The Learning Company Super Solvers Midnight Rescue for Macintosh manual

The Learning Company® Macintosh Version SUPERS 10 L Vie RS? Midnight Rescue! 4 User’s Guide Shady Glen School ‘a WELCOME TO THE SUPER SOLVERS CLUB Are you ready to begin an adventure as a Super Solver? If this is your first Super Solver adventure, a little bit of background is in order. If you accepted the challenge in OutNumbered!, read on to find out how your past experience can help you in this exciting new adventure. Super Solvers are dedicated to solving mysteries—no matter what they are. And that includes putting a stop to Morty Maxwell, better known as the Master of Mischief, the prankster of Shady Glen who turns up in the most unlikely places. In this game, Midnight Rescue!, the Master of Mischief plans to use disappearing paint to make the Shady Glen School vanish into thin air. Disguised as one of his five robot helpers, he hopes to complete his mischief by midnight. Only your best deductive reasoning and reading skills can save the school in before midnight. In OutNumbered!, the Master of Mischief plots his takeover of the airwaves from his hideout in the Shady Glen TV Station. To find him, you need to search for clues and pieces of secret code while avoiding Telly the robot and LiveWire, a hot electric cord. Only your math skills will save you in this adventure! Copyright © 1989, 1992 The Learning Company. All rights reserved. Super Solvers and Midnight Rescue! are trademarks of The Learning Company. The Leaming Company is a registered trademark of The Learning Company. Apple, Macintosh, and MultiFinder are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Finder, Powerbook, Quadra, and System 7 are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Unauthorized reproduction, adaptation, distribution, performance, or display of this document, the associated computer program, or the audiovisual work is strictly prohibited. This software is protected by both the United States Copyright Law and International Treaty provisions. However, The Learning Company authorizes you to make a backup copy of the software for the sole purpose of protecting your investment from loss, You may not sell these disks or give copies of them away to anyone else. SUPER SOLVERS Midnight Rescue! For: « Ages 7 to 10 Runs on: * Macintosh® Plus, Classic, Classic II, SE, SE/30 * Macintosh LC * Macintosh II, IIx, IIcx, IIci, Ifx, Isi * Macintosh Quadra™ 700, 900 * Macintosh Portable and Powerbook™ 100, 140, 170 With: * 800K disk drive * Hard disk with 3 MB (3,000K) available + System 6.0.2 or greater for black & white, System 6.0.5 or greater for color * 762K available memory (RAM) required to run in black & white under Finder™. * 1 MB (1,024K) available memory (RAM) required to run in color, under MultiFinder®, or with System 7™*. * System 7 Virtual Memory is not supported. Materials enclosed: * One Program Disk * One Color Graphics Disk * User’s Guide * Ready Reference Card MIDNIGHT MISCHIEF For years, the Super Solvers Club has been tracking Morty Maxwell of Shady Glen—the infamous Master of Mischief—who is once again up to no good. This time, he has created robots to help him paint the school with disappearing paint. And he’s disguised himself as one of them so he won’t get caught. Luckily for Shady Glen, the Super Solvers Club is ready for action. As a member of the club, you’ll have three hours to explore the school and figure out which robot is really the Master of Mischief. To help you, you'll have a camera for photographing the Master of Mischief’s robot helpers, a reading glass for uncovering clues, and a folder to keep track of your notes. But you’ll also need a keen eye, sharp thinking skills, and quick reac- tions to beat the clock and outsmart the Master of Mischief before everything disappears—including you! It’s a risky job, but you’ll be rewarded with higher and higher ranks—from Trainee all the way up to Cham- pion—the more games you play. And the more games you play, the higher your score and the better your chances of capturing the Master of Mischief. So, are you ready to put a stop to all his mischief? Then welcome to the club! CONTENTS 1 GETTING STARTED Starting the Program Signing In Using the Menu Bar 2 PLAYING THE GAME For Club Members Only Moving Around the School Encountering Robots Collecting Reading Clues Capturing the Master of Mischief Scoring and Ranking 3 EDUCATIONAL FOCUS 4 APPENDIXES A: Special Keys B: Mouse Movement C: Troubleshooting CUSTOMER SERVICE INDEX ornne 13 14 18 Pah 25 29 34 39 49 50 54 35 59 60 1 Getting Started OUR MISSION STARTS HERE with instructions on loading the program and using the game’s menu bar. You'll also find out how to become a member of the _ Super Solvers Club. After all, only eacae can track - the Master of Mischief! _ 1 GETTING STARTED STARTING THE PROGRAM To run Midnight Rescue!, you need to install (copy) it onto your hard disk. If you have a black & white monitor, you need to copy only the Midnight Rescue! Program Disk. If you have a color monitor, you need to copy the Midnight Rescue! Color Graphics Disk, too. On both disks, the files are compressed to save space. Before you can play Midnight Rescue!, you must expand the files. Before installing the program, make a backup copy of the Midnight Rescue! disks. For instructions on copying disks, see your Macintosh manual. Note: The Midnight Rescue! User’s Guide is written with the assumption that you have a working knowledge of your Macintosh computer. If you need more information on how to make a backup disk, click, double-click, or drag icons, refer to your Macintosh manual. To install the program on your hard disk: 1. Start your Macintosh from the hard disk using System 6.0.2 or greater if you’re using a black & white monitor. You must use System 6.0.5 or greater if you want to be able to play in color. 2. Put the Midnight Rescue! Program Disk in the drive, label side up. Starting the Program 3: 4, Drag the SSR! file to your hard disk. After the file is copied, drag the disk icon to the trash can to eject the Midnight Rescue! Program Disk. © File_Ean view speciat Macintosh Wi Tetons err Tae tt ae Wepre es MAT syhiTotr Te WRT Ctr era sig a anight nese 5 a io Double-click on the SSR! file on your hard disk to expand it. When the file is expanded, you’ll see a new folder named Midnight Rescue! on your hard disk. The Midnight Rescue! program is in this folder. Drag the compressed SSR! file to the trash can and click on OK to remove it from your hard disk. (The compressed SSR! file is still on your original Midnight Rescue! Program Disk, if you ever need a backup.) 1 GETTING STARTED € File Eat View specter a: If you have a black & white monitor, you’re ready to run Midnight Rescue! You can skip steps 1-5 in the next section. If you have a color monitor: 1. Put the Midnight Rescue! Color Graphics Disk in the drive, label side up. 2. Drag the SSR! Color file to your hard disk. Then drag the disk icon to the trash can to eject the Color Graphics Disk. Starting the Program © fie ai _Wiew pee st 3. Drag the SSR! Color file to the Midnight Rescue! folder. Then double-click on the folder icon to open it (if the folder isn’t already open). 4. Double-click on the SSR! Color file to expand it. 5. After the file is expanded, drag the SSR! Color file to the trash can and click on OK to remove it from your hard disk. (The compressed SSR! Color file is still on your original Midnight Rescue! Color Graphics Disk, if you ever need a backup.) 1 GETTING STARTED © File ait View specter Macintosh Wo or ot Poses} a Cle ee eS ny (a To run the program: 1 2. Open the Midnight Rescue! folder (if it’s not already open). Double-click on the Midnight Rescue! icon to start the program. The title screen will appear. For color monitors, if your color monitor isn’t set for 16-color display, you’ll be asked to change the display mode to 16-color display or black & white. Follow the instructions on the screen. (If you have problems starting the program, refer to Troubleshooting in Appendix C.) Click the mouse button to continue. Read the messages on the screen about the game. Keep clicking the mouse button until you see the Club Member Sign-In screen (or the screen for entering a new club member name). Signing In SIGNING IN Since only members of the Super Solvers Club are allowed to play the game, you’ll need to sign in before the game starts. Chanipion 328,170 Collette Champion 519,910 chris All-Star 330,040) Benjamin Expert 420,000] Isidro Pro e1, 620) Leonore Senior 30,000] 3 Parks Senior 30,000] Mylene Junior 23,570] Juan Junior 13,090] Zetec Pager The Club Member Sign-In lists all the current club members and their lifetime scores. If this is the first time you’ve used the program, you’ll need to enter your name as a new club member. After you’ve played a game, your name and lifetime score will be listed on the Club Member Sign-In screen. (If you want to remove a name and score, see the Special Keys section in Appendix A.) 1 GETTING STARTED To add your name to the list of players: 1. Click on New Player at the bottom of the screen. (If you’re the first person to use the program, this step will be skipped.) 