Fatal Run

The year is 2089. A collision with a comet has left the Earth reeling from radiation poisoning. There’s little hope for humanity’s survival. It’s up to you to help the few remaining people.

You must leave the protective fortress Albagon and deliver the newly developed radiation vaccine to the survivors. Your journey will not be an easy one. Nefarious henchmen are waiting to knock you off and steal the vaccine to ensure that they will survive to rule the planet. Every driver on the road is out to get you. Your only hope is to get them first.

You must find the rocket poised to launch a satellite that can nullify the effects of this cosmic accident that turned the world upside down. If you’re sharp enough to learn the secret code words and tough enough to live to use them, you can launch the rocket and save the world!

Good luck! Humanity is in your hands.

About the Game

Fatal Run was officially released only in PAL territories. An enhanced version was released for the Atari 7800, featuring beefed-up graphics. Observant gamers may notice its graphic similarity to Pole Position, even on the Atari 2600/VCS version!

Object of the Game

The object of the game is to drive through all 32 levels and release the life-saving satellite. Along the way you must distribute the radiation vaccine throughout the major cities, while collecting the pieces of the launch code. If you complete the code and all levels, the satellite launches and you win the game.

How to Play

Use the controller to maneuver your vehicle. Move the directional control forward to accelerate and back to brake. Move the directional control left or right to move the car in the corresponding direction. When the directional control is in the center position, the car coasts.

Your car is equipped with a machine gun. Press the red controller button to fire at the enemy.

The Status Display at the bottom of the screen gives the information you need to plan your strategy and complete your run. The Status Display shows your current score and the speed at which your car is traveling.

In addition, you can see the status of your car’s engine, tires,

and armor; the number of shots you have left; and the amount of fuel remaining in your car.

You receive a 10-point reward for each road segment you pass over. There are 180 segments in each level, so completing a level results in 1,800 bonus points. The Status Display shows the percentage of points you have not yet received.

As you move from city to city, you encounter various obstacles. The black patches on the screen are oil slicks, which can damage your tires. Yellow-and-white-striped roadblocks should be avoided at all costs; if you hit one of these, it can damage your car severely. Roadside obstacles include houses, trees, and other hazards. Hitting obstacles damages your car and slows you down.

You must also be on the lookout for henchmen. They try to run you off the road, often banding together to stop your progress. Press the red controller button to destroy the enemy vehicles with machine-gun fire.

If you run out of ammo, destroy the car in front of you with a power surge. To power-surge, hold down the controller button and move the directional control forward. If you fail to power-surge the car in front, you may crash, damaging your vehicle.

If an enemy car comes up behind you, destroy it by pulling back quickly on the directional control to brake. To survive a side attack, smash into the vehicle and destroy it. If the enemy car gets you first, you receive damage.

You receive 20 bonus points for permanently passing an enemy car. To do this, stay ahead of him until he disappears off the bottom of the radar. If he comes up from behind and passes you again, you receive no bonus points.

Look for yellow diamonds alongside the road. You’ll see the diamonds after you destroy enemy vehicles. Grab one of these to restore your car’s engine and armor. In addition, you can replace your fuel and ammunition by running over dots along the way. Green dots replace bullets and blue dots replace fuel. If you still have fuel remaining when you run over a blue dot, you receive 20 bonus points. If you’ve run out of fuel by then, you receive no bonus points.

When you reach a city, the screen displays the city’s status. If you reach the city in time to save any of its inhabitants, the survivors appear on the screen. You receive bonus points for each person you save. Use your bonus points to upgrade the condition of your vehicle or purchase fuel.

If you arrive too late to save the city, fewer survivors appear and you receive fewer bonus points. After you receive your bonus points, press the controller button.

A message from headquarters appears on your screen. Read the message, then press the button again. The Vehicle Upgrade screen appears. To upgrade your vehicle or purchase fuel, move the controller up or down until your selection is highlighted. Then move your controller right to purchase the highlighted item. After purchasing upgrades, highlight the word GO and press the controller button.

If you arrive safely at the rocket base, the rocket launches the world-saving satellite and you win the game.

Game Options

You may either start a new game at the beginning or resume play at a specific location, as follows:

New Game

Move the controller forward or backward to highlight NEW. Press the controller button. The instruction screen appears, showing a city with information running across the screen’s bottom. Press the controller button again to begin play.

Resume Game

To begin the game at a specific level, move the controller to highlight RESUME. Press the controller button. The Code Selection screen appears. To identify the level code (shown after every fourth run during the game), position the square Character Selector next to the number or letter you want to choose (up to seven characters), then press the controller button. Select the asterisk (*) character and press the controller button to start the game.

When you complete the game, press Reset to return to the Title and Options Selection screen. During play, press Reset if you wish to restart the game.

Scoring