1st April 1985
The Dukes Of Hazzard
Here's another in the licenced TV series from Elite, the software house that specialises in putting the small screen on the small screen. Most players will surely know the W series, so the scenario is simple to describe. Basically, Boss Hogg is up to his old tricks again and has threatened to seize the General Lee as collateral unless Bo and Luke come up with the £5000 they owe him. So they decide to enter the Annual Hazzard Cross Country Road Race to win the first prize of - guess what, yup it's £5000. Boss Hogg and the entire Hazzard County Police Force are revving up to stop them.
What we have here could basically be described as a ' Moon Buggy' game set on Earth. Instead of a moon buggy there is the boys' car, the General Lee. Instead of craters and mines the boys in their car have to avoid vehicles driven by the various nasties. These can be jumped over or destroyed by lobbing sticks of dynamite ahead of the car. Instead of alien flying saucers Jethro the ace-helicopter pilot flies over, firing down at them, followed by Jake in his aeroplane and Cletus the balloonist.
The screen shows the roadway (which varies in width) and the background landscape scrolling past, while the General Lee sits in the centre of the screen able to change lanes (up and down) and alter speed (which alters the scrolling speed effectively). Enemy vehicles approach from in front and behind. Again, like a 'Moon Buggy' type game, Dukes of Hazzard is played in stages, in this case from village to village. At the end of each stage the hazzards(!) increase. Scoring is by distance travelled and by the removal of hazards as well as a bonus score for each stage.
The only obstacle that mustn't be destroyed is Daisy in her jeep.
Comments
Control keys: M to accelerate, SYM SHIFT (toggle) to change lane, X to jump and Z to throw
Joystick: Kempston and Sinclair 2 automatically detected
Keyboard play: responsive, although continually hitting the M key gets irritating
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: excellent, good Parallax feeling
Sound: below average spots effects, horn sound okay
Skill levels: 1, progressive difficulty
Lives: 3
Screens: continuous scrolling
Screenshots
