NOAH'S ARK™ DELUXE
Version 1.1
October 15, 2002
Published by PopCap Games, Inc.
www.popcap.com

Thanks for downloading Noah's Ark Deluxe. We hope you enjoy the game!

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS [back to top]

OS*: Windows 2000/XP/Vista
Processor: 350MHz (minimum); 700+GHz (recommended)
Memory (RAM): 128MB (minimum); 256+MB (recommended)
Free Hard Drive Space: 50+MB
DirectX Version: 7 (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. If you are using Windows Vista, please ensure that User Account Control (UAC) is activated.

 

TROUBLESHOOTING / COMPATIBILITY [back to top]

For updates to this list go to www.popcap.com/help.

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 Noah's Ark 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 problems!

 

TECHNICAL SUPPORT [back to top]

If you are experiencing problems with Noah's Ark Deluxe, you can contact us at: www.popcap.com/help.

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
  • Video card

REGISTRATION [back to top]

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

Benefits of Registering

When you register, it removes all the annoying nags from the loading screen, and unlocks your copy of Noah's Ark so you can play it as often as you like! High scores are also enabled, and the bonus Puzzle mode is unlocked!

How to Register

To unlock the game, you need to buy a registration code online, and then enter it into Noah's Ark.

Buy a Registration Code Online

If you're playing Noah's Ark click on the OPTIONS button on the sidebar and then click REGISTER. A dialog will come up onscreen. Click the REGISTER ONLINE link to launch your web browser. You'll need to have an active internet connection!

You can also register via the web. Go to: http://www.popcap.com/register.php?theGame=noahsark.

Once you're there, follow the directions on the web site to purchase your registration code.

When complete, you will be given a registration code (a 20-character sequence of letters and numbers) keyed to your name. Don't give this to anyone else!

You will also receive a copy sent to your email address. You should write down your registration code in case you ever have a computer crash or need to reinstall Noah's Ark for some other reason.

Enter Your Registration Code

You must launch Noah's Ark to enter your registration code. Once the game comes up, click on the REGISTER link on the loading screen, or from the OPTIONS menu.

A dialog will come up with space for you to enter your name and registration code. Type these in carefully! If you make a mistake, your code may not be recognized.

The easiest way to do this is to cut and paste the code from the email you were sent, by highlighting the 20-digit number with your mouse, pressing ctrl-c to copy the text, and then pressing ctrl-v to paste it into the registration dialog in Noah's Ark.

Be sure to use the same name you gave when you bought your registration code online, or your registration may not be recognized.

Once you've entered your name and registration code, click OK and your copy of Noah's Ark should now be registered. You will have full access to all the game's features, with no delay at the loading screen!

Problems?

If the program doesn't seem to recognize your registration code, check carefully that you've typed it in correctly. Using the cut-and-paste method described above can help prevent mistakes. Also make sure you're using the same name you used to register with.

If you can't get to the online registration site to buy your registration code, make sure your internet connection is working properly. You must be connected to the internet. If it still doesn't work, check back in a little while to see if there was a temporary problem with our servers.

Hopefully this will answer all your questions, but if you're still having difficulties, feel free to contact us at www.popcap.com/help. 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!

 

GETTING STARTED [back to top]

Goal

The goal of Noah's Ark is to save animals, two by two, by linking them to each other on the game field. Once connected, pairs of animals will fly into the Ark!

Game Types

After the game loads, you will see a screen allowing you to choose Action mode, Strategy mode, or Puzzle mode. If you have a saved game, you will also see the option to continue that saved game. There is also the option to quit back to Windows.

Action Mode

Also known as the "Flood" mode in the web version. In Action mode, you must save animals quickly, before the rising flood waters reach the Ark!

When you quit out of Strategy mode, your game will automatically be saved. You can continue it the next time you play by choosing Classic mode again.

Strategy Mode

Also known as "Freefall" mode in the web game. Strategy mode is a slower, turn-based game, where you can take as long as you like to pick animals, but the pieces are affected by gravity.

As in Action, your game is automatically saved whenever you quit, and can be continued by selecting Continue Saved Game the next time you play.

Puzzle Mode

Fans of a certain gem-based game from PopCap will find this bonus mode strangely familiar.

This mode is locked so that you can only play for a few minutes. To unlock Puzzle mode, you must register your game!

Difficulty Settings

After you select a game type, you must select a difficulty, Easy, Medium, or Hard. The tougher game settings award more points!

Instructions [back to top]

Controls

Noah's Ark is controlled entirely with the mouse. Select an animal by clicking on it. You can deselect it by clicking on it a second time. Link it to another animal by clicking on the second animal.

You can also drag a connection from one animal to the next. Click and hold on the first animal, then move the cursor to the second animal and release.

Gameplay

Animals must be removed in pairs of the same type. There needs to be a clear path from one to the other for them to be removed. For instance, an animal that is surrounded by animals of a different sort cannot be connected to one further away.

Combos

You score a combo when you remove 2 or more sets of the same animal type in a row. For instance, if you clear 2 lions, then another set of 2 lions, you have just made a simple combo. Getting larger ones, like 9 sets of elephants in a row, is much harder, but also much more valuable.

Combos do two things... they give you extra points, and they will reduce your flood level. This can be very important later in the game, giving you more time before the waters rise dangerously high!

Action Mode

Action mode is a realtime game... if you snooze, you lose! Watch the flood waters rising... when they reach the ark, it will sail away without you, and the game is over!

Your goal is to clear the board before this happens, so you can proceed to the next level.

Strategy Mode

This is a turn-based game. You can take as long as you like making your moves. However, it's a little trickier than Action mode, because the animals are affected by gravity, and will fall down when the tiles under them are removed.

When there are no more possible moves, some animals will be abandoned! This causes the flood levels to rise. When the flood level reaches the ark, your game is over!

Puzzle Mode

As in a certain gem-based game of ours, the goal in Puzzle mode is to swap adjacent animals to create sets of 3 or more in a row. Do this as many times as you can before the flood gets too high!

Bonus Level

After every 3 levels, you'll get a chance at the bonus Stampede Round! Don't worry, you can't lose the game here...just try to make as many points as you can!

Options [back to top]

You can access various options for Noah's Ark Deluxe by clicking the Options button on the sidebar.

Music and Sound Effects

You can raise or lower the volume for either of these independently by moving the respective slider. To turn music or sound off, move the slider all the way to the left.

Fullscreen Mode

You can play Noah's Ark in either windowed or full-screen mode. To toggle between the two, click on the checkbox next to Fullscreen.

You may see faster performance in full-screen mode, depending on your system.

Disable Hints

This will disable the hints that automatically appear when you have taken too long to make a move, showing you a possible match. Experienced players may feel this makes the game too easy, so they have the option of disabling them.

High Scores

Click this to see a list of the best scores in the game.

Register

Click on this to register your copy of Noah's Ark.

Credits

Click this to see a list of the people involved in making Noah's Ark!

VERSION HISTORY [back to top]

 
1.0Initial release!
1.1Brightened animals and fixed memory issue
 

CREDITS [back to top]

Noah's Ark Deluxe was created by PopCap Games, Inc.

 
Game Design:Jason Kapalka
 
Programming:Richie Cresswell
 
Art:Tysen Henderson
 
Music:Ian Livingstone
 
Software Libraries:Brian Fiete
 
Biz Guy:John Vechey
 

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]

©2002 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.