Speed-Kar is a classic arcade game that has elements of the nineteen eighties. It features distinctly simplistic eighties graphics. The game is a maze game, similar to Pac Man, only the protagonist of the game is a car that is reminiscent of an Indy car. It is a low slung little machine with big black tires.
The game screen is divided into two parts. The left side of the screen features a mass of green walls with yellow borders that makes up a huge maze.
Only part of the maze is visible on the screen at a time, and the screen will scroll in all directions, based on the user’s direction of the car. On the right hand side of the screen, the user will see a miniature map that displays the entire maze. The map does not show the actual maze…the twists, turns and chutes of the maze. It does, however, show an X-like crosshair that represents the user’s car. It also has several moving red squares that represent the user’s enemies on the screen. Finally, there are several stationary green squares, which represent the flags that the user has to capture in order to advance to the following levels.
The game plays
out like a game of cat and mouse. The user must try to drive his car over all of the flags in order to collect them, all the while avoiding the enemy cars. The car cannot shoot missiles or provide any sort of offense. All of the game is about avoiding the enemy by clever maneuvering or an occasional moment of confusion or misdirection caused by the user expending fuel and creating a puff of smoke from his exhaust.
On the upper portion of the map is also a fuel meter. The fuel gradually goes down as the user drives, and depletes more quickly with speed and with smoke puffs. When the user runs out of fuel, the car will have to coast, and it will be all buy impossible to avoid the quick little enemies. There are gas tanks littered about the maze that will resupply the user with fuel. There are other bonus items, such as coins, that add to the user’s score.
Besides that, the user will have to deal with obstacles that will kill him immediately if he hits them, such as rocks and mines. When the car hits a wall, it remains safe but automatically changes direction. The obstacles, when struck, will result in the comic book-like balloon, the word BANG! and a loss of life. As the levels progress, there will be more of these obstacles in the maze, as well as more enemies to try to avoid.
Overall, this is standard arcade style action. It is a mindless little play, very reflective of the eighties, that is likely to offer a blast of nostalgia for the user who downloads it.
