Buggy Boy
Alternative title: Speed Buggy  (US)
Platform: Commodore 64
Gametype: Undefined
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Description

A terrain with huge rocks, trees, walls, dark tunnels - here you have to demonstrate all your driving skills. The track "Offroad" needs to be finished five times, the other four tracks consist of each five sub-tracks. But not only the obstacles get to you, the clock also ticks mercilessly. If you do not make it to drive through the single sections of the tracks in the provided time, you will be disqualified. Next to the time gates which raise the time that you have for your next part of the track, there are also banners (big flags) that get you bonus points, small flaggs that you should collect in the right order, footballs that you should push from the track with your buggy and also a second buggy can hinder you. Branches make your buggy jump and if you run onto one of the small stones your buggy will stand upright for some time, which can be very helpful.

The racing game Buggy Boy was originally developed as an arcade game by Tatsumi. In the USA it was sold under the name "Speed Buggy" by Data East.

Design

In the upper third of the screen the following things are shown: name of the track, a very rough overview of the track as well as the time left ("Time"), number of rounds ("Leg"), points ("Score"), speed ("Speed"), the order of the coloured flags to be collected and the gear ("Hi/Lo"). The main part of the screen is filled with the 3D on top view of the buggy on the track. 

The backgrounds and the obstacles of the tracks are diversified and fitting the topic, e.g. with tunnels, steep turns, bridges, etc.. Furthermore, there are nice additions as time gates, footballs or sporadically other buggys. Though there is hardly any music worth mentioning - except for the little highscore tune - , this does not disturb one much, as one is permanently irradiated acoustically with fitting FX jingles. There is an own highscore list for each track which unfortunately is not saved in the original game (but in the version by "Remember").

Controls

You steer with joystick in port 2:
Left and right to steer the buggy.
Up and down to raise/lower the speed.
Fire to change gear (between LO and HI).
With RETURN  the game is aborted.

Items
Gates: When driving through the gates you get the score that is shown at the gates. However, there are only three different scores shown (yellow gates 100, blue gates 250 and red gates 500 points).
Time gates: If you drive through a flashing gate with the label "TIME", you add two additional seconds for the next part of the track. This does not sound much, but at the end of each track one is glad about every additional second.

Flags: For each flag that you drive over you get the score labelled below them (3). If you also collect the flags in the order displayed in the upper part of the screen, you will get extra points (2000?).
Footballs: You also get extra points (2000) for each football that you kick from the track.

Branches: They work like jumps when driving over them. But beware, as long as the jump lasts, the buggy will be unable to manoeuvre and you will not be able to avoid obstacles.
Stones (small): When driving over one, the buggy stands up on the side and you go on driving on two wheels. But at the latest at the second steering manoeuvre you are on all fours again.

The tracks

There are five different tracks. The track "Offroad" needs to be finished five times, all other tracks consist of each five subtracks. There is an own highscore list for each track. All tracks differ both in landscape as well as by different obstacles. Following are the tracks in detail:

OFFROAD

Image from the track "Offroad".
General: The track "Offroad" is probably the easiest of all five tracks, on the one hand it contains the least obstacles and on the other it consists only of one subtrack which needs to be done five times, and this subtrack is easiest of all to memorise.
Obstacles: In the middle of the track there are the following obstacles: rocks, brick walls and fences. Incidentially these are the obstacles which also appear again and again on the other tracks. Furthermore there are also street lights and broadleaves, which, however, are only at the roadside and therefore are not very hindering.

Description of the track: The first third of the track (up to the tunnel) goes relatively calm with only a few obstacles. Right after the tunnel there is the first time gate on the left track, which is easy to collect due to lack of obstacles. As soon as you see the first white fences at the horizon a little later, you should quickly change to the right side to not miss the second time gate. After that you can slowly prepare for the bridge, which will appear at the middle track. After the bridge you wait again until the first fences appear. This time you change to the left side after the first fences and get the third time gate. Now you best stay on the left side, as the big wall will appear soon, which fills the complete right track. Then you can steer relaxedly towards the finish line which is not very far.

