7th Level, Inc., Readme Notes
Welcome to Arcade America. Join Joey as he grunts, jumps, and
belly bumps his way across the country.
INSTALLING ARCADE AMERICA
You can install a version of Arcade America to your hard disk so
that you will not need to have the CD in the CD-ROM drive to
run the program. To install this version, insert the Arcade America
CD in the CD-ROM drive, select the File menu and choose Run
from the Program Manager. Type D:\SETUP.EXE (if necessary,
replace D: with the letter that represents your CD-ROM drive) in
the command line and press ENTER. Choose the Full option in the Setup
program. Follow the instructions given in the installation program.
This version will require approximately 120 MB of free hard disk space.
To conserve hard disk space, you can choose to install a version
of Arcade America that will run from the CD (you must have the
Arcade America CD in the CD-ROM drive to run the program). To install
this version, insert the Arcade America CD in the CD-ROM drive,
select the File menu and choose Run from the Program Manager.
Type D:\SETUP.EXE (if necessary, replace D: with the
letter that represents your CD-ROM drive) in the command line
and press ENTER. Choose the CD option in the Setup program. Follow
the instructions given in the installation program. This version
will require approximately 400 K of disk space.
If you are installing under Windows 95 and have not turned off the
Autoplay feature, you do not need to run the setup program to install
Arcade America. The first time you insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive,
Windows 95 will automatically start the setup program.
Once installed, every time you insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive the
Autoplay feature of Windows 95 will automatically start Arcade America.
Note: Even if you have never installed a 7th Level program, the installation
program will give you the option to install Arcade America into a 7th Level
program group.
Once the program has been installed, you will be given the option of
automatically installing a joystick driver (if you do not already have
a driver installed). If you have a joystick that already works with other
Windows 3.x applications or if you are using Windows 95, then you may not
need to do anything to use the joystick with Arcade America.
Click the Yes button to have the Arcade America program install a joystick
driver for you.
Once the joystick driver is installed, you will need to calibrate and
test your joystick by double clicking the Joystick icon in the Control Panel.
Note: You may need to calibrate your joystick again if you have disconnected it
from your computer, or if you notice the joystick interfering with the operation
of the mouse.
During installation, you also will have the opportunity to test your MIDI
settings for sound. Arcade America was orchestrated with full, rich music
and sound effects. It is recommended that you test your MIDI settings upon
installation to make sure that you are experiencing the full depth of
Arcade America. If you do not hear all of the music or sounds, please
check the Troubleshooting section in this readme for instructions on
adjusting your MIDI settings.
ARCADE AMERICA OPTIONS
After you see the introduction to Arcade America, you will
see the Main menu. Click Options to see the Options screen. Here
you can customize various game options. (The default settings are
Tough Guy difficulty level, using input from the keyboard, and all
sounds turned on and played as MIDI.)
Select the input method (keyboard or joystick) by clicking on the word
beside Input.
Note: The 4-button Joystick option is not available for Windows 3.1
users. If you have a 4-button joystick, you will need to choose the
2-button Joystick option and use the appropriate joystick movements.
You also can customize the keyboard by picking the keys you want to
use to move Joey through the game. Click Customize Keyboard, select the
move you want to change, and type your selection. Click the Save button
to save your changes. Click the Cancel button to exit the dialog box
without saving your changes.
Select the difficulty level (Mondo Weenie, Tough Guy, or Mondo Tough Guy)
by clicking on the word next to Difficulty.
You can turn on and off foreground audio. Click on the word next to Foreground
Audio to toggle the option on and off. You'll want to hear all the cool sounds
as you make your way through Arcade America.
You select the music source you want by clicking on the word next to Music
Source. You can choose MIDI or None.
You can turn special effects off if you want to concentrate on the game
or if you want to improve the performance of some slower computers. You
may want to keep the special effects on to become a part of the Joey
experience.
Click Return to Main Menu to exit the Options screen and save
your selections. Press ESC to exit the Options screen without
saving your changes.
Once you have made your selections, click Start New Game to begin
your adventure.
PROGRAM NOTES
If you are using Windows 95 and have Microsoft Plus installed, the Arcade
America font may not display correctly. To eliminate any problems with the
appearance of the font, simply turn off the Smooth Edges of Screen Fonts
option. To do this, open the Windows Control Panel, and choose Display Applet.
Click the Plus! tab, then click the Smooth Edges of Screen Fonts option to
turn it off.