2. Type your name—up to 15 characters. If you make a mistake, use [Delete] to erase and type again. When you’re finished, press Return] or|Enter), or click on OK. Enter New Member Name Type your name in the box below. Chris 3. Read any messages that appear, then click on Continue to clear them from the screen. The game screen will appear. To choose your name from the list of players: 1. Click on your name to select it. Then click on Select Player to begin playing. (Or double-click on your name.) If you played before and didn’t finish the game, you’ll be asked if you want to continue that game. Click on Yes to continue where you left off and keep any points you’ve already earned or on No to start a new game. 2. Read any messages that appear, then click on Continue to begin playing the game. Using the Menu Bar USING THE MENU BAR The menu bar is located at the top of your screen. From the menu bar, you can see the lifetime score and rank and the highest game scores of all the current players; choose to start a game over or start a new player; quit the program; turn off or on new user messages, the music, the sound effects, or the clock; and get help. To use the menu bar: 1. Click on the menu you want and hold down the mouse button to see the menu. 2. Drag the pointer to the choice you want and release the mouse button. File Choose File when you want to see lifetime scores, see high game scores, start a game over again, start a new player, or quit the program. Lifetime Scores High Game Scores Start Over Start New Player #0 Choose Lifetime Scores to see the total scores of all the current club members and their ranks. GETTING STARTED Your score in a current game will not be added to your lifetime score until you win the game. Choose High Game Scores to see the highest scores ever earned in a single game by any club members who have played on your computer. Choose Start Over to stop the game you are currently playing. A message will tell you that your current game and score won’t be saved if you start over. Click on Yes to start a new game or No to continue where you left off with the current game. Choose Quit (or press (3) (QQ) when you want to stop playing Midnight Rescue! When you're asked if you want to exit from the program, click on Yes to exit. Click on No if you change your mind. When you leave the program, your current game and score are saved where you left off. The next time you sign in, you'll be asked if you want to continue this game or start a new one. Options Choose Options when you want to turn off and on new user messages, music, sound effects, or the clock. New User Messages v Music 38M vSound Effects 3S v Clock 10 Using the Menu Bar When you start Midnight Rescue!, the music and sound effects are on and the clock is running. New user messages pop up only for players ranked as Trainees. When you make a choice from the Options menu, a message will tell you what the current setting is and will ask you if you want to change it. Click on Yes to change the setting or No to leave the setting as it is. Choose New User Messages to turn the messages off or on. These messages are special prompts and hints that appear on the screen from time to time to help new players at the Trainee rank learn how to play the game. If you want to see these messages when you advance to a higher rank, you can turn them on again. Choose Music (or press ) to turn the music off or on. If you turn only the music off, you will still hear the sound effects. Choose Sound Effects (or press (3)(S) ) to turn the program’s sound effects off or on. If you turn only the sound effects off, you will still hear the music. Choose Clock to turn the game clock off. If the clock is on, you earn bonus points for any remaining time when you win the game. Once you turn the clock off, you can’t turn it back on during the current game. 11 1 GETTING STARTED Help Choose Help when you want to get help in using the program. Using the Mouse Using the Keyboard All About the Game Taking Pictures Collecting Clues Winning the Game Moving up in Rank Choose the topic you want from the Help menu and read the information that appears on the screen. If there is more information on that topic, click on See Next Page. To go back to the previous page, click on Go Back a Page. When you’re finished, click on Done to go back to the game. 12 2 Playing the Game RANGE THINGS have been happening lately at the Shady Glen School. And everyone suspects that the Master of Mischief is behind the happenings. The Super Solvers Club has been asked to discover what’s up and capture the Master of Mischief himself. He’s smart— very smart—but can he outsmart the Super Solvers Club? Only time will tell, and there isn’t much of that left. Better turn the page and get your instructions from the club . . . before it’s too late! 13 2 PLAYING THE GAME FOR CLUB MEMBERS ONLY —From the Super Solvers Club Headquarters You’ve been called to an emergency at Shady Glen School. Something’s up—and it’s big. Here’s the scoop. The Master of Mischief (also known as Morty Maxwell) is up to his tricks again. But this time it’s serious. Somehow, he figured out how to make disappearing paint. Then he turned five paintbrushes into robots. Now, he plans to paint the school and make it disappear by midnight! As a member of the Super Solvers Club, only you can stop him. Here are the facts. The Master of Mischief has turned himself into one of the robots. Your job is to find out which one. The Master of Mischief may be clever, but he’s left a paper trail of notes with clues that will help you find him. Be careful, though. Some of the notes may not have clues. So be sure to remember club rule number 1: Read carefully! One thing you’re sure not to miss are the robots—and they’re nasty! 14 For Club Members Only Since you’ve been trained in acrobatics, you could just outjump and outrun them except for one thing: the robots themselves carry clues—hidden facts that can tell you which of them is the Master of Mischief. That’s why you’ll need your camera. And it’s no ordinary camera! One shot will scare the daylights out of a robot and make it disappear. Then later, when the picture is developed, the robot clues are plain to see. But just so you don’t forget, here’s club rule number 2: Stay alert! There’s another thing you should know. To help you keep track of everything, you'll need to keep notes. 15 2 PLAYING THE GAME Your notes include all the clues you’ve found and all the robot pictures you’ve taken. And strangely enough, whenever you look at your notes, time itself will stand still. So look at them often. Not only will you be safe from robots and the Master of Mischief himself, you'll have time to catch your breath and study your findings. So keep in mind club rule number 3: Think before you act! And one more thing. If you follow the rules, you’ll score many points and save the school. And when you earn the rank of Champion, you'll have a chance to perform a little mischief yourself on the Master of Mischief! Everything you need to know is right here in this guide. Guard it with your life. If the Master of Mischief gets it, you’re lost and so is the school. And just so you know what to do, there’s a game plan on the next page you can carry with you. Ready? Then get going. You’ve got work to do! For Club Members Only The Game Plan Look for triangles to find hidden letters, diary notes, posters, newspaper articles, and other things to read. Read everything carefully and answer the questions at the end to collect reading clues. Photograph the robots to protect yourself and to discover hidden facts about them— facts that will help you find out which one is teally the Master of Mischief. Go to your notes often to study the reading clues and robot pictures you’ve collected. Match the reading clues to the robot clues in the pictures to find out which robot is really the Master of Mischief. Watch the clock and film counter. The clock starts at 9:00 pm and runs until 12:00 midnight. At midnight, it’s all over. The film counter starts with 12 pictures. When you get low, find the film machine and reload. Earn high scores by reading carefully, keeping extra film in your camera, avoiding a crash with a robot or its tricks, collecting your clues quickly, and capturing the Master of Mischief before midnight. 17 2 PLAYING THE GAME MOVING AROUND THE SCHOOL You have a whole school to explore—two full floors of rooms—and not much time to do it. So getting around the school quickly is important, especially with a robot on your tail! Below are some hints on ways to move to stay out of trouble and make good time. To move around, you can use the keyboard or the mouse. However, it is easier to learn to move using the keyboard. Using the Keyboard These instructions describe how to use the arrow keys to move. But on some keyboards, you may find it easier to use ,or(I]. If so, use: instead of instead of (D instead of To move left or right: + Press(<] or [>]. Hold the key down to keep walking in that direction. 18 Moving Around the School & File dif Options Help To flip and move left and right quickly: . Press (T} or(T) &B]) at the same time. You can also leap over a robot using these keys. To open a door, use a stairway, move in close to read, get film, or jump up when a robot throws something at you: - Press{T}. “Better remember which rooms you’ve already explored. Searching the same hallways and rooms again gives the robots a better chance to play their tricks on you!”