The Race Against Time
The Race Against Time, original developed by The Oliver twins. C64 conversion by Colin Bradshaw-Jones and published by Codemasters in 1988 on the Plus label.
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Player's Review
"Another great game by the Oliver Twins an excellent example of how compulsive and addictive a, game can really be!!! Add this to your collection of Code Masters classics-Travel around the world solving all kinds of fascinating mysteries."
The Race against Time was a Tie in with 'Sport Aid 1998' with all profits going to Sport Aid. Sold as a high end budget game in a double size cassette case at £4.99. It is a side scrolling, screen flipping adventure much like the dizzy series which has you travels to multiple countries, collecting items and using where needed. Note that you only carry one item at a time. Now a bit from the manual to explain the game better:-
"THE RACE AGAINST TIME - You play Omar Khalifa, the legendary Sudanese runner. Your task is to run around the world carrying the torch of Sport Aid '88 and getting people to join The Race Against Time. This is done by raising a flag and lighting a flame in a bowl on each of six continents. The game has over one hundred locations, many of which feature famous landmarks such as the Pyramids of Giza, Buckingham Palace, Mount Rushmore, The Kremlin and the Victoria Falls. See how many places you recognize while you play the game. You start the game at dawn in the El Mowheli relief camp in Sudan, from where you must find the airport. Use the World map to choose your destination, then hit the ACTION key to go to that continent. Your task is to raise the flag and light the flame with your torch...
When you see a flashing arrow on the screen, you are able to go 'into' the screen to the next location. This is done by standing in front of the arrow and DUCKING. THE PUZZLES...Along your journey, you will find certain objects which will help you solve problems encountered during your quest. For example, in Asia you will find a spanner. If you take this to Rome, you can turn off the tap by the fountain, allowing you to pass without getting wet!
HINTS...
-On no account let yourself get wet-your torch will go out and the game will be over!
-You are playing against the clock, so be quick. Picking up an hourglass gives you more time
-Each time you light a flame, you are awarded a globe, and each time you raise a flag, you get a 'Change The World' symbol (at the top of the screen)
-When you have raised all the flags and ignited all the other flames, you must go to the United Nations Building and light the final flame
-Your percentage score shows how close you are to finishing the game.
-Watch out for the booby-trapped bridge! (Jump over the falling parts)"
Overall, if you like these type of scrolling puzzle games, I'm sure you will like this. It feels like a proper game and not a quickly thrown together Olympic runner simulator title. It is not without it's problems however as that timer moves quick so you need to be on the move all the time. There are two time extenders missing in this version compared to the spectrum adding to the difficulty of this version. If the time runs out it's game over. In light of this if you are in danger of running out it is best to sacrifice your life and be reborn with more time to continue your quest.
I let the music play out at the start of the longplay as it's the only music in the game and you just get some basic fx during play. Time management is important and I'm sure there are places where I could have saved a few seconds, not least in the ancient ruins maze area as it was challenging to remember where each exit takes you.
00:00:00 Title Music
00:03:18 Race Against Time
The Race against Time was a Tie in with 'Sport Aid 1998' with all profits going to Sport Aid. Sold as a high end budget game in a double size cassette case at £4.99. It is a side scrolling, screen flipping adventure much like the dizzy series which has you travels to multiple countries, collecting items and using where needed. Note that you only carry one item at a time. Now a bit from the manual to explain the game better:-
"THE RACE AGAINST TIME - You play Omar Khalifa, the legendary Sudanese runner. Your task is to run around the world carrying the torch of Sport Aid '88 and getting people to join The Race Against Time. This is done by raising a flag and lighting a flame in a bowl on each of six continents. The game has over one hundred locations, many of which feature famous landmarks such as the Pyramids of Giza, Buckingham Palace, Mount Rushmore, The Kremlin and the Victoria Falls. See how many places you recognize while you play the game. You start the game at dawn in the El Mowheli relief camp in Sudan, from where you must find the airport. Use the World map to choose your destination, then hit the ACTION key to go to that continent. Your task is to raise the flag and light the flame with your torch...
When you see a flashing arrow on the screen, you are able to go 'into' the screen to the next location. This is done by standing in front of the arrow and DUCKING. THE PUZZLES...Along your journey, you will find certain objects which will help you solve problems encountered during your quest. For example, in Asia you will find a spanner. If you take this to Rome, you can turn off the tap by the fountain, allowing you to pass without getting wet!
HINTS...
-On no account let yourself get wet-your torch will go out and the game will be over!
-You are playing against the clock, so be quick. Picking up an hourglass gives you more time
-Each time you light a flame, you are awarded a globe, and each time you raise a flag, you get a 'Change The World' symbol (at the top of the screen)
-When you have raised all the flags and ignited all the other flames, you must go to the United Nations Building and light the final flame
-Your percentage score shows how close you are to finishing the game.
-Watch out for the booby-trapped bridge! (Jump over the falling parts)"
Overall, if you like these type of scrolling puzzle games, I'm sure you will like this. It feels like a proper game and not a quickly thrown together Olympic runner simulator title. It is not without it's problems however as that timer moves quick so you need to be on the move all the time. There are two time extenders missing in this version compared to the spectrum adding to the difficulty of this version. If the time runs out it's game over. In light of this if you are in danger of running out it is best to sacrifice your life and be reborn with more time to continue your quest.
I let the music play out at the start of the longplay as it's the only music in the game and you just get some basic fx during play. Time management is important and I'm sure there are places where I could have saved a few seconds, not least in the ancient ruins maze area as it was challenging to remember where each exit takes you.
00:00:00 Title Music
00:03:18 Race Against Time
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