Acorn Ambush! (Atari 2600)

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Winter is coming, and Squirrelly D has work to do! High in the towering trees, eight enormous acorns wait to be gathered and stored safely in the nest. But danger lurks among the branches—Harry Hawk and Sally Spider are determined to stop him.

Your mission is simple: collect all eight acorns on each tree and return them to the nest at the top. Your reflexes, timing, and courage will determine whether Squirrelly D survives the season.

Acorn Ambush is a 1‑player joystick game.

• Move Left / Right: Tilt joystick left or right
• Jump: Press the button
• Drop Through Branch: Hold down and press the button
• Start Game: Press the button on the title screen
• Return to Title: Press the button on the Game Over screen
• RESET Switch: Instantly returns to the title screen

Each tree begins with eight oversized acornsscattered across its branches. Because they’re bigger than Squirrelly D’s head he can only carry one acorn at a time.

To clear a tree, repeat this simple but frantic cycle:

1. Locate an acorn somewhere on the branches.
2. Pick it up by touching it.
3. Navigate upward — run, jump, or use the Jumpwood Postling to reach the nest at the top.
4. Deposit the acorn safely into the nest.
5. Go after the next one until all eight are stored. 

Once the final acorn is delivered, Squirrelly D automatically moves on to the next tree, where enemies grow faster and the challenge ramps up.

• Use careful timing to slip past Sally Spider’s vertical patrol.
• Watch Harry Hawk’s behavior — he alternates between chasing you and guarding the nest.
• The Jumpwood Postling can launch you most of the way up the tree, letting you bypass danger or speed up deliveries.
• Keep an eye out for the Acornwing Aurelia; catching it boosts your score and helps you earn bonus health.

  Each completed level:

• Increases the speed of Harry Hawk
• Increases the speed of Sally Spider
• Increases the speed of Sally’s web projectile
• Awards the Clear Level point bonus
• Moves Squirrelly D to a new tree

Harry Hawk

Harry is fast, unpredictable, and very rude.
One moment he’s chasing Squirrelly D around the branches; the next, he’s guarding the nest like he owns it.
Touching Harry will stun Squirrelly D and reduce health by 1.

Sally Spider

Sally hangs from a nearly invisible strand of webbing in the center of the tree.
She moves up and down, blocking your path — and occasionally spits a sticky ball of webbing.
Both Sally and her projectile are dangerous on contact and will stun Squirrelly D, reducing health by 1. 

Jumpwood Postling

An invisible tree spirit living inside small stumps near the base of the tree.
Landing on a stump launches Squirrelly D straight upward, nearly three‑quarters of the tree’s height. Perfect for quick escapes or fast acorn delivery.

Acornwing Aurelia

A tiny butterfly‑spirit that flutters across the bottom of the screen.
Catching it awards bonus points, helping you earn extra health sooner. 

• Getting hit by Harry, Sally, or Sally’s web projectile stuns Squirrelly D and reduces health by 1.
• After being hit, Squirrelly D becomes partially transparent and temporarily invincible.
• If health reaches 0, the game ends.
• Bonus health is awarded at 1000, 2000, 4000, and 8000 points.
• The health bar displays up to 4 hearts; extra hearts are stored in reserve. 

The forest is full of danger, but with quick reflexes and a brave heart, you can help Squirrelly D gather enough acorns to survive the winter.