Hell Driver - Program Power - BBC Model B - Emulated (Pantheon), 4,838 points.

Hell Driver is a Rally-X inspired maze arcade game from Program Power / Micro Power. It was written by John Haig and released in 1983.
Like in Rally-X, the aim of this game is to collect flags scattered throughout a maze. Get them all and it is on to the next level. Also in the maze is a fire engine that must be avoided (it doesn't chase you) and there are further obstacles in later levels such as a police car that does chase you. You can squirt smoke to get rid of him for a short time. You can also run out of fuel, but there are petrol pumps that you can fill up at. Don't overfill the car though, or it will explode.
This is quite a basic version of Rally-X, at least graphically. I wonder if development was initially aimed at the Atom as it has that kind of feel to it, or maybe the programmer was not as experienced with the BBC features compared to later games - this was quite an early release. Regardless, the game plays fine and I would not let initial looks put you off. The driving controls take a little getting used to, as turns seem forced on you if travelling at speed (I actually like this mechanic) so you will need to slow down to regain fine control when you need it. The fire engine siren can be quite panic inducing!
Despite the basic looks and quiet gameplay on early levels, this game is alright and quite rarely mentioned today. A pleasant if not spectacular experience for an earlyish Beeb game.
This run was made on the 27th May 2024 using the Pantheon emulator on PC. The score reached was 4,838 points.
Time stamps:
00:30 Title screen.
00:36 Game start.
01:39 First screen clear.
03:37 First life lost.
03:56 Second screen clear.
04:30 Second life lost.
05:25 Third life lost. Game Over. Final score 4,838 points.
05:29 High Score table and initials entry.
Intro Music:
Music by: Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
Title: Legend
/ @whitebataudio