RALLY-X / NEW RALLY-X
Manufacturer: Namco
Year: 1980/81
Personal hiscore - 113,420 points.

A pacman style maze game but this time with a racing car where the objective is to complete each level by collecting all the flags. You have a limited fuel supply and must collect all 10 flags before it runs out. You are provided with a radar scanner which shows the position on screen of your car, the enemy cars and the flags.

You must avoid collision with the pursuing racing cars, as contact with one will cause you to lose a life. Points are awarded for each flag collected.

There are two other types of flags to collect. The special flag will award double points for all flags collected thereafter. The lucky flag awards bonus points depending on your remaining fuel level, nomatter when it is collected.

You must also avoid the rocks which block the paths, as contact with any of these causes loss of a life. As you advance through the game, each screen has more rocks to avoid, creating dead ends in which enemy cars can trap you.

Your car is armed with a special smokescreen which when activated causes three clouds of smoke to be ejected from the back of your car. Any enemy car which is caught in the smokescreen is momentarily disoriented allowing you time to escape.

Collect all the flags and you advance to the next screen. Bonus points are awarded for your remaining fuel. The layout of the maze varies from screen to screen, and more cars pursue you. After each set of screens (2,5, etc) there is a bonus stage, in which you must collect all the flags as quickly as possible with no pursuing cars. There are more and more rocks to avoid, and the game speed increases.

Extra lives are awarded for 20,000 and 100,000 points by default.

Your car. Enemy Car. Normal Flag. Special Flag. Lucky Flag. Rock Smokescreen.


Scoring:

Collecting a flag: 100 points x the flag collected up to a maximum of 1,000 points.

Special Flag: Doubles points for all flags collected. If collected first, the last flag is worth 2,000 points.

Lucky Flag: Bonus points x Remaining Fuel.

End of screen bonus: Points for remaining fuel.


Clones Supported

Rally-X and New Rally-X which is a later release with improved gameplay.


Game Dipswitch options

oStarting lives can be set to 1, 2, 3 or 4 (default is 3).

oGame difficulty can be set to easy, medium or hard (default is easy).

oThe extra life can be set to low or high (default is low). The score at which extra lives are awarded depends on the game difficulty.


Playing hints/tips

o Try to collect the special flag first. Its position on the playfield is denoted on the radar scanner by a flashing yellow dot.

o Collect the lucky flag as soon as possible, as this awards more points as you have more remaining fuel early on a level. Its position is not highlighted on the scanner so it's more a matter of luck.

o Use your smokescreen sparingly as it costs fuel to activate. On early levels the pursuing cars are not much faster than you so you can afford to be pursued quite closely for the last few flags.


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