============================
Hamsterball
version 1.00R
January 28, 2004

by Raptisoft
Distributed by RealNetworks, Inc.
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Thanks for downloading the Hamsterball!  We hope you enjoy the game!

Version History

1.00.R  Initial Release!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
=================

-  1.0 Required Specs And Recommended Specs
        1.1 Required Specs
        1.2 Recommended Specs

-  2.0 Troubleshooting/Compatibility
        2.1 DirectX®
	2.2 Resolution
        2.3 Screen Color Depth
	2.4 Safe Mode
        2.5 Bug Reporting

-  3.0 Instructions
        3.1 Introduction
        3.2 Controls
        3.3 Game Selection
        3.4 Unlocking Races
        3.5 Options
	3.6 Save/Resume a Game
        3.7 Pause

-  4.0 Game Concepts
        4.1 Tournament
        4.2 Time Trial 
        4.3 Mirror Tournament
        4.4 Obstacles and Enemies

-  5.0 Scoring

-  6.0 Registration

-  7.0 Gameplay Tips

-  8.0 Technical Support

-  9.0 Credits

-  10.0 Copyright Information 


========================================
1.0 REQUIRED SPECS AND RECOMMENDED SPECS
========================================

1.1 REQUIRED SPECS

Hamsterball requires an IBM PC or 100% compatible computer, with a 
Pentium III 700 MHz or better processor. Your computer must have at 
least 32 megabytes of RAM.

Operating System: you must be utilizing Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, or 
XP with DirectX® 8 or later to play Hamsterball on your system. 

Controls: a keyboard and a 100% Microsoft compatible mouse are 
required.  A gamepad or joystick is optional.

Sound: you must have a DirectX® certified sound card installed.

Video: You must have a 100% DirectX® 8 compatible hardware accelerated
video card.  

1.2 RECOMMENDED SPECS

Raptisoft recommends an IBM PC or 100% compatible computer, with a
Pentium III 1 GHz or better processor and full updated drivers for
your video card.


===================================
2.0 TROUBLESHOOTING / COMPATIBILITY
===================================

For Updates To This List Go To www.raptisoft.com.

2.1  DirectX®

Hamsterball requires you to have DirectX® 8 drivers or later 
installed.  If you need the latest version of DirectX®, go to
http://www.microsoft.com/directx.

2.2  Resolution

Hamsterball can be played in 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768 or
1280x1024 resolution.  Game performance decreases greatly as
the resolution is increased.  For older computers, 640x480
is recommended.

2.3  Screen Color Depth

Hamsterball can be played in 16-bit or 32-bit screen color depth.
You may experience better game performance in 16-bit mode, which is
recommended.

2.4  Safe Mode

Some video cards are not 100% compatible with DirectX.  This can
cause graphical glitches, including but not restricted to, foggy
screens, strange black areas, and stuttering.  The game can be
operated in Safe Mode, which will reduce the graphics quality, but
increase the compatibility.

2.3  Bug Reporting

Though we've tried to roll all the bugs out of Hamsterball, sometimes
a bug or two slips through...

If you experience bugs in Hamsterball, please first try to update
your video card drivers.  Many graphical bugs are solved simply by
obtaining the latest drivers from your card manufacturer or Windows
Update.

If that doesn't fix the bug, and Safe Mode doesn't help, please 
visit www.raptisoft.com and follow the "Contact" link for information
on how to report the bug to Raptisoft. 

================
3.0 INSTRUCTIONS
================

3.1 INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Hamsterball, the Rowdiest Rodent Racer of all time!  Your
job is to roll your Hamster from the race's start to the goal in the
least amount of time!  Long falls, dangerous enemies, and other
hazards can cause your hamster to get dizzy, crack, or even go
spinning off into space!

There are two different game modes.  The Tournament Game is a race
against a countdown clock, while the Time Trial game is good for
practicing, since you can never lose!

In Hamsterball, you do not have lives.  You can crack, smash, and 
all-around abuse your hamster as much as you want.  Whenever you
crash a hamster via a long fall or collision with an enemy, you
will recieve a new hamster, materializing somewhere nearby.  

Your only true obstacle in Hamsterball is time.  Since crashing or
cracking a hamster takes up time, the less you crash the better
you'll do.

3.2 CONTROLS

Hamsterball can be controlled with the mouse, trackball, keyboard, 
or joystick.

