puchyr@dalcs.UUCP (Robert Scott Puchyr) (01/13/84)
To all Tempest freaks: For all those who are interseted in the game of Tempest, by Atari, and don't know this yet: There is a "back door" built into the game called "40 Credits". It is done by having a score over 180,000 with the last two digits of the score being either 10, 11, 12, or 18 at the end of the game and letting the machine rest till the next demo. The easiest way to accomplish this is... (1) Start a new game and dial up to the "red V" (level 23 or 24). Play that level as usual and make safely to the next level (the "red stairacse"). (2) Your score is now over the required 180,000. Fine tune the last two digits by shooting at the spikes ONE SHOT AT A TIME (by lightly tapping on the fire button) until the last 2 digits are 10, 11, 12, or 18 . Shooting a spike gives you 1 or 2 points. If a flipper or other enemy comes your way, you'll have to shoot it, and may have to move to another spike and try this fine tuning process again. (3) When you've attanied the 10, 11, 12, or 18, kill the rest of your guns (or men). The easiest way to do this is .... [C'mon fellas I shouldn't have to explain how to get killed. It comes naturally]. (4) Now that the game is over, and you've entered your intials, DON'T TOUCH THE GAME untill the next demo (about a 20-30 second wait). If the game recieves any input from its controls during this time, your efforts will be in vain. On the start of the next screen demo, a switch in coin slot area starts clicking and 40 credits will rack up faster than you can say "forty credits". Atari knows about this and some Tempest machines have had their chips replaced so as to cure this problem. The table-top versions do not work. A good day to you, .__ ___. .__ .. |__\ /___| |__\ || || >> <<__ || >>.. .. __. ||__ .. .. .. __. ||// \__\ ||// || || /__| |._ \ \\ || |'/__| ||\\ .___>> || ||_||<<__. || || \\|| | / || \\ |___/ || \__| \__| || || \`| || \| || _____________________________________________/| || /_____________________________________________/ // |/ ' Robert Scott Puchyr; ...{utcsrgv,dartvax}!dalcs!puchyr Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. P.S. I still have doughts on weather or not this is a bug in the game or feature built in by the author, so friends and family could play for a quarter (back door). It seems to be too much for a bug, I think it's a back door. If any one agrees, disagrees, or has a qurstion, drop me a line.