Winter Games

Scenario

You’re an athlete at the Winter Games. You’re about to move across snow and ice with as much speed, strength, endurance and grace as you can muster in the blustery cold.

You’ll match your skills against the top athletes from a hundred countries.

Be proud. Today you stand among the elite few whose courage and stamina will be tested by these Winter Games. Listen. A fanfare of trumpets sounds as the WINTER GAMES flag is slowly raised. Thousands of white doves are released, symbolically to fly to the countries of the world with the message of peace-and the news that the Winter Games have begun. This is it - your chance to go for the Gold!

Playing the Game

WINTER GAMES challenges your competitive skills with a series of athletic contests for 1 to 8 players. You can compete in seven challenging winter events - Ski Jump, Bobsled, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skating, Hot Dog Aerials, Speed Skating and Biathalon (cross-country skiing and rifle shooting).

Practice each event first to hone your skills. Then choose from the 18 countries you can represent in the competition.

WINTER GAMES provides judges, keeps scores, and awards medals to the winners - the Gold for first, the Silver for second, and the Bronze for third place. If you break a “World Record,” WINTER GAMES will save your name and display it on a special World Records screen.

Opening Ceremony

A spectacular opening ceremony welcomes you to WINTER GAMES. An athlete bearing the flaming torch mounts the steps to light the sacred fire that burns night and day throughout the WINTER GAMES. White doves are released over the stadium, to symbolise peace on earth. Let the games begin!

How to Play

Once the opening ceremony concludes, a menu screen offers you a choice of six options. To make a selection, use your joystick to move the cursor to your choice, then press the FIRE button.

OPTION 1: Compete in all the Events

Compete in all seven events, in this order: Ski Jump, Bobsled, Figure Skating, Hot Dog Aerials, Freestyle Skating, Speed Skating, and Biathalon. The computer keeps a running tally of medals awarded to each player.

• To enter your name, type your name on the keyboard and press RETURN (or press TR on THEC64 Joystick)
• To choose your country, use the joystick to move the cursor to the flag of your choice, then press the FIRE button to select that country
• Repeat name and country selection for each additional player (up to eight). When all players’ names and countries are entered, press RETURN (or press TR on THEC64 Joystick)
• A verification screen appears. If all names and countries are correct, select YES with the joystick and press the FIRE button, or type Y. To delete names and start again, select NO or type N.

OPTION 2: Compete in One Event

Similar to OPTION 1, but you only compete in the event you select.

• Use the joystick to choose the event, then press the FIRE button (or type the key matching the event number)

OPTION 3: Practice One Event

No scores are kept during practice rounds.

• Move the joystick to choose the event, then press the FIRE button (or type the key matching the event number)

OPTION 4: Number of Joysticks

If choosing two or more players, connect an extra joystick and select 2.

• Select 1 or 2 by pressing the FIRE button (or type 1 or 2)

OPTION 5: See World Records

Displays the highest score recorded in all events, with the name and country of the player who achieved each world record.

• Press the FIRE button to return to the menu

OPTION 6: Opening Ceremonies

Repeats the opening ceremonies.

THE GAMES

Figure Skating

Figure Skating (Short Program) is a one-minute, timed exercise of seven compulsory movements: Camel Spin, Sit Spin, Double Axel Jump, Triple Axel Jump, Double Lutz Jump, Triple Lutz Jump, and Camel into Sit Spin. You can perform the seven movements in any order you choose. It’s the grace and form of your skating that count!

• Press the FIRE button to start Figure Skating
• To begin a movement, point the joystick in the direction of the movement you want to make and press the FIRE button
• To COMPLETE a movement, centre the joystick and press the FIRE button
• To SKATE BACKWARD, centre the joystick and press the FIRE button.
• These are the key Figure Skating movements, in their relative joystick positions:

Figure Skating Tips:

AWKWARD: A movement will be judged as elegant or awkward, depending on when you press the FIRE button. If you’re skating forward and “trigger” a jump when the skater’s legs are in open stride, the jump will be perfect. If the skater’s legs are closed, the jump will be awkward. The opposite is true if you’re skating back wards: trigger the jump when the skater’s legs are closed and the jump will be perfect. Practice makes perfect, so keep trying!

