Pole Position - Arcade
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 | Pole Position TV Commercial (Atari 2600 Version)
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Pole Position is a 1-player game using a color raster-scan video display. The game action takes place at Fuji Speedway in Japan. The country around the speedway consists of green meadows, hills, and snow-capped Mt. Fuji.
The player drives a Formula-1 race car on the Fuji Speedway. The object of the game is to finish the qualifying lap as quickly as possible. If the player beats the clock, he qualifies for the Grand Prix at Fuji Speedway; if not, he drives out the remainder of his time along the qualifying course.
As a qualifier, the driver is ranked according to his qualifying lap time, from position one (the pole position) to position eight. The player then races against the clock and other cars to finish the specified number of laps ('Nr. of Laps' dip switch setting; 3 laps is the default) of the race as fast as possible and to achieve the highest score possible. The player earns points for passing cars, driving on the track, and finishing the race with time remaining. He is rewarded with an extended-play lap for completing the first lap within a certain amount of time (depending on the 'Extended Rank' dip switch setting).
The game starts with the player's car behind the starting line and a certain amount of time, in seconds, on the clock ('Game Time' dip switch setting; the default is 90 seconds). The car must finish the qualifying lap within a certain amount of time (which varies depending on the 'Practice Rank' dip switch setting) to be in the race. If the player does not qualify, his car continues on the track until the time is used up.
The starting lights flash from red to green, and the race begins. Racing hazards are other racing cars, sharp turns, road signs, and water puddles. (All of these hazards except for water puddles are also present on the qualifying lap). As the race progresses, more cars appear on the track. If the driver's car hits another car or a road sign, the driver's car is destroyed in an explosion. The driver's car reappears in a few seconds and the race continues. Driving through water puddles or off the track slows down the driver's car.
Racing into the first turn, the driver must let up on the accelerator slightly to make the corner. Road signs flash along the side of the track. Depending on how well the player manipulates the controls, he can either roar through the hairpin turns like a champion or spin out in a flaming crash. He jockeys for position with the other racers, while keeping his eye on the clock at the top of the screen. When his time runs out, the race is over.
The top score achieved by a player appears at the top of the screen. The time allotted for the lap is displayed under the top score. Increasing lap time (in seconds and hundredths of a second) and the speed of the car appears last.
Game description from www.arcade-history.com
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