NORTH

Image from the track "North".
General: The "North track" consists of a winterly landscape, insinuated amongst others by the snow-covered trees and mountains in the background. The difficulty grade is a bit higher compared to "Offroad". Especially the scarce time makes it not easy to finish all subtracks on time. The more important it is to drive without a crash and collect all time gates if possible.
Obstacles: Next to the already known obstacles it is mainly coniferes that come into the Buggy's way. In between you also see fallen coniferes or the not easy to recognize tree stumps. On the contrary does the roadside show itself rather poor in obstacles, whereby coniferes can be met sparsely.
Description of the track: Here are a few catchwords which you should absolutely memorize as they describe the most important points:

Subtrack 1: double bridge (so on the left and right track) - 1st time gate (left after the fence) - big wall (left track) - 2nd time gate (right before the end of the wall) - 3rd time gate (to the right after the rock) - bridge (middle track) - finish;

Subtrack 2: avoid three rocks to the right, then quickly left - big wall (right track) - double bridge - 1st time gate (to the right after the brick wall) - football (middle track) - 2nd time gate (after 500-gate to the right) - bridge (middle track) - 3rd time gate (left after the gate) - finish;

Subtrack 3: tunnel (middle track, beware, for once the foreign buggy drives correctly) - beware of long brick wall (pass at the outer edge) -1st time gate (middle track after the brick wall) - gorge (middle track) - football (middle track) - 2nd time gate (to the right after the fence) – double bridge (take the right bridge, as there is a rock at the left) - football (middle track) - double bridge (take the right side, as there is the 3rd time gate) - finish
Subtrack 4 is identical with subtrack 2;
Subtrack 5 is identical with subtrack 3.

EAST

Image from track "East".
General: The only thing that really reminds one of the east in this very greenish track are the pyramids on the far horizon. Altogether the track seems less diversified in comparison to the other tracks. But also here you can notice a rise in the difficulty grade. While you could allow yourself a crash or leave out one or the other time gate on the track "North", it is actually already impossible on "East" to finish all stages on time with such mistakes.

Obstacles: Bushes and later at the beach some palms are the only newly added obstacles. However, there are enough obsacles to denote this track as difficult. So you need to pass at least on one item with many points to not collide with the sometimes blackly placed obstacles.

Description of the track:
Subtrack 1: bridge - 1st time gate (to the right after the fences, best jump over the fences with branch) - 2nd time gate (after two 500-gates a bit to the right) - ramp (left) - 3rd time gate (middle track) - tunnel - finish;

Subtrack 2: gorge - 1st time gate (after two 500-gates a bit to the left) - ramp (left)- football while still on the ramp (hard to reach due to fences) - 2nd time gate (left shortly before the finish) - finish;

Subtrack 3: bridge - beach (left, until the next bridge, drive rather more on the beach) - 1st time gate (middle track after two 500-gates) - football (middle track) - bridge - 2nd time gate (right) - 3rd time gate (middle track after 500-gate) - gorge - finish;

Subtrack 4 is identical with subtrack 2;

Subtrack 5 is identical with subtrack 3.

WEST

Image from the track "West".
General: Concerning the landscape this very diversified track has resemblance to "Offroad". Almost identical are also the mountains at the horizon, only coloured in black. Though you have more time here, this is used up very quickly, as the many - partially barricade-like erected - obstacles make it hard to stay without a crash. 

Obstacles: As with "Offroad" there are also broadleaves at the roadside here. You also meet again: street lights, only this time between outer and middle track (see image). Beware, the street lights are wider than it seems on the right. There are also bushes and cacti.

Description of the track:
Subtrack 1: barricade (pass left at the fences, but right at the brick wall) - bridge - 1st time gate (left, drive around the fences at the left roadside) - big wall (left) - 2nd time gate (after 500-gate left) - double bridge - fence-barricade (shortly before the fence at the far right, turn left) - finish;

Subtrack 2: tunnel -1st time gate (left, after the first rocks lying on the left track) - tunnel - bridge - 2nd time gate (after 500-gate left) - football (middle track) - bridge - followed by barricade (go between brick wall and fence in zigzag) - right after that the 3rd time gate (middle track) - finish;

Subtrack 3: ramp (left) - double bridge - 1st time gate (after 500-gate left) - much undergrowth - fence-barricade (pass at the right, turn left shortly before the bush) - tunnel - football (middle track) - rock-barricade (pass left) - 2nd time gate (after 500-gate turn right behind two fences, difficult) - right after that rock-barricade (if possible pass at the left) - football (middel track, behind rock) - fence-barricade (pass the first fence at the left) - 3rd time gate (left) - finish;

Subtrack 4 is identical with subtrack 2;

Subtrack 5 is identical with subtrack 3.

SOUTH

Image of the track "South".
General: Much yellow sand and plenty of palms from the beach to the horizon make the track "South" almost a tropical vacation paradise, if it wasn't for the annoying obstacles, which always get in your way. But what gets to you is less the quantitiy of the obstacles more that they were set up "very cleverly". For example you hardly find a time gate, behind which there is no obstacle that you often recognize too late. Unfortunately, the available time to race the track is very scarce and so you can hardly forgo the time gates. Conclusion: Without knowing the track inside out, there is hardly any hope to successfully master this interesting but also very difficult track.

Obstacles: Unfortunately there are no obstacles here that you cannot find on other tracks. Next to the obligatory rocks, brick walls and fences you find every now and then some bushes and at the beach as usual the palms. Later there are also some broadleaves at the roadside.

