Rally-X
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| Rally-X | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Namco |
| Publisher(s) | Midway |
| Release date(s) | 1980 |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Up to 2 players, alternating turns |
| Platform(s) | |
| Input | 4-way Joystick; 1 button |
| Arcade cabinet | Upright, cabaret, and cocktail |
| Arcade system(s) | Namco Pac-Man |
| Arcade display | Horizontal orientation, Raster |
Rally-X is a racing arcade game that was released by Namco in 1980. It runs on Namco Pac-Man hardware, and was the first Namco game to feature "Special Flags", which would become a recurring object in later games.
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[edit] Description
In the game, the player controls a blue car through a maze. The car will automatically move in whichever direction the joystick is pushed, but if it hits a wall, it will turn and continue.
In each stage, ten flags are scattered around the maze. The player must collect all of them to clear the stage and move on. The flags increase in value as they are collected: the first is 100 points, second is 200, third is 300, and so on. There are also special flags- if the player collects one of them, the value earned from flags doubles for the rest of the round. If the player dies, however, the next flag value is set back to 100 and the double bonus is lost.
Several red cars patrol the maze and contact with any of them results in death. However, the player can use a smokescreen (by pushing a button) against the red cars. If a red car runs into a cloud of smokescreen, it will be stunned for a moment. Using the smokescreen uses a small amount of fuel.
The car has a limited amount of fuel which is consumed with time, though it is normally sufficient to last until all flags are cleared. When fuel runs out, the car moves very slowly and the smokescreen no longer works, so it very quickly falls victim to the red cars.
There are also stationary rocks that the player must avoid. The rocks are randomly distributed throughout the maze, increasing in number as levels are advanced.
On the third stage and every fourth stage after that, a bonus stage will start. The player must collect flags in the normal way, but the red cars are unable to move. If the player runs out of fuel, the red cars will start moving.
The game featured a distinctive and memorable soundtrack with an infectious musical number that played throughout.
[edit] Ports
Rally-X was ported to the MSX home computer. It was also included in the Namco Museum series of the late 1990s, which was released for the PlayStation, among others.
A version of New Rally-X is the load-up game in the PSP game Ridge Racer.
Jakks Pacific ported this onto its Namco TV game, which also includes Dig Dug, Bosconian, Galaxian, and Pac-Man. It is powered by four AA batteries.
[edit] Sequels
The game had a sequel, New Rally-X. It was basically just the original with better graphics and easier gameplay. Also, a feature called the "Lucky Flag" was added, which gives you extra fuel if you touch a certain flag. New Rally-X was actually made in greater numbers and became more popular (at least in Japan) than the original. Another sequel, Rally-X Arrangement, was released as part of Namco Classics Collection Volume 2 in 1996.
The game Radar Rat Race for the Commodore Vic-20 was a clone of Rally-X, but with a different theme: the cars were replaced with mice, the flags with cheese, the boulders with cats, the smokescreen with "magic stars", and the soundtrack replaced with Three Blind Mice.
[edit] Trivia
In 1980 Defender and Pac-Man were shown alongside Rally-X on a computer game show. It was believed that Rally-X would be the top money earner. Defender went on to sell more than 60,000 units—more than disproving these projections—and cemented its place in video game history.[1]
