Games
42
RPGS
55
Arcade Games
34
Puzzle Games
18
Platform Games
10
Strategy Games
Sections
QB
News
Site
Archives
Game
Guides
Our
Projects
Entertainment
Awards
Page
QB
Links Page
Interact
Discussion
Board
The
QB Chatroom
Mailing
List
Submissions
Link
to Us
Job
Openings
Email
VPlanet!
Affiliates
The
QB Times
Future
Software
Abyssware
Studios
Clockwerk
Productions
Darkside
Productions
Game
Developer's Refuge
GBGames
QBasic
Master
Creating
NeoBasic
Pete's
QBasic Site
Pickers
Games Website
Programming
Oasis
Programming
ShareHouse
QB:
Cult Magazine
QB
on Acid
QB:
The Magazine (Archives)
QBasic/QuickBasic
News
QuickBasic
RPGs
Secret
Weapon Software
Sneukeule's
QBRPG Page
StattoNet
Disclaimer
The
software reviewed and/or downloadable in this site, along with any related
images presented or concepts related to the software, belongs to its respective
people, companies, and development teams. All downloadable titles in this
site are "freeware", and the source of each software is clearly stated.
The opinions presented regarding such software does not reflect the views
of its creators; the intention of this site is to inform and pay tribute
to the many programmers who have chosen QuickBasic 4.5.
Any
additional images and/or news gathered to this site from another source
belongs to its respective owners, and is intended to advertise the source
and promote its theme.
If
you have any problems concerning the contents of this site, please contact
our staff at
vancevelez@yahoo.com. |
The Ultimate Driver in The Save
Our Xeni Mission
(Dimitris Thedoropoylos)
vvvvvvv
"A worldwide rescue on two wheels!"
You're Jimako, the
ultimate driver! Nothing would make you happier than marrying your long-time
girlfriend Xeni. But just as the plans were being set up, Xeni's evil father
takes away Xeni from you, to be betrothed to an insane butcher hidden somewhere
in the world!
Determined to see
Xeni again, you hop on your unstoppable motorcyle and begin an ultimate
drive around the world. Your only clue is that Xeni's father is a cab driver,
and whenever you get one step closer to Xeni you notice that there are
taxi cabs trying to run you over! You have to make it! Don't let these
scraps of metal get in the way of true love!!
Graphics (n.)
The use of animation and visual effects to stimulate the senses |
(Very
Poor) |
The game's low point. The choice to use
screen mode 7 is usually a rare one by QB programmers, since in the process
you end up losing a lot of good color choices. Even fewer QB programmers
use screen mode 12 for their videogames. Like screen mode 7, screen mode
12 has a sixteen-color limit, with the added advantage of a higher resolution.
But sometimes a higher resolution can be a disadvantage. The Ultimate Driver
in The Save Our Xeni Mission is an example of this case.
First of all, the sketch art is great and
certainly not at fault here. The taxis, motorcycles, and backgrounds were
all drawn with a lot of effort in mind. It's the color scheme that hurts
The Ultimate Driver in The Save Our Xeni Mission. The colors are too vibrant
and reminiscent of an Atari game with the brightness set to full. It's
fine that the hero of the game has purple skin, and that the taxis come
in a dull mustard color. But why does the game have to be so bright overall
that it hurts the eyes unless you turn the brightness significantly down? |
Sound/Music (n.)
The smooth blend of atmospheric sounds and original harmonies |
(Very
Poor) |
The majority of the PC sounds utilized
in The Ultimate Driver in The Save Our Xeni Mission is actually pretty
well-done. The arcade blips and bleeps give your ears something easy to
listen to while taking your road trip down the streets of New York and
around the world. In fact, this game would have received two points in
the Sound department if it weren't for one detail.
In the beginning of the game, you get a
text introduction of the game's story. By itself, this graphicless portion
of the game takes the overall feel of The Ultimate Driver in The Save Our
Xeni Mission down a level. But then, you'll hear this horrible PC music
in the background that you can't skip. While PC music has had it's day,
nowadays it's the standard to use Sound Blaster if you're going to have
music in your game. And even in the days when music from the PC speakers
was standard, it took a massive company like LucasArts to make good use
of it. So in this case, The Ultimate Driver in The Save Our Xeni Mission
really was the victim of a hopeless technology here. |
Gameplay (n.)The precision of control
and involvement of character within its universe |
vv
(Average) |
The object of the game is simple enough.
You have to guide Jimako's motorcycle through four levels, each consisting
of a straight road riddled with holes for you to jump over and taxis for
you to shoot. If you fall into a hole, you lose some life from your life
bar, so you're encouraged to jump over those. The taxis, however, are impossible
to jump over and can only be stopped by shooting your weapon directly into
them. So the game breaks down into a jump and shoot type of game that relies
heavily on your sense of timing.
