====================== DYNOMITE for Windows version 2.01 March 14, 2002 by PopCap Games http://www.popcap.

com ====================== Thanks for downloading Dynomite. We hope you enjoy the game! VERSION HISTORY 1.00 Initial release! 1.10 Fixed some crash bugs, and added the Lock Cursor option 1.20 Bug and cosmetic fixes, multiplied all scoring by 10, added 3 new Stomped l evels (Hard difficulty). 1.55 Fixed Save-Game bug 2.00 Consolidation of small cosmetic changes into V2.0 2.01 Minor bug fix ================= TABLE OF CONTENTS ================= - 1.0 Required Specs And Recommended Specs 1.1 Required Specs 1.2 Recommended Spec - 2.0 Troubleshooting/Compatibility 2.1 Direct X 2.2 Screen Color Depth 2.3 Bug Reporting - 3.0 Instructions 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Controls 3.3 Game Selection 3.4 Tutorial 3.5 Options 3.6 New Game 3.7 Save/Load Game 3.8 Pause 3.9 Exit Game - 4.0 Game 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Concepts Endless Mode Stomped Mode Fossil Challenge Mode Time Trial Mode Bonus Babies Combos

- 5.0 Scoring - 6.0 Registration 6.1 Benefits of Registering 6.2 How to Register 6.3 Buy a Registration Code Online

6.4 Enter Your Registration Code 6.5 Problems? - 7.0 Gameplay Tips - 8.0 Dynomite Editor - 9.0 Dynomite on the Internet - 10.0 Technical Support - 11.0 Credits - 12.0 Software Use Limitations And Limited License - 13.0 Copyright Information ================================ 1.0 REQUIRED SPEC / MINIMUM SPEC ================================ 1.1 REQUIRED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Dynomite for Windows requires an IBM PC or 100% compatible computer, with a Pentium II 200 Mhz or better processor. Your computer must have at least 32 megabytes of RAM. Operating System: you must be utilizing Windows 95, 98, 2000, or ME with Direct X to play Dynomite for Windows on your system. Controls: a keyboard and a 100% Microsoft compatible mouse are required. Sound: you must have a Direct X certified sound card installed. Video: you must have your desktop set to 16-bit or 32-bit Color (256 Colors may not work). 1.2 RECOMMENDED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS PopCap recommends an IBM PC or 100% compatible computer, with a Pentium II 300 Mhz or better processor. =================================== 2.0 TROUBLESHOOTING / COMPATIBILITY =================================== For Updates To This List Go To www.popcap.com. 2.1 Direct X Dynomite requires you to have Direct X drivers installed. These are sound and video drivers from Microsoft used in many games. If you need the latest version of Direct X, go to http://www.microsoft.com/directx. 2.2 Screen Color Depth Dynomite requires you to be running in 16bit color or better. It may not function in Windowed mode properly in 256 colors. If you are running in 256 colors, the game will try to switch to full

screen mode. In addition, the game may run slowly in windowed mode in 32 bit color. If this occurs, switch to full-screen mode, or change your color depth to 16 bits. 2.3 Bug Reporting Though we've tried our best to squash all the bugs, every once in a while something we didn't expect pops up... If you should come across a bug in Dynomite, please report it to bugs@popcap.com. If for some reason the program crashes, it will try to capture any pertinent data and give you instructions on how to send that data to PopCap. This is very helpful for tracking down glitches! This information is also stored in a file called CRASH.TXT in your Dynomite directory (C:/PROGRAM FILES/POPCAP GAMES/DYNOMITE by default). If you can, include this text file with any email you send to PopCap about crashes. ================ 3.0 INSTRUCTIONS ================ 3.1 INTRODUCTION Welcome to Dynomite, a fast-paced prehistoric puzzle game! Your job is to shoot dinosaur eggs into the puzzle to create groups of 3 or more of the same color... they'll get "blasted" off the screen! There are 4 different game modes in Dynomite. Beginners may want to try the Endless game first. Experts may prefer Stomped! or the Fossil Challenge. If you' re looking for a low-stress game, try Time Trial... you can't lose! 3.2 CONTROLS Dynomite is controlled entirely with your mouse. You control the slingshot at the bottom of the screen. Move the mouse cursor around and you'll see that the slingshot tracks your moves. Click the left mouse button to shoot the egg in the sling! Note that obstacles can prevent your shot from reaching the spot you were pointing at! You should also notice that you can "bank" shots by aiming at the walls. Eggs will bounce off and keep bouncing until they touch another egg. When three eggs of the same color are touching, BOOM! They'll detonate and be blown off the screen! If the detonation causes eggs to be left hanging in midair, without support, why, of course they'll fall too. Use this to your advantage by setting up trick shots that cause chain reactions of dropping eggs! 3.3 GAME SELECTION