To play with the mouse, push your mouse in the direction you want
the hamster to run.  The more you move the mouse, the faster your
hamster will run in that direction.  You can adjust the sensitivity
of the mouse in the options menu.  You can right-click at any time
to bring up the menu.  When playing with the mouse, you will not
have control of the mouse for normal windows operations during play.

To play with the trackball, just roll the ball in the direction you
want the hamster to run.  This is the recommended way to play
Hamsterball!

To play with the keyboard, simply press an arrow key and
the hamster will run in that direction.  Pressing ESC at any time will
bring up the menu.

To play with the joystick, press the joystick pad or lever in the
direction you want the hamster to run.  Both digital and analog
sticks are supported.  Pressing a joystick button at any time will
bring up the menu.


3.3 GAME SELECTION

When you first start Hamsterball, you'll see a menu with "Let's Play!"
as an option.  Select "Let's Play!" and you will be present with the
game menu.

The Game Menu will give you the choice of a tournament game, time trial
games, or the mirror tournament game.  Note that the mirror tournament
is not available until you win a tournament at a set difficulty.

When you select a tournament game, you will be asked to choose a
difficulty.  The Pipsqueak difficulty is good for beginners, but it
will not unlock any of the races for Time Trial, and it will not unlock
the Mirror Tournament if you win the tournament.  Normal difficutly and
Frenzied difficulty are for progressively better players, and will do
full unlocking.

3.4 UNLOCKING RACES

When you start Hamsterball, only three Time Trial races are available for
play, and the mirror tournament is not available.  By playing tournament
games on Normal or Frenzied difficulty, you can unlock Time Trial races
simply by reaching them in the tournament.  You can unlock the Mirror
Tournament by winning a Tournament at Normal or Frenzied difficulty.

3.5 OPTIONS

You can access the options menu by selecting "options" from the menu.

  Resolution: Selection this option will cycle through the screen
    resolutions that are available for your graphics card.  Higher
    resolutions will cause slower gameplay, and are recommended only
    for faster computers.

  Fullscreen: When fullscreen is selected, Hamsterball will resize 
    itself to fill the entire screen. If unchecked, it will appear in 
    a window of the selected resolution.

  Color Quality: Hamsterball can be played in 16-bit or 32-bit color
    quality.  32-bit color offers a better display, but causes 
    performance to drop on older machines.

  Safe Mode: Some graphics cards that are not 100% DirectX compatible
    can still play Hamsterball if safe mode is turned on.  Select this
    option to turn safe mode on or off.

  Sound Volume:
  Music Volume: Click and drag (or press left/right if you are navigating 
     with the keyboard) the volume slider button to increase or decrease
     the sound and music volume in the game.

  Mouse Sensitivity: When playing with the mouse, you can adjust how much
     the hamster will move relative to the mouse.  High sensitivity will
     cause the hamster to respond faster than low sensitivity.


3.6 SAVE/RESUME A GAME

When you play a tournament game, the game is saved whenever you return
to the tournament screen or exit to the main menu.  When you start a
tournament game later, it will ask you if you want to resume your
saved game.

3.7 PAUSE

The game is paused whenever the menu is displayed.  To display the menu
during play, you can:

o Right-click the mouse or trackball
o Press ESC on the keyboard
o Press any joystick button.

The game will resume when you select "RESUME" on the menu.


=================
4.0 GAME CONCEPTS
=================

There are two different game modes in Hamsterball, each with its own
unique challenges and rewards. 

4.1 TOURNAMENT

The Tournament game is the basic Hamsterball game, and is the way you
unlock Time Trial races and the Mirror Tournament.

In Tournament games, you are given a pool of time.  The object is to roll 
your Hamster through each course while you still have time in your time
pool.  The time pool will count down constantly during a race.  When you
win a course, the countdown will stop, and any time remaining in your time
pool can be used in the next race. 

You can keep track of your progress on the tournament screen, where you
can see what race you're on, a brief description of the race, and information
on how much time you have left.

At any time, you can roll back a race to correct mistakes, or try for a
better time.  However, rolling back the race will disqualify your from
posting a high score when you win the tournament.

You will lose the game after your time pool countdown reaches zero.  After
losing the game, you still have the option to roll back a race and possibly
do better on a second try.

Tournament games can be played at three difficulties:

Pipsqueak: You get an extra five seconds to complete each race.  All 
   in-game enemies and moving obstacles have either been slowed down
   or removed.  Good for practice, or for beginners.  Tournaments played
   at Pipsqueak difficulty do not unlock Time Trial races or the Mirror
   Tournament.

