1. Insert the cartridge into the slot of the Odyssey² console with the label side of the cartridge facing the alpha-numeric keyboard.
   
2. Turn on the power by pressing the power button of the console, a HORIZONTAL BAR will appear at the lower center of your TV screen. A "?" will appear at the bottom left. If they do not, press the RESET key on the alpha-numeric keyboard.

1. KEYBOARD CREATIONS can be programmed to display three different kinds of messages on your TV screen - simultaneously or individually.
   1. A continuous "main" message.
   2. An "alarm" message of approximately thirty seconds which interrupts the "main" message at pre-determined intervals.
   3. A digital clock with date or three word message.
      
      
2. The question mark at the bottom left corner of the screen asks which function you will request the computer to perform.
   
   
3. TO PROGRAM THE "MAIN" MESSAGE: Press 1 on the numeric section of the keyboard. A square will appear at the left side of the screen. 99 will appear at the top right of the screen. 98 is the maximum number of characters and spaces that can be entered in both the "main" and "alarm" messages. This number will decrease each time you type in a character or space. The last number is reserved for ENTER.
   1. Use the keyboard to enter the "main" message.
   2. Use the CLEAR key to correct mistakes.
   3. Press ENTER when the "main" message is complete. If you want to display your "main" message, go on - if not, continue the programming sequence at step 4.
   4. Press 2, then 140000 and ENTER.
   5. Press 4. Your message will be displayed on the screen.
   6. To stop message display, press "S".
      
      
4. TO PROGRAM THE "ALARM" MESSAGE:
   1. The "alarm" message cannot be programmed until the "main" message has been entered into the computer. If you are now in the display mode, press "S" to stop action.
   2. Press 2 on the numeric section of the keyboard.
   3. Enter the time interval at which you wish the "alarm" message to interrupt the "main" message.
      1. More than once an hour:
         • Press 80
         • Type in the minute after the hour you want the "alarm" message to start. If the number is less than 10, press zero and then the digit. Five minutes is expressed as 05.
         • Type in minute interval between messages.
           
           EXAMPLE: 800102 (80 is the entry code.)
           01 programs the "alarm" message to break in at one minute after the hour. 02 programs the "alarm" message to break in every two minutes.
      2. Once an hour:
         • Press 00.
         • Press the minute after the hour at which you want the "alarm" message to interrupt. If the minute has already passed in the present hour, the "alarm" message will start display in the following hour.
         • Press 00.
           
           EXAMPLE: 003000 The "alarm" message will interrupt thirty minutes past every hour.
      3. Every 12 hour:
         • Type in the time at which you want the "alarm" message to appear.
           
           EXAMPLE: HHMMSS (H=Hours M=Minutes S=Seconds) 093000 The "alarm" message will appear at 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.
      4. No "alarm" message:
         • Type in 140000.
         • Press ENTER.
   4. After the timing information is entered, it will automatically transfer to the horizontal bar. A white square will appear at the left of the screen to signal that the computer is ready for the "alarm" message to be entered.
   5. Use the keyboard to enter the "alarm" message. The maximum number of characters and spaces available is 98 less the length of the "main" message. The countdown appears at the top right corner of the screen.
   6. Use the CLEAR key to correct mistakes.
   7. Press ENTER when your message is complete.
      
      NOTE: The "main" message must always be entered before the "alarm" message. The "alarm" message may be changed without redoing the "main" message. If the "main" message is changed, the "alarm" message must be reentered. Press "S" to stop action. Then press the appropriate mode key. (1) "main" (2) "alarm."
      
      
5. TO SET THE DIGITAL CLOCK:
   1. Press 3.
   2. Type in the actual time.
      EXAMPLE: Hours - 11, Minutes - 15, Seconds - 00
      
      The clock is set at 11:15 exactly. The clock will start running when the last number is entered - however, the passage of time will not be visible until the messages are displayed on the screen.
      