FORWARD SKATING performers can do a Double or Triple Axel Jump or turn around and begin skating backwards. Remember: Be skating forwards when time runs out - if you’re skating backwards you’ll fall down!

BACKWARD SKATING athletes can do a Double or Triple Lutz Jump, a Camel or Sit Spin, or turn around and begin skating forward.**

When you do SPINS, try to make six rotations. If you turn fewer than six times, your exit will be awkward; more than six turns will make you dizzy and you’ll fall.

Don’t Fall Down!

You’ll fall down if you try to move directly from a jump to a spin, a spin to a jump, a jump to another jump, or a Sit Spin to another Camel Spin. Skate backwards in between movements; skate forwards before you do an Axel Jump.

Camel into Sit Spin: You can move directly from a Camel Spin to a Sit Spin - a very elegant combination worth 1.2 points!

Figure Skating Scores

You begin with a score of 0.0 The best score is 6 points. All scores are displayed in tenths. And don’t worry - your score can’t go below 0.

After you successfully complete each Figure Skating movement, your score is added like this:

• Total Score Penalties
  • .7 Point penalty for each fall
  • .2 Point penalty for each awkward movement

Free Skating

In Free Skating competition, you chose the jumps and spins, inventing your own choreography to music. You have two minutes to complete the program.

Free Skating Scores

In Free Skating, you try to make th ree successful attempts of the seven Figure Skating movements: Camel Spin, Sit Spin, Double and Triple Axel, Double and Triple Lutz and Camel into Sit Spin. The Judges will watch you closely in this event and calculate your maximum score based upon the number of falls and awkward movements in your routine. A smart performer will complete three attempts of as many difficult movements as possible within the two-minute time limit, to get the highest possible score. You begin with 0 points. The Maximum score (ceiling) you can get is 6.0 - no matter how high your total score.

Note: If you successfully complete a fourth attempt at a movement the Judges will not credit your score.

Free Skating Scores

Total and Maximum Score Penalties

Note: No penalty for failing to attempt all seven movements.

EXAMPLE:

You score 6.9 but the Maximum is 6.0.

Your Final Score Total 6.0 - .3 = 5.7

CREDITS: Only the movements completed within the two-minutes are scored.

Movement attempts will be added to your score only if they’re successfully completed .

Speed Skating

Speed Skaters can move at 30 miles per hour - much faster than athletic track runners. In fact, Speed Skating champions are the fastest self-propelled human beings over level earth!

In Speed Skating, two racers skate side-by-side, in separate lanes, as fast as they can go!

• When “PRESS YOUR BUTTON” appears on either half of the screen, the player whose name appears on that half of the screen must press the joystick FIRE button. The next player does the same. This begins the countdown
• When the countdown reaches “GO,’’ begin skating by moving the joystick to the LEFT and RIGHT to move your skater’s legs. The trick is to make the skaters legs move back and forth as in real skating
• Continue skating by moving the joystick back and forth in rhythmic strokes to move your racer’s legs. Build you natural skating rhythm faster to get up to speed - and GO FOR IT!
• The skater with the fastest time wins the race
• When the race is over, press the FIRE button to begin the next event.

Hot Dog Aerials

This demonstration sport tests your guts, grace and precision on skis. Strive for a performance of athletic artistry as you flip through the air in a dazzling series of daredevil moves

• Push the FIRE button to start a jump
• Push the joystick in one of these six directions to begin a movement:

• To do one movement after another, move the joystick when the Hot Dog Skier is in mid-air - timing is crucial
• To get out of a move or begin another move push the joystick to the centre (LAND) position
• Hold each movement (except the Flips) until you choose a different move
• Go into the landing position before you hit the ground, or you’ll Fall

Scores

The score is based on both style and difficulty, and is displayed after you land. The maximum is 10 points.

DIFFICULTY is judged by the number of different manoeuvres performed in mid-air. Any combination of movements can be mixed together for a total maximum score of 10. Combinations of different movements count for the most points. Points will be deducted for awkward movements. Watch your landing! If you fall, you won’t receive a score.