Normal: The default Hamsterball game.  All the enemies are present, and
   
 
4.2 TIME TRIALS

In Time Trial games, you may choose which race you want to challenge (note
that races here are locked until you reach them in a Normal or Frenzied
Tournament game).

The goal in a Time Trial race is to beat the Target Time, which will net
you a bronze, silver, or gold medal.  Your medals will be displayed on
the Time Trial race selection menu, next to the race name.

You can also race to beat the Weasel's Time.  The Weasel's time represents
the time it takes to win the race using every sneaky trick in the book: 
cutting corners, slipping past obstacles, and generally winning it as
fast as you can go.  Beating the Weasel's Time gets you the coveted
Golden Weasel commemorative figurine.

When you replay a time trial race, a ghost image of your previous play will
appear right on the course.  This way, you can race yourself to the finish!
(Note: The ghost will only appear when you play the same course two or
more times in a row.  Switching courses will cause the ghost to reset).

4.3 MIRROR TOURNAMENT

When you've beaten a Tournament Game on Normal or Frenzied difficulty,
you unlock the Mirror Tournament.  The Mirror Tournament is the tournament
as seen through a mirror, reversing the left and right sides of the screen.
This unique challenge will test your true Hamsterball skills, as every
obstacle, ramp, and pipe is reversed!

4.4 Obstacles and Enemies

Each course in Hamsterball presents you with unique obstacles and enemies.
Some are helpful, most are harmful.  Here's what you can look forward to
as you go a rollin':

   Long Falls: Long falls will shatter your hamsterball, causing you to
     restart safely somewhere nearby.

   Short Falls: Hamsterballs can survive short falls.  But they'll make
     your hamster dizzy, and it'll be a little harder to control him for
     a few seconds.

   Pipes: Pipes are great for moving your hamster a long way vertically.
     When you see them, you can drop into them for a brief, safe trip 
     further along the race.

   Bumpers: Whenever you touch a bumper, it'll light up and send your
     hamster spinning off at high speed!  Bumpers can spend you spinning
     off a cliff, or can speed your progress through a course!

   8-Balls: 8-Balls are your rolling competition.  When you get near
     an 8-ball, it will zoom at you and attempt to knock your hamsterball
     away!
 
   Drawbridges: Lifting up and down, drawbridges require careful timing
     to cross!

   Spinnies: Spinny platforms twirl around, making it difficult to control
     your hamsterball.  These are best avoided, or approached at high speed.

   Tarbabies: Tarbabies are to be avoided at all costs!  Though they will
     not kill you, they stop you in your tracks, and then smear sticky
     tar on your hamsterball that will slow you down for a few seconds,
     even as you roll away!

   Catapults: Catapults can toss you over gaps and other obstacles that
     cannot be crossed.
 
   Mashing Maces: Don't get under these!  Although you can touch them,
     when they come smashing down they can smash a nearby hamsterball to
     smithereens!

   Vacuums: Like pipes in reverse.  Get underneath vacuums in order to
     be sucked up past cliffs that you couldn't otherwise climb.

   Speed Cylinders: When you touch a speed cylinder, it will turn on,
     spinning your hamster at up to 20,000 rpm!  After a few seconds,
     your hamster will blast off at high speed, allowing you to climb
     hills or navigate obstacles that you otherwise couldn't.

   Bonk the Hammer: Bonk the Hammer will chase you, attempting to squash
     you flat.  The only solution is to zig-zag, fast!

   Fanstorms: Fanstorms attempt to blow you off course with their mighty
     winds!  When caught in a fanstorm, roll TOWARD the fan!

   Buzzblades: Buzzblades will not only destroy your hamsterball on
     touch, they'll actually cut away pieces of the course!  When
     near these guys, think fast, because the ground might be falling
     out from under you!

   Oddballs: These little silver balls pop out of errant pipes and
     just roll away... they're not really a threat, except that
     navigating through dozens of rolling balls can be a bit difficult!

   Toobs: Like pipes, only transparent.  Send your hamster into a toob for
     a twisty, crazy, rolling ride.

   Sawguys: These saws aren't as threatening as the Buzzblades.  Touching a
     Sawguy only makes you dizzy, and that only if you touch the teeth.

   BlockDawgs: These irritating blockheads never show their faces!  They just
     hunch underneath their little steel contraptions, waddling around, waiting
     to drop down right in front of you to block off your path!

