TRON/Getting Started

Controls

 * Joystick: Grip the joystick with your right hand, resting you pointer finger on the trigger. Use the joystick to guide the onscreen position of Tron, or his cycle or tank, depending on which stage you are one.  You may direct Tron in eight directions including diagonals, but his cycle or tank may only move in four.
 * Trigger: Pulling the trigger has different effects depending on the stage. In every stage except for the Light Cycles, it makes you fire.  As Tron, you throw your Light Disk in whatever direction you position Tron's arm with the Spin Knob.  In the Battle Tanks stage, you fire a shot from your tank in the direction of your cannon.  However, in the Light Cycles stage, the Trigger button is used to activate the Turbo capability of your cycle.  Press the trigger to double the cycle's speed, and release it to travel at a slower pace.
 * Spin Knob: The Spin Knob is used in every stage except for the Light Cycles. When in control of Tron, spin the knob with your left hand to rotate the angle at which Tron will aim his Light Disk throws.  When directing the tank, use the knob to change the direction that the tank cannon will fire in.
 * 1-2 Players: Press either button to start a one or two player game.

Tron
This is Tron, the program written by Alan Bradley to monitor the activities of the MCP, a mysterious Master Control Program that is growing in power and preventing programs from executing their assigned tasks for their users. Only Tron, with the assistance of game programmer Kevin Flynn, has the ability to bring the MCP down and restore peace throughout the computer network universe. Tron carries his personal Light Disk which serves as a weapon that he can throw at foes, and break down digital barriers. Tron is programmed to drive battle tanks and light cycles with ease.

Cycles
In the game grid, Tron must drive his lone blue cycle against a squad of yellow enemy cycles. The cycles leave a trail of light behind them which remains until a cycle crashes. If a cycle touches the wall, or a light trail left behind by any cycle, even its own, it is destroyed and removed from the grid. Tron must outlive his encounter with the enemy cycles. While they are locked to one speed, slow in the very beginning, and fast shortly after, Tron can direct his cycle to switch between two speeds at will. While the fast speed is good for trying to corral enemy cycles, the slow speed is better for making tight maneuvers through small spaces.

Tanks
One section of the game grid is reserved for the battle tanks. In this section, Tron must drive his red tank through a maze-like arrangement of corridors, while both avoiding and trying to destroy the enemy blue tanks. Tron's tank is capable of many more things than the enemy tanks are. Tron can direct his tank cannon to fire in any number of directions through the use of the spin knob. The enemy tanks may only fired forward in the direction they face. When Tron fires a shot, the shot will ricochet off the walls up to four times before disappearing. The enemy bullets travel straight and stop when they hit a wall. However, Tron's tank has one deficit: it can only survive one hit. The enemy tanks require three full hits to destroy.

Recognizers
In addition to the blue enemy tanks, these red recognizers eventually join the fray in the Battle Tanks stage. Unlike tanks, they are incapable of firing. However, they are much faster then Tanks, and are capable of closing the distance between themselves and Tron's tank very quickly. They should be considered a priority over the other tanks since they don't waste any time hunting you down.

Grid Bugs
In the battle to reclaim the I/O Tower, the MCP has placed Grid Bugs around the area to protect it from intruders. Grid Bugs are capable of replicating themselves at an astonishing rate. They are easily dispatched: one hit from your Light Disk will destroy them. The trick is to destroy them faster than they can replicate themselves, which can be a challenge when they are highly concentrated in one area. There is no need to destroy every one, just clear a path for yourself through the bugs in order to escape with your life.

Bit
On very rare occasions on the I/O Tower stage, a Solar Sailer come flying through the stage. It will drop off a Bit, which serves no other purpose than to be collected for a tremendous 5,000 point bonus. Make collecting these a priority if there's still plenty of time remaining in the I/O Tower counter.