NOTE: Always turn the console POWER switch OFF when inserting or removing an ATARI® Game Program™ cartridge.This will protect the electronic components and prolong the life of your ATARI 2600™ Video Computer System game. ©Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) 1982. * Trademark of LUCASFILM LTD. used by ATARI, INC. under license.

1. WELCOME TO EGYPT, DR. JONES!

2. GAME PLAY

3. USING THE CONTROLLERS

4. CONSOLE CONTROLS

5. SCORING

6. DESCRIPTION OF ROOMS AND OBJECTS

7. HELPFUL HINTS

Dust off your felt hat, throw on your leather jacket, and uncoil your rawhide whip - you're going on the greatest treasure hunt of your life! Put away the glasses and three-piece suit of respected archeologist "Professor Jones," and say hello to swashbuckling adventurer Indiana Jones* - Indy to your friends. Your mission: Find the fabled Lost Ark of the Covenant.

The Lost Ark. A dazzling treasure covered by a sheet of shining gold, the Ark was used by the ancient Hebrews to carry stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments. According to the Bible, the Ark possesses extraordinary powers and is able to "level mountains" and "lay waste to entire regions." Any army possessing it, the Bible says, is invincible.

You've been hired by the government to find the Ark before your country's enemies do. The only question is, where?

As an expert on the Egyptian occult, you know the Ark was hidden inside a chamber called the Well of Souls in the year 980 B.C. The location of the chamber is a mystery - but there is a way to find it. Go to the secret Map Room in the city of Tanis, and, if you're holding the right object at the right time, the location of the Well of Souls will be revealed. Of course, finding the Map Room is no easy task since Tanis was buried long ago in a sand storm that lasted over a year. You'll need sharp wits and courage to overcome the obstacles you encounter on your way to the Ark. Armed with your wit and steel nerves, however, you can handle anything! Anything, that is, except snakes - they've always given you the creeps. Snakes or no snakes, though, you've got to find the Ark!

You're getting closer to the Ark, now. Look out! What's that slithering out of the corner? It's a deadly asp! Snakes! Why did there have to be snakes...?!

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is an adventure game - to win, you must make your way past obstacles to find the Lost Ark. Along the way you'll acquire adventure points, which will be scored at the end of the game inside the Well of the Souls. (For more about adventure points, see Section 5, SCORING).

You'll start the game inside the Well of the Souls, on top of a high pedestal. The Ark is shining above you. Soon the pedestal sinks down, the Ark disappears, and your quest begins. The Ark of the Covenant is hidden somewhere in the Valley of Poison, located somewhere outside the Egyptian city of Cairo. The Valley of Poison is studded with towering mesas, one of which holds the Well of the Souls and the Ark. Each time you restart the game, the Well of the Souls is placed randomly inside one of the mesas. Therefore, the Ark will probably not be located in the same mesa from game to game.

To reach the secret Map Room, you'll first need to enter the cavernous Temple of the Ancients, where you'll pick up objects to help you on your journey. Next, you'll need to leave the Temple, and search for the Map Room itself. Inside the Map Room is a scale model of the Mesa Field, as well as a heiroglyphic on the wall. The heiroglyphic shows the object you must hold in order to unlock the secrets of the Map Room.

Your journey to the Ark is a dangerous one; you are given three lives to play the game. Each time you are killed, you will slowly disappear from the screen, feet first. If you have any lives remaining, you will reappear and can continue playing the game. If no lives remain, the game ends and you must start the game over again by pushing the right controller button.

You'll need every ounce of skill you can muster to reach the mesa containing the Well of the Souls. Find your way into the mesa and the secret chamber, and you'll win the game and save you're country! Good luck, Indy!

Use both of your Joystick Controllers with this ATARI Game Program cartridge. Be sure the controller cables are firmly plugged into the CONTROLLER jacks at the back of your Video Computer System game. Hold the Joysticks with the red controller buttons to your upper left, toward the television screen. (See Section 3 of your Owner's Manual for further details.)

STARTING THE GAME

Start the game by pushing the POWER switch to the ON position. Indy will be lowered down on a pedestal in the middle of the screen. When Indy reaches the bottom of the pedestal, press the red button on the right controller. You'll immediately appear in an Entrance Room containing a rock and a whip. Watch out for snakes in this room - if they bite you, you're a goner!

RIGHT CONTROLLER

Use the Joystick on the right controller to move Indy on the screen. He moves up, down, right, left, and diagonally in the direction you move the Joystick. To pick up an object, guide Indy over the object and it will automatically be picked up. Items that have been picked up will appear in the red inventory strip at the bottom of the screen. You can carry a maximum of six objects; if you want to pick up an additional object and you already have six, one object must be dropped before a new one is picked up.

The red fire button on the right controller makes use of any object placed in the red inventory strip. For example, if you need to defend yourself with your revolver, you can shoot bullets by pressing the red fire button on the right controller. Indy must be in motion, however, for some of your weapons - such as the revolver or the whip - to work.