Description of the track:
Subtrack 1: you start at the beach (right) - also on the right (behind a wall) appears the 1st time gate (watch out for palm behind that) - the ramp follows (left) - then the 2nd time gate (just after the 500-gate, watch out for rock behind that) - followed by bridge (middle track) - 3rd time gate (on the left track behind gates, drive around them at the left roadside) - tunnel - some rest up to the finish line;

Subtrack 2: bridge (middle track) - just after the 500-gate (left) behind fences the 1st time gate (right, beware of rock behind that) - ramp (left) - then the 2nd time gate (middle track, after 500-gate, watch out, a bit behind that is a wide wall) - followed by football (middle track) - after another 500-gate (beware of rock) you drive on the middle track until you turn fast right when reaching the branch, to get the 3rd time gate - then tunnel and finish;

Subtrack 3: not much going on until the gorge - 1st time gate (left after the second 500-gate, beware of bush behind it) - football (middle track behind wide wall) - bridge (middle track) - followed by beach (left, stays also there near the beach) - best ignore the approaching 500-gate to not miss the 2nd time gate (left) - football (middle track) - stay on middle track, there comes the 3rd time gate (which hides behind a rock, go around it on the left) - tunnel - finish;

Subtrack 4 is identical with subtrack 2;

Subtrack 5 is identical with subtrack 3.

Tips

At the beginning choose the track "Offroad". It contains the least obstacles and with some practice you will reach the finish line.
You actually only need the low gear (LO) directly after the start to pick up speed. You should always drive in the higher gear (HI) with a speed of significantly under 100 mph.
The buggy automatically follows the track, i.e. you only have to steer to avoid obstacles, collect flags, etc. You cannot leave the track, so it is basically not dangerous to push the joystick fully to the left or right to pass obstacles.

Do not let yourself get irritated by the other buggy, just go on driving as if it was not there. When it appears, this is only a sure signal that a tunnel or a bridge will come up, most of the time(!) the other buggy will drive on the wrong track, so you do not need to fear collisions.
Memorize the positions of the time gates and drive through them, you will urgently need the additional time span, especially in the last subtracks.

To use jumps is only advisable at a few locations; especially if you do not know the track by heart you should therefore avoid them. Usually you get to the finish line crash-free without using them, but sometimes the jump cannot be avoided.
You should not get distracted too often by the display in the upper third of the screen, because this leads to avoidable mistakes. The only valuable information in the truest sense is the order of the flags. Speed and the time to change gear can be guessed by listening to the FX. The track overview does only show little about the course of the track, but only roughly the position. By constantly looking at the time, it does definitely not go more slowly.

Do not give up and break when the time has run out. Sometimes you can also drag yourself over the finish line' just at "Time: 0".

Critics

Guybrush: "Fun arcade racing game for in between. Short, sweet, good."
H.T.W: "The C64 version of Buggy Boy is a technically excellent conversion of the machine with the same name and can be played better than the 16bit conversions for Atari ST and co. It is simply a lot of fun to bomb over rough and smooth and at the same time watch out for obstacles, collect flags and push away this bothersome second buggy so it crashes at the wall in front of the tunnel. Even if you accidently drown your buggy in the water, the funny display of the things happening make you grin. The time limit is set in a way, that you are not allowed to have more than one crash and thus it is not easy to reach the intermediate finish line in the last subtracks, but you will try again and again and eventually you will get over the finish line. As a summary you can say: A highly addictive great fun-racer, you just have to have played that..."

TheRyk: "This is among the - if not simply THE - best racing game(s) for the C64. The versatility of the single tracks realised in a single filed game is even more impressive than the very good design. Above all, the difficulty is just perfectly challenging in spite of the simple controls and only two gears. Some tracks are even a little too tricky, but that's what a game needs to make you want to play it again and again and again. The flag system, the football or the boni are altogether nice little ideas to trap greedy players. The only thing I'd criticize is that you almost all the time will drive full throttle because there isn't any time for braking. More meaning of speed, maybe even more gears, might have added to the complexity of the game in a positive way. If there were real AI opponents (not just clowns who wreck or sink their vehicles in front of tunnels or bridges), this would be perfect. However, that's criticism on a high level, I vote 9 points for this top racing game."

Hudsh: "Buggy Boy for me belongs still today to the best racing games next to 'R.C. Pro Am' and 'Virtual Racing'. In my opinion, the C64 version is played even better than the 16-bit conversions. Unfortunately it was not published as a video game - what a pity!"

Trivia

In the ZX Spectrum version, hitting an obstacle, like for example a boulder, will cause your buggy to explode. In all other versions, including the arcade original, hitting an obstacle will just make the buggy roll over.


https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Buggy_Boy