There is a bit of strategy though. In the
later levels, holes and taxis will come more frequently and your motorcycle
will be noticeably faster. So you have to know just when to shoot and when
to jump. We've tried jumping over and over again or shooting over and over
again to win the game, but that idea's fail-safe. You really have to try
and keep your reflexes sharp to save Xeni from the mad butcher. |
Story (n.)
The creativity and presentation of the game's critical plot |
v
(Poor) |
While original, the storyline behind The
Ultimate Driver in The Save Our Xeni Mission is simply not a very good
one. Even the author of the story admitted that the story itself is weak
and that the gameplay should make up for it. It turns out that the gameplay
is pretty good, but the problem is there's no way to skip the story introduction
in the game. To make matters worse, there's that horrible opening PC music
that goes with the story introduction. You can't skip that either. |
Replay Value (n.)
The timelessness of the gamer's delight, such that the experience
can be repeated again and again |
vv
(Average) |
The game's high point. I'm not exactly
sure why, but there's something pretty addictive about the game formula
here! I'm reminded of those travel games you can get in the store. Game
and Watch games like this aren't very complicated... you usually have to
keep a keen eye on the screen while performing certain tasks at the right
times. The same is true of The Ultimate Drive in Save Our Xeni Mission.
There's a big sense of timing here that comes in from having to jump and
shoot at the right time. Plus, the movement of the motorcycle and the animation
in the game also seems to reflect that of a Game and Watch game. So in
that sense (again, control being the only hurdle), this motorcycle game
can be a charm.
Make note also that this is the only motorcycle
game for QB I've seen. Yet it doesn't copy Excitebike, Moto Racer, Jet
Moto, or any game like it. Instead, it's kind of like a mutated version
of Paperboy where you're supposed to wreck everything you see. So the originality
also helps in it's replay value. |
Challenge (v.)
To strike the mental nerve in such a way as to stimulate human thought
and reflexes |
v
(Poor) |
It does take a few moments to get used
to the kind of challenge that The Ultimate Driver in Save Our Xeni Mission
has to offer. It sounds easy enough, jumping over the holes on the road
and shooting down taxis as they pass by. But sooner or later, you're going
to reach the general's dilemma of the game: what happens when a taxi is
headed your way, you jump into the air, and shoot your weapon? You'll probably
shoot into the air, and your weapon will miss entirely. You'll jump over
the hole, land, and then get hit by the taxi, losing a valuable life!
My suggestion to you is to always shoot
when you're on the ground. If you occasionally miss jumping a hole because
you're concentrating too much on shooting, then it isn't such a big loss
since damage from holes is minimal. On the other hand, taxis are lethal
upon collision. So keep firing even when there's no taxi in sight. Chances
are a taxi will come rushing in and get hit by the weapon you've shot.
Once you get the hang of this alongside the shoddy control system, you'll
reach Xeni and save the day. |
Fun Factor (n.)
The overall entertainment value as maintained throughout the adventure |
v
(Poor) |
The graphics and the control are probably
the two parts where The Ultimate Driver in Save Our Xeni Mission doesn't
quite make it. In the middle of it all, you have a pretty new idea. How
many other video games are there where you can wreck taxis, jump over potholes,
and travel around the world? There's clearly a great idea behind this game,
but in the end a few steps leave it poorly executed.
To make the game more fun, a better color
scheme has to be used. It's hard to enjoy a game when it isn't very easy
on the eyes. For example, the Egyptian level is too vibrant. The bright
purple and green colors hurt. Second, the control needs to be a little
more precise. While holding on the buttons will produce the desired effect,
tapping on the up or space bar won't cause the bike to jump or shoot. This
makes shooting and jumping at all times the best possible tactic. Perhaps
this has something to do with the timing routines built into the game.
I noticed that control got a lot better in the last level.
Nevertheless, The Ultimate Driver in Save
Our Xeni Mission is certainly worth your playtime if you like the charm
of the Game and Watch game. The action is a little repetitive, jumping
here and shooting there. But it is replayable because you're always moving,
and your reflexes have to stay sharp. But even then, the fun factor hurts
because the graphics and sound could have been a little more polished.
The Ultimate Driver in the Save Our
Xeni Mission Reviewed by QBShire |
Players |
1 player |
Genre: Arcade Game |
Rating |
|
To solve: 20 min Final Rating: 7/35 |
To download this game, click here.
Installation Tips
wTo
play The Ultimate Driver in the Save Our Xeni Mission, run "SRX.BAT". |
Back to Arcade
Games Page |