—Don, Senior, Super Solvers Club 19 2 PLAYING THE GAME Using the Mouse ¢ To move up, left, or right, point and click the mouse directly above or on either side of you. The mouse pointer appears as an arrow. Hold down the mouse button to move in the direction the arrow points. ¢ To flip and move left or right quickly, point and click the mouse above and to the left or above and to the right of you. Hold down the mouse button to continue flipping. Flip and Flip and move left move right K Move left 4 = Move right Zap to — Zap to the left the right “Here’s a smooth maneuver to try. Position the arrow in front of a door, the stairway, the film machine, or a place where you think a reading is hidden. Then hold down the mouse button. You'll move in the direction the arrow points— and then move up when you run into the arrow.”—Pat, Senior, Super Solvers Club 20 Encountering Robots ENCOUNTERING ROBOTS You’ll soon discover that each robot has its own personality—and a bag of tricks! But if you know how to deal with them, you’ll save time and score more points. Whenever a robot appears from nowhere, you can either photograph it or dodge it. © Photographing Robots Probably your best defense against a robot is your camera. By taking a robot’s picture, you can make the robot disappear for a while and leave you alone. And your picture will show hidden facts about the robot— facts you need to find the Master of Mischief. You’ll also score 50 points for every picture you take. But you’ll need to be careful with your film. You have only 12 shots when the game begins. And you’ll get bonus points at the end of the game for any film left in your camera. (See Scoring and Ranking, later in this chapter.) Although you can get more film from the school’s film machine, you’ll need to get a new reading clue first. Otherwise, the machine will be empty. The number of pictures you need of each robot to get all its clues depends on your rank. Rank Pictures Needed Trainee and Junior 1 picture Senior and Pro 2 pictures Expert, Master, Alk Star, and Champion 4 pictures 2 2 PLAYING THE GAME To photograph a robot: = Press (Spacebar } to use your camera. If the camera flash hits the robot, the robot will disappear and its picture will be saved in your notes. *¢y7xR, Point and click the mouse below and to the left or right of your feet. The arrow will change to a ball. If the camera flash hits the robot, the robot will disappear and its picture will be saved in your notes. File Edit Options Help “Don't be afraid to get close to photograph a robot. If you’re too far away, you won't get its picture. But if you get too close, you might get bopped!”—Betsy, Junior, Super Solvers Club * In this User's Guide, these icons mark instructions for keyboard and mouse users, respectively. pa Encountering Robots “Be brave! Stand up and face the robot when you take its picture. But be quick about it!”— Jerry, Trainee, Super Solvers Club To get more film: Find the film machine and press If the machine is empty, collect a reading clue and come back and try again. ore, Find the film machine and move in front of it. Point and click the mouse directly above you. If the machine is empty, collect a reading clue and come back and try again. “Don’t take more pictures of a robot than you need. You'll just be wasting your film!”—Molly, Master, Super Solvers Club Dodging Robots Since a robot is made of steel, you’Il want to avoid crashing into one at all costs. One crash will cost you one shot of film in your camera and make you dizzy. You’ll also have to look out for flying objects—things thrown by the robots to scare you into leaving the school. Not only will each trick knock you down, you’ ll lose 15 minutes off the clock. 23 2 PLAYING THE GAME These robots are tough. So here are a few tips to stay out of their way. To stay clear of robots: To flip over them press These keys will also help you outrun a robot that’s chasing you. Or duck into a room or stairway by pressing|[T]. Ifa robot throws a trick at you, jump up to avoid it by pressing | T]. oom, Jump over them with a flip by pointing and clicking the mouse above and to the left or right of you. (Flip jumps also help you outrun a robot.) Or duck into a room or stairway by pointing and clicking the mouse directly above you. If a robot throws a trick at you, click the mouse directly above you to jump up to avoid it. @ file fait Options Help 24 Collecting Reading Clues COLLECTING READING CLUES When Morty Maxwell graduated from Shady Glen School, his reading teacher thought he was the smartest student the school ever had. Morty thought so, too. But today, as the Master of Mischief, he’s stretching his luck. He’s left all sorts of notes, letters, newspaper articles, and other readings in the school with clues to help you catch him. Your job is to find them . . . and prove that the Master of Mischief is not as smart as he thinks he is! Take all the time you need to read things over. The clock stops while you are reading and since the robots can’t read, they won’t come near you. For every reading clue you find on the first try, you’ll score extra points. But if you miss, keep trying. You’ll get some extra help if you go back to reread the reading and you'll still score points for every clue you find. (See Scoring and Ranking, later in this chapter.) “Do all the readings you can find, even if you don’t need any more reading clues. You won't lose any time—you'll just earn extra points and get higher scores!"—Lisa, Champion, Super Solvers Club 25 PLAYING THE GAME To find a reading clue: 1. Search the school for the Master of Mischief’s sign: atriangle. The sign hides a reading or a message from the Master of Mischief. 2. Move in front of the triangle and press [TJ or click with the mouse directly above you to see the reading or message through your reading glass. 3. Read carefully. The clock stops when you are reading, so take your time. If it’s a message from the Master of Mischief, click on School or press to go back to the game. To see the next page of a reading, click on Page Down or press (D) . To go back a page in the reading, click on Page Up or press = File [dit Options Help Second, it's really fun to have the party in a place where you are allowed to use tape and paste to put decorations on the walls. Flashlights and dim lights help tomake the place look spooky, Youcan also play scary music. ‘Third, make sure you have plenty of snacks to eat and punch or soda todrink. Games are a lot of fun, too. How about Pin the Tail on the Ghost? 26 Collecting Reading Clues 4. To see definitions of difficult words, click on Hard Words or press |H]. The definition for the first hard word will appear in a window and the word will be highlighted in the reading. To see the next hard word, click on See Next Word. When you’ve seen all the words you want to, click on Done. (For a complete list of all the hard words, see Educational Focus.) 5. When you reach the end of the reading, you'll find a poem from the Master of Mischief himself with a clue question. = file fit Options Help ‘Clue Question A Halloween party -- Everyone will have fun! ‘What can you put on your face Tosee all your friends run? Film | Time [_F Score [ To answer the question, click on the number next to the answer you want or press its number key on the keyboard. 27 2 PLAYING THE GAME The Master of Mischief will let you know if you selected the right answer and got the clue. If you missed, he’ll even give you a hint. Then if you go back and reread the reading, some words will be highlighted to help you. (To go back to the reading, click on Page Up or press . If you miss the clue a second time, he’ll hide the clue somewhere else so you can find it again.) 6. Click on School or Press (Sto erase the Master of Mischief’s message and return to the School. “If you're not sure which choice is the clue, go back and read again. You'll get more points for getting the clue right the first time."—Tommy, Expert, Super Solvers Club “The Master of Mischief is a strange guy with a weird sense of humor. If you find a message from him instead of a reading, study it carefully. He might be giving you some help!”—Vanna, Pro, Super Solvers Club 28 Capturing the Master of Mischief CAPTURING THE MASTER OF MISCHIEF Turning himself into a robot is one of the Master of Mischief’s more clever tricks. But he didn’t count on your reading skills or your special camera to uncover clues. And if he knew about your notes, he’d really be running scared. Your notes contain a checklist of your findings and all the reading clues and robot pictures you’ve collected so far. By studying your notes and thinking things through, you’ll be able to point the finger at the robot who’s really the Master of Mischief in disguise. So take some time to look things over. The clock stops when you’re looking at your notes, and no robots will bother you. Using Your Notes After you’ve collected a reading clue or two and photographed a few robots, go to your notes to check your findings. From the pictures, you’ll discover that the robots wear strange things and carry some pretty weird baggage. Those are the hidden facts that you need to compare to the reading clues. If all four facts for one of the robots match your reading clues, you’ve discovered the Master of Mischief. 22) 2 PLAYING THE GAME “| go to my notes whenever | need a safe hiding place where | can think. | can also save film by finding out which robots | don’t need to photograph again.”