ASTROPOP™ DELUXE
Version 1.1
Release Date: April 6, 2004
Build Date: February 18, 2008

Developed and published by PopCap Games, Inc.
www.popcap.com

Thanks for downloading AstroPop Deluxe. We hope you enjoy the game!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS [back to top]

OS*: Windows 2000/XP/Vista
Processor: 700MHz (minimum); 1+GHz (recommended)
Memory (RAM): 256MB (minimum); 512+MB (recommended)
Free Hard Drive Space: 50+MB
DirectX Version: 8 (minimum); 9.0c+ (recommended)
Sound: DirectX-compatible
Video: DirectX-compatible; 16MB (minimum), 32+MB (recommended)
Color Quality: 16-bit or 32-bit color mode (256 colors may not work)
Controls: Keyboard and mouse
Internet: Internet connection is required to register/unlock game trials - including those delivered via CD-ROM

*You must be an administrator to install this game.

TROUBLESHOOTING / COMPATIBILITY [back to top]

For updates to this list go to www.popcap.com/help.php?cat=deluxe.

Bug Reporting

Though we've tried our best to squash all the bugs, every once in a while something we didn't expect pops up...

If you should come across a bug in AstroPop Deluxe, please report it.

If for some reason the program crashes, it will try to capture any pertinent data and give you instructions on how to send that data to PopCap. This is very helpful for tracking down glitches!

TECHNICAL SUPPORT [back to top]

If you are experiencing problems with AstroPop Deluxe, you can contact us at: http://www.popcap.com/help.php.

If you can, including the following information along with a description of your problem will help us to help you!

  • Title Of Game
  • Computer Manufacturer
  • Operating System (Windows 2000, Windows XP, etc.)
  • CPU Type And Speed In MHz
  • Amount Of RAM
  • Sound Card Type
  • Video Card

REGISTRATION [back to top]

If you enjoy playing the trial version of AstroPop Deluxe, sooner or later you'll need to register!

Benefits of Registering

When you register, you will receive unlimited gameplay for a simple one-time fee. Plus, you support PopCap and help us to create more games in the future!

How to Register

Click the Buy Now link that appears when you first launch the game. Your game will be permanently unlocked once you register… there’s no need for a CD-ROM or any further downloads.

Buying the Game

Once you decide to register, follow the onscreen prompts to complete your purchase. An internet connection will be required to register the game, but will not be necessary to play after you have registered.

You will receive an email receipt after purchasing the game. Save this information in case you need to reinstall the game later.

Problems?

Hopefully this will answer all your questions, but if you're still having difficulties, feel free to contact us at http://www.popcap.com/help.php. Include as much information as you can about the problem you're having, and we'll get back to you as quickly as we can!

HOW TO PLAY [back to top]

Controls

Place your mouse cursor under a column of bricks

Left-click to pick up bricks.

Right-click to release bricks.

You can left-click under multiple columns to pick up more bricks, up to a maximum of 6 bricks. You can only have bricks of one color loaded on your ship at any time. (E.g. if you have already picked up some green bricks, you can only pick up other green bricks until you have released them).

You can pause the game by clicking the Menu button during gameplay, or by pressing the spacebar on your keyboard.

Options Menu

The Options Menu is accessible from the first game selection screen, or by clicking the Menu button while playing the game. They include:

  • Music Volume and Sound Effects: you can adjust these volume sliders separately to fit your preferences.
  • Fullscreen: If this is checked, AstroPop Deluxe will use your entire computer screen. If it is not checked, AstroPop Deluxe will be played in a window. It’s up to you to decide which you prefer.
  • Custom Cursors: If this box is checked, you will see special custom AstroPop Deluxe cursors in the game rather than Windows standard cursors. If you have a special theme installed that changes your Windows cursors, you may need to activate this option to see the cursor properly in the game.
  • Hardware Acceleration: This box can be checked to improve performance for computers with supported video cards.
  • Allow Hints: This checkbox turns on or off most of the hint messages in the game. If checked, all hints will appear. If unchecked, only a few hints will be shown.
  • Reset Hints: This will cause all hints to appear again, even the ones that you have previously seen.
  • Help: This will show you instructions on how to play AstroPop Deluxe. You can also read these instructions by clicking the question mark button during a game.
  • Credits: If you want to find out who helped put this game together, click this button.

Objective

The objective of AstroPop is to pop a target number of bricks before they reach the bottom of the screen. If any column of bricks touches the bottom of the screen, your game will be over. Work fast, as new rows are always coming down.

To pop bricks, just group four or more like-colored bricks together and they will explode! You can hold up to 6 colored bricks at one time, but only one Power-Up brick at a time.