   Wobbly Platforms: Some platforms aren't secured very well, and the weight of
     the hamsterball on them causes them to tip.  You need to respond quickly
     to compensate!

   Mr. Beam: This gigantic magnifying glass tries to focus sunlight on your
     hamsterball, to get it hot enough to explode!  Avoid him by zigzagging as
     fast as you can before your ball gets too hot!

   Starball: This ball really knows what it's doing, and it'll race you to the
     finish, getting in your way every time!
    

===========
5.0 SCORING
===========

Scoring only exists in Tournament games.  During Time Trial games,
no score is kept, since the only objective is to beat the
target time.

You constantly score points while rolling.  The faster you roll, the
more you score.

When you reach the goal, your remaining time is multipled by 100,
and added to your score.  Additionally, each tournament course has
a "par" time associated with it.  For beating the par time, you score
1000 points.

There are also scoring modifiers that can be found in certain courses.
When you score a bonus during a level, you will see the score hover
over your hamsterball, indicating how many points you've scored.  These
include, but are not limited to:

2000 points for knocking an enemy 8-ball out of the race.

5000 points for making certain jumps.

500 points for smashing a mini 8-ball.

You also score 100,000 bonus points when you win the entire tournament.
At that time, you are also awarded extra "survival" points.  The fewer
hamsterballs you smash or lose during the game, the more survival points
you score.

When you play a tournament at Pipsqueak difficulty, all scoring is cut
in half.  When you play a tournament at Frenzied difficulty, all scoring
is doubled.


================
6.0 REGISTRATION
================

If you enjoy playing the Demo version of Hamsterball, sooner or 
later you'll need to register!

You can register Hamsterball by visiting http://games.real.com and
following the registration process there, or just click Buy Now! on the
Hamsterball gamepage.

=================
7.0 GAMEPLAY TIPS
=================

General tips:

o Zig-zagging is an important skill in Hamsterball.  Practice
  switching your hamster's general direction at high speed as
  often as you can.  This will become very useful in later levels!

o The Weasel's Time can *always* be beaten.  If it seems impossible,
  you may need to approach the race from a different perspective...
  such as jumping over a gap that you previously rolled around.

o Most hazard areas of the game will restart you past the hazard if
  you're rolling fast enough.  When facing a difficult hazard, try to
  pass at least half the hazard... that should be enough to restart 
  you all the way past it if you do get destroyed in the meanwhile.

o Because all controls are enabled all the time, you can alternate
  using them.  If prefer the keyboard, but find a spot that's too
  hard to pass, try using the mouse just for that spot.  If you use
  the mouse, but have trouble climbing a steep hill, use the keyboard
  to ease you over the top.

o In the Up Race, you can get a time bonus by landing on the big red
  button near the goal.  It takes some practice, but is worth it.

o Similarly, in the expert race, there is a bell at the end of the
  giant ski-jump ramp.  When making this jump, try to move the hamster
  to ring the bell for a time bonus!

o When going down steep hills, try to keep your hamster moving slowly 
  by running backwards up the hill.  Otherwise, you'll build up too
  much momentum and lose control completely!

=====================
8.0 TECHNICAL SUPPORT
=====================

If you are experiencing problems with Hamsterball, you can contact 
us at: http://service.real.com.

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

	-Title Of Game (Hamsterball)
	-Computer Manufacturer
	-Operating System (Windows 95, Windows 98, Etc.) 
	-CPU Type And Speed In MHz
        -Version of DirectX you have installed
	-Amount Of RAM
	-Sound Card Type And Settings (Address, IRQ, DMA) 
	-Video Card
 	-Mouse Driver And Version
	-A Copy Of The CONFIG.SYS And AUTOEXEC.BAT Files 


============
9.0 CREDITS
============

Hamsterball was created by Rapstisoft Games.

Game Design:         John Raptis
Programming:         Nick Raptis
Level Design:        John Raptis
                     Gary Clair
Physics:             Paul Nettle
Music:               Skaven
Creature Design:     John Raptis
                     Gary Clair
Level Models:        Steve Warner
Rodent Models:       John Hsia
Play Balancing:      Brady Wright
Game Installer:      Brian Fiete


Thanks to all our beta testers and the folks at
Dexterity.com for their feedback!


=================================================
10.0 COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
===========================

HAMSTERBALL ©2002-2003 Raptisoft LLC.  
All Other Copyrights And Trademarks Are Property Of Their Respective
Owners.  All Rights Reserved.


Distributed by RealNetworks, Inc.