—Sarah, All-Star, Super Solvers Club To see your notes: 1. Click on Notes or press [N]. A checklist appears that shows the names of all five robots and tells you how many pictures you need of each one to get all its facts. It also shows any decisions you’ve made about the robots. (See the next section, Making Decisions about Robots.) @ File Edit Options Help Film Time Score 30 Capturing the Master of Mischief 2. To see your clues, click on Clues or press You'll see all your reading clues and the picture of the first robot, Buffo, if you’ve taken it. (To see any you’ve collected for a specific robot, click on the robot’s number or name.) ® File €2it Options Help Don'tbe afraid Master of Mischief Clues I've Collected banana Sunglasses ‘tape recorder afraid a a If your rank is Trainee or Junior, each clue on the robot picture will be numbered to match the numbers on the reading clues. In other ranks, you won’t see the numbers. 3. To see other robot pictures you’ve taken, click on Next Card or press |]. (You can also click on the number next to a robot’s name.) To return to the school: Press (S]. Onn Click on School. Sil Z PLAYING THE GAME Making Decisions about Robots . Click on No or Press As you look through your notes, you’ll see right away that some of the robots can’t be the Master of Mischief— one or more of their hidden facts won’t match your reading clues. You’ll also find some robots who might be the Master of Mischief, but you’ll need more reading clues or pictures to find out for sure. To help you keep track of things and save time, you can decide which robots cannot be the Master of Mischief and which ones might be the Master of Mischief. To make a decision: 1. Go to your notes and study a robot picture and your reading clues. 2. To make a decision about the robot you are looking at, click on Decide or press (D)_. if you are sure that the robot can’t be the Master of Mischief. This marks the robot picture so you won’t need to spend time on it again. If you change your mind or if you aren’t sure who the robot is, click on Maybe or press . Click on Yes or press [Y] only when you are sure the robot you are looking at in your notes is the Master of Mischief. 32 Capturing the Master of Mischief ® File {dit Options Help “| figured out which robot was the Master of Mischief without even taking its picture! When | saw that the other robots had at least one hidden fact that didn’t match my reading clues, | marked their pictures with No. Then | knew the robot with the missing picture had to be the Master of Mischief."—Becky, Master, Super Solvers Club When you click on Yes, you’ll be warned that if you continue, the game will be over whether you are right or wrong about the robot. If you change your mind about continuing, click on No to go back to your notes. Tf you click on Yes to continue, you’ll get to accuse the robot face-to-face. You’ll soon find out if you are right or wrong by how the robot behaves. 33 ye PLAYING THE GAME If you’re right, you’ll score bonus points for any extra time and film you have, and for accusing the right robot. (See the next section, Scoring and Ranking.) The points you win will be added to your lifetime score and saved on the disk. If you’ve reached the rank of Champion, something special happens to the Master of Mischief. If you’re wrong, your points from this game won’t be added to lifetime scores or high game scores, but you can always play again. SCORING AND RANKING How are you doing against the Master of Mischief? Are you doing as well as the other members of the Super Solvers Club? You can find out at any time by looking at your scores and rank. 34 Scoring and Ranking Scoring Every time you win a game, your new game score is added to your lifetime score and saved on disk. The highest scores ever earned in a single game by club members using your computer are also saved. To see your scores during a game: * Choose Lifetime Scores from the File menu to see your total score and the total scores of other current club members. Choose High Game Scores to see the all-time highest single-game scores made by any members using your computer. (The points you’ve earned in a current game will not be listed until you win the game.) High Game Scores Rank ‘AlL-Star Champion Junior Pro Expert Junior Champion All-Star 35 PLAYING THE GAME To see your lifetime score at the end of a game: * When you win a game, your rank and lifetime score appear on the on-screen trophy. The best way to make high scores is to find the reading clues on the first try. But even if you don’t, you’ll still score points for every clue you find. Another way to increase your score is to earn bonus points at the end of the game. You’ll earn bonus points for having unused film in your camera and time left over on the clock, and for winning the game. The number of points you earn for each depends on your rank. POINTS EARNED Reading Clues Extra Film |Extra Time |Winning RANK | ist Try 2nd Try Others|(per picture)(per minute) the Game Champion All-Star 1500 800 400 400 60 5000 Master Expert 1200 600 300 300 50 3000 Pro Senior 900 400 200 150 40 2000 Junior Trainee 600 300 100 100 30 1000 36 Scoring and Ranking Ranking As you earn more and more points, you’ll move up into higher ranks. Then capturing the Master of Mischief becomes more and more difficult. As you move up in rank, the robots will move faster and faster, the robots’ clues won’t be numbered on their pictures, you'll need more pictures of each robot to collect all its hidden facts, and the readings will become more difficult. The table on the next page shows what you can expect as you move up in rank. 37 PLAYING THE GAME Are Clues | Number of Robot RANK Points Needed | Robot Speed | Numbered? | Pictures Needed Champion| 500,000 Super Fast No 4 All-Star 300,000 Super Fast No 4 Master 200,000 Fast No 4 Expert 120,000 Fast No 4 Pro 60,000 Medium No 2 Senior 30,000 Medium No 2 Junior 5,000 Slow Yes 1 Trainee 0 Slow Yes i 38 a Educational Focus OU ALREADY have noticed how much children enjoy playing Midnight Rescue! What may be less apparent is how much they learn as a result of such play. Our goal in creating this product is to offer a richly entertaining environment in which children can develop the reading comprehension and thinking skills necessary for success in school, while building a deep appreciation of reading that can last a lifetime. Employing a unique blend of reading curriculum and thinking-skills development strategies, the program weaves educational content into an adventure game that children will want to play again and again. 39 EDUCATIONAL FOCUS Practicing Reading Skills The reading selections in Midnight Rescue! have been carefully developed to engage children’s interest and to stretch their abilities during extended use of the program. Using everyday formats such as letters, books, diary entries, posters, reports, and newspaper articles, the program reinforces the practical aspects of reading. At the same time, the readings develop an entertaining story line—the life and times of Morty Maxwell, alias the Master of Mischief—that unfolds with each game children play. In addition to the pieces written specially for Midnight Rescue!, we have included reading selections from a number of children’s literature classics. The program includes over 200 reading selections with more than 400 clue questions that combine to make thousands of unique games. Each game provides six reading opportunities for children to practice their comprehension skills. Every reading selection within a game targets a specific skill, which is reinforced by a rhymed challenge that players answer to collect a clue needed to win. As players achieve higher ranks, the readings increase in difficulty to provide greater challenge. As the fun increases, so does the educational value of the game. The program allows children to play in a timed situation, or at a more leisurely pace, without the clock running. 40 EDUCATIONAL FOCUS While playing Midnight Rescue!, children practice the following reading comprehension skills. Reading for Main Ideas—The ability to identify the central point of a selection, whether explicitly stated or not Recalling Key Facts—The ability to recall important details of a selection that explain, clarify, or justify the main idea Drawing Inferences—The ability to comprehend information that is implied rather than explicitly stated Building Vocabulary—The ability to understand the meanings of words through their use in context (See Word List later in this chapter.) Using Thinking Skills Each Midnight Rescue! game contains a problem that players must solve in order to win. Essential information is gathered, organized, and analyzed, leading to a final deductive conclusion that reveals the true identity of the Master of Mischief. Over time, children develop and refine unique strategies for successfully solving the challenge. 41 EDUCATIONAL FOCUS While playing Midnight Rescue!, children will use the following thinking skills. Gathering Information—The ability to notice and collect relevant information through observing external events and recalling information from memory Organizing Information—The ability to order and sort information for appropriate retrieval Analyzing Information—The ability to formulate questions about information, to recognize relationships between and among parts, and to discriminate between relevant and irrelevant points Drawing Deductive Conclusions—The ability to weigh supporting and conflicting evidence in verifying beliefs and assumptions Reading Levels The reading selections in the program increase in difficulty as players achieve higher ranks. In the three lowest ranks (Trainee, Junior, and Senior), all reading selections are at Level I; the next three ranks (Pro, Expert, and Master) are half at Level I and half at Level II; and the top two ranks (All-Star and Champion) are at Level II. The differences between Level I and Level II readings have to do with the overall complexity of the language, the targeted curriculum skills, and the type of thinking strategies required to answer the rhyme at the end of each selection. We have taken extreme care to build the leveling mechanism and to gauge the readings so that the increase in level will seem natural. 