LEFT CONTROLLER

The left controller functions as your inventory control and can be used to select or drop objects that will help you on your quest. Notice the small white selector dot below the objects inside the strip - use it to select the article you want to use. You can move the dot to select an object by moving the Joystick right or left. The dot will move in the same direction you push the Joystick. Select the desired object by returning the Joystick to the neutral (center) position when the dot is beneath the object. To drop an object, move the dot beneath the object you no longer want, and press the red fire button on the controller. The object will disappear and return to the ORIGINAL place it was found. Don't confuse fire buttons, or you might drop an important object when you need it the most.

GAME RESET SWITCH

Press the GAME RESET button on the right of your Video Computer System console to restart a game. You'll see Indy descending on the pedestal in the Well of Souls, and the Lost Ark will disappear from the top of the screen. When Indy reaches the bottom of the pedestal, press the red fire button and Indy will be transported to the Entrance Room. You're on your way!

TV TYPE SWITCH

Set this switch to COLOR if you're playing on a color television set. Set it to B-W to play the game in black and white.

DIFFICULTY SWITCHES

The LEFT and RIGHT DIFFICULTY switches have no function in this game.

GAME SELECT SWITCH

The GAME SELECT switch also has no function in this game.

Your final score is revealed after the completion of each game. You'll appear on top of a pedestal in the Well of the Souls. The height of the pedestal is a measure of your score in adventure points. Adventure points are earned or taken away, depending on your game play. Experiment to see how you can increase your score. (NOTE: A special signature will appear on the screen for exceptionally high scores. Will you be able to find it?)

WARNING DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE GIVEN CLUES TO SOLVE PARTS OF THIS ADVENTURE GAME.

ENTRANCE ROOM

This is the first room you'll enter when playing RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. In the center of the room is a rock; below the rock is a whip. Rumor has it that the Temple of the Ancients is nearby.

MARKETPLACE

The Marketplace is a center of activity in Egypt. Here you'll find three baskets, each containing a certain object or a number of objects. At the top of the Marketplace is the Black Sheik who sells magic flutes; at the bottom is the White Sheik who sells parachutes. It is whispered that the Black Sheik will take you to the Black Market - for the right price.

TEMPLE ENTRANCE

Four doors lead to the temple entrance: two from outside the temple, and two from deep within the temple. In the center of the room is a timepiece.

SPIDER ROOM

Ever been afraid of spiders? Well, the biggest spider of them all is lurking in the center of the Spider Room. The spider is shooting out strands of web - if the web hits you while you're in this room, you're one dead professor. Tsetse flies will also attack you in this room, but they will only put you to sleep for a few seconds.

ROOM OF THE SHINING LIGHT

Cover your eyes from the blinding light radiating from the guardian of this room. Two dungeons are located in each of the bottom corners of the room. The whole room seems to be alive; when you bump into anything in this room you are put back into one of the dungeons. The power in this room is awesome - you must be near the Temple Treasure Room!

TREASURE ROOM

Welcome to the Temple Treasure Room. The money supply in this room is inexhaustible, and the Temple of the Gods will allow you the freedom to come and go if you only take money. But take one of the Temple treasures, and the Gods will take steps to hinder your passage out. Good luck!

MESA FIELD

Somewhere in this vast expanse of mesas, the Lost Ark is hidden. The yellow shapes are mesa tops; the blue is empty air. You're safe while touching the mesas - but be careful not to fall or jump off without proper safety precautions! Certain objects will give you the ability to jump from mesa top to mesa top by use of a grappling hook. The hook is small - in fact it appears as a small white dot - but it will easily hold your weight. To use the hook, move the Joystick up on the right controller to let the hook out; move the Joystick down to bring the hook in. When the hook is over a yellow mesa top, press the fire button to jump to that mesa. Be sure that you press the red controller button the instant the hook is on the mesa, or you'll jump into the air and fall. Be careful about jumping near the sides of the mesa field, where the grappling hook can get hung up.

There are unverified rumours of an extraterrestrial YAR flying near the Flying Saucer Mesa in the middle of the Mesa Field.

MESA SIDE

Fell off a mesa did you? On your way down, you probably saw the flash of the mesa side. Each mesa has a single branch sticking out from its side. Notice the opening below the branch. It may be important!

VALLEY OF POSION

The Valley of Poison is inhabited by the black-cloaked Thief who will try to steal your possessions and leave you defenseless. If you can shoot him before he leaves the screen, you'll get back whatever he snatched. If he gets away safely, however, he can trade your possessions for bullets. Once he has bullets for his revolver, watch out - he shoots to kill!

The Valley is also home to a swarm of tsetse flies. The flies will bite you and put you to sleep for 1 to 7 seconds. If the flies put you to sleep while the Thief is picking your pockets, you have no defense until the fly poison has worn off. You can run through the green bogs to escape the Thief, but the mud in the bogs slows you down to half speed.

