INTRODUCTION You're running through the tunnels of the city's subway system, racing agains time. And while you pick up speed, you've got plenty of obstacles to hurlde. For starters, watch out for rats the size of cats - they can bite into your precious time. And those slippery green slime tiles will put you on the skids. Then there are rolling barrels and hurdles to jump over or trip yourself trying. And dangerous potholes - they're deeper than they look! But take heart. You can always run onto the handy skateboards that glide you swiftly through the tunnel. Or jumo on the helpful springboards that speed you down the course at a breakneck pace. If you manage to make it to the goal, take a deep breath. Pat yourself on the back. That hightail in into the next course. And remember: it keeps getting tougher. So tighten your shoelaces. And pull up your knee pads. It's time to jam! GETTING STARTED Commodore 64/128 1. Set up your system as explained in the owner's manual. If you're going to use a joystick, plug one into joystick port 2. 2. Remove all disks from the disk drives and turn on the system. For Commodore 128, hold down the C= key when you turn on the system to set it to C64 mode. 3. Insert the MetroCross disk into the drive, label side up. Type LOAD"*",8,1 and press RETURN. (Or, if you have an Epyx Fast Load cartridge, hold down the C= key and press Run/Stop.) 4. MetroCross loads and the title screen appears. Push the joystick handle forward, back, right, and left to change the selections. (On the keyboard press A, Z, or CRSR to select, and press SPACEBAR in the place of the fire button.) When the correct selection show on screen, press the fire button to begin your marathon. Note: With your Atari or Commodore system, use the Epyx 500XJ joystick with tactile-response micro-switches for precise instant control. The 500XJ is the only joystick that actually fits your hand and puts the fire button right at your trigger finger. The Epyx 500XJ-guaranteed for ten million uses. ON THE MOVE The object of the game is to run through the underground tunnel as fast as you can. And it doesn't hurt to rack up points along the way. Watch your time and area bar, though. If you run out of time before you make it to the goal, your game's over. Use these controls to help you beat the clock: Action - Control Run up. - Push the joystick handle forward or press A. Run down. - Push the joystick handle forward or press A. Run forward. - Push the joystick handle right or press CRSR. Slow to a stop. - Press the fire button or Spacebar. Reset game. - Run/Stop. At the bottom of the screen, the top line shows what round you're in and how much time you have left. The second line (area bar) shows how far you've run through the tunnel. If you make it past the goal before your time runs out, you go on to the next tunnel. If you run out of time, the game ends. Obstacles and Time-Savers Rolling Boards The best way to deal with these is to jump over 'em. If they catch you, they'll squish you. Slime Tiles Jump over them on the run. Otherwise, they'll make you slip and slow down. Potholes Run around them or you'll find yourself over your head in water and losing precious time. Run forward to get yourself out of the pothole and back on track. Highrise Hurdles Yeah, we know. They look imposing. But the best way to male headway is to jump over them. Fat Rats Once they sink their teeth into you, they're hard to shake and slow you down. The only way to rid yourself of rats is to get run over or fall into one of the obstacles. Air Vents When you step on these, they flip you over and jab you with springs. But if you jump on them directly, they'll propel you down the track. Tires When you see these babies come barreling down the track, get out of the way or they'll knock you down. Skateboards Catch a ride on these and buy yourself scads of valuable seconds. Roll smoothly past slime tiles and skate into cans for bonus points and increased speed. Red Cubes Avoid them or jump over them. Or suffer the consequences - lost energy and time. Springboards When you jump on springboards, you'll be catapulted farther along the course and over obstacles. Blue Cans Kick them one after another to score bonus points. Jump on them to stop the clock for two seconds. Neon Green Cans Kicking them doubles your speed for five seconds. Jumping on them stops the clock for two seconds. Rising Walls These can stop you when you least expect it. Run around 'em or lose precious time. SCORING Scores are shown at the top of the screen, player 1's on the left and player 2's on the right. The record high score is in the center. Here's how to gain points: Skate through the goal - 10.000 points. Swap skateboards - 2.000 points. Kick blue cans: first can in a row - 100 points. second can in a row - 300 points. third can in a row - 1.000 points. fourth can in a row - 2.000 points. fifth can in a row - 5.000 points. Cross three squares - 50 points. Make it trough the goal with time left over - 500 points per second. Time left over is tallied after every three rounds and the total is added to the fourth round.