The first screen you'll see in Dynomite is the Game Selector. Here you can start a new game, continue a saved game, or play the Tutorial. If you're new to Dynomite, we recommend you play the Tutorial first, to familiarize yourself with the game and its rules. 3.4 TUTORIAL You can choose the Tutorial from the Game Selector screen. This will walk you through a sample game of Dynomite and show you how the different modes work. You can cancel the Tutorial at any time by clicking on the New Game button, which will bring you back to the Game Selector. 3.5 OPTIONS You can always access the Options screen by clicking on the sidebar button. This will bring up a dialog with the various in-game options you can control. Music Volume Sound Effects Volume: You can control these independently with the sliders. Fullscreen: If this box is checked, Dynomite will resize itself to fill the entire screen. If unchecked, it will appear in a window 640x480 pixels across. Custom Cursors: If this box is checked, you will see special custom Dynomite cursors in the game rather than Windows standard cursors. If you have a special theme installed that changes your Windows cursors, you may need to activate this option to see the cursor properly in the game. Editor: This button will launch the Dynomite Editor if you have it installed. This is an extra program you can use to create your own Stomped puzzles that can be traded with your friends. For more details, visit the web at http://www.popcap.com. Register: Sooner or later you will want to register your copy of Dynomite online so you can remove the nag screens and loading delays, and activate the high scores and other features disabled in the Trial version. See the section on REGISTRATION later in the Readme.txt file. High Scores: This button brings up a screen showing the high scores in the various game modes of Dynomite. 3.6 NEW GAME Click this button on the sidebar when you want to end your current game and start a new one. 3.7 SAVE/LOAD GAME The small button on the sidebar with the disk icon is used to save and load your games. Until you have registered your copy of Dynomite, you will only be able to save games... you cannot load them until you register your copy. To save or load your game, click the disk icon and then select a slot to save or load your game in. You will be prompted to enter a name for your game if saving it. 3.8 PAUSE BUTTON The small button with two vertical lines on the sidebar is the pause button.

Press it to pause the game, and press it again to resume. 3.9 EXIT GAME Press this button to leave Dynomite and return to Windows. ================= 4.0 GAME CONCEPTS ================= There are 4 different game modes in Dynomite, each with its own exciting challenges and rewards. Choose the mode you want to play after clicking New Game on the Game Selector screen. In Endless, TimeTrial, and Stomped mode, you will next be faced with the choice of difficulty levels. You can choose Easy, Normal, or Hard difficulty. Easy is ideal for beginners and players just looking to relax. Normal is the default, for average players. Hard is for pro Dynomiters looking for a real thrill! 4.1 ENDLESS MODE Endless is the default mode for Dynomite, and the easiest one to get started with. The object is to stay alive as long as possible while a never-ending supply of eggs comes rushing down the screen at you. You can never "finish" an Endless game, but you can try to get the highest score possible! You will lose the game if any eggs get too low on the screen. You'll know when this happens, because you'll hear a warning roar from Mama. If you don't clear the offending eggs quickly, she'll put her foot down and it'll be Game Over! 4.2 STOMPED MODE Stomped mode offers a series of increasingly tricky puzzles for you to solve, but unlike Endless mode, there's no time limit... you can take as long as you like for each move! The goal of a Stomped game is to clear all the eggs from the screen. The only problem? Every time you fire an egg, the Mama Meter on the right will rise. This measures how angry Mama is getting, what with you shooting all her eggs around. When the Mama Meter gets to the top, she'll put her foot down, reducing the amount of space you have to play with. Eventually, as in Endless mode, you run the risk of getting stomped for good! Do your best to clear all the eggs before you get squashed! You can also create your own Stomped puzzles with the Dynomite Editor. Check on http://www.popcap.com for more info on the Editor and how you can trade Stomped levels with other Dynomite players around the world. 4.3 FOSSIL CHALLENGE Unlike the other three game modes, Fossil Challenge has no difficulty

