INSTRUCTIONS When the program has loaded, you are prompted for a softlock security code. The code is found by looking up the number on the screen in the left hand column of the table and entering the number in the right hand column using keys 0-9 and ENTER. The game is now ready for playing. Controls START GAME - ENTER JOYSTICK FORWARD - KEYS UP ARROW OR 7 JOYSTICK BACK - KEYS DOWN ARROW OR 6 JOYSTICK LEFT - KEYS LEFT ARROW OR 5 JOYSTICK RIGHT - KEYS RIGHT ARROW OR 8 FIRE - KEYS 0 OR SPACE ABORT - KEY A HOLD - KEY H RACE MANUAL Read what Britain's top driver Nick Phipps and brakeman Alan Cearnes have to say about this spectacular simulation. NICK PHIPPS "The driving action is stunning, and the handling superb. Get the bob moving then pick up speed into the first corner, hold the sled down, check the height and let it run out in the middle, fantastic, very realistic. It takes razor sharp concentration and smooth driving to beat the best times." ALAN CEARNES "The push start really took it out of me. I gave it everything and the bob went thundering down the track. Great fun! The extra fitness training sessions bring you to a peak of physical fitness." FEATURES * Spectacular driver's eye view. * Winter Olympics race. * 6 World Championship tracks. * World championship points scoring. * Accurate race timing. * 2 or 4 man bobs. * 2 player option. * Changeable weather conditions. * Bob setup. * Skilful opposition. * Graded competition. * Win sponsorship money and buy faster bobs. INTRODUCTION It's been called the ultimate thrill ride. Poised inches above rock hard ice, travelling at speeds of over 80 mph, Bobsleigh has to be the most dangerous and breathtaking of the Winter Sports. Only the most remarkable of sportsmen attempt the mile long run, and succeed in meeting the supreme challenge. You will need nerves of steel, lightening fast reactions, and super human strength to attain the highest possible accolade - an Olympic gold medal. JOYSTICK CONTROLS UP/DOWN: rock the joystick up and down for the push start. LEFT: steer left. RIGHT: steer right. FIRE: to jump in bob at the start and to apply the brake at the end. DRIVING INSTRUCTIONS STARTING When the start light turns from red to green, start pushing as hard as you can, by rocking the joystick up and down. The bob will start to pick up speed as indicated on the front panel. 50 metres is allowed to get the bob up to speed before it crosses the start line. You must jump in the bob, by pressing the fire button, before you reach the start line or the bob will continue on down the track without you on board! TIMING Your timed run starts when you cross the start line. There are a number of split times given for each circuit. These are usually placed one quarter, one half, and three quarters of the way down the track. The split times are useful for judging how well the run is going at key points on the track. When the bob passes under the chequered flag at the end of the track the race timer will stop and show your finishing time. The record time displayed is the current track record. BRAKE The brake should only be used after you have crossed the finishing line to bring the bob to a standstill. If you use the brake while racing down the track it will damage the track surface and you will be disqualified from the race. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SCORING At each event you may have one practice run if the 'practice on' option is selected. Then each player makes two runs, the times from each run are added to give an accumulated time. If there are two players then you make your runs alternately. The scoreboard will place a 'C' next to your country if you crashed on either run. If you crash on the first run you are not allowed a second run. The country with the quickest accumulated time is the winner of that event. When in 'season' racing the points scoring is 8 points for first place down to 1 point for eighth place at each venue. The points are added up over the 6 venues and the highest scoring country wins the championship. RACING EVENTS AND CLASSES NOVICE As a novice competitor you will need to start racing with an amateur class bob. If you are unfamiliar with the tracks then start racing in single events where you will be able to try and win some races, build up sponsorship money, which will be needed later on, and gain familiarity with each track. The other competing countries will provide you with some tough opposition and you will need to race well to beat their times. At the end of each race the team manager will provide you with a report giving details of your general performance and any damage to the bob. ADVANCED If you win enough races you will have sufficient funds to move onto a National class bob which will enable you to race at higher speeds. The better bobs, although faster, are more susceptible to crash damage. In order to move on to International and Olympic class bobs you will need to compete in full season racing where you must race on six tracks consecutively and win World Championship points. It will then be possible for you to gain enough sponsorship money to buy an International or Olympic class bob. If you finish in the top three in a World Championship season, using the Olympic class bob, you will be able to select the Winter Olympics option and go for gold. SPONSORSHIP MONEY Each player starts with a certain amount of sponsorship money which may be used to buy basic equipment such as the simplest type of bobsleigh and a set of runners. You will need to win races in order to attract more sponsorship money. There are maintenance costs for the upkeep of your bob which are payable after each race and there may also be damage and repair costs to be paid if you crash or hit the side wall hard going down the track. If you do not win enough races you will find that your funds will become depleted as your sponsorship income reduces until eventually you may even become bankrupt! If this happens you will have no option but to start all over again. MENU SELECTIONS All the game