SPORTS HERO
-----------

by Clive Barrett

Work you way through the most challenging track and field events. As you agin
experience and confidence you begin to excel in the four exciting events:
long jump, 100 meter sprint, 110 meter hurdles and pole vault. Here's your
chance to be part of the winning team. Pit yourself against the clock and
beat the record.

Classification: Sports simulation

Features: Mult-level competition, Spectacular graphics, Smooth animation,
Real-time action

Level: Suitable for all ages

Completion time per game: 5 to 15 minutes

100% machine language

LOADING THE GAME
Sports Hero is a game designed for the Spectrum 48K. Place the cassette in
the cassette recorder and ensure that the cassette is fully rewound and the
recorder is connected to the Spectrum as detailed in the Spectrum manual.

Type LOAD"" and press ENTER.

PLAYING THE GAME
The object of the game is to graduate from being a sports hero in your local
neighbourhood, right through to the Olympic team. As you demonstrate your
prowess on the streets in the sprint, the long jump, the hurdles and the pole
vault, you may do sufficiently well to be awarded a University sports
scholarship.

Here you will find the compition much stiffer and you will ready have to work
hard to impress your fellow sportsmen. But if you do succeed, you may be
assured of a place in the Olympic team.

CONTROLS
Sports Hero allows you to control all the events by the use of the RUN keys
and the JUMP keys.

In order to RUN, you must press the two RUN keys as rapidly as possible.
Note that it is not the force with which you hit the keys that is important
but how often each key is pressed during the duration of the event.

The JUMP keys allow you to start and end a jump.

At the beginning of the game, "Sports Hero" will ask you which keys you wish
to select for the RUN keys. You may select any two keys on your keyboard for
this. The same applies to the JUMP keys and again you may select any two keys
on your keyboard.

Try out whichever keys are best for you. We have found that using SHIFT and
SPACE keys for RUN suit most people and the SYMBOL SHIFT and Z key for JUMP
work equally well.

EVENTS
* 100 metre Sprint
The object is to cross the line within the qualifying time indicated. Use
only the RUN keys.

If you start sprinting before the gun has gone off you will be disquadified
for that particular heat. You will be given three attemptsto qualify for this
event. Don't worry if you don't qualify as you will progress to the next
event automatically.

* Long Jump
The aim of this event is to get the longest jump possible. Build up as much
speed as you can using the RUN keys, and when you see the sandpit appearing,
press the JUMP key. Pressing the JUMP key too late will result in a foul (in
other words, starting the jump past the jump board) while starting too early
will mean you will not get the best possible distance.

Once you have pressed the JUMP key, you must hold the JUMP key down until
you feel you have achieved the right angle. If you release the key too soon,
you will have a shallow jump, while if you hold the key down too long you
will be jumping too high.

Experiment in order to get the best speed/angle combination for you.

Once again you will be given three attempts to qualify.

* 110 meter Hurdles
As forthe 100 metre sprint, you need to cross the finish line within the
qualifying time indicated.

Although you may knock over as many hurdles as you wish without
disqualification, you are unlikely to qualify if you do so because of the
time lost with each hurdle knocked over.

Use the JUMP key to jump over the hurdles. You may release the JUMP button as
soon as you havestarted your jump.

* Pole Vault
Once again, your objective is to clear the specified height. Use the RUN key
to get as much speed as possible, then press the JUMP key when you are ready
to plant your pole. Planting your pole too early will result in the pole
scraping along the ground until you reach the planting box, while planting
the pole too late will see you miss the event completely.

Keep the JUMP button depressed once you have planted the pole until you are
ready to let go of the pole. Ideally this should be near the top of your jump
as too early a release will not give you sufficient lift to clear the height,
while failing to release the pole in time is also likely to see you fall
ignominiously.

JOYSTICK CONTROL
Sports Hero is compatible with either the Sinclair Joystick (by defining the
RUN and JUMP keys as equivalent to the cursorcontrols) or with programmable
joysticks such as the Stonechip Electronics Programmable Joystick.

Program copyright (C)Beam Software 1984
Programming by Clive Barrett
Animations by Russell Comte
Title page by Greg Holland
Cover artwork by Ned Culic

Published by Melbourne House, Castle Yard House, Castle Yard, Richmond
TW10 6TF. 70 Park Street, South Melbourne, 3205, Australia.

Unauthorised copying, lending, hiring, public broadcasting, transmission or
distribution is prohibited without express written permission of Melbourne
House Publishers Pty. Ltd.

(Transcribed by Robin Stuart)