Cosmic Cruiser Docs (Taken from cassette inlay 5011973021201).
Scanned / OCR / typed by Peepo on 26th September 2003.

COSMIC CRUISER
A raiding party from the Rallom Empire has taken over one of Earth's far flung space stations.
The only Earth craft in the vicinity is an out dated Cosmic Cruiser...... and you are the pilot.
A priority signal sends you on what could turn out to be a suicidal mission.
You have been ordered to save the space station crew at all costs. As you hurtle toward your destiny, a daring plan forms in your mind. The only chance you have is to use your exterior laser cannon to blast open the station portals, then by making use of your body propulsion unit you will have to pluck the crewmen from the station and transport them back to your Cruiser.
Your plan requires split-second timing and nerves of steel. As you transport your ward back to the Cruiser you must make snap decisions, if you use your hand laser the blast will blow the crewman into space, can you get back to your laser cannon in time to blast the Rallom fighters or will you have to secure the rescued crewman to a nearby satellite to allow you to move more quickly.
You see the space station in the distance, the adrenalin pumps through your body... will you succeed.

AIM OF THE GAME
By using your external mounted laser cannon you must blast away the portals of the revolving space station to gain access to your imprisoned buddies, but beware, not all the portals contain imprisoned crewmen, some are manned by Rallom warriors.
Sometime after your rescue mission commences added dangers in the form of Rallom Fighters arrive to bomb you with alarming accuracy; this hostile action makes your task infinitely more dangerous and difficult.

TACTICS
When you blast a portal containing an imprisoned crewman you must wait until the portal revolves around to the front of the screen again, and then the crewman will emerge. You must then pick him up and transport him back to the relative safety of your Cosmic Cruiser. During these manoeuvres you will be under constant attack.
Remember, whilst carrying a crewman your speed will be reduced, and you may find it necessary to secure the crewman to a nearby satellite to enable you to return to your laser cannon with more speed.

Start of the Game
You may select which method of control you prefer to use, either joystick or keyboard. Once your selection has been made the game will begin.

Game Begins
Your first priority is to get to your laser cannon, mounted on top of the right hand side of the cruiser. As you pass over the cannon you will lock-on to the gun automatically, using your 'left' and 'right' controls you can guide the direction of your cannon.
To rescue the crewmen you must blast away the portals on the revolving outer rim of the space station.
Once you have opened some portals you should move away from your cannon by using the 'up' control. You may now collect a crewman from the opening in the space station.
Now that you have a crewman you must transport him to the open hatch on the top left hand side of your battle cruiser. Be careful to avoid touching one of the floating satellites as the crewmen could become anchored to it.
The alien warriors who where guarding the crewmen begin to come after you.
They move quickly towards any crewmen in an attempt to return them to imprisonment.
You must destroy the alien warriors by using either your hand gun or the laser cannon. If you fire your hand gun while carrying a crewman he will float away from you and become very vulnerable to marauding aliens.

Play Notes
THE SPACEMAN
Can move in any direction on the screen by using the keyboard or joystick. He carries with him a laser pistol at all times.

CREWMEN
They can be collected from open hatchways. As you pass over him he will automatically attach himself to you. If he drifts away because you have bumped into a satellite, or fired your hand gun, he can be retrieved by passing over him.

ALIEN WARRIORS
Emerge from hatchways in the space station, once out they immediately head for the hero and the crewman, if they make contact with either they will drag them off the screen. If the hero is taken back you lose a life. The alien can be destroyed be either your hand laser or the laser cannon.

ALIEN FIGHTERS
They can destroy you by dropping bombs on you. You must use your laser cannon to destroy them.

LEVELS
As you play through the levels the frequency and nastiness of the aliens increases.
A level is completed when 8 crewmen have been rescued or killed by the aliens, when all the portals have been blown out, or when the timer runs out.
At the end of a level your bonus points will be calculated according to how many crewmen you have rescued.

LASER PISTOL
The laser pistol has a limited ammunition supply, indicated on the status display by a shortening line. The ammunition is replenished at the beginning of each level, and when a life is lost.

GAMECONTROL
Keyboard:
The play keys have been laid out in a way so as to offer the player a wide variety of combinations of keys to make play as comfortable as possible.

