THE SPECTRUM GAME DATABASE



MATCH DAY II



PUBLISHER

Ocean



AUTHORS

Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond

Music and sound effects by Guy Stevens



YEAR

1987.



DESCRIPTION

Match Day 2 is a football (playing) simulation.



CONTROLS:

See inlay card text



ORIGINAL INLAY CARD TEXT



MATCH DAY II

------------

Match Day II is an all action arcade soccer simulation featuring

variable strength volleys, lobs, backheels and ground shots,

jumping headers, barging, diving keepers, variable tactics and

the highly accurate diamond deflection system.  You may compete

against your friend or against a computer team; alternatively you

and your friend may team up against the computer.



Match Day II also features a league championship, cup

competition, user definable keys and lots, lots more!



Match Day II will run on both 48k and 128k Spectrums, and

features enhanced sound on the 128k models.  The game may be

played with keys or the following joysticks: KEMPSTON, FULLER,

INTERFACE II and the built-in joysticks on the Spectrum +2 and

+3.  In addition, any joystick that presses keys may be defined

from the keyboard menu.



GETTING STARTED

----------------

To get started quickly, load the game and press ENTER three

times.  This will get you onto the pitch, and you may now start

playing.  The game may be played using a joystick or the

following keys:



O - left

P - right

A - down

Q - up

bottom row - kick/jump.



These may all be redefined if you require.



THE MENU SYSTEM

---------------

Use any key other than ENTER to move the cursor.  Use ENTER to

select the entry indicated by the cursor.   Please note that when

the instructions refer to TEAM 1 they mean the team that starts

at the left hand end.



JOYSTICK MENU

-------------

This menu only appears when you first load the game, so try not

to make any mistakes as it will mean you have to reload it.



(a)  KEYS / KEY JOYSTICK  use for keys only or key type joystick

such as the Sinclair Interface 2 (or the built-in joysticks of

the +3) and cursor type joysticks



(b)  KEMPSTON JOYSTICK  use for joystick interfaces that use port

31 (hex)



(c)  FULLER JOYSTICK  use for joystick interfaces that use port

7F (hex).



MAIN MENU

---------

Near the bottom of the screen. the last result is displayed.

(a) 1 PLAYER MATCHDAY You play soccer against the computer

(b) 2 PLAYER MATCHDAY You and a friend play against each other

(c) TWIN PLAYER MATCHDAY You and a friend team up against the

computer

(d) MATCHDAY CUP You and up to seven friends may take part in a

three round cup competition

(e) MATCHDAY LEAGUE You and up to seven friends may take part in

a league championship.

(f) KEYS AND OPTIONS Access numerous options and facilities.



Before you kick off each half, you may use the handicap system

(Not available for cup or league matches.) 

(a) START HALF  Kick off

(b) SCORE TEAM ONE 0  Give team 1, goal advantage.

(c) SCORE TEAM TWO 0  Give team 2, goal advantage.



PAUSE MENU

----------

This menu may be selected only during the match by pressing H:

as long as H is held down the screen will freeze, allowing you

to view the state of play or even take photographs.

(a) RETURN TO MATCH Restart the game.

(b) QUIT MATCH Quit match and return to main menu.

(c) TACTICS SELECTION Select tactics menu.



KEYS AND OPTIONS MENU

---------------------

This is accessed from the main menu.



(a) QUIT MENU Return to main menu.

(b) MATCHDAY OPTIONS Access various match options

(c) PLAYER 1 KEYS Access the user definable key menu for player

one.

(d) PLAYER 2 KEYS Access the user definable key menu for player

two.

(e) TEAM NAMES Change the team names.

(f) TACTICS SELECTION Select tactics menu.

(g) COLOUR SCHEME Select team and pitch colours.



MATCHDAY OPTIONS MENU

-----------------------

Each option in this menu may be selected, and then changed by

pressing ENTER.

(a) QUIT MENU Return to keys and options menu.

(b) SOUND LEVEL (HIGH/LOW/OFF)

(c) TIME EACH HALF (5/10/15 MINUTES)

(d) KICKOMETER (ALL/FWD/HARD/II/III) See the paragraph on the

kickometer for a full explanation.

(e) COMPUTER MATCHES {UNATTENDED/ATTENDED) Decide whether to

watch games you are not taking part in.

(f) COMPUTER SKILL (LOW/MEDIUM/HIGH)

(g) KEEPER 1 (HUMAN/COMPUTER) You may delegate control of your

keeper to the computer

(h) KEEPER 2 (HUMAN/COMPUTER)



PLAYER 1 & 2 KEYS MENU

----------------------

It is important to utilise this function properly - please read

the screen prompts.

Step (a) Move cursor to highlight the required control on which

the keys are to be changed.

Step (b) Press ENTER to clear all current keys.

Step (c) Press all keys required for control (they will be

printed on the current line as they are pressed). If you want to

use the ENTER key then press it first. N.B. If you accidentally

press the wrong key at this point, go on to step (d) and then

back to (b).  (This involves pressing ENTER twice).

Step (d) When all keys are selected press ENTER.

