Bop-A-Bet: Instruction Manual

Bop-a-bet uses four direction keys, plus the space bar. The LEFT HAND makes the bopper go UP and DOWN. Place your right middle finger on the "A" key and your index finger on the "Z" key. "A" makes the box go UP, "Z" makes it go DOWN.

The RIGHT HAND

makes the bopper go RIGHT and LEFT. Place your right middle finger on the "RIGHT arrow key," and your index finger on the "LEFT arrow key."

Use either THUMB on the SPACE BAR to BOP the letters. Your fingers should always rest lightly on the keys.

The actual keys to control the bopper may be reassigned at the beginning of the game, if you prefer another combination.

Select the format of the game by choosing upper or lower case letters; the speed of the bopper (beginning, intermediate, or advanced); and the length of time per game. You may practice before playing the game, if you wish.

After the game is finished loading, press any key to begin. Four letters will appear in the maze. When a letter is bopped in alphabetical order, it disappears and a new letter appears elsewhere. If you bop the wrong letter, it remains on the screen. You get 10 points for bopping the correct letter; you lose 5 points for bopping the wrong letter. You may only "bop" when moving left or right.

After you bop Z, you have a short period of time to bop as many punching bags as you can. Each bag is worth 20 points. At the end of each round, you get a star by your score. The game then recycles at a slightly faster speed.

When your time is up, you can start over, or let someone else play.

Bop-a-bet is more effective and enjoyable if the child can recognize at least some of the letters of the alphabet, and is given time to practice using the direction keys and space bar before playing the game. For this reason, a practice round is available at the beginning of the game.

Bop-a-bet reinforces uppercase and lowercase letter recognition, and helps teach alphabet sequencing.

The game has three options that can adapt to the player's needs. 1) choose between uppercase, or lowercase letters; 2) select the speed of the bopper that corresponds to the child's age, familiarity with the alphabet, and eye-hand coordination; and, 3) select a suitable game length.

Bopped letters appear on the scoreboard to help the player remember his place in the alphabet.

For those youngsters who are not old enough, or still have problems with number recognition a star appears each time they successfully complete a round.

Bop-a-bet utilizes the best features of arcade games to provide a unique learning experience for the very young child. It incorporates the motivational aspects of speed, coordination, and scores, but eliminates the violent "kill and destroy" features. The bopper evolved from a combination of a jack-in-the-box and punching glove.

The "motivational" object of the game is to score as many points as possible in a given time.