return the speeding 
            ball and take the crown?" (Seen in the Spring 1983 
            issue of "Commodore Power Play" page 103)
COMMENTS :  It may be hard to believe, but this title was once 
            a benchmark game. The early Apple ][ series, for 
            instance, used their version of Breakout to demon-
            strate their graphic capabilities when they were 
            first pushing it. The Vic 20 plays breakout with ease 
            too! I wonder if there was any competition between 
            Apple & CBM, with this game? There certainly was some 
            strong competition over price!

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