5th Gear

racing game for Commodore 64, 1988

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You participate in an illegal car race in which you are allowed to use every
possible method to win. Drive straight forward until you see the sign "TURN
HERE", then turn and rush back. Try to shoot down every vehicle you meet
along the road to score points, but watch out for helicopters and enemy fire.
If you succeed in surviving a race you earn money, that you can spend in
several shops along the road by buying weapons, special functions, fuel or
even a new car.

CONTROLS

Joystick in Port 2 only.

UP - Accelerate
DOWN - Brake and Reverse
LEFT - Steer left
RIGHT - Steer right
FIRE - Use weapons:
machinegun
missiles
turbo boost
FIRE - Enter shop
SPACE - Select weapon
At the beginning of the game you have:

- 5 Cars
- 10.000 Dollars
- a machinegun which enables you to destroy enemy cars and boats.

Time:

- race 1: 5.0 minutes
- race 2: 5.5 minutes
- race 3: 6.0 minutes

SHOPS

To enter a shop you must park your car on the tyre tracks in front of a shop
and press the firebutton. In te tyre tracks you can read what you can buy in
the shops.

WEAPONS

Missiles: Enable you to shoot down cars, boats, bushes, walls and bunkers.
Missile Launcher: Enables you to launch missiles.
                  Rapid Fire Equipment: Rapid Fire

EXTRAS

Turbo Boast: enables you to jump by pressing fire.
Helium Tyres: Enables you to jump further.
Watertight Chassis: Enables you to drive through water.
Propulsive Side Motor: Enable you to steer while jumping.

GARAGE

Here you can have your car repaired or buy a new car.

FUEL

Here you can buy fuel for your car.

POINTS AND MONEY

You can score points by shooting down enemy cars, boats, bushes, walls and bunkers.
You can score points by jumping on a hill.

When you succeed in finishing one race you earn money and points in accordance
with the time you have left:

- Every minute scores 5.000 dollars and points.
- Every 10 seconds score 500 dollars and points.
- Every second scores 50 dollars and points.
- Every 10th of a second scores 5 dollars and points.

DAMAGE

Your car will be damaged:
- if you are hit by a bullet.
- if you hit the border of the screen.
- if you hit a bush.

You lose a life:
- if you hit a wall, bunker, house or fly-over.
- if you drive in the water.
- when your car is out of fuel.

Your game is over:
- when you have lost all your cars.
- when your time is up.

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Some useful keyboard shortcuts
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       [PAUSE] - stop/continue game
          [F9] - quick load game state
         [F12] - quick save game state (still stored after leaving the site)
         [F11] - toggle fullscreen mode
  [ScrollLock] - quick switch control ports
    [PageDown] - make a screenshot (320x200)