Spike Hoppin' An Exciting New Game For The Vectrex Arcade System! By John Dondzila (Vectrex Extraordinairre) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spike Hoppin' The Name Of The Game... Spikes Hops... He can't help it... It's what he does and he does it well! When the game starts, you will first see a title screen. You can press button 4 to start the game. You play the game with the joystick. When the game begins you will see Spike on top of a series of little triangles. These little triangles form a large pyramid. Spike can only hop diagonally. Push the joystick in a diagonal direction to make Spike hop. Holding the joystick in that position will make Spike continue to hop. If there is no small triangle for Spike to land on when he hops, he will fall over the edge and die! When Spike successfully lands on a triangle, that triangle will change color (well, it just gets darker). The object is to hop on every triangle and change its color. Doing this will complete a level and move Spike onto a more challenging level (15 skill levels in all!). Spike won't find this easy, there are many enemies to avoid. Contact with these enemies will prove fatal, although there are a few "friendly" [ones.] A Special Note... Spike Hoppin' is controlled by moving the joystick diagonally. Some Joysticks may have problems! If so, on the title screen press button 2 to select the angled stick. You will have to rotate the stick on a 45-degree angle but [still push the joystick in a diagonal direction.] Getting Started! With your Vectrex turned off, insert the game cartridge label side up into the cartridge slot. Push in carefully until it stop moving. Turn your Vectrex on, adjust the volume. Spike Has Help! On the sides of the pyramid are magic "discs". Hopping on a disk will give Spike a ride to the top. No new enemies will appear at that time and if Spike's arch nemesis Spud is on the screen, he will fall off the playfield. Spike will also become invincible for a few seconds should anyone be waiting for him at the top when he arrives. A magic hourglass will appear from time to time. Spike can [land on the hourglass, which will freeze all enemies on the screen for a short while.] Enemies and Scoring They're out to get you!!! Spike has a lot of things to worry about! First, his arch nemesis Spud is out to get him (again). Spud will drop down the screen as an egg shaped object and hatch at the screen bottom and then relentlessly pursue Spike. There are balls which will randomly fall down the pyramid which Spike must avoid. If things aren't bad enough, a little obnoxious guy (who's name happens to be 'LOG') will appear and change back the colors of the blocks which Spike has already landed on! This is the only enemy which Spike can destroy by hopping on. Later on the backwards monsters will appear and create even more troubles for our hero! Spike Scores!!! Well, not with Molly at least - she's away during this game. Changing a triangle color scores 25 points Riding a magic disc scores 100 points Grabbing the hourglass scores 200 points Hopping on 'LOG' scores 50 points Spike has 3 lives and can win an extra life by scoring 5,000 points. Speaking of Scores To minimize Vectrex screen flicker, your score is only displayed in between levels. You can view your score for a few seconds any time during the gameplay by tapping Button 4. WAIT A MINUTE CHIEF, YOU HAD BETTER NOT READ THIS UNLESS YOU REALLY, REALLY MEAN IT! Think you've really figured out Spike Hoppin' completely? What if I told you there's more? Would you believe there's a cool animation called The Voyager Flyby? Would you believe another game, hidden somewhere in the main game? Would you believe infinite lives and a level skip? Would you believe I'm not going to tell you how to find any of it?