Prepare yourself for a supreme test of reflexes, coordination and agility. You're about to face the world's most unpredictable and relentless "Mad Bomber." He hates losing as much as you love winning. So, to keep him frowning, take a minute to read over these instructions. Then, grab your buckets and bombs away!

1. Hook up your video game system. Follow manufacturer's instructions.

2. With power OFF, plug in game cartridge.

3. Turn power ON. If no picture appears, check connection of your game system to TV, then try steps 1-3 again.

4. Plug one set of Paddle Controllers into left player controller connector.

5. Select game with game select switch:

 Game 1: You vs. the "Mad Bomber."
 Game 2: You and a friend, taking turns vs. the "Mad Bomber."

6. Set difficulty switches at b (down) to begin.

7. Use of Paddle Controller. Hold Paddle Controller with button at upper left. By turning your Paddle Controller clockwise, you move your buckets of water to the right. Turning the Controller counterclockwise moves bucket to the left.

8. To begin or start a new game. Press game reset. Then, press the red button on the Controller to start bombs dropping.

9. Difficulty switches. With the difficulty switches in the b (down) position, buckets are full size. With switches in the a (up) position, buckets are half size (only advanced players should attempt this setting). The left difficulty switch is used by the first player, the right switch by the second player (Game 2 only).

10. Scoring. Each time you catch a bomb in one of your buckets of water, you score points. The point value of each bomb depends on how fast that bomb is falling and which group that bomb is in. There are 8 separate groups of bombs, as shown by the following chart.

KABOOM! POINT SYSTEM
Number of Bomb Group		Number of Bombs in Group		Point Value of Each Bomb Caught		Point Value of Group		Cumulative Score
1		10		1		10		10
2		20		2		40		50
3		30		3		90		140
4		40		4		160		300
5		50		5		250		550
6		75		6		450		1000
7		100		7		700		1700
8		150		8		1200		2900

Bomb Group 8 is the highest level. One you reach this level, all bombs that follow will fall at the same rate of speed and are worth the same points as bombs in Group 8 (unless you miss a bomb - see following step).

11. When you miss a bomb, all bombs explode and you lose a bucket. Lose all three buckets and the game is over. To start over after a miss, press the red button on your Controller (see "Special Features").

The object of the game is to catch as many bombs as you can and get as close as possible to the 999,999 maximum points.

12. Two Player Games. Game 2 is for two players, who take turns against the "Mad Bomber." The score for the first player will be in yellow, and, for the second player, in red. Players alternate turns until both have lost all buckets. The player with the highest score at game's end is the winner.

Note to owners of Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade: Difficulty switches are called skill left (or right) player and a (up) is expert and b (down) is novice.

Sooner or later, it's going to happen. You'll miss a bomb. When you do, all bombs on the screen explode, you lose a bucket, and the "Mad Bomber" expresses his happiness.

Then, depending on which bomb group you're in when you miss, the level of difficulty of the next bombs dropped is affected as follows: There is no change in difficulty when you miss at Bomb Group 1; your next bombs will still be in Group 1. If you're in Bomb group 2 or above when you miss, you will re-start play at a level one group lower than where you were playing when you missed. But, you'll only need to catch one-half the number of bombs normally in that level before making it back to the level at which you missed.

Here's an example: You miss a bomb at Group 4, so you re-start play in Group 3. But you only need to catch 15 bombs (half the normal amount for Group 3) to regain the Group 4 level. Refer to the Point System chart.

For every 1,000 points you score, you will be given a new bucket (if one or two are missing). However, you may never have more than three buckets, and no additional buckets are awarded if you reach another 1,000 points with no buckets missing.

There's a method to this madness! And, the more you play, the more you'll see it. Bombs fall a certain way. But don't try to aim and line-up your buckets under each bomb. Instead, try to get a feeling for the bomb patterns that develop. After awhile, you'll be able to anticipate where bombs will fall. That's when you can get the jump on the "Mad Bomber."

If you succeed in scoring 3,000 or more points at Kaboom!, send us a picture of the television screen, along with your name and address, and we will enroll you in the Activision "Bucket Brigade" and send you a special membership emblem. If you ever reach the maximum 999,999 points, please send us a photo! Such a remarkable achievement must be recognized.

Tips from Larry Kaplan, designer of Kaboom!

Larry Kaplan is also the designer of Bridge by ACTIVISION. A senior member of the Activision Design Team, Larry is a well-known expert in the field of video game design.

"To do well in Kaboom!, you'll need all the reflexes, endurance, and concentration you can muster. Don't be frustrated if things don't go well at first. It takes a fair amount of practice, especially to catch the bombs at higher speeds.

"You'll notice that you'll be improving in stages. The first plateau is the 1,000 point mark. Mastery of Bomb Group 5 and 6 is necessary to do well here. Conquering Bomb Group 7 will place you at the 2,000 point level. As you develop the stamina and concentration needed to progress, you'll conquer Bomb Group 8. From then on, it's a matter of fine-tuning your skills and extending your endurance to improve your score.

"If you hit the 10,000 point level, that really impresses the "Mad Bomber," and he'll show his appreciation. Watch for it.

"Here's one special trick we have discovered to help build up your score while maintaining some control of the game. If you have all 3 buckets and you're just about to cross the 1,000 point level (1000, 2000, 3000, etc.), miss one of the bombs on purpose! You will lose your bottom bucket, but you will start over at the next lower difficulty level. And that'll give you a few bombs to catch at a slower speed. Then, after you've gone over the 1,000 point level, you will get your bucket back anyway, so you haven't lost a thing. Since you will be playing for a while at a slower speed, it gives you a breather, but keeps you in the game.

"If you really become good at Kaboom!, try it with the difficulty switches set a a (up). Since the buckets are only half the regular size, you'll really have to be quick.

"Please take time out from your bomb chasing to drop me a line. It would be great to hear from you."