STANDARD MOVES
Below you will find the joystick and keyboard combinations for
getting around Arcade America. You may wish to print this file so that
you have these moves in front of you as you make your way through
Arcade America.
You can play Arcade America using a joystick that works with any
Windows application or your computer's keyboard. Simply select
the input method in the Options screen.
COMMON MOVES
4-BUTTON JOYSTICK (available only for Windows 95 users)
Move Input
Walk left Left
Walk right Right
Jump Button 2
Shoot Button 1
Belly Bump Button 3
Pull Button 4
2-BUTTON JOYSTICK
Move Input
Walk left Left
Walk right Right
Jump Button 2
Shoot Button 1
Belly Bump Double down
Pull Double up
KEYBOARD MOVES
Move Input
Directional controls Up/Left/Right/Down arrows
Jump C
Shoot Z
Belly Bump X
Pull Shift
TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND COMMON PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
If you have difficulty installing or running Arcade America,
please read the section below before calling our
Technical Support phone line. By checking the few items listed
below, you may be able to solve any difficulty you are having
on your own.
If you are still having difficulty, call Technical Support at
214-437-2745. Support is available Monday - Saturday from
8:00 am to 5:00 pm Central Time. You also can reach Technical
Support via America Online (keyword Seventh), the Microsoft
Network (Go Seventh) or CompuServe (Go Seventh).
Technical Support also is available via the World Wide Web on
7th Level’s web page (www.7thlevel.com). By accessing 7th Level’s
web page, you can download the latest technical support information
along with demos of current and future products, register your products
online, and participate in contests and chats with the celebrities
and individuals involved with our products.
Problem:
Arcade America seems to run slowly.
Solution:
As with any program running under Windows, the speed and the
smoothness of Arcade America is dependent on the speed of the
hardware that it is running on. Hardware configurations that affect
performance are: the amount of memory and the speed of the video
card, the processor type, the amount of real memory, and the
transfer rate of the CD-ROM drive. While the minimum system
configuration required to run Arcade America is a 486 33 MHz
computer with 8 MB of RAM, a video card capable of running 256
colors and a double-speed CD-ROM drive, the recommended system
configuration is a 486 66 MHz computer with 16 MB of RAM. You may
be able to improve the performance of Arcade America running on your
computer by upgrading one or all of these elements of your computer
system, depending on what you already have.
If you are running on a computer with the minimum system requirements,
here are some things you can do to try to increase your system's
performance:
1. Disable the foreground audio, sound effects, and/or music source
features in the Options screen.
2. Make sure you have a permanent swap file of at least 5 MB set up
in Windows 3.1. (If you have Windows 95, you can choose to let it
manage your virtual memory for you, and it seems to work properly
with Arcade America.)
3. Do a full hard disk installation, if you have the space available
on your hard disk.
Problem:
When I try to run Arcade America, I get a "Not enough memory" message.
Solution:
On an 8 MB system, Arcade America requires 5 MB or more of virtual memory.
For instructions on setting virtual memory, please consult your
Windows documentation.
Problem:
I installed the program, but the Joystick Control Panel was not installed.
Solution:
If you are using Windows 3.x, copy the file JOYSTICK.CPL from the Joystick
directory (either on your hard disk where you installed Arcade America or
on the Arcade America CD) to the WINDOWS\SYSTEM subdirectory. If you are
using Windows 95, run the Add New Hardware applet in the Control Panel. Click
Next to continue, then choose No when you are asked to search for new
hardware. Click Next again. Select Sound, video and game controllers. In the
Manufacturers list box, select Microsoft. Gameport Joystick will be highlighted
in the Models list box. Click Next to continue, then follow the instructions
to complete the installation.
Problem:
The program does not display properly.
Solution:
Make sure you have a video card running in 640x480 or 800x600 mode
with 256 colors. Also, make sure that you have the proper display
driver installed. A display with more colors or running at a higher
resolution also will work with Arcade America.
Problem:
The program is working, but I don't hear any sounds.
Solution:
Make sure your sound card is installed and working properly. You can
check the sound from your sound board by using the Sound utility in
the Control Panel. Choose one of the WAV files in the Windows
directory and click Test.
Problem:
My screen went blank while I was playing Arcade America.
Solution:
If you have a power saving monitor and are using a joystick, the
power saving feature will start, blanking the screen (if you haven't
moved the mouse or pressed a key on the keyboard). See your
manufacturer's user manual for instructions on turning off the
power saving feature of your monitor.