Brick-O-Meter

The Brick-O-Meter is the vertical gauge on the right-hand side of the screen. As you pop bricks, the Brick-O-Meter fills up. In Classic Mode, it shows how close you are to completing the level; when it is full, you will advance to the next level. In Survival Mode, the Brick-O-Meter will supercharge a random color of bricks when it is full.

Classic Mode

Classic mode is a level-based game recommended for new players. You play levels of increasing difficulty, and can earn upgrades to your SUPA Weapon. New Power-Ups and obstacles are introduced as you progress. Each level has a target number of bricks that must be popped to advance to the next level. The Brick-O-Meter on the right hand side shows how close you are to completing each level. Each character has a unique story which unfolds as each checkpoint is completed. Complete the first 32 levels for each character to see the conclusion of the interwoven storyline.

Survival Mode

Survival mode is a short game for experienced players, and there are no levels. The object is to pop bricks and survive as long as you can. As you pop bricks, the Brick-O-Meter fills up, and when it is full, a random color of bricks is supercharged. It pays to upgrade your pilot's SUPA Weapon in Classic Mode, as this will help you survive longer in this mode.

Power-Up Bricks

There are a number of Power-Up bricks that can help you out. To use a Power-Up brick, either grab and release it, or pop a group of bricks next to it to make it explode. The only exception to this is the Color Bomb, which is popped like a normal colored brick.

  • Radial Bomb: This brick explodes and pops all adjacent bricks, including the diagonal ones.
  • Row Nuke: This pops all bricks in the row where it lands.
  • Column Nuke: This pops an entire column of bricks.
  • Supercharger: This will turn normal bricks into highly explosive Supercharged Bricks. When dropped onto a normal color brick, all bricks of that color will be supercharged. When it is released against a non-color brick or popped by a neighboring explosion, a random brick color will be supercharged.
  • Supercharged Brick: Supercharged bricks are very explosive. When popped, adjacent bricks will also explode. Unlike the Radial Bomb, this does not affect diagonally adjacent bricks.
  • Freeze Bomb: Use this brick to briefly freeze time and stop new rows from coming down. If you use another Freeze Bomb while time is still frozen, the freeze time will be extended.
  • Color Bomb: This is a very powerful brick. When popped in a group of four or more, it will pop all bricks of the same color. This brick differs from other Power-Up bricks in that it can only be popped like a regular color brick.
  • Hyper Brick: This is another very powerful brick. Popping it will fill an additional 15% of the Brick-O-Meter, helping you finish Classic Mode levels quicker and earning you extra Supercharged Bricks in Survival Mode. Its power only lasts for a short period of time, so try to grab these as soon as you can.

Obstacle Bricks

Obstacle bricks cannot be picked up, and must be destroyed by popping bricks next to them.

  • Stone Brick: These can be destroyed by popping one set of bricks next to it.
  • Steel Brick: They are twice as strong as Stone Bricks. You must pop two sets of bricks next to a Steel Brick to destroy it, although some Power-Up bricks can destroy them in one hit.
  • Toxic Brick: Toxic Bricks cannot be picked up and slowly infect adjacent bricks, including Power-Ups! You must destroy all the Toxic Bricks or they will continue to replicate and block your progress. Picking up a brick before it is fully infected will cure the infection in that brick.

Combos

Combos occur when multiple groups of bricks are popped in rapid succession. This can be caused naturally by cascading explosions, or it can be done manually by quickly creating one match after another. You can extend combos in this manner, and earn larger combo point bonuses. If you get a 3x (or greater) combo, a Supercharger will appear shortly thereafter, and if you get a 4x (or larger) combo, a Hyper Brick will appear in the next row.

Checkpoints

When playing Classic Mode, you will encounter a checkpoint every four levels, starting at level 4. These checkpoints are identified by a space station icon. When you complete a checkpoint level, your progress will be saved and a new starting point will be established. This means, for example, if you complete the third checkpoint at level 12, you have the option to restart at the beginning of Level 13 the next time you play. Even when starting a new game from Level 1, you will have the option to warp to the next completed checkpoint. However, checkpoints are only unlocked for the character you are currently playing.

When you restart from a checkpoint, your SUPA Weapon will be fully charged.

Pilots and their SUPA Weapons

There are four AstroPop pilots. Each one has a unique SUPA Weapon and story.

The SUPA Weapon is there to help you when the bricks are getting too close to the bottom; deploying it will destroy a large number of bricks. If used at the right time, the SUPA Weapon can help you survive when the going gets tough.

Each pilot's SUPA Weapon is upgraded when he or she completes a checkpoint level. There are eight upgrades for each SUPA Weapon, so after level 32 his or her SUPA Weapon will be fully upgraded.

Each of the four pilots has a unique SUPA Weapon:

  • Vector: Vector's Plasma Cannon is a laser-like weapon that can be shot at any column. After activating the weapon, target any column and click to shoot bricks. Shoot as many bricks as you can before your weapon runs out and needs to be recharged.
  • Vixx: Vixx's Psychic Blast can target any brick on screen, regardless of whether it can be picked up or not. After activating her weapon, use your mouse cursor to target and click to pop as many bricks as you can before your weapon needs recharging.
  • Sprocket: Sprocket's Fusion Warhead automatically targets random bricks, as well as the two lowest bricks on each column, and pops them. Just activate and wait for the bricks to be popped.
  • Turbot: Turbot's Neutron Pulse freezes the grid and automatically pops certain obstacle bricks, giving you time to pop more bricks without any new rows descending. Just activate and wait for the bricks to be popped, then pop as many as possible before the freeze wears off.

Bonus Levels

Bonus levels are encountered every four levels in Classic Mode, with the first one appearing at the end of level 3. Bonus levels are puzzles, and the point value of each round increases as you progress through the game. Popping every brick on the board will result in double bonus points. For each brick that remains at the end of the round, you lose 5% of the possible bonus points. If you leave more than 20 bricks on screen in any bonus level, you will score no bonus points. There is a 60 second time limit to complete each bonus level.

GAMEPLAY TIPS [back to top]

  • Each Hyper Brick will fill the Brick-O-Meter 15 percent. The game will create a Hyper Brick for every 4x (and greater) combo you produce. One way to finish a level quickly is to perpetually set up 4x combos and collect as many Hyper Bricks as possible.
  • Before using a Color Bomb, be sure to assess the board. It's wasteful to use one when it will only destroy a handful of bricks.
  • Watch both sides of the screen carefully. Neglecting one side will often result in an unusually long column that's hard to destroy.
  • Superchargers are created by a 3x combo. If a Supercharger is popped against a colored brick, all bricks of that color will be supercharged. If it is not popped against a colored brick, a random color will be selected for supercharging. Exploding Supercharged Bricks will also destroy any brick that is adjacent to it.
  • A great one-two punch can be thrown by supercharging a certain brick color and then using a Color Bomb of the same color. If the board contains enough Supercharged Bricks, the result can be equal to, if not more powerful than a SUPA Weapon.
  • Column Nukes should be used with care. As one of the most powerful Power-Ups, they are great for negating large columns of Toxic Bricks, multiple Steel Bricks or triggering otherwise inaccessible Power-Up bricks like the Color Bomb, the Freeze Bomb, and the Hyper Brick. When used to trigger buried Row Nukes, it creates a nice cross pattern of destruction.
  • It's very, very easy to use Row Nukes improperly. Deploying one on the bottom of the lowest column is a total waste. Before you pick up the Row Nuke, look around for rows with multiple Obstacle Bricks like Steel Bricks or Toxic Bricks to eliminate. Another tactic is to trigger inaccessible Freeze Bombs, Color Bombs, or Hyper Bricks. Near the end of the level, triggering a buried Hyper Brick can save you if the bricks are getting too low.
  • Pay attention to the blast radius of the Radial Bomb. When targeting, it will highlight all of the bricks that are slated for destruction. This can be especially helpful when inoculating Toxic Bricks that have spread across three rows.
  • The best policy regarding the Toxic Bricks is to destroy them as quickly as possible. Once the virus is eliminated from the board, it can't return for a short period of time.
  • Toxic Bricks can be extremely dangerous. At lower levels their growth is capped and they spread infection slowly, but as time goes on the limit is lifted and they replicate much faster.
  • Bricks that flash the skull and crossbones symbol are still in the process of becoming Toxic Bricks. Simply moving them will cleanse them and force the infecting Toxic Brick to find a new brick to infect. This is a good tactic to use to temporarily prevent the infection from spreading.
  • The best way to handle a column of Toxic Bricks is with long stack of bricks. If a column of 6 Toxic Bricks exists next to a gap, collect 6 bricks and drop them immediately next to the infectious column.
  • When deciding which brick color to supercharge, consider which color is most prominent, which is most accessible and if there are any easy to reach Color Bombs on the board.
  • Remember that Supercharged Bricks destroy Steel Bricks in one hit, so it's wise destroy all the steel you can while you have them.
  • Sometimes it is best to let the Toxic Bricks spread the infection. Steel Bricks are a two-shot kill, while Toxic Bricks only take one hit to destroy. A good technique for Turbot on the later levels (when his SUPA Weapon can destroy Toxic Bricks) is to let the Toxic Bricks run rampant until he's about to die. Utilizing the SUPA Weapon will then destroy mostly everything on a very congested board.
  • Using a SUPA Weapon will often create a large combo. Consider using the faster-charging SUPA Weapons, even if you aren't in trouble, to collect Hyper Bricks and Superchargers.
  • Combos don't have to fall naturally. After each explosion there is a short period of time during which you can pop more bricks for a combo. If you are fast, it can be easy to create combos manually.
  • When using a Color Bomb, it may be advisable to wait for more rows to descend if they contain a number of same-colored bricks. More exploding bricks mean the potential for higher combos and a faster filling Brick-O-Meter.
  • When using Vector's SUPA Weapon it's quickest to hold down the button for automatic fire, but keep in mind that Color Bombs won't take effect while the button is held down. In addition, neither his weapon nor Vixx's will fire while bricks are falling after an explosion.
  • Turbot's SUPA Weapon freezes time for a brief period after firing. Because it charges so quickly, it's like having free Freeze Bombs every round. Even if there aren't any Obstacle Bricks to destroy, his weapon can be useful for creating a breather when rows start dropping very quickly.
  • Use Vixx's SUPA Weapon to first target all the Obstacle Bricks and trigger all the Power-Up bricks on the board. That way even if you don't destroy all bricks, the obstacles are gone and you've gained all the benefits of the Power-Ups.
  • Sprocket's SUPA Weapon isn't the most powerful, but it recharges quickly and it's great for breaking through stone or steel "caps" that prevent you from getting at bricks in a column.
  • Get extra points by easily clearing the board with Vector's SUPA Weapon. Use it when there aren't many bricks on the screen to clear the board many times and claim multiple bonuses.

