SOCCER CHALLENGE
================

Your chance has arrived, you have been invited to try out for selection to your favourite 
football team.

It's not going to be easy though; you are going to need all your stamina and skill to get 
through the gruelling training session; the only way to show the Boss that you are fit to 
play in the team.

So get your kit on, lace up your boots and get out there with the lads, for your biggest 
challenge yet.

THE DISCIPLINES

Start the game by typing in your name. Just hit enter if you do not wish to do this and 
you will be given the default name of "ANON".

When the game starts the screen will clear and you will be given the option to choose the 
colours of your kit. You can change the colours of the shirt or shorts to those of your 
favourite team (within limits of the computer's colour ability). You will then be 
presented with a list of the disciplines and will be invited to select one of them. All 
four will have to be played and completed before you can take part in the competition 
course at the end of the game. You can play the disciplines in any order and can play 
the same one again and again until you master it.

Each discipline has a number of 'lives' shown by the footballs in the bottom panel. Each 
time you make a mistake you will lose a football. When there are none left or when the 
timer reaches zero the discipline is over.


TACKLING

You are placed in the middle of the pitch facing some of the toughest of your team-mates 
in a head to head tackle for possession of the ball. The opponent will run down the 
screen towards you and you can select one of a number of methods to stop him.

a) The straight tackle - run straight towards the opponent and try to intercept the ball.

b) The sliding tackle - if your opponent looks like getting away you can launch a sliding 
   tackle by using the fire button. You then slide very quickly, leg outstretched towards 
   the ball.

c) The foul - only to be used as a last resort. You can go for the man not the ball. This 
   is not recommended.


PASSING

You stand with the ball in the centre of a circle of other footballers. You must rotate 
and pass the ball to the flashing players who will then return the ball. If you pass to 
the wrong player then you will lose a 'life'. Miss too many times and the discipline will 
be over but if you succeed you will be moved onto the next round where the players will 
change over more rapidly.


DRIBBLING

You will be presented with a course of cones covering several screens. You must dribble 
the ball around each cone in the direction of the flashing arrow staying as close as 
possible to each cone. Take the ball too far away and you will have to go round again. 
When all the cones on the screen have been negotiated successfully you should move up to 
the next screen. You must complete the course within a time limit.


PENALTIES

You appear at the bottom of the screen. By alternately pressing left and right keys (or 
joystick direction) you will begin to move up to the top of the screen. The faster you 
press the keys the faster you will run. The screen will flip to show the goal with the 
ball on the penalty spot and you must press fire when you reach that spot. The ball will 
go in the direction Of the arrow in front of the goal.


THE 'ASSAULT' COURSE

One you have completed all the disciplines you can then compete in an 'assault' course 
against the clock, this includes all the disciplines that you have just been training 
for. This course incorporates all the features seen in the disciplines, finishing with 
you having to score a goal from the penalty spot.

If you successfully complete the course you will be given a unique number which you can 
write down for use in Soccer Challenge II the sequel.


LOADING

Spectrum 48K - Type LOAD"" and press Enter. Start the tape.
Spectrum 128K - Press enter on startup screen. Start the tape.


CONTROLS

1 = pause game (fire to cancel).
M = (during pause) quit to menu.
Q = (during pause) quit to title screen.

Q, A, O, P = directions.
Space = fire/kick.


© Alternative software Limited 1990