42 EDUCATIONAL FOCUS Word List Over 500 words are defined in the program’s reading selections. By using the Hard Words button in a reading selection, children can access on-screen definitions of selected words as they are used in the context of the reading. This helps improve children’s reading vocabulary. Each definition includes the _ word’s pronunciation based on the following key. a can, hat ah part, pond aw boss, fraud ay rain, care, air ch catch e jet, pet ee tree i hit igh my, buy ngk ink oh show, or oi toy ow now, found uh but, up yoo use zh treasure to) turn, action, contain 43 EDUCATIONAL FOCUS abilities absolute academy accompany accurate achievement acrobatic activities —additional admiration admired agriculture albums alloy altered amazing ambled ample amusement park ancestors ancient annual apologize appeals appreciate approached Arctic arguments arrivals assortment assured astonished astound astronomer at the stake attempts attract audience auditorium avalanche average aware ~ Bach barbecued bargains basis bass fiddle Beethoven best sellers bewildered bizarre blended boa constrictor bouquet bridge brilliant British budding burdensome burrowed card catalog cartography cartoonists cautiously ceiling challenging champion championship chaos check out chefs choice claims classic classical clutched “collection combination communicate compared complaints complicated compliment composers composition conceal conceit confidence confusing confusion connect connection conquered consider constant constantly constellation construction contain continuous convince coupon courage coyote craft crates create creative creature critics crude curiosity curious curiously currently custom deadline decorate decorations deeds defeating definitely demonstration descriptions design desperately detailed detected detective determination determine devices disguise disgusted disgusting display 44 EDUCATIONAL FOCUS distressed disturbances dribble drill team drowsy eager eclipses economize edgy effect election embarrassed enables engaged in enterprise entertain entrants entry entry blanks essential established events eventually evidence evident exact exaggerates exceptional experienced exploring expression extended extinct eye-catching faerie fancy fantastic fantasy flavor focus folklore fool’s gold fossil fragrant frequently fronds fungi galore gaze gear generous genuine geyser glimpse glistened glycerine goal goalie gorgeous gradual gradually guzzled gym harsh helpless heroine hesitates hinting home office hooves hornet Houdini however howling hyenas identify identity illusion imagination imitates immediately improvements in advance in common in return incident includes inconveniencing incredible incredibly inexpensive ingredient initial initials innocent innocently innovation insisted instantly instead instead of instructed instructions instrument interrupted interview introduced invaders invention inventor investigation invisible jalapeno jammed jamming jealous jointed jubilant jumbled key legend lightning rod limousine line linking mad magnificent major mammal mantle marooned master mate merchants Mesozoic era migrates 45 EDUCATIONAL FOCUS military modem moment of truth monarch Monterey Jack moral Morse Code motionless musket mysterious mysteriously nacho native nectar North Pole not-too-distant numerous nursery objected observe obtain occupy occurred office official officials one-of-a-kind opinion orchestra ordinary organization origin original originality originally overhead Pacific Northwest panicked participate participation particular particularly pastime patience patient peculiar peered permanent personal personally personnel persuade petal phenomenon Picasso platypus poisonous port possibilities pouch practical practically prairie dog prance prank prankster predicted preparation present arms primitive produce production profit programmed protect provided prow puckered punch purchase pushmi-pullyu range rare ravenous reality realize reasonable receiver recent recently recipe recital recognize record-breaking reference section referring to refills related relative release reluctantly remarkable replaced represented reproachfully reptiles reputation request required residents resign resist resort responded responsible results reunion review revolves thinoceros rhythm rhythm section ridiculous rock hounds tuined rumors runner-up savor scarce scuba scurry section secure selecting 46 EDUCATIONAL FOCUS serious seriously injured serviceable session shrewd shrieked shrieks sifting sixpence skeleton sketch skid marks slab slipcover slug smirk smugly snorkeling society solution special effects spectacles speechless splintered sponsored squinted standstill startle stingy stir strolling submitted succeeded successful suede superstitious supply surface suspicions swooped symbol tablecloth taste buds tempted terrific terrified throughout tidbits timeless timidly tiptoed tizzy to his advantage tortilla tournament traditional treasure-trove treasurer tremendous trough tryouts unidentified unique unlimited supply urgent valuable value variety ventriloquist veritable versus victory villain volume volunteers vs. wacky Washington, DC wavering weird Westerners witness worthless 47 48 4 Appendixes EED ANY MORE INFORMATION on using the program? Then use this part of the user’s guide to look things up and get help when you need it. In Appendix A, you find a complete list of special keys and how they work. Appendix B describes using the mouse. And if you have any problems using the program, go to Appendix C for possible solutions. (When you need help fast, go to the Index at the back of this guide to find what you’re looking for.) 49 f APPENDIXES APPENDIX A: SPECIAL KEYS EXPLORING THE SCHOOL Ci ae ACTION Moves you left or right. Hold the key down to move continuously. Opens a door, moves you up or down a stairway, moves you in close to read, operates the film machine, and makes you jump up when a robot is near (if you are not in front of a door). Flips you up and moves you to the left quickly. Flips you up and moves you to the right quickly. Lets you turn the music off or on in the program. Lets you quit the program. 50 Special Keys EY ACTION Lets you turn the sound effects off or on in the program. Return}or{Enter] | Removes new user messages from the screen; chooses any buttons on the screen that have double borders. Takes a robot’s picture (in the direction you are facing), and makes the robot disappear. From the school, chooses Notes. From your notes or a reading, chooses School. READING AND USING YOUR NOTES } KEY ACTION Moves you in close to read when you’re near a triangle. In your clues, chooses Next Card. a APPENDIXES KEY (Return or (Enter) ACTION In your notes, shows you the picture of the robot with that number (if you’ve taken its picture). In a reading, chooses the answer to a question. From your notes, chooses Clues. From your notes, chooses Decide. In a reading, chooses Hard Words. When you’re deciding who is the Master of Mischief, chooses Maybe. When you’re deciding who is the Master of Mischief, chooses No. (Also chooses any No button in the program.) Removes new user messages from the screen; chooses any buttons on the screen that have double borders. Pages down in a reading. From your notes, chooses Clues. From your clues, chooses Next Card. From your notes or readings, chooses School. 52 Special Keys KEY ACTION From the school, chooses Notes. From your notes or a reading, chooses School. or In a reading, moves to the previous page. When you’re deciding who is the Master of Mischief, chooses Yes. SIGNING IN ] EY ACTION Backspace] or Erases the last letter you type in a name. Ix i lete or Enters a name you type. (38) (R} Begins the process of removing a name from the list. (This permanently erases a player’s name, rank, and lifetime score from the disk.) pis) i APPENDIXES APPENDIX B: MOUSE MOVEMENT Point with the mouse and hold down the mouse button to move left, right, up, or to flip and move left or right. You see an arrow on the screen that points the direction you’ll move. To use your camera, point and click below and to the left or right of you. The arrow changes to a ball. Move up Flip and Flip and move left move right K a Move left —> = Move right Zap to ‘ e Zap to the left the right 54 Troubleshooting APPENDIX C: TROUBLESHOOTING INSTALLING THE PROGRAM } PROBLEM 1. When you try to install the program on your hard disk, you see the message, “This volume is full.” 2. When you try to start Midnight Rescue! by double-clicking on the SSR! file on the disk, you get a message that the disk “is locked and cannot be modified.” SOLUTION There is not enough room on your hard disk. You need at least 3 MB (megabytes) of disk space available (free) to install the Midnight Rescue! program. * Remove (delete) some files from your hard disk to make more room. For information on deleting files, see your Macintosh manual. You cannot play Midnight Rescue! from a floppy disk. You must install the program on your hard disk. See Chap- ter 1, Getting Started, for instructions on installing the program. 