SCORING [back to top]

Popping a set of bricks is worth a small number of points per brick in the set. However, Power-Up bricks are worth many more points. A combo bonus is equal to the total number of brick-popping points multiplied by the size of the combo (e.g. 400 points for popped bricks x a 6x combo = 2400 points). For large combos, this can be a huge bonus. A large bonus is awarded by popping every brick onscreen.

In bonus levels, there is a potential number of points (based on where you encounter the bonus level) that can be earned. For each brick remaining at the end of the bonus level, you lose 5% of these points. However, if you manage to pop every single brick, you will get double that number added to your score.

VERSION HISTORY [back to top]

  
1.1Windows Vista Compliance.
1.0Initial release!

CREDITS [back to top]

AstroPop Deluxe was created by PopCap Games, Inc.

Producer:   

Sukhbir Sidhu

Creative Director:   

Jason Kapalka

Programmer:   

Jeff "Architekt" Weinstein

Art:   

Tysen "Skull" Henderson

Assistant Producer:   

Ben Lyon

Sound FX:   

Stephane Brault

Music:   

Phillipe Charon

The Voice:   

Lani Minella

QA:   

Eric Harman
Shawn Conard
Brenna Flood
Chad Zoellner

PopCap Framework:   

Brian Fiete

Technical Assistance:   


David Parton

Biz Dev:   

Don Walters

Release Management:   


Rocky Fry
Sophia Hohing
Daniel "Xx d04 xX" Landeck
Nick "Millen" Tomlinson
Lewie Senff

Special Thanks To:   

Dave "The Dr." Haas
Ian "greenman" Greenhoe
Brian "Ace" Rothstein
Katrina Webb
Andrea Weinstein
Justin Rickles
Tommy Woo
Walter Wilson
Nick Newhard
Kathy Bacon
Kay2

Beta Testers:   

Arkeri
artic
ashill
baasi1
BlueSky
bugsymcd24
Cerebus
cheryl
cjbadger
ClaireBear
Curious Games
Dachsx2
deb1013
DixieWriter
Dyne
Elias
Emerald
FaereMoon
Fire
gemini2264jt
hgalindo
HomerJay
HRACH
Illyria
Inkmei
InmostLight
javansdaddy
jazzfan
jb63
jebksb1977
jkhobbs
Journey
kane
kathyjohndj
kiergi
Kingdom
KoekieMonster
Lexi
lala
Lovedog
maynard
Meatboy
monkeyboy
moonshadow53
MrsDbolt
Muse
nfreeman
Numfive
Pajol
Panther
Rambobear
RavensTrumpet
rbailey66
reba10
RotorKim
samspade
Sean71570
spirit29_1
Splam11
Star2Nite
Tangram
TheShadow
TresserMcKay
veryspecialnana
Vexrm
WendigoWolf
WildKittyFca
wolfpackmama
wuggies

Thanks to all our beta testers and players on PopCap.com for their valuable feedback!

LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH WARRANTY [back to top]

Please see the End User License Agreement applicable to this game.

LEGAL INFORMATION [back to top]

©2004 PopCap Games, Inc. All rights reserved. The PopCap logo and all other trademarks used herein that are listed at www.popcap.com/trademarks are owned by PopCap Games, Inc. or its licensors and may be registered in some countries. Other company and product names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners and are used for the benefit of those owners.

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