      For immediate display of "alarm" message, set the clock at any even hour.
      EXAMPLE: 10:00:00
      
      
6. TO DISPLAY MESSAGES:
   1. Press 4.
   2. To stop the display without erasing the program, press "S".
   3. Press 4 to restart display.
      
      
7. TO INSERT A "CLOCK" MESSAGE:
   1. Press "S" to stop display.
   2. Press 5. Figure 24 will appear in the upper right corner of the screen. This indicates a maximum "clock" message length of 24 characters. It will decrease by one each time a character is typed into the keyboard.
   3. The time display is replaced by a row of 0's every few seconds.
   4. The zeros can be replaced by the date or any three words no longer than eight letters each. They will appear one at a time.
   5. If the words are less than eight letters, frame each with spaces so they will make their appearance at the center of the horizontal bar. After all 24 "clock" message units have been filled with characters or spaces, the message will be automatically entered into the computer's memory.
      EXAMPLE:
      OCTOBER-
      ---31---
      --1982--
      
      
8. TO CHANGE BACKGROUND COLOR:
   1. Press "S" to stop display.
   2. Press 6.
   3. Press R for RED.
      Press G for GREEN.
      Press B for BLUE.
      Press Y for ORANGE.
      Press T for TURQUOISE.
      Press P for PURPLE.
   4. The "?" will reappear. Color change will appear the next time you press 4. (Colors may vary according to individual TV's color adjustments.)
      
      
9. SUPPLEMENTAL CHARACTERS.
   1. Press "?." The white square will become hollow to signal the computer is ready to generate special characters. You must be in the "main," "alarm," or "clock" message mode.
   2. Press ? to get ?
      Press SPACE to get $
      Press V to get :
      Press B to get /
      (These last three characters must be at least nine spaces apart in the "main" and "alarm" messages. They cannot be included in the clock display if they are used in either of the top displays.)
      Press . to get ,
      Press N to get %
      Press M to get !
      
      Note: You must press "?" each time you want to input a supplemental character. When you press "?," only the supplemental character keys will function on the following keystroke.
      
      

RECAP

MAIN MESSAGE - Press 1
ALARM MESSAGE - Press 2
TO SET CLOCK - Press 3
DISPLAY - Press 4
CLOCK MESSAGE - Press 5
BACKGROUND COLOR - Press 6
To erase program, press RESET or turn off the power.

MOVIE MADNESS! (2 or more players)
If more than 2 players are in the game, divide into teams.

1. Player 2 names a movie.
   
   
2. Player 1 presses 1 to access the "main" message and types in as many people associated with the film as possible. Starts, supporting cast, directors, composers, lyricists, writers and producers all count.
   
   
3. Player 1's objective is to fill as many spaces of the "main" message as he or she can within a pre-agreed time limit (5-10- or 15 minutes). 99 is a perfect score.
   
   
4. When Player 1's time runs out, he or she presses ENTER, then it is Player 2's turn.
   
   
5. Player 2 presses 2 to access the "alarm" message and enters time interval code before making his or her entries.
   
   
6. The player or team using the greatest number of spaces wins the round. A starting player or team using more than 49 characters and spaces automatically wins the round.
   
   
7. When the round is over, Player 1 names a movie and Player 2 makes the first entry into the "main" message.
   
   
8. The player or team winning the most of a pre-agreed number of rounds wins the game.

SPORTSCASTER! (2 or more players)

This is played according to the rules of Movie Madness except that players name members of football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer teams.

IDENTOGRAMS! (2 or more players)

1. Player 1 presses 1 and enters a series of clues into the "main" message. These can be clues to a book, movie, rock group, TV show, a famous person, etc. This is the identogram. Press ENTER.
   
