```
+-------------------------------+
|         Zaxxon Arcade         |
|       Demo Instructions       |
|                               |
|     (c) 2026 Champ Games      |
|    https://www.champ.games    |
+-------------------------------+


*** ABOUT ***

This ROM file is a fully playable demo version of Zaxxon Arcade for the Atari 2600 with the following restrictions:

- The game is for 1 player only (no 2-player alternating mode).
- ADVANCED and CHALLENGE skill levels have been disabled (NOVICE and STANDARD skill levels only).
- SaveKey functionality has been disabled, but high scores are still maintained for each skill level during play until the game is turned off.
- Players can select Original and Super maps only. The full version includes all-new CHAMP maps and
  options to play all maps during one game.
- The game ends after level 3 is completed. In the full version, there are 99 levels to complete.

We estimate the game to be about 80% complete, with an expected release in the fall of 2026. The full
version will be available for purchase as both a digital ROM and physical cartridge (includes a full-color
manual, box, and poster).

For additional information about the game: https://champ.games/zaxxon-arcade

Thank you for your support and have fun!


*** COMPATIBILITY ***

* TV type *

The Zaxxon Arcade Demo ROM can be played on NTSC or PAL60 systems. Please ensure that the version you are playing matches the type of television or monitor that you are using.


* AtariVox and SaveKey *

The AtariVox and SaveKey are devices that allow high scores and game settings to be saved when playing Zaxxon Arcade. The demo version of Zaxxon Arcade has disabled high scores and SaveKey functionality
and is available in the full version only.

- For more information about the SaveKey device: https://atariage.com/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1194


* QuadTari *

The QuadTari is a device that allows you to plug up to 4 joysticks and other compatible controllers into an Atari console (2 joysticks per port). Zaxxon Arcade takes advantage of this device by supporting two controllers
plugged into the QuadTari connected to the left controller port and an AtariVox or SaveKey device connected
to the right controller port for two-player alternating modes.

- For more information about the QuadTari: https://www.bitethechili.com/quadtari/


* Multi-carts *

Multi-carts are special cartridges that plug into a real Atari 2600 (or compatible) and allow you to play various ROM files either on an SD card or via Wi-Fi.

Here is a list of multi-carts that Zaxxon Arcade has been tested with and the current compatibility.
Where applicable, the version in () indicates the minimum BIOS requirement for the multi-cart.

Multi-carts                 Compatible?         Website
----------------------      ---------------     --------------------------------------------------------
*Harmony (v1.06+)           No                  https://harmony.atariage.com/Site/Harmony.html
*Harmony Encore (v1.06+)    No                  https://harmony.atariage.com/Site/Harmony.html
Unocart                     No                  https://thebrewingacademy.com/products/uno-2600-cartridge
PlusCart+                   No                  https://pluscart.firmaplus.de/pico/

Since Zaxxon Arcade is a 64K game, it unfortunately does not run on a Harmony or Harmony Encore cartridge.
The developer of these devices is currently planning a possible upgrade that would allow Melody-based games
that are > 32K to run on a Harmony cartridge or similar device. We will post additional information when available.


* Emulators *

An emulator is a special program that runs on a PC that emulates an Atari 2600, allowing you to play ROMs on your computer.

Here is a list of emulators that Zaxxon Arcade has been tested with and the current compatibility:

Emulator                    Compatible?         Website
---------------------       ---------------     --------------------------------------------------------
Stella (v6.7+)              Yes                 https://stella-emu.github.io/downloads.html
Gopher2600                  Yes                 https://github.com/JetSetIlly/Gopher2600
StellaDS (v7.2+)            Yes                 https://github.com/wavemotion-dave/StellaDS/releases
Stellarator                 No                  https://6502ts.github.io/stellerator/#/cartridge-manager
Javatari                    No                  https://javatari.org/


* Emulator consoles *

An emulator console is a physical game system that emulates an Atari 2600. These systems allow you to play ROMs on devices like HD televisions (or in some cases, on the go).
Some of these systems allow you to play game ROMs via an SD card or even have a cartridge slot to play physical cartridges.

Emulated Console            Compatible?         Website
---------------------       ---------------     --------------------------------------------------------
AtGames Flashback           No                  https://www.atgames.us/products/atari-flashback-9
AtGames Flashback Portable  No                  https://www.atgames.us/products/atari-flashback-portable-2019
Atari 2600+                 No*                 https://atari.com/products/atari-2600-plus
Atari 7800+                 No*                 https://atari.com/products/atari-7800
RetroN 77 (cartridge slot)  No                  https://hyperkinlab.com/retron-77-hd-gaming-console-for-2600-hyperkin/
RetroN 77 (SD card)         No+                 https://hyperkinlab.com/retron-77-hd-gaming-console-for-2600-hyperkin/
Atari Gamestation Pro       No                  https://www.myarcadegaming.com/products/atari-gamestation-pro

*A future firmware upgrade is planned for the + systems to eventually support Zaxxon Arcade on a physical cartridge. 
More info can be found on Atari's website here: https://atari.com/blogs/newsroom/updating-atari-firmware
Additional info can be found on the AtariAge forums here: https://forums.atariage.com/forum/424-atari-26007800/

+The latest community firmware of the RetroN 77 is using Stella 6.6, but since Stella 6.7 is required for Zaxxon Arcade it is currently not compatible.
When the community build is updated to Stella 6.7, Zaxxon Arcade should be compatible with the RetroN 77 from an SD card.

Additional details on the RetroN 77 community build can be found at https://atariage.com/forums/topic/289929-stella-6-on-the-r77-the-eagle-is-landing/

Additional details on the Atari 2600+ and Atari 7800+ firmware updates can be found at https://forums.atariage.com/forum/424-atari-26007800


*** GAME OPTIONS ***

* Players *

The demo and full version of Zaxxon Arcade has a 1-player mode only. The full version adds support for a 2-player alternating mode (players alternate turns and attempt to get a higher score than the other player).


* Skill levels *

To select the skill level, move the joystick left and right from the TITLE screen:

- Novice:           Player starts with 5 lives. Ground targets fire less frequently.
- Standard:         Player starts with 4 lives.
# Available only in the full version: #
- Advanced:         More difficult than STANDARD. Player starts with 3 lives. Ground targets fire more frequently.
                    Gameplay and difficulty is most like the arcade.
- Challenge:        More difficult than ADVANCED. Challenge mode includes additional enemies and power-ups!

* Menu screens *

Move the joystick up/down to cycle through the menu screens. If you do not move the joystick or start a game,
the screens will cycle through after a certain amount of time.

- Title screen
- High scores
- Credits

*** DIFFICULTY SWITCHES ***

The left difficulty switch controls whether the players use auto-fire:

- Difficulty A: Players have auto-fire disabled (like the arcade version).
- Difficulty B: Players can continuously fire by holding down the button.

The right difficulty is not used in the demo.

To start a new game from the title screen, either press RESET or joystick 1 button.

*** OBJECT ***

The object of Zaxxon Arcade is to pilot your ship over the surface of the enemy fortress, destroying as many
ground targets as possible while avoiding enemy fire. Keep an eye on your altimeter as you climb and dive
to navigate over the walls and through the openings. Monitor your fuel and be sure to destroy the large
fuel canisters to replenish your supply. Depending on the maps, you may also battle enemy fighter jets in an outer space dogfight or avoid mine-laying enemy drones in the narrow space tunnel.

The ultimate goal is to reach the end of the level and do battle with the Zaxxon robot or Super Zaxxon dragons
and advance to a more challenging map.

Good luck!


*** PLAYING THE GAME ***

CONTROLLER OPTIONS

Zaxxon Arcade is played with the joystick controller, and has a unique isometric 3D view with a diagonally
scrolling background. Move the joystick left or right to move your ship left or right to line up with enemy
targets or avoid walls and hazards.

THE ALTIMETER

On the left side of the screen is an altimeter that shows the height of your ship. Pull down on the joystick
to climb higher and push up on the joystick to dive lower. While over the asteroid surface, a shadow of your
ship will appear on the ground to help you judge your relative height.

FIRE POWER

Press the fire button to fire a laser to destroy the ground targets, enemy ships, or final boss. You can fire up
to four lasers at a time. If the left difficulty switch is in the B position, you can hold down the button to
auto-fire continuously. If the left difficulty switch is in the A position, you must press the button for each
shot (similar to the arcade).

WALLS

Use the joystick to guide your ship over the walls and through the openings.

GROUND TARGETS

Fuel:        These large red canisters can be shot to add fuel.
Cannons:     These enemies will shoot lasers at your ship if you are at ground level.
Radar:       The radar dishes are usually located in hard-to-reach areas, but destroying them earns
             the most number of points.
Enemy planes: At the start of a level, there is a set number of planes that can be destroyed to earn a
             special bonus. The total remaining is displayed in the upper-left section of the play area.
             Destroy the planes on the runway to reduce this number before battling the enemy planes in the
             outer space dogfight section.


FUEL

At the bottom of the screen you will see the fuel meter. Fuel is used as you fly your ship, and if you run
out your ship will descend to the surface and crash. Shoot the red fuel canisters to collect more fuel.
Be sure to collect as much fuel as you can before entering the outer space and tunnel section, as there is
no fuel available in those areas. During these stages, your fuel is used at half the rate.

ENEMY MISSILES

In the first section, there are silos that will launch missiles. Avoid flying over these silos and shoot or
avoid the missiles once they are airborne.

GUIDED ROCKET

If you fly at a high altitude for too long, a guided rocket will launch and head straight toward your ship.
This rocket takes multiple shots to destroy and is very difficult to avoid, so be sure to fly lower when
possible.

FORCE FIELDS

In some parts of the level, there are force fields that must be either flown over or under if they are on top of
a wall. To fly under them, you must navigate your ship through the opening in the wall underneath the force field.
