TENNIS

Now, you'll never have to wait for a court again. With Tennis by Activision™, you can enjoy the challenge and excitement of tennis right on your home TV. But before you start, take a minute and read these important instructions. They'll help you to really enjoy all the special features of the game. In no time you'll be playing like a pro!

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 repeat steps 1-3.
   
   
4. Plug in Joystick Controllers.
   
   
5. Select run with game select switch:
   
   Game 1: You against the Activision computer pro (full speed).
   Game 2: You against a friend (full speed).
   Game 3: You against the Activision computer pro (slow motion).
   Game 4: You against a friend (slow motion).
   
   NOTE: In games 1 and 3, you are the orange player; the computer pro is the blue player. On black and with TVs, the orange player is white and the blue player black.
   
   
6. Use of Joystick Controllers. The left joystick controls the orange player in all games. The right joystick controls the blue player in games 2 and 4. Moving the joystick left moves your player left, and moving it right moves him right. Push forward or pull back to move to and from the net. Before each serve, you can only move to the right or left. During game action, you can move in all directions.
   
   
7. To begin play or start a new set. Press game reset. The orange player begins serving each set. Players will change sides following each odd game. Server is shown with bouncing ball.
   
   
8. To serve. Use the Joystick to position your player, then push the red button to serve. The red button is used for serving only. After serving, players will swing automatically if they are in position to return a shot.
   
   
9. Difficulty Switches. With difficulty switches in the b (down) position, players can hit shots at a wide variety of angles - some of them very sharp. With switches in the a (up) position, the widest-angle shots are eliminated. Left difficulty affects orange player; right difficulty affects blue player. Set difficulty switches at b (down) to start.
   
   
10. Scoring is the same as in real tennis: 15-30-40, "deuce" at 40-all, and "ad in" or "ad out" following "deuce". The first player to win at least 6 games and be ahead by two games wins the set. If players tie in games at 6-6, the score returns to 0-0, and the first player to go two games ahead wins the set. One bell sounds after each point, three after each game, and six at the end of each set. Each player has his own bell tone.

Note to owners of Sears TeleGame Video Arcade: On your Sears system, difficulty switches are called skill left (or right) player and a (up) is expert and b (down) is novice.

SERVING AND VOLLEYING

You can serve to any part of the court and your first serve is always "in". Also, you can never hit the ball too long (beyond your opponent's baseline or sidelines) or too short (into the net). Just like in real tennis, when you're volleying at the net, you'll notice that your shots don't travel as far as they do when you hit them from the baseline. Also, you'll be able to hit your most sharply-angled shots while playing at the net.

PLACING YOUR SHOTS

Just as in real tennis, in Tennis by Activision you can aim and "place" the ball depending on how you hit it. The angle of your shot is controlled by where you hit the ball on your racket. If you hit the ball in the center of the racket, your shot will go straight forward. The closer you hit the ball to the edge of the racket, the sharper the angle will be in the direction your racket is facing. But you'll need to be careful. It's easy to attempt a sharply-angled shot and miss the ball entirely. There are a wide variety of angles to hit the ball. Experiment with them and you'll soon be able to precisely aim your shots and hit them out of reach of your opponent.

Once you understand the game's basics, we suggest you start off with game 3 or 4 and play in slow motion for a while. Put the difficulty switches in the b (down) position. You'll soon get the feeling of the court, when to rush the net, when to lay back and play the baseline, and how the ball reacts when it's hit from various positions on your racket. If the wide-angle shots are too much at first, move either or both difficulty switches to the a (up) position while you practice. After you've gotten a little confidence, take on the Activision computer pro or a friend at full speed (Game 1 or 2) with full wide-angle shot capability (difficulty switches down at b). You'll find it quite a challenge.

Tips from Alan Miller, designer of Tennis.

Alan Miller is a Senior Designer at Activision. A fierce video game competitor, he's the designer and undisputed champion of Checkers and Tennis by Activision.

"My Activision Tennis, like real tennis, puts a premium on anticipation, reflexes, and conditioning. You really have to stay on your toes, try and anticipate where your opponent's shot will land, and get in position to return.

"Practice moving quickly to the area where you think your opponent's shot will go. If you can do that, then you'll get a jump on placing your shot out of your opponent's reach.

"For an extra tough challenge, try to serve and volley against the computer with the difficulty switches set on b. Hit a sharply-angled serve off the edge of your racket to either the right or left side, then move quickly about two-thirds of the way to the net.

"If you've anticipated properly, you can nail his return with a cross-court volley for a winner. But, guess wrong and he's passed you. This strategy demands a high level of concentration, razor-sharp reflexes, and lots of practice.

"But you know the old saying, practice makes perfect. So, keep at it, good luck and have a great game. Drop me a line and let me know how you do. I'd love to hear from you."