   
2. Player 1 then presses 2 to enter a time limit and the answer into the "alarm" message. Press ENTER.
   
   
3. Player 1 presses 5 to enter the subject category into the clock message mode.
   
   
4. Press 4 to display.
   
   
5. Player 2 wins if he or she arrives at the answer before it is displayed on the screen.

SOURCE WORD! (2 or more players)

1. Player 2 names a word to be the "source word."
   
   
2. Player 1 presses 1 and types it into the "main" message. EXAMPLE: "WEIGHT"
   
   
3. Player 1 then types in as many words as he or she can in 5 minutes using the letters W-E-I-G-H-T. The words may be of any length but no letter can be used more than it appears in the source word. EXAMPLE: WET - WIT - HE - EIGHT - GET - HIT - THE
   
   
4. When the five minutes are up, Player 1 presses ENTER. It is now Player 2's turn.
   
   
5. Player 2 presses 3 and types in any even hour. Then Player 2 enters the time interval code 8000101. Player 2 then enters the source word and as many different words as he or she can without duplicating Player 1's words. Press ENTER.
   
   
6. The player using up the greatest number of character spaces is the winner.
   
   
7. Press 4 to access the display and verify that no words have been used more than one time.

TELL TALE! (2 or more players)

1. Player 1 presses 1 and types the first word of a sentence into the "main" message.
   
   
2. The second player types in the second word of the sentence and so on.
   
   
3. A player completing the sentence before the 98th character is out of the game. The surviving player to the left presses RESET, then presses 1 and starts a new sentence.
   
   
4. A player unable to complete a sentence on exactly the 98th space is out of the game. A new sentence is started by the player to the left.
   
   
5. The game continues until only one player is left. If a player ends the sentence on exactly the 98th space, he or she is an automatic winner.
   
   
6. To display entire sentence:
   1. Press ENTER.
   2. Press 2, then 140000 and ENTER.
   3. Press 4 to display sentence.

NINCOMPOOP! (2 or more players)

1. Player 1 presses 1 to access the "main" message and names any vowel as the Nincompoop. Player 1 then types in any two letter word. If the Nincompoop vowel is used in the word, NINCOMPOOP is typed in instead of the vowel.
   
   
2. Player 2 then types in any three letter word.
   
   
3. The next player types in any four letter word and so on until five letter words are reached. The words then go back to two letters and the cycle repeats.
   
   
4. A player who cannot fit a word of the required length into the 99th space is out of the game.
   
   
5. The player to the left presses RESET , presses 1 and then names a new vowel as the Nincompoop.
   
   
6. The last surviving player is the winner.

CHAIN LETTERS! (2 or more players)

1. Player 1 presses 1 to access the "main" message. Player 1 then names a category (countries, states, birds, animals, flowers, sports, etc.) and types in a word to fit it.
   
   
2. Player 2 then types in a word that fits the category that starts with the last letter of the first word.
   EXAMPLE:
   Category: animals
   CAT - TIGER - RACCOON - and so on.
   
   
3. A player breaking the letter chain is out of the game and the surviving players continue.
   
   
4. The game continues until only one player is left - or until a player ends a chain on exactly the 99th space.
   
   
5. If a player cannot name an animal that fits into the 99th space, he or she is out. The player to the left presses RESET and then presses 1 and starts a new category with the other surviving players.

QUIZ WIZ! (2 or more players)

1. Player 1 presses 1 and programs a series a math problems into the "main" message.
   EXAMPLE:
   5 + 5 + 10 + 4 + 5 + 1 = A
   3 x 6 x 2 / 3 = B
   20 + 40 / 5 + 25 = C
   
   
2. Leave 9 spaces between problems. The complexity of the problems should vary according to the age and proficiency of the players. Press ENTER.
   
   
3. Player 1 then presses 5 to program the "clock" message. This should be an instruction to add, subtract, multiply or divide the answers to the problems programmed into the "main" message.
   EXAMPLE: (ADD)
   
   
4. Player 1 presses 2 to program the desired timing for the "alarm" message to interrupt the "main" message and then programs the answer into the "alarm" message (A + B + C = 79). Press ENTER.
   
   
5. Player presses 3 to set digital clock at actual time.
   
   
6. Press 4 (display).
   
   
7. Player 2 wins if he or she arrives at answer before it appears on the screen. (Pencil and paper are optional.)