Step (e) If you want to change more controls then start again at

Step (a), otherwise move the cursor to QUIT MENU and press ENTER

to return to the keys and options menu.



The default controls have been defined as follows 



PLAYER 1

LEFT Joystick-Left, 6, O

RIGHT Joystick-Right, 7, P

DOWN Joystick-Down, 8, A

UP Joystick-Up, 9, Q

KICK/JUMP Joystick-Fire, 0 Z X C V B N M, Shift, Symbol shift



PLAYER 2

LEFT 1

RIGHT 2

DOWN 3

UP 4

KICK/JUMP 5

i.e. player two is set up for the +2 and +3 built-in second

joystick



Please note that when two humans play, the keys/joysticks

sometimes interact and cause problems such as kicking the ball

without pressing the fire key.  This is caused by the computer's

design and it is not possible to compensate in the program. The

default keys are predefined to avoid any interaction, but if you

wish to change any keys, it might occur.  Look at the chart

below.  If player one has two keys on the same row and player two

has two keys in the same columns but in a different row, then 

problems will occur. Another way of looking at it is to imagine

a square with the keys chosen as the corners.  If such a square

is present then those keys will interact. i.e. if player one has

keys A and S they will interact if player two has 1 and 2;

however if player two uses 1 and 9, or 1 and 3, all is well.



Column: 0    1    2   3   4

Row

O     CAPS   Z    X   C   V

1      A     S    D   F   G

2      Q     W    E   R   T

3      1     2    3   4   S

4      0     9    8   7   6

5      P     O    I   U   Y

6    ENTER   L    K   J   H

7    space symbol M   N   B



TEAM NAMES MENU

----------------

You may change any of the eight team names by moving the cursor,

pressing ENTER, and then typing your new team name. Press ENTER

again when you have finished.  The top menu option is QUIT MENU,

and this will return you to the keys and options menu.



TACTICS SELECTION MENU

-----------------------

QUIT MENU This will return to either the pause menu or keys and

options menu

TEAM 1 (ATTACKING/DEFENSIVE) Push your men up front to go for

goal or pull them back to shore up your defence.

TEAM 2 (ATTACKING/DEFENSIVE)



MATCHDAY CUP & LEAGUE MENUS

-----------------------------

The menus for cup & league competitions are fairly similar and

will be dealt with together.  At the top of each menu, just under

the heading, the next fixture is printed.  If there is no fixture

then the competition has ended and you will have to start a new

one. Near the bottom of the screen is the CUP/LEAGUE CODE NUMBER. 

This changes as you progress through a competition The number may

be typed back in at a later date to restore the current position

in the competition.  The computer skill level only sets the

minimum level for cup and league matches, i.e. during the cup

semi-finals the minimum skill level will be MEDIUM and during the

final it will be HIGH.  In the league championship different

teams play at different skill levels.  Please note that if the

result of a cup game is a draw after extra time, you will have

to play a replay.



PLAY FIXTURE Play the current fixture. When the game has

finished, the cup/league table is shown; pressing any key at this

stage will return you to the main menu.  This means that you may

intermix league, cup and friendly matches



CONTROL

(Comp V Comp / Comp V Human / Human V Comp / Human V Human / 2

Humans V Comp / Comp V 2 Humans)



You may select what teams you wish to control, and even change

your mind mid-competition.  If Comp V Comp is selected, they will

not be shown unless you have changed the COMPUTER MATCH option

(Matchday options menu) to ATTEND.  If you do not watch, you will

be shown the cup/league table immediately.



VIEW CUP/LEAGUE TABLE This will display the appropriate table.



START NEW CUP/LEAGUE This will wipe all results in the current 

competition and start a new one. A new random draw is made in the

case of cup competitions. The cup/league table will be displayed

after this.



START OLD CUP/LEAGUE

Access the menu that permits you to type in an old code number



QUIT MENU Return to main menu.



START OLD CUP/LEAGUE MENUS

---------------------------

QUIT MENU

Return to cup or league menu



CODE

Selecting this will produce a screen prompt and a cursor.  Type

in a previously written down code number and if you get it

correct you will be shown the appropriate table before returning

to the cup/league menu. If you mistype it, a screen prompt will

inform you and give you a chance to have another try.



PLAYING THE GAME

-----------------

Deadball situations (Centres, throws, corners, goal kicks)

The player taking the kick/throw will automatically run to the

ball.  Pressing the fire key sends the ball to one of nine

positions.  The positions are selected by pressing the joystick

the way you want the ball to go.  For instance, at a centre taken

by the left team, pressing the joystick right will result in a

long kick to the right, pressing left results in a short kick,

pressing up sends the ball to the far side of the pitch, pressing

down to the near side, etc. A different set of nine is provided

for each deadball situation.  Please note that the kickometer 

has no effect on these kicks and throws.



Controlling a player.

You have control of the player in the best position to get the

ball.  When the ball is kicked you gain control of the player

nearest to the landing spot.  However, when control swops from

one player to another, you will, for a short time, control both

players to give you a better chance in the case of a rebound. 

The player you control will have a miniature copy of the

kickometer just above his head.