BLACK MARKET

In the Black Market you'll find a bizarre assortment of characters: a Raving Lunatic to the left of the Marketplace, a Sheik selling bullets to the top, and a Sheik peddling a shovel to the bottom. To the right of the Black Market is a basket. The Raving Lunatic will kill you if you try to cross his path - you must pacify him with something. Likewise, the two Sheiks want something to trade for their wares. Beware of the Sheik with the shovel - he doesn't come cheap!

WELL OF THE SOULS

The Well of the Souls is where you appear at the end of the game. If you've found the Lost Ark, it will appear at the top of the screen. Whether you've found the ark or not, you'll be raised on a pedestal in this room. Here you will be able to measure your score in adventure points by the height of the pedestal.

OBJECTS	SCREEN	INVENTORY
MAGIC FLUTE Magic flutes can be bought from the Black Sheik in the Marketplace. As long as the selector dot is on a magic flute, you cannot be harmed by snakes.
COINS At the start of the game, you are given a basket of coins. Coins can often be used to buy objects or favors. You can get baskets of coins in the Temple Treasure Room, which has an unlimited supply.
GRENADE Grenades are occasionally found in baskets and can be used to blast through SOME barriers.	-
KEY Keys open doors for those who know how to use them.	-
WHIP The whip is found in the Entrance Room, and is used by pressing the button on your right controller. You must be in motion and fairly close to an object in order to strike it with your whip.
PARACHUTE The White Sheik in the Marketplace sells parachutes. He has an unlimited supply of them.
TIMEPIECE A timepiece can be picked up in the Temple Entrance. To tell the time, place the selector dot below the timepiece and press the button on the right controller.
REVOLVER Use your revolver to get out of tight spots. You start out with six bullets, and can only buy more from the Sheik in the Black Market. Indy must be in motion to use the revolver.	-
BULLETS Buy bullets in the Black Market. They are sold three at a time, and are kept track of automatically.		-
ANKH One of the Temple treasures, the Ankh, is the Egyptian symbol of life. And it just might save yours!
CHAI Another Temple treasure, the Chai, is the Hebrew symbol of life.
HOURGLASS Found in the Temple Treasure Room, the hourglass is a favourite of the Temple Gods. But what is it used for?
SHOVEL A shovel can be bought in the Black Market, for the right price. What else is a shovel good for but digging?

WARNING DO NOT CONTINUE READING UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE GIVEN SOLUTIONS TO THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK ADVENTURE GAME. COMMITTED ADVENTURERS SHOULD SKIP THIS SECTION.

This section is presented in two parts - HELPFUL HINTS and MORE HELPFUL HINTS. HELPFUL HINTS gives you tips on how to get into most of the rooms of the game, and how to find your way out or around an obstacle. MORE HELPFUL HINTS will assist you after you've found your way around the rooms, to give you strategy on winning the game and finding the Ark. We can't give you all the clues to win the game (after all, what's an adventure game without surprises?), but these hints should give you a helping hand on your journey.

HELPFUL HINTS

1. When you first start out in the Entrance Room, go directly to the Marketplace and buy a flute by dropping your basket of coins while standing on the flute in front of the Black Sheik. (Be careful not to touch the Sheik while buying the flute, or he'll be insulted and will take your money without delivering the flute to you!) The flute will protect you from the snakes.
   
   
2. After you've purchased a flute, you'll need to get a grenade from the blue basket on the left side of the Marketplace. With the grenade you can blow a hole in the wall of the blue Entrance Room which will lead to other rooms in the Temple. Walk to the right side of the Entrance Room, select the grenade with the left controller, and use it by pressing the button on the right controller. Get out ot the room quickly, or the shock waves from the blast could kill you!
   
   
3. In the Room of the Shining light you will be put into one of the dungeons, and to continue your journey, you must find your way out. You can escape by one of two ways: If you have a gun or whip, you can shoot holes in the walls of the box; or if you are out of ammunition, you can slip out of the secret exit located at the bottom of the box. The exit only appears occasionally, so keep trying!
   
   
4. The magic flute will make you immune to tsetse flies as well as snakes.
   
   
5. Once you find the Temple Treasure Room, you'll need to exit and return to allow the Temple enough time to replenish the coins.

MORE HELPFUL HINTS

1. Use the Ankh to transport yourself onto the Mesa Field.
   
   
2. Once on top of the Mesa Fields, move the grappling hook so that it crosses the broadest part of the mesa you're trying to reach. Get a feel for the rhythm of the hook's pathway. Jump across just before the hook crosses the yellow mesa.
   
   
3. If you want an easy route to the Black Market, try bribing the Black Sheik in the Marketplace. You'll have to experiment to find the right object to bribe him with.
   
   
4. Cross the far end of the Mesa Field to reach the Map Room. Once at the far end, drop the object that gave you your grappling hook, center yourself on the mesa, and walk into the next room. You'll be on a thin strip of solid ground with blue "sky" all around. Don't walk off the strip or you'll fall into the Valley of Poison. The Map Room is nearby, but you'll need the correct object to get in.
   
   
5. Use the shovel from the Black Market to dig for the Well of the Souls - once you've discovered the correct mesa.