• 1.4 point penalty for each awkward movement.

CREDITS: Only the first attempt at each movement completed within the one minute is scored.

Ski Jump

Every gust of wind chills your body as you look down from the top of the jump tower to the runway far below. The judges and spectators look like insects from this height. GO! Your coiled body lurches forward and suddenly you’re into another world!

You crouch down low, in a tucked position, to accumulate as much speed as possible. At the take-off, you leap out, push up, and lean forward, over the edge of your skis, to reduce wind resistance and increase the length of your jump.

• Press the FIRE button to begin your approach
• When you reach the takeoff point, press the FIRE button
• In the air, watch the upper right-hand corner of the screen for faults. Correct faults quickly to get maximum style points and distance
  • If your knees are BENT, move the joystick UP to correct
  • If you’re TOO FAR FORWARD, move joystick LEFT
  • TOO FAR BACK, move joystick RIGHT
  • SKIS CROSSED, move joystick DOWN
• If you don’t correct your faults in time, your Ski Jumper’s wild antics will cause wind resistance and lose style points.

Ski Jump scores are based on distance and form.

DISTANCE: is based on the timing of the takeoff, and the aerodynamics of the Jumper in the air.

STYLE: You’ll get more points if you recover quickly from faults and don’t fall.

Scores

Your maximum is tallied by multiplying your DISTANCE ( x) 3 ( +)

STYLE POINTS. A respectable Ski Jump score would be a flight of 60 meters and 20 style points for a total of 200 points .

Biathalon

Race over a cross-country track on skis with a .22 calibre rifle slung over your shoulder. You have only a few cartridges to fire at the required targets, so steady your sights and develop an eagle eye before you fire away!

• Press the FIRE button to start cross-country skiing
• Move your joystick LEFT and RIGHT to move your skier’s legs in steady, rhythmic kicks and glides
• On LEVEL GROUND, keep up a steady pace by moving your joystick back and forth
• For UPHILL terrain, move the joystick faster to increase speed
• DOWNHILL stretches go fastest if you use the double-pole technique. Pull the joystick DOWN when the skier’s hands are in front, to get the maximum push down the slope
• SHOOTING: You are issued five cartridges to shoot at five targets, and every miss is a 5-second penalty. The gun must be loaded and the shell ejected after each shot. Pull the joystick DOWN/back to open the gun chamber. Push the joystick UP/forward to load the shell. Push the FIRE button to shoot. Repeat for the next shot. The skier’s heart rate affects your accuracy - so cool down, and take careful aim before you fire!
• The winner or high score is the skier with the fastest total time.

Bobsled

Prepare to careen down a track of solid ice - while you crouch in a precision-built machine of steel and aluminium. You’ll fly around hair-raising turns, then plummet down the bumpy straightaways at speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour!

• Press the FIRE button to begin the race
• Move the joystick LEFT and RIGHT to guide your sled

HINTS: Steer hard! To avoid capsizing at the turns, try to anticipate the pull of centrifugal force, and steer hard in the opposite direction.

Watch your speed! The power bar at the bottom of the screen shows how fast you’re going. The faster you go, the harder you have to steer to keep plummeting toward the finish.

Learn the course! An intimate knowledge of the course is important, so you learn the best position to take each corner

The winning bobsled’s score is based upon the fastest time through the tracks.

SCORING

Awards Ceremony

After every event, the names, countries and scores of all competitors are listed in the order they placed. The name of the Gold Medal winner appears at the top of the screen, and his or her country’s national anthem is played.

Champion Ceremony

If players compete in all WINTER GAMES events, a Grand Champion of the games is selected based on the number of points awarded.

The points are totalled after all events have been completed, and the player with the most points is honoured as the Grand Champion. The ceremony takes place after the Awards Ceremony for the final event.

World Records

If a world record is achieved in any event, the name of the record-breaking player is saved by the WINTER GAMES program.

The records are displayed on the World Records screen. If a new record is set for an event, the previous record is erased and the new information appears in its place.

Credits

DEVELOPER: Action Graphics