55 f APPENDIXES USING THE PROGRAM j PROBLEM 1. You have a color monitor but the program appears only in black & white. 2. The game action is very slow. SOLUTION ¢ You must be using System 6.0.5 or greater to run the program in color. ¢ The program needs 1 MB of available memory to run in color. Remove Inits or install more memory. If you are running the pro- gram in color, your system may be set for 256-color display. « For best performance in color, restart the program and change the monitor setting to 16 colors from the dialog box that ap- pears. If you are running System 7.0, also see Troubleshooting item number 7. 56 Troubleshooting PROBLEM 3. The arrow keys on the numeric keypad don’t work or the numbers on the numeric keypad don’t work. 4, The names on the Club Member Sign-In screen or the high game scores are missing. SOLUTION Keys that have a number and an arrow on them work as arrows in the game, but as numbers when you are an- swering reading tasks or in your notes. If you press » you will re- verse the way they work. * Press again. « Use the mouse to move around. When answering questions in reading tasks, click on the numbers with the mouse. The two data files, Player Roster and High Games, may have been deleted or moved from the Midnight Rescue! folder. + Find the missing files and place them in the Midnight Rescue! folder on your hard disk. * — If the files cannot be found, the next time you play the game, the Player Roster and High Games files will be created automatically. 57 f APPENDIXES PROBLEM 5. The sound and music in the game are too loud or too soft. . The help balloons from System 7.0 interfere with the game. . You are running with System 7.0 and the game runs very slowly or stops (freezes). SOLUTION In the Control Panel, choose General (Sound if you’re using System 7) and adjust your sys- tem speaker volume as needed. Click on the balloon icon on the right side of the menu bar. Then choose Hide Balloons. The Virtual Memory feature of System 7.0 is not supported by Midnight Rescue! Go to the Control Panel, click on Memory, and turn off the Virtual Memory. Then restart your com- puter. If after turning off the Virtual Memory, you get an “insufficient memory” message when you try to run the program, you will have to add more memory (RAM) to your system. (It is best to have 4 MB or more of RAM when using System 7.0). If you have questions, call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-852-2255. 58 CUSTOMER SERVICE We are proud of the special relationship we have with many satisfied parents and teachers. If you have a problem, a question, or a suggestion, please call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-852-2255 or 1-510-792-2101. The Learning Company warrants to the original purchaser only that the disk provided with this user’s guide and the software program coded on it will perform in accordance with the descriptions in this user’s guide when used with the specified equipment. If the program is found defective within 90 days of your purchase, it will be replaced. Simply call The Learning Company’s Customer Service Depart- ment at the above toll-free number and a replacement disk will be sent within 24 hours. Replacement of the disk is the full extent of our liability. This warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, whether oral or written, expressed or implied. Any implied warranties, including those of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, are limited in duration to 90 days from the date of purchase of this product. The Learning Company shall not be liable for incidental and/or consequential damages for the breach of any expressed or implied warranty including damage to property and, to the extent permitted by law, damages for personal injury even if The Learning Company has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages or limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, so the above limitations or exclusion may not apply to you. This warranty shall not be applicable to the extent that any provision of this warranty is prohibited by any federal, state, or municipal law which cannot be pre- empted. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. Unauthorized reproduction, adaptation, distribution, performance, or display of this document, the associated computer program, or the audiovisual work is strictly prohibited, Damaged Disk Replacement Policy: The Learning Company will replace disks that the user damages for a duplicating and handling fee. Return your damaged disk and a check for $10 to: The Learning Company 6493 Kaiser Drive Fremont, CA 94555 Attention: Disk Return Dept. 32 INDEX INDEX A accusing robots (See also making decisions about robots) 33 adding names of players 8 answering clue questions 27-28 list of functions 50-51 problems using 57 attributes, robot See hidden facts about robots avoiding robot crashes 19, 23-24 tricks 19, 23, 50 award See scores B back one page, moving in help topics 12 readings 26, 28, 53 backup copy 2 ball pointer 20, 22, 54 black & white monitor 2, 6, 56 bonus points 21, 34, 36 buttons list of: Clues 31 Decide 32 Done 27 Hard Words 27, 43 Next Card 31 Next Word 27 Notes 30 Page Down 26 Page Up 26 School 28, 31 Cc camera 15, 17,21, 36 capturing the Master of Mischief 14-16, 29-31, 37 chart of ranks 38 scores 36 choosing answers to clue questions 27, 28 buttons with double borders 51 menu items 9 clicking See mouse clock 17, 23, 25, 26, 29, 36 stopping 16, 25, 26, 29 Club Member Sign-In 7-8, 10 Club, Super Solvers 14 members list of 7,8 messages from 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 28, 30, 33 tules 14-16 clue answers, choosing 27, 28 clue questions answering 27 number of 40 clue triangle See triangle signs clues collecting reading 14-16, 25-28 points for 25, 36 robot See hidden facts about robots and photographing robots Clues button 31 INDEX command keys (38](M] See music [Q] See quitting the program [R] See removing (38) See sound, turning off/on compressed file See program: files continuing an unfinished game 8 copy, backup 2 copying the program to a hard disk See installing the program counter, film 17 crashing into robots 23 current game scores 9, 35 curriculum skills, of program 39— 43 customer service 59 D Decide button 32 decisions about robots, making 32— 34 decoy messages, See messages from the Master of Mischief defective disks 59 defending yourself against robots See encountering robots definitions, hard word 27, 43 deleting (See also removing) letters in player’s name 8, 53 difficult words See hard words disk drives 2 diskettes See disks disks defective 59 hard installing the program on 2-5 problems with 55 program 2, 3 saving scores on 34, 35 dodging robots 19, 23-24, 50 Done 12 Done button 27 doors, opening 19,2450 drives, disk 2 ducking into (See also encountering robots) rooms 24 stairways 24 E earning points 17,21, 25, 34, 36 educational focus of program 39- 47 empty film machine 21, 23 encountering robots 21-24 ending a game 9, 10, 50 Enter key ( ) list of functions 51, 52, 53 entering names of players 8, 53 erasing (See also removing) letters in players’ names 8, 53 messages 28, 51 error messages (See also messages) 55 Exit and Save 9 exiting the program 9, 10, 50 expanding files See files, expanding program exploring the school 14-17, 18 list of keys 50-53 extracting files See program: files INDEX F facts about robots, hidden 14-17, 21, 29-31, 37-38 File 9 File menu 9, 35 files, expanding program 3,5 film counter 17 extra, points for 34, 36 getting 19, 21, 23,50 in camera 17,21 losing 23 machine 17, 21, 23 saving 30 finding clues 14-17, 29 reading 25-28 points for 25, 36 finishing a game 10 fixed disk See hard disk flash, camera See photographing robots flipping over robots 19, 24,50 flying objects See robot tricks folder, program. forward, moving one page in help topics 12, 52 notes 31,52 readings 26, 53 G gags See robot tricks game plan 17 playing 13-38 messages about 6 saving 10 game (continued) scores chart of 36 current game 10, 35 earning 17, 21, 25, 34, 36 high game 10, 35 lifetime 35-36 removing 53,7 saving on disk 34-35 viewing 35-36 speed, problems with 56, 58 starting 7, 8,9 stopping 9, 10,50 unfinished, continuing 10 winning 33-34, 36 getting film 19, 21, 23, 50 help 12,25 started 1,12 Go Back a Page 12 going (See also special keys) back to where you were backward one page in help topics 12 readings 26, 53 forward one page in help topics 12, 52 notes 31,52 readings 26, 53 grade levels See reading levels H hallways, searching See exploring the school hard disk installing the program on 2-5 problems with 55 62 INDEX hard words 27, 43 definitions, viewing 27 list of 43-47 number of 43 pronunciation of 43 Hard Words button 27, 43 Help 12 help getting, with clue questions 28 hard words 27 readings 25, 27, 28 using the program 12 topics 12 Help menu 12 hidden facts about robots 14-17, 21, 29-31, 37-38 numbering of 31, 37 High Game Scores 9, 35 highlighted words in readings 28 hints See help and messages from club members hitting robots See photographing robots I icons disk 3 program 6 trash can 3 installing the program ona hard disk 2 problems with 55 investigating See exploring J jumping over robots 19, 24, 50 up to avoid robot tricks 19, 24, 50 K keys list of functions 50-53 exploring the school 