============================================= -Warlords Faq/Walkthrough For The Atari 2600- Version 1.2 Created (7/18/02) By JBenno (Josh Lawson) (marcbenno1@aol.com) Copyright (c) Josh Lawson (2002) ============================================= Version 1.1 was created to fix a format error and to fix spelling mistakes. Version 1.2 was created to change my contributor name. I. Introduction A. The Story B. Atari 2600 Console Functions C. Controls D. Game Matrix E. The Objectives F. The Game Screen + A Secret Strategy G. About The Game In General H. Glossary Of Terms I. Copyright Info =============== I. Introduction =============== Atari games are fun in a lot of ways. Even though they have simple graphics, the story lines behind them give the game a tremendous value. Warlords has a simple but rather intriguing story line to it. Although this game ends in a short while, it provides many hours of fun. If you have any questions about the following, please let me know and I will answer them. The following is a paraphrased version of the story in the game manual: ============ A. The Story ============ Once upon a time in a far off land lived a king named Frederick. Frederick was a good king and treated his servants with respect. The kingdom basically ran itself. One day, King Frederick and his wife Queen Christina decided to make a family. Before they knew it, Christina gave birth to healthy quadruplets. The years quickly passed and Frederick's sons Dominick, Marcus, Felipe, and Restivo grew to become strong men. The four boys were completely opposite of their pacifist father. The four boys constantly quarreled with each other. Frederick became concerned when he realized that his sons would one day own the kingdom and destroy it in the process of fighting. Frederick intervened with the boys fights and banished them from his kingdom. The boys moved to a distant land and became warlords. They fought their battles and as soon as one boy destroyed another's castle that boy would have to rebuild it. The fighting never ceased. After the castle was rebuilt, the wars continued. These wars continued on for centuries and it is now up to the descendants of the four brothers to carry on the legacy. =============================== B. Atari 2600 Console Functions =============================== Game Select Switch ================== This allows you to change the game number to the game you wish to play. The number at the top left of the screen indicates what game number it is currently on. The number in the top right hand corner indicates the number of human players that participate in that game. Game Reset Switch ================= Once you choose the game that you wish to play, press the game reset switch to begin playing the game. Difficulty Switches A & B ========================= Not used in this game. TV Type Switch ============== Used to toggle between a color or black and white television screen. =========== C. Controls =========== Be sure to turn off your Atari and plug a set of paddles into the controller jack. If you are playing a four player game, plug an additional set of paddles into the two player controller jack. Joystick controllers cannot be used in this game. Turn the paddle knob to the left to move your paddle left and vice versa. It doesn't matter what castle you are occupying, the controls are the same. In most of the games, a catch mode is enabled. (See Game Descriptions For Details) If the catch mode is enabled, and when the ball hits your paddle, quickly press the red button on the side of the paddle. ============== D. Game Matrix ============== Game Number| Number Of Players | Shields | Ball Speed | 1 4 C F 2 3 C F 3 2 C F 4 1 C F 5 D C F 6 4 C S 7 3 C S 8 2 C S 9 1 C S 10 D C S 11 4 R F 12 3 R F 13 2 R F 14 1 R F 15 D R F 16 4 R S 17 3 R S 18 2 R S 19 1 R S 20 D R S 21 4 R S 22 3 R S 23 2 R S Key: D = Doubles Mode C = Catch Mode R = Ricochet Mode F = Fast Ball (Lightening Ball) S = Slow (Fire Ball) ================= E. The Objectives ================= Guard your castle with your shield. If your castle is broken down and the man inside is hit with a fire ball or lightning ball, you lose a round. The objective is to break down your opponent's castles and destroy their men. After several rounds, the game will end. Use the catch feature if it is enabled so you can take out the opponent's castles with ease. Be careful because the enemy has the power to catch the ball. If he does, look out because he'll launch it at you. This game is similar to Pong in many ways. Be sure to keep an eye on the ball and don't let it hit your castle at any cost. ====================================== F. The Game Screen + A Secret Strategy ====================================== The game screen is laid out in a simple design. Here is the basic picture of it. ======================= Z = Castle Walls | X Z Z X | X = Descendant Of The Four Brothers |ZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZ| P = Paddle (Paddles Are Not Stationary) |ZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZ| | P P | | P P | |ZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZ| |ZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZ| | X Z Z X | ======================= Warlords is noted for two of its secrets. Usually, this secret can be figured out easy after play. Look at the diagram above. Look at the paddle that belongs to the upper right hand castle. If you have your paddle on the diagonal and shoot the ball, it will do a trick for you. Look at the diagram below for the trick. ======================= | X Z Z X | |ZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZ| |ZZZZZZZZ----- ZZZZZZZZ| | P \ | | P \ | |ZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZ| |ZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZ| | X Z Z X | ======================= If I were the man in the upper left hand castle shot the ball at the diagonal, it would travel to the right and down at a diagonal angle which would surprise the other player. If you use this trick, it will even confuse the computer. The best way to win at this game is to be alert to who has the ball. Try to take out the blocks NEAREST the enemy. If you can take out the lower block and get the ball trapped inside with your opponent, it is a sure-fire way to win. There is also another way to confuse the opponent. You have to have a fast hand to do it. It works particularly well in Catch mode. When the ball comes at you in ricochet mode and it touches the paddle, at the instant it touches, jerk the knob either left or right as fast as possible. That will send the ball at a faster speed and the opponent will usually not have time to intercept the ball. If you have catch mode enabled, you don't have to worry about missing the ball. Just hold the ball with the red button, quickly spin the knob and release. Do be careful that the ball doesn't come back your way. The best strategy for the direction of the ball relies on the player's shield. Here is a diagram how the shield works. \ | / XXXXXXX X=Shield XXXXXXX Depending on how your shield is placed these instructions will vary a little bit. If the ball hits on the very left of the shield it will project it at the angle shown. That angle is good for destroying the castle above or below you and the castle that is diagonal from you. If the ball hits the mid section of the shield, the ball will be projected upwards or downwards. If the ball hits the right of the shield, the ball will be projected diagonally or to the other side of the playfield (Left or right). If the ball hits the paddle in the special diagonal position, then it will go the way I described it would above. The computer players have the ability to project the ball any way they want to, so be aware. Another neat feature can be noticed during gameplay. You must kill an opponent first for this trick to work. Then hit a castle wall or another opponent and notice the spot where he was killed at. You can see the outline of where the opponent was. ============================ G. About The Game In General ============================ This section will describe the different player variations. From the game matrix, there are many possibilities of play. You can play as a single person, you can control two people, you can play with another human on a team, you can play another human on the opposite team, you can play another human so that both of the human players play against each other on doubles, and you can play the computer. There is a child mode on this game. The Bentley Bear logo is stamped on the front of the box. Games 21-23 are the children's versions. ==================== H. Glossary Of Terms ==================== Castle ====== The bricks that surround each warrior. Each castle is color coded. Shield ====== It is the paddle that you control. Use it to hit the ball. Fire Ball ========= Term used for a slow moving ball. A weapon of the warlords. Lightning Ball ============== Term used for a fast moving ball. Another weapon of the warlords. Appears to look as the same as a fireball but it moves faster. Ricochet Mode ============= Under certain games, it simply means that you hit the ball with the shield. Catch Mode ========== Under certain games, you have the ability to catch the ball with your paddle by pressing the red button. ================= I. Copyright Info ================= This Walkthrough/Faq was written by Josh Lawson. Copyright (2002). This Walkthrough/Faq is for private and personal use only. This Walkthrough /Faq is not to be published in any book, or magazine. It cannot be published on any other website without my prior permission. If you take information from this walkthrough, please give me full credit for what you took and do not alter my information. If you find this on any other site, please contact me.