settings. It starts out easy, but gets hard later on. Finishing the whole Fossil Challenge could take you many hours... but that's what the Save Game button is for! Before you start a Fossil Challenge, you must choose whether you want to play a Strategic or Panic game. Strategic mode is calmer and slower paced. You'll have time to plan your moves and aim tricky shots. Panic mode moves as fast as Endless games do... though the levels are easier, you'll need to keep on your toes because they're so fast! The goal of the Fossil Challenge is to break the fossil fragments out of the puzzle. To do this, you need to break all the eggs touching the fossil fragment, so that it will fall down and off the screen. Once you've collected a fragment, you'll continue to the next level to look for the next piece of the fossil. Collect all three pieces to assemble the fossil and learn its name! In Fossil mode, you can always access the Museum by clicking the M button on the sidebar. The game is paused while you check out your fossils, so take as long as you like. 4.4 TIME TRIAL Time Trial mode is good for players who hate to lose... you always win! It's just a matter of how long it takes you! The goal is to clear all the eggs, though there may be many rows stretching far offscreen. The quicker you can clear them all, the better! The worst that can happen to you in Time Trial is that you can make more work for yourself by placing eggs poorly. But the eggs will never move down on you, and Mama isn't around to get mad! 4.5 BONUS BABIES Every once in a while in the different games, you'll see an egg start to shake. If you can break it while it's shaking, you'll hatch a Bonus Baby! Freeing a Bonus Baby gives you a special powerup for your next egg. Breaking the powerup egg then gives you some special ability or bonus. The different powerup eggs are: LIGHTBULB: This handy powerup will change the arrow so that you can see exactly where your shots are going, even if you're bouncing them off the walls! SCORE MULTIPLIER (2X, 3X, 4X): While this bonus is active, any points you get are doubled, tripled, or quadrupled! RAISE: The Raise bonus (an upwards pointing arrow) will raise the whole puzzle upwards, giving you valuable breathing room. WIDEN: The Widen bonus (two arrows pointing from side to side) will expand the puzzle sideways. NARROW: This one does just the opposite. VIRTUAL EGG: A bonus egg with a number on it will count as that many eggs

when it's broken. Some bonuses have a limited time duration. While they're active, their icon will rotate around the timekeeper dino in the upper right! 4.6 COMBOS A combo is awarded whenever you break two or more sets of eggs in a row... that is, one after the other. Sometimes you'll get combos by accident, but if you can plan them out, you can score major points for the bigger combos! Also, if you can get an 8x combo, you'll get the secret Dynomite bonus! =========== 5.0 SCORING =========== Your basic score is determined by: Score = Eggs Broken x Eggs Dropped (if not zero) multiplied by ten. So if you break 4 eggs and cause 10 eggs to drop, you'd get 4 x 10 x 10 =400 pts as a base. If on the other hand you just broke 3 eggs and didn't cause any eggs to drop, you'd have a base of 30 points. This then gets multiplied by a factor based on the difficulty level. In Fossil and Stomped on Easy level, this is divided by two. On Hard, it is multiplied by two. In Endless mode, it's divided by five for easy, and multiplied by two for Hard. Then, if you have a 2x, 3x, or 4x multiplier on, the score gets multiplied by that. If, when you break an egg, it has a bonus item that says 5, 10, or 15 on it, you score points as though you've broken 5, 10, or 15 extra eggs at that time (this doesn't get multiplied by eggs dropped, but does get multipled by skill level). You get 250 points (multiplied by skill level) for breaking a shaking egg, and for hitting Whirley on the Endless Puzzle. You get 1000 points (multiplied by skill level) for clearing a Stomped level. You get 1000 points (multiplied, skill) for breaking a fossil fragment out of a fossil, and an extra 1000 (multiplied) points for breaking out the third and final fossil fragment. You get 100,000 points for finishing the whole fossil game.

================== 6.0 REGISTRATION ================== If you enjoy playing the Trial version of Dynomite, sooner or later you'll need to register!

