RoadBlasters, 1987 Atari Games (20 From 1987 #18)
9My apologies, folks; I know a lot of you LOVED this game back then, but somehow I just can't seem to share the same enthusiasm. In theory it seems like it should be an absolute blast to play.. shooting enemy vehicles, getting special weapons, building up a bonus multiplier to get extra points, trying to win a free t-shirt by beating all 50 races (yes, really!).. but something just doesn't click for me. Could be the arcade controls are needed and aren't well emulated; I dunno. At any rate-- the goal is to get to the finish line in each of 50 races in futuristic settings, before your fuel-- not time (there is no timer)-- runs out. What I do like is that you have not one, but TWO fuel tanks, with one being reserve. That one you can fill up by shooting a lot of enemies, and you can increase the point value of them by not missing with your gun. The bonus multiplier can increase up to 10X the point value. Your car's special weapons are acquired by air transport and include an Uzi for rapid fire, a cruise missile (my favorite) which nukes a certain distance of enemies, a nitro injector that gives you a burst of speed, and an electro shield that protects you and allows you to slam through enemies. Crashing will eliminate a special weapon you were carrying, so use them up! Even with 2 tanks, it can be tough finishing races, so collect all the green and red orbs that appear (some appear when you shoot certain yellow cars) to restore some fuel. It's best to lay on the gas almost all the time, except maybe at the series of really tight turns. Enemies include yellow cars that are pretty easy to pick off one after another to bump up the multiplier; purple cars that can't be destroyed other than by a couple special weapons; cannons on the side of the road that shoot at you (you're usually safe in the middle of the road, though they can sometimes shoot enemies for you!); motorcycles and jeeps. Also, mines will appear on the road on occasion and are usually heralded by a warning light/sound on your dash. You can't destroy them; just veer out of the way. To start the game and after certain races, you will be able to select from 2 other stages to warp to, if you like, and completing them will award a big fat bonus. The t-shirt promo that Atari Games displays during the attract mode is long, long over with-- sorry! But if any of you out there are reading this and have gotten a RoadBlasters t-shirt, I salute you for sticking through 50 flipping stages! I could never have done it, nor would I have shown enough interest to try. But hey, this game was quite popular for its time and Atari Games was still cranking out the hits. Thanks for watching and see you soon with game #17! Viva 1987!