Problem:
The sound or video skips during the program.
Solution:
Make sure you have at least 8 MB of RAM. Also, make sure that an
expanded memory manager (such as EMM386, QEMM or 386MAX) is not
reserving memory that Windows and Arcade America will need to run
correctly.
Problem:
I can't get the MIDI files to play. (I'm not getting any music.)
Solution:
Most sound cards are not set up to play MIDI files unless you
have a MIDI peripheral device attached to your computer. To set
your sound card so that MIDI files will play without a MIDI
peripheral device attached, follow the steps below.
To change your MIDI settings under Windows 3.1:
1. Double click the MIDI Mapper icon in the Control Panel.
2. Make sure the Setups radial button is selected.
3. Click the down arrow in the Name list box.
4. Select a MIDI setup file. You should select either General MIDI
or All FM. (Check your sound card documentation for the correct
setup file. If you have the SoundBlaster 16 card, select All FM.)
5. With the correct setup file selected, click the Edit button.
6. Confirm that the correct driver is displayed for at least channels
1 through 10. (Check your sound card documentation for the correct
driver name. If you have a SoundBlaster 16 sound card, each channel
should be set to the Voyetra Super Sapi FM driver.)
7. Click the OK button to exit the MIDI Setup dialog box. As you exit,
click the Yes button to save any changes you’ve made or the No button
to cancel any changes.
8. Click the Close button to exit the MIDI Mapper.
To change your MIDI settings under Windows 95:
1. Select the Start menu.
2. Choose Settings and open the Control Panel.
3. Double click the Multimedia icon and select the MIDI tab.
4. Select the MIDI setup file. (Check your sound card documentation for
the correct setup file.)
5. Click the OK button and exit the Control Panel.
Problem:
The sound and video are not synchronized properly.
Solution:
Make sure that you are running Arcade America on a 486 33 MHz (or
better) IBM-compatible computer with at least 8 MB of RAM.
Problem:
The sound breaks up or has a lot of static.
Solution:
You may need to change the DMA setting on your sound card. Please
check the documentation for your sound card for the proper settings
and how to change the settings.
Problem:
The volume is too low or too high.
Solution:
You can adjust the volume using the + and - keys within
Arcade America.
Problem:
The mouse cursor displays on the screen while I'm playing the game.
Solution:
Running Office 95 with the task bar set to Auto Hide causes the mouse
cursor to appear when you browse over the task bar. Clicking when
the cursor is displayed causes the action to pause. Drag the cursor
away from the task bar and click to start the action.
KEYBOARD FUNCTIONS
The following keyboard combinations can be used to replace mouse
movements for certain activities and functions.
ALT F4 Exit the program
SHIFT ESC Exit the program
ESC Exits back to the main menu one level at a time
+ Raises the master volume
- Lowers the master volume
SHIFT + Raises the WAV volume (speech and sound effects)
SHIFT - Lowers the WAV volume (speech and sound effects)
CONTROL + Raises the Midi volume (music)
CONTROL - Lowers the Midi volume (music)
* (keypad) Toggles the sound on/off
PAUSE Pause/restarts the animation
SPACEBAR Stops the current ambient animation
Note: Make sure that NumLock is off so that the volume controls
work properly.
HELP WITH YOUR HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE QUESTIONS
If you have questions about your computer's hardware or other software
applications, please contact the manufacturer before contacting
7th Level Technical Support. The manufacturer will be able to answer
any questions you may have on the installation and specific settings
for your needs. Listed below are the Technical Support and BBS phone
numbers for several manufacturers.
Manufacturer Tech. Support BBS Number
ATI Technologies 905-882-2626 416-764-9404
Creative Labs 405-742-6622 405-742-6660
NEC 800-388-8888 none
Orchid Technology 510-683-0323 510-683-0327
Media Vision 510-770-9905 510-770-0527
Roland Corp. 213-685-5141 none
Turtle Beach Systems 717-767-0279 717-767-5934
Ensoniq 610-647-3930 none
Tseng 215-968-0502 215-579-7536
Philips LMS 800-777-5674 719-593-4081
Diamond Multimedia 408-325-7000 408-524-9301
Logitech 510-795-8100 510-795-0408
Advanced Gravis 604-431-1807 604-431-5927
CH Products 619-598-2518 619-598-2524