Q*BERT 

BY PARKER BROTHERS





OBJECT 

• To score as many points as possible by changing the color of the cubes on the pyramid from a starting color to a destination color. 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. 

SETTING THE CONSOLE CONTROLS 

1. Place the cartridge firmly into the cartridge slot.
2. Push the POWER ON/OFF button. Power is on when the red light below the button is on.
3. Press the number of the game you want to play (see Game Selection Box). The number will appear briefly in the lower right hand corner of the screen. If you skip this step, you'll automatically start playing Game 1.
4. To begin play, press down on the START button. 

THE JOYSTICK CONTROLLERS 

• Plug the joystick controllers into the jacks labelled "1" and "2." For one-player games, use only the "1" joystick. To move Q*bert from cube to cube press down on the Fire Button and move the joystick in the direction you want Q*bert to hop. Remember, Q*bert can only hop in a diagonal direction. To stop action press the PAUSE button. Press it again to resume play. 

[diagram of controller]


PLAYING 

Q*bert
• You'll start the game with a set number of Q*berts (see GAME SELECTION BOX). The first Q*bert will appear on the topmost cube when the game starts. Remaining Q*berts are shown to the left of the pyramid. 

• Try to hop Q*bert onto every cube so he changes the entire pyramid to the destination color. The destination color indicator is on the left of the screen. 

• Be careful not to hop Q*bert off the sides or off the bottom of the pyramid. If you do, he falls and you lose that Q*bert. When this happens, the next Q*bert will appear on the topmost cube. 

Red Ball
• When Red Ball starts rolling, get Q*bert out if its path or it will squash him! If this happens, the next Q*bert will appear 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. 

• 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. 

Flying Discs
• When Q*bert's 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 level and round. 

• Just make sure Q*bert boards the flying disc from the correct exit cube or else he'll fall off the pyramid. 

Ugg and Wrong Way
• Ugg and Wrong Way appear on the lower portion of the pyramid and travel sideways and upwards, ready to jump on Q*bert. If one of them does, the next Q*bert will appear on the cube where the last one was jumped. 

Sam
• Sam can't catch Q*bert, but he changes the cubes' colors so Q*bert's got to retrace his tracks. If Q*bert stops him, however (by running into him), you'll earn bonus points. 

Green Ball
• Green Ball can't catch Q*bert either. But if Q*bert catches Green Ball, all the characters except Q*bert freeze for a moment, Q*bert can continue to hop, and you'll earn bonus points. 

END OF ROUND 

• The round ends when you complete the pyramid. As long as you have a Q*bert remaining, a new pyramid will appear with a new destination color. 

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 character's appearances will increase. 

END OF GAME 

• The game ends when you run out of Q*berts.
• To play the same game level press START or the Fire Button.
• To choose a different game level press SYSTEM RESET, then refer to Setting the Console Controls.


TWO-PLAYER GAMES 

• Games 4-6 are two-player games.
• The left player goes first; players alternate turns. Your turn ends when you lose a Q*bert.


GAME SELECTION BOX 


Game 1  One-player  You start with 5 Q*berts
Game 2  One-player  You start with 4 Q*berts
Game 3  One-player  You start with 3 Q*berts
Game 4  Two-player  Both start with 5 Q*berts
Game 5  Two-player  Both start with 4 Q*berts
Game 6  Two-player  Both start with 3 Q*berts

SCORING

Q*bert changes cubes to...........25 points
   destination color
Q*bert changes cubes to...........15 points
   intermediate color
Q*bert catches Sam...............300 points
Q*bert catches Green Ball........100 points
Q*bert lures Coily off...........500 points
   pyramid
Extra points for unused...........50 points for
   flying discs                      each disc

Bonus points....................1000 points
              for completing the first round;
              amount increases 250 points for 
              each successive round, up to 5000 
              points
Bonus Q*berts...............In Games 1, 2, 4, 5
     - one for the first 8000 points you score;
           thereafter, one every 14,000 points
                            In Games 3, 6
     - one for every 14,000 points you score



Q*bert is a trademark of D. Gottleib & Co., All rights reserved
Rules (c) 1983 Parker Brothers, Beverly, MA, 01915. 

END 

Typed by T.J. Rappel 