It's time for yet another arcade-style game on the BBC Micro. Grab treasure, stay on the road, watch out for hazards and get the treasure chest to win!
Published on the "Model B Computing" cassette number 4 in April/May 1984.
Playing this game is simple. Use < and > to go up and down respectively. Grab the treasures, and don't hit any obstacles. There will be warnings at the top of the screen (for hitting things such as obstacles and black ice) as well as the lower-left corner (for your tires, bodywork and fuel), and they also come with sound indicators, as well, so pay attention. When you see the Treasure Chest, grab it to beat the game.
If you grab too much fuel, you will overfill and blow up the engine and get a game over. If you run out of fuel, it is also a game over. If you hit something and destroy either your tires or bodywork and take too long to fix it, your car will be destroyed and it will be game over. If you veer off either side of the road in any way, it is also game over.
There are different objects on the road at different times:
Black ice (invisible black tile, hard to see coming unless you pay attention): This is a oil slick that makes you slide up or down the track majorly, and it is very much possible to slide off the track and get an instant game over with no warning...so pay attention to the track and stay out of your current lane if you have to.
Crown (yellow thing that looks like a fence): Treasure. Pick this up for 30 points.
Cup (yellow trophy): Treasure. Pick this up for 10 points.
Duck (yellow duck): Makes you lose ten points. Avoid unless you don't have a choice.
Flag (yellow checkerboard): Treasure. Pick this up for 5 points.
Fuel can (red fuel can): The only red object on the track. Use these to refuel, but wait between cans so you don't overfill and blow up the engine. Also, watch for the fuel warning in the lower-left corner and grab a few of these if you see it.
Key (yellow key): Treasure. Pick up for 200 points.
Jewels (yellow horseshoe): Treasure. Pick this up for 20 points.
Map (yellow square with X on it): Treasure. Pick up for 100 points.
Nails (blue nails): Pops your tires. Fix your tires by grabbing the Wheel, or else it's game over.
Oil Slick (green blob shape): Makes you slide around on the track. Don't touch it.
Pothole (yellow pearl necklace): This wrecks your tires. Pick up a Wheel to fix the damage.
Treasure Chest (yellow box with three small squares on top): Grab this to end the game!
Wheel (blue circle): Fixes your tires. Only pick this up if you hit the Nails; otherwise you will cause body damage and you will need a Wrench.
Wrench (blue wrench): Fixes your car's body. Only pick this up if you have a body work warning. Ironically, grabbing a Wrench when you don't have one leads to getting one, requiring you to touch another Wrench. Weird.
This is a quick arcade game for the BBC Micro. Like most arcade-style games for the micro, you'll probably play this for five to ten minutes, but it's an easy game to figure out, and once you get used to the graphic and sound indicators for car trouble and other things such as slipping on oil or black ice, playing the game becomes almost second nature. You may get a game over without notice due to the black ice or not getting enough fuel, but if you can stick with it, you can get far enough and beat the game. All in all, not a bad game for the BBC Micro.
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