Buggy Boy - Hints

Buggy Boy runs at 6fps on PAL machines. There is also a special NTSC version,
which is called Speed Buggy. This runs at 8fps, and also has different and more
Arcade-like quality music and sound effects.

Lifeschool's Tips:
===========
All you have to do is to reach the next goal within the time allowed, and collect the
tokens along the way.  Each level takes 5 mins to complete - so thats just one
minute per stage. Offroad is the easiest to complete - North is probably the hardest.

General Tips:
. After the start, use high gear all the way.

. Collect at least two time gates (all three if possible) on each stage. Some time gates
are protected by barriers - and it can help to crash through these if it means gaining
more time later. Each stage takes roughly 60 seconds to complete; so make sure you
have at least 60 seconds or more on the clock as you go through each checkpoint.
Also avoid the blue sand drifts as they will take away time. You'll hear an odd warning
sound if you hit sand.

. Try to crash only once per stage, or twice at maximum, if at all possible. More than
four crashes and you risk missing the checkpoints later when time is much tighter.

. Collect the flags in the correct colour order to gain a 1k flag bonus. The flag colours
 are highlighted in the top right corner. On collecting the last colour there follows a
special 'flag bonus round' where you can collect the flags in any order. If you collect
five random flags while they are all flashing it will trigger another flag bonus round.
Flag bonus rounds happen at random too.

. Footballs are worth 2k each and some rocks are actually footballs in disguise. I
noticed some rock on bridges are footballs when you hit them, and sometimes when
there is a long row of rocks and no log to jump them, one will often be a hidden
football.

. Collision detection is a little bit 'off' in some cases. Remember you have to go
through the centre of the time gates and flags to collect them. Sometimes you'll
narrowly miss items you thought you'd crash into, other times you'll crash into
things thinking you've avoided them, so a small element of luck is involved.

. Be careful while driving on two wheels as too much steering will either make the
car land on four wheels or make it crash out. Going onto ramps will cancel the
two-wheel effect, as does tapping the controller down twice.

. According to the manual, hitting targets while in the air or on two wheels gives
double points, although I dont know this works for a fact.

. If you don't reach the goal the bonuses are added straight away. If you reach the
goal you'll have to wait a few moments while a crappy bit of music plays and then
the screen will unfreeze and the bonuses are totalled. High score name entry is also
timed!

. Pressing down to change gear and then quickly pressing again to change up won't
lose too much speed and can give you some control when slipping behind rocks to
get gates or flags.

. I also discovered you can quit the game back to the menu at any time simply by
pressing the right mouse button, - which is handy for failed or aborted attempts!

Time gates: If you collect a gate it will only give you two seconds of extra time on
the next section. If you crash while attempting to get a time gate you'll lose
between 4 or 5 seconds - so by crashing you're already down 3 seconds on the lap
(if you collect the gate) or 5 seconds down if you miss it. So for this reason it is
often better to avoid the time gates if it means not crashing and losing time. Also,
at the goal line each time gate collected from the last section gives you 500 points.
If you gain just two seconds of time by not crashing it will award you 250 x 2 = 500
points, so missing a time gate but making it up on time difference can prove much
more productive. The more time you have left at the end, the more those extra
seconds get you x250 each.

Offroad:
101K is possible. Try to aim for 77k before the bonuses are totalled up at the end, by
 getting as many flag bonuses as possible.

North:
North just has the one hard bit on Stage 4 where you have to go over two bridges
and hit a football between them. Hitting the time gate before going over the Right
bridge is difficult, so if you miss this, don't look back.  The football in the middle of
the two bridges can be easily collected if you use the Right hand bridge and use the
log just before the middle section to jump onto the football.

If you have 28 seconds (or more) as you go over these bridges you can get to the
end. 31 or 32 seconds remaining is ideal, but if you only have 26 seconds
remaining by the time you get to those bridges then you can't crash even once or
you'll miss the goal. Collecting flag bonuses isn't as important as collecting all the
hidden footballs on North, and doing so will gain you at least 125k.

East:
I notice on East there is a football on the opposite side of the first time gate.
Sometimes I get the time and sometimes I just grab the football, but it's NOT possible
to get both. There's an extra football - the second rock just after the yellow 100 sign.

On the 4th stage of the East course there is a time gate seemingly on the very edge
of a river. Head towards this and use the log next to it to jump the river. You HAVE to
 do this as the bridge is blocked with rocks.


Capehorn Tips
==========
There is more value in chasing flags than by going for the gates. Of course get the
gates if you can, but by continually completing the flag sequence you should score
more points - I think you'd struggle to break 100k on this level if you ignored the
flags. Sacrifice gates for flags to complete your sequence, you'll break 100k no
problem.

I noticed that usually when you go through a tunnel, the background changes. I'd never
realised that before.

Offroad:
I also think there may be an advantage if your starting sequence is the one
that begins with the light blue flag as my video does because it is the fastest and
easiest to complete, giving you a head start.

North:
 I know some people have said that West is harder but for my money this is the
toughest. It was the last one I completed as a kid and is the only one that I still
sometimes fail to complete. The last two laps, in particular the dual bridge section
towards the end of lap 4, are the hardest bits in the game for me.

South:
There are two rock footballs on each lap, except the last which has three.


Aca0808 Tips:
=========
This is a game that requires fast reflexes and great precision when you moving
throughout the course ...
Remembering the whole course by heart is very important ...
I personally learn each course piece by piece ...
Then I memorize where the hidden footballs are, and then everything I put it together
in one piece ...
You should go gradually, track by track, that is very important ...
You should not play all the tracks at once in the same day ...
That way you will not get anywhere ...
My warm suggestion is to play one single track per day ..
That way you will focus on that track/course and reveal all its secrets ...
I hope I helped you in some way ...
