The Lullaby of Broadway this game isn't. It is a cops-and-robbers style chase that screams down New York thoroughfare - depicted in the stylised form of different patterns of lines. Cash prizes are up for grabs for the highest scores notched up this year.
Objectives
The game, actually called Cruising On Broadway, is for one player, who has to race along various different sets of lines in the shortest possible time. At the same time you avoid a little square chaser.
Your only defence is to create a temporary gap in the line. This holds up your pursuer.
You score points for the length of time you manage to cover and the time you take to do it. Each time you complete a frame, you get either a more difficult one, or an earlier one with extra chasers.
Although the game is unbeatable, you can enter your high score on a points table and print it out at the end of the game to claim a prize.
First Impressions
There's nothing sophisticated about the graphics or sound in this game, but despite this it is gripping and exciting. It comes as a cassette with a set of straightforward loading instructions, complete with a portrait of the author, and I found no problems in getting the hang of it.
In Play
Your 'car' tears around a geometic racetrack, changing the colour of the track as it goes. You pause only to press a key to drill a hole - which quickly disappears - in your pursuer's path.
The game is written in machine code, and is fast. There is no time-limit within twhich you must complete a frame, and you can earn a time bonus if you are quick.
The game cannot be PAUSEd or SAVEd, so make sure you avoid interruptions.
If the chaser catches you, the game must start all over again at the first frame. No second chances are given, and the frustration of losing everything just as your approach a new high score could be terminal.
Cruising On Broadway is proof that the simplest ideas are often the best. It is simple and fast, and I found it highly addictive during the weekend I played it. I don't really see where Broadway comes in, since the graphics are nothing fancy, but I supposed it sounds more impressive than Cruising on Lime Street.
All in all, despite the player only getting one chance in a game, I found it both good entertainment and good value.