6.1 BENEFITS OF REGISTERING When you register, it removes all the annoying nag screens and loading delays from the program, and enables various other features: * High scores are enabled * Saving and loading games is enabled * Custom Stomped levels are enabled 6.2 HOW TO REGISTER To unlock the game, you need to buy a registration code online, and then enter it into Dynomite. 6.3 BUY A REGISTRATION CODE ONLINE If you're playing Dynomite, click on the OPTIONS button on the sidebar and then click REGISTER. A dialog will come up onscreen. Click the REGISTER ONLINE link to launch your web browser. You'll need to have an active internet connecti on! You can also register via the web. Go to http://www.popcap.com/dynomite and clic k the Registration link. Once you're there, follow the directions on the web site to purchase your registration code. You can use your credit card online to buy it, or fax your purchase in, or send a money order. When complete, you will be given a registration code (a 20-character sequence of letters and numbers) keyed to your name. Don't give this to anyone else! You will also receive a copy sent to your email address. You should write down your registration code in case you ever have a computer crash or need to reinsta ll Dynomite for some other reason. 6.4 ENTER YOUR REGISTRATION CODE You must launch Dynomite to enter your registration code. Once the game comes up , click on the REGISTER link on the loading screen, or from the OPTIONS menu. A dialog will come up with space for you to enter your name and registration cod e. Type these in carefully! If you make a mistake, your code may not be recognized. The easiest way to do this is to cut and paste the code from the email you were sent, by highlighting the 20-digit number with your mouse, pressing ctrl-c to co py the text, and then pressing ctrl-v to paste it into the registration dialog in Dynomite. Be sure to use the same name you gave when you bought your registration code online, or your registration may not be recognized. Once you've entered your name and registration code, click OK and your copy of Dynomite should now be registered. You will have full access to all the game's

features, with no delay at the loading screen! 6.5 PROBLEMS? If the program doesn't seem to recognize your registration code, check carefully that you've typed it in correctly. Using the cut-and-paste method described abov e can help prevent mistakes. Also make sure you're using the same name you used to register with. If you can't get to the online registration site to buy your registration code, make sure your internet connection is working properly. You must be connected to the internet. If it still doesn't work, check back in a little while to see if there was a temporary problem with our servers. Lost your registration code? Email us at feedback@popcap.com and we'll try to recover it for you. Make sure to let us know the name of the game you bought, the name you purchased it under, and the approximate date of purchase... this'll make it a lot easier for us to search our records. Don't have a credit card, or don't want to enter it online? You can choose to fa x your credit card number in, or send a money order instead, by selecting the appropriate option on the Payment Method selector on the web page. There is currently no way to buy a CDROM containing Dynomite, but this could change in the future! There is also no version of the game available for Macinto sh computers yet. Hopefully this will answer all your questions, but if you're still having difficulties, feel free to contact us at feedback@popcap.com. Include as much information as you can about the problem you're having, and we'll get back to you as quickly as we can! ================= 7.0 GAMEPLAY TIPS ================= General tips: * If you have an egg color that you can't use, try to shoot it underneath a grou p of another color. That way, when you break that other group, the color you co uldn't use falls from the board instead of causing you hassles later on. * It's possible to set up combos by making little pockets of egg color. It take s 8 combos to do a Dynomite combo-- this is possible to set up, but difficult. Bu t it comes in handy, especially on fossil games. * If the eggs are getting near the bottom of the screen, try with all your might to hatch a bonus baby. If you do, nine times out of ten, it'll give you a Raise bonus to save your, er, butt. * The more eggs colors onscreen, the more shaking eggs.

* You can't score multiple high scores off one saved game. If you continue a ga me and get a high score, you'll have to beat that score if you continue again and expect to get a high score. Also, instead of pushing the previous score for t hat saved game down the list, it'll remove it and put the new one in. Endless Puzzle Tips: * The puzzle speeds up whenever you smack Whirley. When Whirley escapes to the top of the screen, the puzzle slows down again. The best way to play this is to h it Whirley five or six times (depending on your skill) and then let him go, becau se at that point, the puzzle will be more difficult with the extra speed than wit h the extra egg color. * If the puzzle starts rushing at you because you cleared too much of it away, quickly shoot a little stalacite of eggs. If any eggs are more than halfway d own the screen, the puzzle will slow down again. Stomped Puzzle Tips: * Learn how to aim the eggs so that they can squeak through narrow gaps between eggs. The trick is to aim the egg a little lower than you would normally. It squeaks through. * Many stomped levels are designed so that you can, with careful aiming, clear the screen in four or five shots. Others have "key eggs" that make the puzzle a lot easier. Look for these, and hit them! Fossil Challenge Tips: * Save your games when you're in the museum after each level! This way, if the next level flattens you, you have a chance at a new egg arrangement that might be more to your liking. If you save while in the level, it's the same arrange ment, and the same eggs in the fire queue. * Resist the temptation to put an egg underneath the fossil when you can't immediately use it. Waiting for the "perfect shot" in fossil games is suicide on higher levels. If there's one green onscreen, and you have a green egg, pu t it next to the green onscreen. Don't wait for a better opportunity, or for an egg to come up that matches a breakable group elsewhere. * When dealing with wide fossils, it's usually best to work them in a one-sided fashion-- that is, either fire all your eggs to the left or to the right. Wide fossils are the most difficult, because of the small area in which you have to bounce your shots to get the eggs above them. If everything looks bleak, wait until the puzzle comes down a bit-- the higher eggs are easier to hit at shallower angles.

