E-Type (video game)

E-Type is a clone of Sega's arcade driving game Out Run for the BBC Micro, Acorn Electron and Acorn Archimedes. It was written by Gordon J. Key and published by The Fourth Dimension. Instead of featuring a Ferrari as the player's vehicle (as in Out Run), the game features a blue Jaguar E-type.

Gameplay

The basic objective of E-Type is to cover as much distance as possible in the given time limit over various stages, avoiding static obstacles such as roadworks, oil slicks, trees and postboxes. If the car hits such an object both the driver and his blonde female passenger are thrown upwards from their seats, with the car's wheels falling off on their landing. The car is then automatically reset and moved to the centre of the road for the player to restart. Additionally, other cars can also be seen driving along the roads and need to be avoided - collisions here also add damage the car.

When the car has had too many hits, the passengers fall into their seats and the car's bumper falls off, meaning that the game is over. On parts of some tracks, the road is surrounded by water - if the car drives onto the water, it will submerge and the game is over.

The player can earn extra time for a stage by driving under a Time Bonus banner (to the sound of a bell) or by running a policeman over. The stages can be played at individually or as a set, with the player needing to complete a stage in order to progress. Players who get the best distances are able to enter their names into the Hall of Fame hi-score table.

Controls

On the Archimedes version, the player takes control of the car using the mouse. The three Acorn mouse buttons represent (from left) the Clutch, Brake and Accelerator. This adds to the "realism" of the game as this corresponds to the typical layout of the car's foot pedals. Definable keyboard keys were used for gear changes (in Manual gearbox mode).

The version for the BBC is controlled by the keyboard, with the player given the option to redefine the keys once the title screen is shown. The Automatic gearbox mode is omitted so the player must change gears manually with the defined keys.

Track Designer and Extra Tracks

In addition to the game a separate Track Designer was released. This allows players to make and save their own tracks for the game. A pack of extra tracks entitled The Extra 100 Miles was also available. The E-Type Compendium was later released, combining the game with these releases in one package.

E-Type 2

E-Type 2 was released in 1994 and contained a few additions to the original, including a 2-player split-screen mode. The 2nd player appears as the blonde female passenger from the first game, behind the wheel of a pink E-Type Jaguar. Other features include tunnels, three-lane roads, bad weather conditions, police radar traps, overheating cars and various weapons for attacking other cars. Separate versions of E-Type 2 were released for the Archimedes and the Risc PC.