MOVE LEFT: The keys to move left are all on the bottom row, beginning with SHIFT, then every alternate key from thereon:- i.e. SHIFT, X, V, N, etc.

MOVE RIGHT: The remaining keys on the bottom row enable you to move right i.e. Z,C,B,M, etc.

MOVE DOWN: Any of the keys on the second row up may be used to move downwards, i.e. A,S,D,F,G, etc.

MOVE UP: Any of the keys on the third row up may be used to move upwards. i.e. Q,W,E,R,T, etc.

FIRE: Any key on the top row will enable you to fire your hand laser or the laser cannon if you are in position behind the cannon. To locate yourself on the laser cannon, move towards the cannon and as you pass over it press any fire key. The normal left/right controls will now move the laser cannon.

Use of a joystick can be selected at beginning of play.

At the end of the game you will be given the opportunity to enter your name on the high score ROLE OF HONOUR

LOADING:
Connect your cassette recorder to the computer as described in the user manual and switch on the computer.
Place the cassette in the recorder with the printed side facing upwards. There is only one way to load COSMIC CRUISER.
Whilst holding down either of the shift keys press the key marked "RUN/STOP". The message "PRESS PLAY ON TAPE" will appear on the screen. Press "PLAY" on your cassette recorder.
From this point loading is entirely automatic and the game should start within 4 to 5 minutes.

GAME IDEA: D.H. Lawson.
PROGRAM by Paul Clansey.
GRAPHICS by Mo Lambe & Paul Clansey.
MUSIC by Fred Gray
ILLUSTRATION by Brian Wall.
Coffee made by "Bianca"

The Imagine Guarantee
Imagine offer you an unconditional world-wide guarantee.
If this tape should ever fail to load into your Commodore 64 computer it will be replaced completely free of charge.
This guarantee will only be honoured if your faulty tape is sent directly to IMAGINE in Liverpool.
If the tape has been physically damaged please include £1.50 to cover replacement costs.
This guarantee is in addition to your statutory rights.

Paul Clansey
Paul was bom in Aintree, Liverpool in 1961.
After leaving Merchant Tailors School in Crosby he went on to Lancaster University to complete a three year degree course in Planetary Science. It was during his time at university that Paul first became interested in computer technology.
After graduating with honours in 1982, Paul found himself very qualified, but unemployed.
It was during the next year of enforced 'idleness' that Paul started writing his own programmes using machine code. His first published game was called 'Trax!' which he marketed himself. It was after this initial success that he first attracted the attention of Imagine Software, who approached him with "an offer I couldn't refuse; the oppotunity of working for the most innovative games software house in the world."
Paul is single and lives in Liverpool, his hobbies include playing the guitar and listening to music.
Cosmic Cruiser for the Commodore 64 is his first major project for Imagine.

Paul Clansey

Company profile
Imagine have brought together the most exiting team of programmers, artists, musicians and technicians on the third floor of 'Tithebam House' in the heart of Liverpool.
It is within this complex that Imagine are constantly pioneering new frontiers in computer software. From the initial conception to the final creation Imagine's products pass through the hands and minds of the most dynamic young innovators in the industry.
A stones throw away from 'Tithebam House' is Sir Thomas Street, where you will find the other half of Imagine. 'Imagine House' which houses our friendly and helpful sales department, the equally friendly accounts department, as well as our marketing and market research people.
'Tithebam House' is dedicated to providing you with the most exciting software ever produced, and 'Imagine House' is dedicated to ensuring you receive our products as quickly and efficiently as possible.

D.H. Lawson. Chairman.
Thank you for buying our product.

Imagine Software Limited
5 Sir Thomas Street
Liverpool, Merseyside L1 6BW
Telephone: 051-236 8100 (20 lines)
Telex: 628586 Games-G
Made in England.

COSMIC CRUISER  ©1984 by Creative Technology Group Ltd.
The game, Its program code, game mechanics, audio-visual presentation and documentation are protected by National and International copyright laws. The distribution and sale of this product are intended for the use of the original purchaser only and for use only on the computer system specified. Lawful users of this program are hereby licensed only to read to the program. This product may not be stored, translated. transmitted, reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means or offered for hire or for sale on any optional buy back basis without express written permission of Creative Technology Group Ltd. All rights of author and owner reserved worldwide.

COSMIC CRUISER is a registered trademark of Creative Technology Group Ltd.