I must admit next to Protector and Gravitrex, Hyperchase it probably my favourite Vectrex game. The speed is furious and the graphics are some of the better I’ve seen on the Vectrex. The author of Hyperchase is Chris King and it was also designed by Jeff Corsiglia back in 1982.
I am an avid fan of racing games ever since Pitstop II on the Commodore 64 and newer titles such as the PS2’s Burnout II. Nothing I have played has matched the speed of Hyperchase even though the game is over 20 years old. Youngsters are probably going to scoff at Hyper chase’s simple vector graphics but the speed at which they fly past really gives the player the sensation that he/she is moving at break neck speeds.
The player begins the game with a ‘formula one racing car’ with it’s engine pre-warmed and raring to go. 4 gears are select able and the player needs to have his/her wits about them as there is no time to muck around and get caught unaware mid-gear. As the player moves through the gears the sound effects effectively mimic those of an actual automobile and when the revs are up and the scenery is rushing by there is nothing quite like Hyperchase.
In order to steer the car efficaciously the player needs to have a good relationship with their controller and know exactly where button 1 and 2 are located on their control panel. A slightly strained and inexact push of the joystick too far in one direction will see you slam into a wall or be put out of action by another car. The road never actually bends but the different perspectives of the road give the player a sense that the road is twisting and turning in different directions.
The game lasts around 130 seconds, for an average player, in which time you will pass trees, mountains, telegraph poles and a tunnel and end up wanting to go back and better the time you have just accomplished. This is retro-gaming at it’s finest. Hyperchase is often sold on ebay for $25.U.S.
Score 8.5/10
Review written by Daniel Foot
Instruction can be found at:
http://www.digitpress.com/library/manuals/vectrex/hyperchs.txt