50-51 reading and using your notes 51-53 signing in 53 arrow, problems with 57 L leaping See jumping learning objectives of the program 39-43 leaving agame 9, 10,50 amenu 7, 32 Clues 52 Notes 52, 53 the program 9, 10,50 the school 26, 30, 50,51, 52 levels, reading 42 Lifetime Scores 9 lifetime scores 7, 9, 34, 35 removing 7, 53 viewing 35 list of club members 7, 8 hard words 43-47 special keys 50-53 63 INDEX loading film See getting film the program See starting the program losing time 23 M machine, film 21, 23 Macintosh computer 2 magnifying glass See reading glass making abackup 2 decisions about robots 32-34 Master of Mischief capturing 14-17, 29-31, 37 hints from 28 messages from 27 Maxwell, Morty See Master of Mischief Maybe 32 meanings of words See definitions, hard words members, club list of 7,8 messages from 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 28, 30, 33 number of membership, club See Super Solvers Club menu bar, using 9-11 menu items, choosing 8, 9 menus list of: File:9, 35 Help 12 Options 10 choosing items from 7, 8, 32 messages See also help erasing 28,51 error 55 from club members 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 28, 30, 33 Master of Mischief 27 new user 11 program 6 warning 33 midnight (See also time) 14,17 Midnight Rescue! See program monitors black & white 26, 56 color 2, 4, 56 Morty Maxwell See Master of Mischief mouse movements 20, 22-24, 54 pointer arrow 20, 54 ball 20, 22, 54 moving through See also special keys help 12 notes 52 readings 26, 53 Music 11 music, turning off/on 11 N names of players adding 7-8 removing 7,53 selecting 8,53 robots 30 64 INDEX new game, starting 7-8, 9 New Player 7-8 New User Messages 11 new user messages 11 Next Card button 31 next hard word, moving to 20 next page, moving to in help topics 12 notes 31,52 readings 26, 53 next robot picture, moving to 31 Next Word button 26 No 8, 10, 32, 33 No, marking on robot pictures 32 noises See sound note to parents See educational focus of program notes 15-16, 19, 22, 29-31 moving one page backward in forward in 31,52 saving pictures in 22 viewing 30-31 Notes button 30 number of clue questions 40 hard words 43 pictures in camera 17, 21 readings 40 robot pictures needed by checklist 30 rank 21, 37-38 robots 30 numbering of robot facts 30-31, 37 oO objectives of program, learning 39- 43 objects thrown by robots See robot tricks opening doors 19, 24, 50 Options 10 options See menu items, choosing Options menu 10 outjumping robots See dodging robots outrunning robots See dodging robots P page, moving backward in help topics 12 readings 26, 53 forward in help topics 12,52 notes 31,52 readings 26, 53 Page Down button 26 Page Up button 26, 28 Page Upkey (Pg Up]) 26,53, parents, note to See educational focus of program photographing robots 14-17, 21- 22551 pictures of robots 14-17, 21-22, 29-34 marking No on 32-33 number needed by checklist 30 rank 21, 37-38 65 INDEX pictures of robots (continuted) points for 21 saving in notes 22 taking 14-16, 17, 21, 22,51 viewing 31-32 plan, game 17 players’ names adding 7,8 removing 7,53 selecting 8,53 playing See also help anew game 7,8 an unfinished game 8 messages about 6 the game 13-38 poems from the Master of Mischief 27 pointer See mouse: pointer points bonus 21, 34, 36 chart of 36 for extra film 34, 36 extra time 34, 36 moving up in rank 37-38 reading clues 25, 36 robot pictures 21 winning the game 33-34, 36 in current game 10, 35 problems See troubleshooting program disk 2 folder 6 getting help using 12 installing on hard disk 2 messages (See also messages) 6 program (continued) problems installing on hard disk 55 using 56-58 prompts See messages starting 2-6 stopping 9-10, 50 prompts, program See messages pronunciation of hard words 43 protecting yourself against robots See encountering robots Q questions, clue answering 27 number of 40 quitting the program See exiting the program R R key ((R)) 53 ranks 16, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37-38 chart of 38 moving up in 37-38 points for 38 reading levels of 42 removing 53 reading clue answers 28, 52 clues 14, 17, 25-28, 29, 31, 32 collecting 25-28 points for finding 25, 36 viewing 31 glass 26 levels 42 skills 40-41 66 INDEX readings 14, 17, 25-28, 37 getting help with 25, 26, 27, 28 information about 39-47 moving one page backward in 26, 53 forward in 26, 53 number of 40 rereading 25, 26, 28 reloading film See getting film removing lifetime scores 7, 53 names of players 7, 53 ranks of players 53 rereading a reading 25, 26, 28 restarting a game 8, 9-10 Return key ( (Re ) See Enter key returning to agame 8 notes from school 30, 51, 53 reading from clue questions 28 school 26, 51,53 school from notes 31,51 readings 28, 5le reviewing areading See rereading a reading thyme See poem tiddle See poem robots 14 accusing 33 avoiding tricks from 19, 23, 50 crashing into 23 dodging 19, 23-24, 50 robots (continued) encountering 21-24 flipping over 19, 24, 50 hidden facts about 14-17, 21, 29-31, 37-38 numbering of 30-31, 37 making decisions about 32-34 names of 30 number of 30 photographing 14-17, 21-22, 51 pictures of robots 14-17, 21-22, 29-34 number needed by checklist 30 rank 21, 37-38 points for 21 taking 14-16, 17, 21, 22,51 viewing 31-32 speed of 37-38 tricks 19, 24 rooms, exploring See exploring the school roster See list of club members tules, Super Solvers Club 14-16 running the program 6 problems with 55-58 saved game, continuing 8 saving agame 10 film 30 pictures in notes 22 scores on disk 34, 35 the school 14-16 67 INDEX school exploring 14-17, 18 moving around in 18-19, 50 saving 14-16 School button 28, 31 scores bonus points 21, 34, 36 chart of 36 current game 9, 35 earning 17, 21, 25, 34, 36 high game 9, 35 lifetime 7, 9, 34, 35 removing 7, 53 saving on disk 34, 35 viewing 35-36 scoring See also scores 26-27 points for extra film 34, 36 extra time 34, 36 moving up in rank 37-38 reading clues 25, 36 robot pictures 21 winning the game 33-34, 36 searching See exploring See Next Page 12 selecting buttons 26, 27 from menu bar 9 menu items 8, 9-11 names of players 8, 53 reading clue choices 28, 52 service, customer 59 shooting robots See photographing robots shots of film in camera 17, 21 losing 23 signing in 7-8 list of keys 53 signs, triangle 17, 26 single-game scores 9, 35 skills curriculum 39-43 reading 40-41 thinking 41-42 vocabulary 43 solutions to problems See trou- bleshooting Sound 10-11 sound, turning off/on 10-11, 51 Spacebar key ((Spacebar]) 22,51 special keys 50-53 speed of game problems with 56 robots 37-38 SSR! file 3 stairways, using 19, 24, 50 Start Over 10 starting agame 7-8, 9-10 over 9-10 problems with 55 the program 2 staying clear of robots See dodging robots stopping agame 9-10, 50 music 11, 58 new user messages 11 sound effects 11, 58 the clock 16, 25, 26, 29 the program 9-10, 50 storage area See folder storing See saving story line 14-17 68 INDEX Super Solvers Club 14 members list of 7,8 messages from 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 28, 30, 33 number of tules 14-16 Super Solvers Rescue See SSR support, customer 59 symbols See triangle signs T Tab key ((Tab]) 51,53 taking pictures of robots 14-17, 21-22, 51 thinking skills 41-42 time 16, 17, 23, 25, 26, 29, 36 extra, points for 34, 36 losing 23 stopping 16, 25, 26, 29 tips See help and messages from club members title screen 6 topics, help 12 total scores See scores trash can icon 3, 4, 5 triangle signs 17, 26 tricks, robot 19, 24 troubleshooting 55-58 color monitor 56 help balloons 58 installing the program 55 missing high game scores 57 names on Club Member Sign— In screen 57 speed of game 56 starting the program 55 using arrow or numeric keypad keys 57 turning off/on clock 11 music 11,58 new user messages 11 sound effects 11, 58 typing names of players 7-8 erasing letters in 8,53 U unfinished game, continuing 8 up one page, moving See forward, moving one page in user messages, new 11 using stairways 19, 24, 50 the menu bar 9-11 the mouse 20, 22-24, 54 the program help with 12 problems with 56-58 your notes 29-33 list of keys 51-53 Vv: villain See Master of Mischief vocabulary (See also hard words) 43-47 Ww warning messages 33 warranty 59 winning a game 33-34, 36 points for 33-34, 36 words, hard 27, 43 definitions, viewing 27, 43 highlighted in readings 28 list of 43-47 Y: Yes 8, 10, 32, 33 69 NOTES NOTES NOTES CREDITS The Macintosh version of Midnight Rescue! was adapted from the MS-DOS version that was designed and developed by The Learning Company. Adaptation Design and Development Team Joshua Marks, Adaptation Producer Engineering Christopher Gross, Lead Software Engineer Graphic Artist Team Andy Stambaugh, Animation Alyson Markel, Backgrounds Quality Assurance Team Christine Ahrendt, Lead Quality Assurance Engineer J. Michael Morrison, QA Tester Leo J. Ott Ill, QA Tester Stephen R. Quinn, QA Tester Ian R. Crouch, QA Tester Development Support Patricia McGhee, Product Development Associate Shelly Hall, Field Test Coordinator Documentation Team Janet Joers, Writer Ruth Laird, Editor/Writer Michael Margolis, Editor Music Eric Van Rhee, Sound Engineer Adaptation Marketing Team Diana James-Cairns Marlise Santiago Janis Hom Educational Advisory Panel Arlinda Eaton, Ph.D. Susan R. Goldman, Ph.D. Marie Ice, Ph.D. Jack B. Jones, Ph.D. Minnette Lenier, Ph.D. Tracy Moncure Pat Neu THE LEARNING COMPANY Since 1980, The Learning Company has consistently produced the highest quality educational software available. Our