options available are presented on menu pages. Choose a particular item by moving the highlight with the joystick and then select it by pressing the fire button. If a particular item is in a darker colour than the rest, then that item is not available for selection at that moment. EVENTS DEMO Select demo for a demonstration of a bob run where you take a passenger seat. SINGLE Race at a single track only. Select your track from the 6 venues available. SEASON A full seasons' racing involves racing at each of the 6 tracks in a World Championship cycle. When in 'season' racing, the order in which each of the track venues is visited is fixed. OLYMPIC Race at the Winter Olympics. Note: You cannot enter the Winter Olympics until you have bought an Olympic class bob, and demonstrated your ability to win with it, by finishing a World Championship season in the top three. PRACTICE The practice on/off selection enables you to make just one practice run at each venue before the actual racing begins. This can be useful for familiarisation at each new track during 'season' racing. RESTART - The restart option allows you to totally reset the game. TAPE SAVE/LOAD OPTION - Save your current game status onto tape so that you may return to the same game at a later date. CONTROLS - This option is included on some versions for selecting between keyboard and joystick. PLAYERS Select either a one or two player game. In a two player game each player races the bob in turn. Each player may select which country he wishes to represent, but once selected it is not possible to change country in mid game. Only after pressing the restart option may new countries be selected. VENUE A choice of 6 tracks is available and a map showing the layout of each track is also included. The track records are given for each track to give you an idea of what times are achievable by expert driving. Note: When in 'season' racing the order in which each track is visited is fixed and may not be selected independently. WEATHER Select the weather option to receive a brief weather report. You have to take the weather conditions into account when selecting the runner blades. The conditions may change at each new venue, so be sure to check you have the correct runner blades fitted when you arrive at each new track. RUNNERS Four types of runner blades are available for selection. The shape of the blade is slightly different in each case and the correct choice of runners depends upon the air and ice temperatures. In general the more bowed a runner is, the more it will cut into the ice, and this will give better grip and control on a hard track. The runner blades only have a limited life and may become worn or damaged during racing. If you select a set of runners which is worn you will be given the option of buying a new set. BOB SELECTION There are four grades of bobsleigh ranging from Amateur to Olympic class. The Olympic class is the best, and most expensive, so you will need to win many races before you can afford one. Each class of bob is available in a 2 or 4 man version. CASH You may use your sponsorship money to pay for a fitness training course and to buy team kit in your own personal colour scheme. FITNESS TRAINING To use the fitness training kit, wait for the start light and then rock the joystick up and down as quickly as possible in the time allowed. This will move the strength bar indicator to the right, the further you can move the bar to the right the higher your new level of fitness will become. TEAM COLOURS The team tracksuits are available in a wide range of attractive colours! Pick the colour which suits you. DRIVING TIPS TECHNIQUE The best times in bobsleigh are achieved by smooth driving using only slight pressure on the runners. In the straights it is essential to steer the bob accurately as any contact with the side walls will slow the bob down. Fast cornering involves picking the best line through each corner, and this can only be found by trial and error. Do not allow the bob to ride too high up the banking or the bob may run off the track and crash. You will also crash if you fail to get the bob down in time coming out of a corner. On some combination corners you will need to get the line right on the first part of the combination to be in the correct position going into the second part of the combination. To beat the best times you will need to get a good push start, find the best lines through the corners and avoid hitting the side walls. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Digital Integration would like to thank the British Bobsleigh Association for their invaluable assistance during the design and development of BOBSLEIGH. We would like to thank in particular Nick Phipps and Alan Cearnes for their generous help and support. Not forgetting Eira Seaward of Allied Steel for her help and enthusiasm in this product. BRITISH BOBSLEIGH ASSOCIATION For further information on the sport of bobsleigh please contact the British Bobsleigh Association at 118 Eaton Square, London SW1W 9AF. TRACKS ST. MORITZ - SWITZERLAND ------------------------ Length of Track: 1 mile Danger Points: 2, 3, 7 Number of Left Turns: 8 Number of Right Turns: 8 KONIGSSEE - WEST GERMANY ------------------------ WORLD CUP VENUE 1988 Length of Track: 1,200m Danger Points: 3, 4, 5, 11 Number of Left Turns: 7 Number of Right Turns: 7 OLYMPIC TRACK, INNSBRUCK - AUSTRIA ---------------------------------- WORLD CUP VENUE 1987/88 Length of Track: 1,220m Danger Points: 9, 13 Number of Left Turns: 8 Number of Right Turns: 6 WINTERBERG - WEST GERMANY ------------------------- 1987/88 WORLD CUP VENUE Length of Track: 1,325m Danger Points: 9, 11 Number of Left Turns: 8 Number of Right Turns: 6 CALGARY - CANADA ---------------- OLYMPIC TRACK 1988 Length of Track: 1,475m No Real Danger on the Track Number of Left Turns: 8 Number of Right Turns: 6 BREUIL, CERVINIA - ITALY ------------------------ WORLD CUP VENUE 1988 Length of Track: 1,520m Danger Points: All Corners Number of Left Turns: 7 Number of Right Turns: 8