ASTROBLAST
• Only (?) game to incorporate the use of either a joystick or paddle controller! The game checks to see which controller is being used. When you are using the joystick (SWCHA), both controllers (INPT1 + SWCHA) are being checked for changes. However, if you are using the paddle (INPT1), the joystick portions are skipped.
• 2 versions exist! The original version has the rocks and flickering line glitches described below.
• (Original version only) - If two joysticks are plugged in and both moved at the same time during the game, unexpected things can happen (the same effect will happen if you use either controller). UP+DOWN+RIGHT = “blast off” slow (picture #1); UP+DOWN+LEFT+RIGHT = “blast off” fast; DOWN+LEFT+RIGHT = “land/burrow” slow (picture #2); UP+LEFT+RIGHT = “land/burrow” fast; one joystick LEFT and the other RIGHT = turn invisible. Repeating this lowers your score. If your ship is not visible (from using any of these tricks) and a rock falls on where your ship actually is, the screen turns red and the base counter will constantly cycle from 99 down to zero (picture #3). The only way to get out of it is to RESET. {Dennis Jenkins} Later production runs removed these bugs/tricks.
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BUG: Once you reach 100k, if you score drops back under 100k, you’ll earn a free ship for every rock or object you hit, until your score is over 100k again (video #1)! The same thing happens when you roll the score counter at 1 million (video #2). {Scott Stilphen}• BUG: Sometimes when you shoot a large rock it will disappear instead of breaking apart (video #3).
• BUG: Occasionally your shots will pass right through a rock (photo #5 and video #4).
• BUG: When your ship is on the left side of the screen, you’ll see a flickering line beneath it whenever you shoot or an object reaches the ground (picture #4).