GCE Vectrex LIGHT PEN Mail Plane User manual

© General Consumer Electronics, Inc. 1983. Santa Monica, CA 90401. All Rights Reserved.
A copyright protection is claimed on the program stored within the cartridge.
A Milton Bradley Company
GRAPHIC COMPUTER SYSTEM
TM
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MAIL PLANE is a new way for you to
learn and have fun at the same time! With
Mail Plane you can discover North American
geography by planning your daily mail
delivery: choose your own path through many
cities, load your packages on board, and fly
from one destination to another.
Take control of your plane altitude,
speed, gasoline check and refill, and watch
out for raging storms on your way! Will you
make your daily delivery on time?
1

Built-in
Control Panel
Mail Plane
Cartridge
Outlet for
Light Pen
Reset
Button Off/On/
Volume
Control
Cartridge
Slot
Power
Cord
Console
2
Setting Up
Light Pen

+Make sure the console power cord is plugged into a
120 volt AC 60 cycle electrical outlet.
+Check to be sure the plug for the built-in control panel
is firmly seated in the control panel outlet on the right.
+Plug the Vectrex Light Pen into the outlet marked ‘2nd
Player’ (to the left of where the control panel is plugged
in).
+MAKE SURE THE CONSOLE IS TURNED OFF BE-
FORE INSERTING THE CARTRIDGE. Insert the MAIL
PLANE cartridge into the cartridge slot with the label side
up. Be sure it is firmly inserted to the guideline marked
on the cartridge.
+Turn the OFF/ON/VOLUME CONTROL to the ON posi-
tion (clockwise). You will see the Vectrex title for a few
seconds, then the MAIL PLANE title, followed by the
Menu.
+Adjust the volume control to the desired listening level.
+IMPORTANT — Adjust the BRIGHTNESS CONTROL
(on back of console) so that the white dot in the center
of the screen just barely disappears. If the brightness is
too dim, the Light Pen will not provide maximum
performance
Setting Up
3

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Mail Plane’s features make it one of the most amazing
mail delivery games available today so before we go into
all the details, here’s a simple summary of the main
steps:
1. Choose the flying route
2. Load the mail onto the plane
3. Make the plane airborne
4. Go deliver avoiding obstacles
Now let’s take these basic steps and explain them in
more detail …
BEFORE YOU BEGIN...

5
FLYING ROUTE
Step 1: Choose the flying route
When the game starts, you have to choose a flying
route for your mail to be delivered.
In the first stage there are eleven cities to fly through:
"AUGUSTA (ME)
"MONTPELIER (VT)
"CONCORD (NH)
"BOSTON (MA)
"PROVIDENCE (RI)
"HARTFORD (CT)
"ALBANY (NY)
"HARRISBURG (PA)
"TRENTON (NJ)
"ANNAPOLIS (MD)
"DOVER (DE)
You can freely choose to fly from one city to another, in
the order you prefer. However, due to the gasoline
availability, there are some flight time restrictions. If the
journey between two cities is too long, you won’t be
able to reach your destination, so plan your route
carefully!
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Take your VECTREX Light Pen and
point it at one desired city, for
example, AUGUSTA (ME).
This city will be your starting point.
Choose your first destination, the
nearer the better. The information box
below the map will show your
departure and destination cities
(AUGUSTA -> MONTPELIER)
Repeat for further destinations. Once
you have chosen your flying path, with
a maximum of six destinations in total,
point your Light Pen at the CONTINUE
box to proceed.
WARNING!
Long routes between cities are marked
by a dashed line. It s not going to be ’
easy to reach this destination, as
“gasoline” is a limited resource!
0 - 4
AUGUSTA
ME.
MONTPELIER
VT.
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AUGUSTA
ME.
HARTFORT
CT.
RESTART CONTINUE
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CONCORD
NH.
ANNAPOLIS
CT.
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AUGUSTA
ME.