Force fields cannot be destroyed, but you can still shoot them and use the explosion to determine if you
are going to collide with them.

DOGFIGHT

When playing the ORIGINAL maps, once you have cleared the first section, you will enter outer space to do
battle with the remainder of the enemy fleet in a dogfight. As in the asteroid level, use the altimeter to
judge your height and try to line up your height and left/right position with the attacking enemy ship. The
enemy ships will appear larger and brighter in color when they are at a high altitude vs. appearing smaller and a
darker shade when lower.

If you are lined up horizontally and at the same altitude as an enemy ship, a target will appear and beep in front
of your ship, signaling you to fire your laser to destroy the enemy. Be careful though; if you are lined up
with the enemy, that means they can crash into you, and their lasers (in later levels) can hit your ship as well!

SPACE TUNNEL

When playing the SUPER maps, at the end of the first section you will see blinking arrows guiding you to the
entrance of the space tunnel. Once you enter the tunnel, you can still move your ship left and right, but the
maximum height is restricted. Move your ship left and right to avoid the oncoming enemy ships, or fire your
lasers to destroy them. The drones will also drop indestructible mines that must be avoided.

END STAGE BONUS

If you can destroy the remainder of the enemy ships in the DOGFIGHT or SPACE TUNNEL, you will be awarded
a special bonus at the end of the level.

BOSS BATTLE

Zaxxon Robot
------------

At the end of the ORIGINAL maps, the Zaxxon robot will appear on screen. You must destroy the guided rocket located
in its hand before it launches. If it does launch, you will have just a few seconds to shoot it down before it
destroys your ship.

If you can destroy the rocket before it launches, you will also destroy the Zaxxon robot and earn extra
bonus points. You will have to do battle with the Zaxxon robot until you destroy the guided missile.

Super Zaxxon Dragons
--------------------

At the end of the SUPER maps, you will have to do battle with the Super Zaxxon Dragons. These dragons have a
fireball in their mouth that must be destroyed. If you can destroy it before it launches, you will also
destroy the dragon and earn more points.

In the later levels, you will need to destroy multiple dragons to advance to the next level.


*** END LEVEL ***

Once you have successfully navigated through the first ground target section, the outer space or tunnel section,
and the second ground target section and destroyed the final boss, you will complete the level and move on to
the next level. Later levels have more enemies, ground targets fire more often, wall openings become smaller, and
the boss battle becomes more difficult.

CHECKPOINTS

If your ship is destroyed before you reach the end of a section, you will start again at the last checkpoint.
Each section has at least two checkpoints. Checkpoints are not marked on the level.

*** SCORING ***

Shoot a fuel tank:     300 points (plus bonus fuel is awarded)
Shoot a cannon:        200 - 500 points
Shoot a radar tower:   1,000 points
Shoot a guided rocket: 200 points
Shoot a fireball:      200 points
Shoot a missile:       150 points
Shoot an enemy plane:  50 points on the runway
                       100 points + 50 points/level in a dogfight
                       200 points + 50 points/level in the tunnel
Shoot a drone (tunnel):200 points + 50 points/level in the tunnel
Shoot a satellite:     300 points
Shoot all enemy planes:1,000 points
Zaxxon robot:          200 (destroy rocket after launch)
                       1,000 points (destroy rocket before launch)
Super Zaxxon dragon:   500 points (destroy fireball after launch)
                       2,000 points (destroy fireball before launch)

An extra life is awarded at 10,000 points, 50,000 points, and every 50,000 points after that.

*** CONSOLE SWITCHES ***

During a game the console switches do the following:

- Reset:                        Restarts the game with the current skill/# of players/options.
- Select:                       Ends the current game and returns to the title screen.
- Color/BW (PAUSE on a 7800):   Pause the game; press or flip the switch again or press the joystick button to resume.
- Left Difficulty:              Enable/disables auto-fire.
- Right Difficulty:             Not used.


*** GAME OVER ***

When all a player's lives are lost and there are no reserves, GAME OVER will be displayed.

In the demo version, the game will also end once you have completed level 3. In the full version, there are 99
levels to complete.


*** HIGH SCORE ***

If the current player achieves a high score for the current skill level, the high score entry screen is displayed.

Use the joystick to enter up to 3 initials:
- Move the joystick up/down to change the current initial (blinking) and press the button to move to the next initial.
- Move left/right to change the initial to update. Once completed, press the button after entering the 3rd initial
  to register your name and be added to the list of HIGH SCORES!

NOTE: SaveKey support has been disabled for this demo.
In the full version, game settings and high scores (for each skill level) are saved to an AtariVox or SaveKey device.


*** CREDITS ***

Programming and Design:     John W. Champeau
Graphics and Design:        Nathan Strum
Music and Sound Effects:    John W. Champeau

For the physical boxed release:

Art & Illustrations:        Dave Dries
Packaging and Layout:       Nathan Strum
Publishing:                 Champ Games

For more information, please visit our website at https://champ.games and follow us on
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/champdotgames
```