award- winning products help develop your child’s underlying thinking skills and creativity, while reinforcing important areas of the basic curriculum, such as reading, writing, and mathematics. Every program from The Learning Company undergoes extensive research and testing, with input from educational professionals, parents, and children. Each product features a precise balance of educational content and entertainment value. So, your child actually has fun while learning! How do we do it? Enchanting characters. Challenging situations. Rich game environments. State-of-the-art graphics and sound. Progressive skill levels and game segments that can be customized to meet your child’s individual needs. As parents and educators, we recognize that education is a continuous process. So we developed The Learning System. Carefully sequenced by age groups, this system serves as a product-selection guide—making it easy for you to confidently choose the right products for your children at each stage of their educational development. As an integral part of The Learning System, each of our products addresses a specific age group and subject area with appropriate themes to heighten your child’s interest in learning. ‘Ages 3 to 6 Ages 6 to8 ‘Ages 8 to 10 ry Supe Savers Rees Stoke Spelibounal Pre-ReadingDiscovery ‘Spelling ‘Super Sobers Reader Rabbit 1 Reader Rabbit 2 Early Reading Reading Manioe eects) ‘Math Rabbit ‘Treasure MathStorm! OutNumbered! Math ‘Mah sll ‘The Writing Center Writing Publishing P/N 17702 5/94 Macintosh Version SUPER SOLVERS™ Midnight Rescue!" READY REFERENCE CARD Can you read, think, and react in time to rescue the school before it disappears? Morty Maxwell, the Master of Mischief, has taken over Shady Glen School! Disguised as one of his five robots, he and his team are painting the entire school with disappearing paint. As a Super Solvers Club Member, you must find out which robot is the Master of Mischief. But you only have until midnight to explore the school, read for clues, and collect facts to out-think the Master of Mischief. Earn enough points to reach the rank of Champion and you can give the Master a taste of his own Mischief! For a quick start: Start your computer from the hard disk and follow these steps. 1. Copy the compressed SSR! file to program and see the title screen. your hard disk. After the file has (For more detailed instructions, see been copied to your hard disk, Starting the Program in Chapter 1 double-click on its icon to expand it. of the User’s Guide.) Then discard the compressed file. If 3. Click the mouse button to continue you have a color monitor, repeat the and read the messages on the screen. same steps for the SSR! Color file 4. Follow the prompts on the screen on the Color Graphics Disk. (On to sign in. your hard disk, make sure to move 5. For help in the game, use the Help the SSR! Color file into the same menu. Use this Ready Reference folder as the program.) Card for extra help or go to the 2. Open the Midnight Rescue! folder User’s Guide for complete instruc- and double-click on the expanded tions for playing the game. Midnight Rescue! file to start the The Learning Company Gather the Facts! S Fike ai Options Wein Photograph robots to see hidden facts. + Use (<], [3], and (7) or the mouse to move around the school. * To take a robot’s picture and make it disappear, press |Spacebar | or point and click the mouse below the robot. + If you already have its picture, use or(T}(6], or move the pointer above you and click the mouse to jump over a robot or the trick it may play on you. (Robots play four different tricks—throwing banana peels, marbles, and pies, and squirting you with water!) Read to get clues. * Look for special triangle signs] ~wy|. Use|] or move the mouse pointer directly above you and hold down the mouse button to move up to them and read for clues. * Click on Page Down or press {Page Down |Jto read through to the clue question. ¢ To choose an answer, click on the number of the answer you want. + If you miss the correct answer, click on Page Up or press | Page Up] to see highlighted text as a hint. * The clock stops during readings, so take your time and read carefully. Match Them Up! Compare the pictures and the clues on each card in Notes. + To go to your notes from the school, click on Notes or press{N]. Do this from time to time once you have collected at least one reading clue. ¢ The checklist in Notes shows how many pictures you need and the decisions you have made. + To go to the robots’ pictures from Notes, click on Clues or press |C]. To move through their pictures, click on Next Card or use |). * Compare the numbered parts of the robot pictures to the clues you’ve collected on the right to see if each clue matches that part of the robot. As you can see in the picture of Rollo, only the number 2 and 3 clues match the numbered parts of the picture. ~S File Ti Options wetp Decide which robot matches the clues. ¢ When you think you know if a robot is or is not the Master of Mischief, click on Decide or press (D] . If any one clue does not match the pic- ture, you know the robot is not the Master of Mischief. * Click on Maybe, No, or Yes based on how well the clues match. The picture of Pogo above is a perfect match, so Yes has been chosen. Maximize Points! Accuse a robot before the time reaches MIDNIGHT. If your Yes decision about which robot was the Master of Mischief is correct, besides keeping the points you earned during game, you will get * bonus points for any film left in your camera * bonus points for any time left on the clock * a special bonus for winning If your Yes decision about which robot was the Master of Mischief is incorrect, or if the clock gets to midnight, you and the school will disappear. You will get zero points for this game, but will retain your rank and lifetime score from your previous game. Play again and again. ¢ Each time you win, you get more points and move up in rank through eight increasingly challenging levels—from Trainee to Champion. As a Champion, you can go all the way up to 9,999,999 points! ¢ The computer makes the game and readings more challenging as you go up in rank. ¢ To compare your score with the scores of family and friends, choose High Games Scores from the File menu. Tips and Techniques USING THE KEYBOARD AND THE MOUSE Use the keyboard when you’re searching for reading clues and dodging or photographing robots. Use the mouse to click on buttons and numbers and to choose menu items. “If you’re just learning to play the game, use the keyboard to move around the school and to photograph robots. It’s easier and it lets you react more quickly than the mouse. Once you’ve mastered moving with the keyboard, then you can ‘try your hand’ at using the mouse.”"—Sean, Expert, Super Solvers Club If you decide you prefer using the mouse to play the game, here are instructions and some tips to enhance your game-playing. Point with the mouse and hold down the mouse button to move left, right, or up, or to flip and move left or right. You see an arrow that points in the direction you’ll move. To use your camera, point and click below and to the left or right of you. The arrow changes to a ball. * To move to the left or right so that you continue moving without catching up to the arrow, keep the arrow near the left or right of the screen—not in the center. ¢ You can outrun a robot only if you flip and move left or flip and move right. (Look at the illustration above to see where to point the arrow to flip and move left or right.) You can jump straight up only when a robot is on the screen. * To photograph a robot, wait until the robot is within range of the camera flash. When you click below the robot to take its picture, if you’re not facing the robot, you will automatically turn to face it. ¢ To see a reading, enter a room, or get film from the film machine, position the arrow directly in front of it and hold down the mouse button. You will eventually catch up to the arrow and automatically enter the room or move up to the reading or film machine. Super Solvers Midnight Rescue! Getting Around USING THE KEYBOARD Moves you left or right. Hold the key down to move continuously. or 1) Opens a door, moves you up or down a stairway, moves you in close to read, operates the film machine, and makes you jump up when a robot is near (if you are not in front of a door). Flips you up and moves you to the left quickly. Flips you up and moves you to the right quickly. or({Enter] | Removes new user messages from the screen; chooses any buttons on the screen that have double borders. Spacebar Takes a robot’s picture and makes the robot disappear. (The P ppe: camera flashes in the direction you’re facing.) From the school, chooses Notes. From your notes or a reading, chooses School. Lets you turn the music off or on in the program. Lets you stop the game and quit the program. Lets you turn the sound effects off or on in the program. Note: If the arrow keys on your keyboard are all in a row, it’s easier to use the (I] ,(J}, and (L) keys than the arrow keys. SEARCHING THE SCHOOL Search the school for the Master of Mischief’s sign, a clue triangle. The clue triangle “hides” a reading or a message from the Master of Mischief. Once you’ve found one and moved in front of it, press or click the » 4 mouse directly above you to move in close to read. 4% CUSTOMER SERVICE: 1-800-852-2255 6493 Kaiser Drive, Fremont, CA 94555 The Lea 1g Company P/N 17703 8/94