Producer: Elite
Memory Required: 48K
Retail Price: £6.95
Language: Machine code
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 TV 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
There is something about Elite, I don't quite know what it is, but they seem to use the same scrolling routines for the last three games. It would be nice once in a while to have a bit of variety. As usual the graphics are up to a very high standard with a good parallax movement visible in the landscape, using large, bright, clear playing characters - probably the strongest side of Elite. When I heard Dukes of Hazzard was to be released, I wondered what sort of game they could produce around the TV series; it was proved that not much could be done with it and Elite have produced a game with no real game element in it. Do people really want continuously scrolling, jumping games where if you try to kill your opponents (computer) you stand a good chance of getting killed yourself? Isn't this a bit over the top? I found the only point to this game boils down to either killing the opponents or jumping them. People seem to like the'Moon Buggy' games that this resembles, but here the actual game elements don't really work together to provide any lasting appeal, which is a shame, because it could otherwise have been quite a good game. An example can be made of Dukes of Hazzard to show that a well known TV title must not be allowed to sell a game when the game itself is not up to scratch, whereas Elite are trying to sell a game on the basis that it will be dangerous, exciting and action-packed, when this one is not
It struck me immediately that a sense of excitement has been attempted by making the player keep hitting the accelerate key to keep up to speed (not hitting it slows you down), a kind of DT Decathlon idea. Actually this becomes irritating after a bit as it has little to do really with the game idea. Also you have to discover this fact for yourself, as it isn't mentioned in the inlay instructions. It has to be said that every thing is excelllently animated with nice bouncing wheels and characterful objects. The General Lee's leaps are athletic and if you are hit the way the car somersault's to a halt is good. But these are all peripherals to a good game, not a good game in themselves. Dukes of Hazzard disappoints with its lack of real excitement or objectives.
Elite seem to be sticking to their series tie-ins. Dukes is quite a good game with graphics which are fairly smooth and detailed. Acceleration is achieved using the decathlon/Olympic game method ie, press like mad. This is good as it makes you feel a part of the game. The actual game is playable but not quite as addictive. I enjoyed Dukes and I expect younger players will enjoy it even more. Originally I was rather sceptical of TV tie-ins assuming them to be gimmicks. Up to now most of them have been good games too. As long as this continues I shall continue to enjoy them.
Dave: Was I looking forward to a nice dodge and weave car chase! What I got was a great let-down.
Your task is to motor the General Lee (that's your wheels, not some big wheel in the army}, to the start of the Hazzard County Road Race. There the Duke Boys aim to win first prize and avoid handing the General over to Boss Hogg.
The screen shows a side view of the cars cruising along the road with the mountains scrolling in the background. Chasing you is the Sheriff as well as a couple of airborne enemies in the shape of a helicopter and a balloon. You've also got to play chicken with cars coming the other way.
The programmer's had a crack at 3D graphics - and come a cropper - when you change lines your car appears to move backwards and forward but the collision detection just can't handle it. And what wally chose the controls? You have to hit a key repeatedly (or wiggle the joystick) just to accelerate, which is a complete waste of time and energy. This game's an OK sort of idea with some decent graphics - it's just a shame about how it was done. 1/5
Ross: New graphics and a new name don't add up to a new game. And you'd think they'd have done a better job on the collision detection in a car-chase game. 1/5 MISS
Roger Lacks the precision of control necessary for exciting crash-bang-wallop driving stuff and it's just not funny enough. 2/5 MISS
MACHINE: Spectrum
SUPPLIER: Elite
PRICE: £6.95
At last! The long awaited debut of the Duke boys hits the computer scene. And although the game isn't as spectacular as one those amazing stunts you see the General Lee perform on TV, it 'ain't bad either.
The basic idea of the game goes like this. The Dukes need cash to pay off Boss Hogg - and to get it they decide to enter a road race which has a $5,000 prize. But they have to get to the start of the race first - and the Boss and other assorted baddies are out to stop the General Lee getting there!
You have drive the General across some rugged countryside - avoiding other vehicles, dodging bombs from helicopters, bi-planes and even a hot air balloon.
Dukes is basically a scrolling scramble-type game - with cars instead of spacecraft. The graphics are nice and the scrolling pretty smooth. It takes a while to get used to the controls - you can make the General jump and swerve around the roads - but once you've done this you can get stuck in.
I particularly enjoyed the "crash " sequence. The General does a neat three point spin before coming to rest!
Hazzard fans will enjoy the game. The rest of you should take a look at a demo first. Listen to the General Lee musical airhorn at the start of each game. A nice touch...
PRICE: £6.95
GAME TYPE: Arcade
In order to win £5,000 and save the General Lee, the Dukes of Hazzard must reach the start of the Hazzard County Road Race in safety. All that is necessary is to avoid Boss Hogg and the entire Hazzard County police force.
You drive the General Lee from left to right across the screen, with the police chasing you in their car, flying above you in their helicopter and various obstacles approaching you from the other direction.
To increase speed it is necessary to push one key as many times as possible. This wears out your fingers and, presumably, your keyboard, very quickly without adding any touch of how it really feels to drive a car. You can also leap oncoming objects, change lanes on two lane sections of the road, and throw dynamite at any nearby obstruction.
Nothing very spectacular about the storyline, graphics or the game itself.
Dukes of Hazzard is produced for the 48K Spectrum by Elite, 55 Bradford Street, Walsall.
Elite
Spectrum
£6.95
Them good ol' boys can now just roll along your Spectrum. The screen display is excellent and the game is rather more playable than some of Elite's previous offerings.
Up to now the company's main achievement has been the holographic label on the outside of the cassette.
The Duke boys have to make it to the start line of the road race but helicopters, Hell's Angels, and of course, Boss Hog, all conspire against them.
They drive along the motorway changing lanes and chucking bombs at oncoming vehicles. More fun than a traffic jam.
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