7
GETTING YOUR MAIL ONBOARD
Step 2: Load the mail onto the plane
After you have chosen your flying path, the airplane is
nearly ready to go. Before doing so, you have to check
the mail and put it in the cabin.
Your departure city is flagged by a ‘+’
sign, there s no mail delivery at this ’
point.
Take your Light Pen and point it at a
package below the plane, drag it into
the cabin to load on board. When you
pick up a package, the top row on
the right side of the screen will show
you to which city the package has to
be delivered.
Learn the easy way! Drag packages into your cabin
following your flying path; this will make things easier once
you will reach your destinations!
0 - 4
ME.
ALBANY
AUGUSTA
BOSTON
CONCORD
HARTFORD
MONTPELIER
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ME.
ALBANY
AUGUSTA
BOSTON
CONCORD
HARTFORD
MONTPELIER

1: Score - Lives
2: Your plane with mail loaded on board
3: Gasoline Level
4: N S W E compass
5: Pitch elevator
6: Air speed indicator (mph)
Step 3: Make the plane airborne
You are ready to make your plane airborne and start
delivery, but first examine the following control
explanation:
TAKE OFF!
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333444555666

Push Button 4 on your built-in
control panel in order to
accelerate your plane.
While holding Button 4, push down the
control stick on the control panel in
order to give altitude to your plane.
Keep holding and your plane will take
off.
You can also use your Light Pen instead
of the control stick on the control panel
in order to regulate your altitude in
much more precise way.
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IN THE AIR!
Step 4: Go deliver avoiding obstacles
And now the way to deliver is up to you!
Following your chosen path, you must take control and
watch your gasoline level, altitude, route, raging storms,
and dangerous moving clouds!
CONTROLS:
You can adjust your plane s altitude, turn left and right as ’
you prefer, but be careful not to go too low or the plane will
crash into the ground!
CLOUDS:
The plane will get bigger or smaller according to your flight
altitude. Clouds will affect your plane depending on your
size. Make sure to be either bigger or smaller than the
clouds you pass by, to avoid getting struck by lightning, or
you‘ll crash in seconds.
LANDING:
Once you are close to a destination you have to land the
plane in the city. When you are close to it, lower your plane
until the landing screen appears for the mail delivery
procedure.
GASOLINE:
When you land in a city, gasoline will be restored
automatically. Only your flying skills will allow you to land on
time before running out of gasoline.
MAP CHECK:
You can press Button 3 anytime to see the map.

11
Good luck, Mail Planer!
“… Sometimes, after a hundred miles of steppes as
desolate as the sea, he encountered a lonely farm-house
that seemed to be sailing backwards from him in a great
prairie sea, with its freight of human lives; and he saluted
with his wings this passing ship. …“
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
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ME.
EF
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AUGUSTA

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Date Name Score
Score Record

This Video Game Cartridge is warranted by General Consumer Elec-
tronics, Inc. to the original consumer purchaser in the U.S.A. for a period
of 90 days from the original purchase date under normal use and service
against defective workmanship and materials. ANY IMPLIED WARRAN-
TIES ARE ALSO LIMITED IN DURATION TO THE NINETY (90) DAY
PERIOD FROM THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE DATE. SOME STATES DO
NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY
LASTS. SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
This warranty is void if the GCE Video Game Cartridge has been
damaged by accident, unreasonable use, neglect, misuse, abuse, im-
proper service, modification, subject to commercial use or other causes
not arising out of defects in workmanship or materials and is limited to
electronic and mechanical parts contained in the cartridge.
GENERAL CONSUMER ELECTRONICS, INC. SHALL NOT BE LIABLE
FOR LOSS OF USE OF THE VIDEO GAME CARTRIDGE OR OTHER
INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL COSTS. EXPENSES OR DAMAGES
INCURRED BY THE PURCHASER RESULTING FROM BREACH OF ANY
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES ON THE VIDEO GAME CAR-
TRIDGE. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR
LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. SO THE
ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
During the warranty period, if found to be defective due to workman-
ship or materials, the GCE Video Game Cartridge will at the option of
General Consumer Electronics, Inc. be repaired or replaced with a new
or reconditioned GCE Video Game Cartridge without charge for parts or
labor when returned by Purchaser with proof of purchase date, shipped
prepaid to General Consumer Electronics, Inc. at the following address:
90 Day Limited Warranty
General Consumer Electronics, Inc.
233 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, California 90401
In the event that your GCE Video Game Cartridge is replaced, the
warranty on the replacement will be ninety (90) days from the date of its
return to you.

TM
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PART NO. 140016—0024 ART REV A
GRAPHIC COMPUTER SYSTEM