Time Trial Tips: * The easier games have fewer eggs colors, but larger stacks of eggs to go through. The time you save by breaking eggs quicker is lost by facing 60 rows of eggs. For high scores, go for the normal or hard games. The puzzles are more nervewracking, but it's possible to clear them a lot faster. * Don't be afraid to push the puzzle upward when you have to. There is no game disadvantage or penalty for this (although, if you push them up too high, the weight is too much and it'll crack the bottommost eggs). A good strategy when getting a run of bad egg colors is to just pile them underneath a breakable group. =================== 8.0 DYNOMITE EDITOR =================== This is an optional program you can download from www.popcap.com that will allow you to create your own Stomped puzzle levels. Once you download the editor, it will be installed in your Dynomite directory, and you can start it either on its own, or by clicking the Editor button in the Options menu. You won't be able to use custom levels until you register your copy of Dynomite, however. ============================== 9.0 DYNOMITE ON THE INTERNET ============================== PopCap Games, the creators of Dynomite, have their home site at: www.popcap.com Dynomite does not have a web version available at this time, but keep your eyes open! It's coming soon! ====================== 10.0 TECHNICAL SUPPORT ====================== If you are experiencing problems with Dynomite, you can contact us at: support@popcap.com. If you can, including the following information along with a description of your problem will help us to help you! -Title Of Game -Computer Manufacturer -Operating System (Windows 95, DOS 6.22, Etc.) -CPU Type And Speed In Mhz -Amount Of RAM -Sound Card Type And Settings (Address, IRQ, DMA) -Video Card -Mouse Driver And Version -A Copy Of The CONFIG.SYS And AUTOEXEC.BAT Files ============ 11.0 CREDITS

============ Dynomite was created by PopCap Games. Game Design, Art, and Programming: Music: Add'l Design, Art, Sound FX, etc: Software Libraries: Biz Guy: John Raptis Skaven (http://www.futurecrew.com/skaven/) Jason Kapalka Brian Fiete John Vechey

Thanks to all our beta testers and players on PopCap.com for their valuable feedback! ================================================= 12.0 SOFTWARE USE LIMITATIONS AND LIMITED LICENSE ================================================= GENERAL PRODUCT LICENSE. This Copy Of DYNOMITE FOR WINDOWS (The "Software") Is Intended Solely For Your Personal Non-Commercial Home Entertainment Use. You May Not Decompile, Reverse Engineer, Or Disassemble The Software, Except As Permitted By Law. PopCap Corporation And Its Licensors Retain All Right, Title And Interest In The Software Including All Intellectual Property Rights Embodied Therein And Derivatives Thereof. The Software, Including, Without Limitation, All Code, Data Structures, Characters, Images, Sounds, Text, Screens, Game Play, Derivative Works And All Other Elements Of The Software May Not Be Copied, Resold, Rented, Leased, Distributed (Electronically Or Otherwise), Used On A Pay-Per-Play, Coin-Op Or Other For-Charge Basis, Or For Any Commercial Purpose. Any Permissions Granted Herein Are Provided On A Temporary Basis And Can Be Withdrawn By PopCap Games, Inc At Any Time. All Rights Not Expressly Granted Are Reserved. ACCEPTANCE OF LICENSE TERMS. By Acquiring And Retaining This Software, You Assent To The Terms And Restrictions Of This Limited License. If You Do Not Accept The Terms Of This Limited License, Do Not Install or Use This Software. ========================== 13.0 COPYRIGHT INFORMATION =========================== DYNOMITE for Windows (C)2002 PopCap Games, Inc. All Other Copyrights And Trademarks Are Property Of Their Respective Owners. All Rights Reserved.