From: eric@telebit.com (Eric Smith)
Subject: Atari Liberator (was Re: Worst Video Game Ever?)
X-Disclaimer: Everything I write is false.
Organization: Telebit Corporation
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 08:10:03 GMT

>>On Wed, 6 Jan 1993 01:11:20 GMT, rsrodger@wam.umd.edu (Yamanari) said:
> 	and that Atari game (circa 85?) where
> 	you conquered this rotating world on the screen that had defense
> 	stations and weapons (this was a standup trackball arcade game).
> 	You'd go from world to world conquering and stuff.  

That's "Liberator".

From the Liberator Operation, Maintenance, and Service Manual, Atari part
number TM-209, first printing, page 1-9:

  Liberator(tm) is a one- or two-player game with a color raster-scan video
  display.  The game action takes place in various star systems in outer
  space.  There are missile bases on planets and enemy spaceships that the
  player tries to destroy.  The object of the game is to find and destroy
  the enemy missile bases.

  The player controls a fleet of four spaceships, each located in a corner
  of the screen.  Each ship has a weapon that shoots a laser beam.  A fleet
  of four spaceships may have as many as 12 shots on the screen at one time.
  The player uses the Midi Trak-Ball(tm) to control a cursor ( <+> mark)
  that appears on the screen.  The <+> marks where a laser shot is to
  explode.  When the player presses the FIRE button, a laser beam is launched
  from the nearest spaceship to the <+>.  When the beam reaches the <+> there
  is an explosion.  Any object within the explosion is destroyed.  Nearby
  objects may also be damaged.

  To protect his spaceship, a player may use the SHIELD button.  Each ship
  has four shields at the beginning of a level of play.  A hit to a shield
  destroys that shield and the corresponding shields that protect other
  spaceships.

...

  Game play begins in hyperspace of the first star system.  Enemy ships try
  to ram and destroy the player's spaceships.  The player must destroy these
  enemy ships using the FIRE button.  There is no shield in hyperspace.  When
  the enemy spaceships on the screen are destroyed, LEVEL 1 and a revolving
  Earth-like planet appear on the screen.

  There are four enemy missile bases on the planet.  The base launches
  missiles toward the player's spaceships.  The missiles travel in a curved
  line.  The player must destroy the missiles before they destroy his
  spaceships.  When the missile bases cross an imaginary vertical line in the
  center of the planet, the bases become satellites.  The satellite launches
  a missile that travels in a stright line toward the player's spaceships.

...

  The planets for Levels 2 and 3 contain killer saucers in addition to the
  missile bases.  The saucer flies in space for a period of time and then
  stops.  It emits a sound and begins to increase in size.  Then it fires a
  death ray that cannot be stopped.  FIRE and SHIELD offer no protection.
  The ray destroys the players ship.  The player must destroy the saucer
  before it increases in size; otherwise the death ray will destroy his ship.

...

  ... Level 4 ... The player has to destroy six missile bases on the
  revolving planet.  Missile bases fire MIRVs, which explode into four
  smaller missiles when hit.  In this system, there are two more planets
  (Levels 5 and 6) that have killer saucers and missile bases that turn into
  satellites.

...

  Fireballs appear in the third star system.  Fireballs are red and yellow
  circular shapes that appear to be burning.  When shot with the laser beam,
  the fireball slows down.  It takes four shots to destroy a fireball.  In
  the ninth star system a master base apears.  It is a white, pulsating base.
  The base is smart -- it can sense when a laser beam is aimed at it.  The
  master base can decrease or increase the speed of the planet or change the
  direction of planet rotation to avoid being destroyed!

  In the eleventh star system, starballs appear.  (After the tenth star
  system, fireballs become starballs.)  Starballs are red circular shapes.
  A starball slows down when it is shot by a laser beam, but speeds up after
  the hit.  It takes four shots to destroy a starball.

  After the fourteenth star system, there are one more MIRV and one more
  starball for each new star system.

So now you know more than you ever wanted to know about Liberator!
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA