Playing The Game

The objecct of this game is to use your paddles to catch as many of the falling popcron kernels are possible before they hit the bottom of the popper. You are awarded points for every kernel you catch. The more kernels you catch, the faster the remaining kernels will fall!

First press any key, or the game will start by itself in a few seconds. In the center of the screen, you will see the flashing GAME OVER signal. To the lower right of GAME OVER, LEVEL 1 is shown.

Choosing A Skill Level

You must first choose a skill level. Popcorn has nine skill levels (1-9). Skill level 1 is for the beginning player, while skill level 9 is for the advanced player.

Press a number 1-9 then press the Fire button. The popcorn will begin showering down. If you enter the wrong skill number, you can correct it by pressing the correct number before the Fire button.

To prevent the poporn from falling to the bottom of the popper, use the joystick to move the six white paddles (located beneath the descending kernels). Move the joystick to the left to move the paddles to the left, etc.

Scoring

There are five layers of kernels. Kernels in the bottom (white) row are worth 10 points each. Kernels in the second row are worth 20 points each, while those in the third row are worth 30 points each. Those in the fourth row are worth 40 points each, while those in the fifth row are worth 50 points each. There are sixteen kernels in each layer for a total of 80 kernels. If every kernel is caught, you will earn 2,400 points.

In the lower left corner of the playing screen, your score will be recorded for the current match in play. At the lower right corner of the screen the high score for the last skill level in play will be shown.

A game is composed of sets. When you clear the playing screen of kernels, you have completed a set. You will be awarded an extra paddle when a set is completed. There can never be more than seven paddles on the screen. A new set of kernels will appear each time you clear the playing field of kernels. The skill level will automatically advance one level when you complete a set.

If you let a kernel hit the bottom of the screen, you not only lose a paddle, but the full set of kernels will reappear on the screen. You can replace a lost paddle by completing a set. The game is finished when you run out of paddles.

When GAME OVER appears on the screen, you can review high scores of each skill level. Press 1 to review the high score for skill level 1, 2 for level 2, etc. If no-one has played in a particular skill level, the score for that level will be zero.

Select a skill lever and press the joystick button to start a new game.

Loading

1. Insert the Popcorn cartridge into the slot on the right side of the computer.
2. Turn on the computer.
3. The Popper screen will appear.
4. Make sure a joystick is securely inserted into the right joystick connection at the rear of the Color Computer.