Getting Possession.

If the ball hits your player below his knees, he will gain

possession.  This means that your player will automatically

dribble the ball.  Please note that a player will run slower

while he is in possession.  To gain possession of the ball, you

must judge its path and time your interception so that the ball

arrives at your feet.  To trap a bouncing ball, you must keep

your eye on its shadow and stand where you estimate the point

that the ball and shadow will meet (i.e. where the ball bounces). 

Note that the size of the ball's shadow changes according to 

its height.



The kickometer.

The kickometer determines the kick pressure, where III is very

hard, II is medium, I is very soft and -1 is a backheel. The

range of the meter may be altered from the MATCHDAY OPTIONS menu.



(a) All kicks.  All forward kicks and the backheel

(b) Fwd kicks.  All forward kicks (default value)

(c) Hard kicks.  The meter just uses II and III

(d) Kick II.  The meter is fixed at II

(e) Kick III.  The meter is fixed at III



Please note: when you play twin player matchday, the two players

under control are indicated by two different miniature

kickometers. Player two controls the man with the double

kickometer.



Kicking the ball while in possession.

Pressing fire while in possession will kick the ball.  If your

player is standing still, he will kick along the ground; if he

is running, he will do a lob. The final pressure is determined

by the kickometer.



  Locking the kickometer & volley shots.

If you press and hold your fire key, you will lock the kickometer

reading for your team. This means that if your player contacts

the ball, he will instantly volley the ball.  The volley is a

low, hard shot ideal for shooting at goal. The final pressure of

the shot is determined by the locked kickometer (shown above your

player's head).



  Jumping.

If the ball is above waist height, and fairly near your player,

he may jump by pressing the fire key. While in the air, he is out

of your control.



  The keeper.

The keeper will automatically get in a good position to save any

possible shot.  You get control of the keeper if the ball is

coming towards the goal.  Pressing the fire key will make the

keeper dive.  Pressing up on the joystick will dive him towards

the far post, pressing down, towards the near post, and he will

jump straight up if thejoystick is left in the middle.  If

playing twin player matchday, control of the keeper always 

goes to player one.  When you get control over the keeper, you

retain control over the nearest player.  It is possible to

delegate control of your keeper to the computer - this is done

on the MATCHDAY OPTIONS menu.





  Barging.

You may shoulder barge players to force mistakes.  However, when

playing the computer team on the HIGH skill level, you will find

they are very good at holding their ground and even barging back.



  Diamond deflection system (DDS).

The DDS has been incorporated to provide maximum realism when the

ball deflects from a player.  In practice, the ball responds not

only to the angle the player is standing and the ball direction,

but also to the direction he is moving, including if he is

jumping, and also detects his forehead for extra control.  The

following diagrams show some sample deflections.  The arrows

inside the men indicate the way they are running.



   **INSERT GRAPHIC HERE**



HINTS AND TIPS

--------------

Use 2 PLAYER MATCHDAY to get the hang of passing and receiving

the ball and to test the various corners, centres, goal kicks and

throws.  To keep track of the ball while it is in the air, it is

important to keep your eye on its shadow.  When using the

kickometer on ALL KICKS, try locking it on backheels when you run

into a tackle.



Use the Diamond deflection system to knock the ball on to others

on your team.  Get used to using volleys - in particular, you may

move into attack very quickIy using volleys and a zig-zag route

up the field.



For the ultimate challenge, play the computer team with skill set

to HIGH, the kickometer set to ALL KICKS or FWD KICKS, the

computer tactics set to ATTACKING and your keeper control set to

HUMAN.



MATCHDAY II

------------

Its program code, graphic representation and artwork are the

copyright of Ocean Software Ltd and may not be reproduced,

stored, hired or broadcast in any form whatsoever without the

written permission of Ocean Software Ltd.  All rights reserved

worldwide.



This software product has been carefully developed and

manufactured to the highest quality standards.  Please read

carefully the instructions for loading.



IF FOR ANY REASON YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY IN RUNNING THE PROGRAM, AND

BELIEVE THAT THE PRODUCT IS DEFECTIVE, PLEASE RETURN IT DIRECT

TO:  MR YATES, OCEAN SOFTWARE LIMITED, 6 CENTRAL STREET,

MANCHESTER M2 5NS.

Our quality control department will test the product and supply

an immediate replacement if we find a fault.  If we cannot find

a fault, the product will be returned to you at no charge. 

Please note that this does not affect your statutory rights.



CREDITS

--------

Written by Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond

Music and sound effects by Guy Stevens

Produced by D C Ward

(c) 1987 Ocean Software Limited







CHEATS





PREQUEL

Match Day (obviously).  This wasn't as sophisticated, and the

computer was much easier to beat.



SCORES RECEIVED

N/A



URLs

ftp://akira.uc3m.es/pub/sinclair/games/m/matchda2.zip

ftp://ftp.gui.uva.es/pub/sinclair/games/m/matchda2.zip



GENERAL FACTS



NOTES

A very difficult game at first, but gets much easier with

practice.  Brilliant "twin player" mode which lets you and a

friend play together against the computer.

