Looking forward to the Micro Machines tournament at the Best of British Game Hack? Here is our guide to sweet success, including tips from Andrew Graham, Kwalee’s Gameplay Guru and the original designer of Micro Machines.

Full details of the event can be found at:
http://kwalee.com/2012/07/12/micro-machines/

In this old-school racing game, you drive miniature toy cars from a birds-eye-view around various tabletop courses, from school desks to the breakfast table. In the multiplayer mode, you earn points for reaching the edge of the screen before your rivals. The winner is the first player to reach ten points.

At the Best of British Game Hack on Saturday July 21st, gamers will be able to play this classic game with Andrew Graham and the founder of Kwalee and Codemasters, David Darling. If you want to win some prizes in the tournament, here is some killer advice straight from the game’s designer.

1. Learn the courses

The top-down perspective means you can’t see much of the road ahead, but that’s part of the excitement! You can gain a big advantage by knowing when the next corner is coming.

2. Use caution

Sometimes if can be better to slow down and stay towards the back of the pack. This gives you more time to see what’s coming up on the road ahead and forces your opponents to the front of the screen where they might make more mistakes, as they will have less time to react to upcoming hazards. It is best to only use this tactic if you are sure that the opposition don’t know the track very well. If they do know the circuit, then hanging back will actually give them an advantage.

3. Keep your distance

Don’t get too close to other racers in places where the track narrows, for example on the ruler bridges in the school levels. Its very easy to get knocked off the tables by aggressive players!

4. Use power-ups

In Micro Machines V3 these can be game-changing if timed right. Experiment with different items, but don’t be tempted to stray too far from the track to collect them. It can sometimes be tough to get back on course without falling behind.

5. Turbo boost

In V3, if you press on the accelerator at just the right moment, you can get a turbo start, launching you into an early lead. We’ll leave you to experiment and figure out exactly how this works. We don’t want to make things too easy!

Bonus Tip!

Some people might see this as a bit of an underhand tactic, but it comes straight from Andrew Graham so it must be legitimate! If you are in the lead, but can’t shake off your rivals, wait until a narrow section and slam on the brakes. Your opponent will plough into the back of you, causing them to stop dead and you to ricochet forwards, hitting the edge of the screen and winning the point!

Now it is up to you to put these tips to the test in the Micro Machines tournament at the Best of British Game Hack. We can’t wait to take you all on at Mind Candy’s offices on Saturday July 21st! If we lose, we’re going to claim its because we were up late watching The Dark Knight Rises the night before…

Full details of the event can be found at:
http://kwalee.com/2012/07/12/micro-machines/

   By Joe Barron – Community Evangelist