THE ITALIAN JOB - PlayStation WALKTHROUGH

by J Woodrow ([email protected]) 20/02/2002



"Just think of it  - a city in chaos, a smash-and-grab raid...and four
million dollars through a traffic jam!"

The posthumous words of Signor Beckerman, given on film to his
criminal friend Charlie Croker in the classic 1969 film The Italian
Job. If you haven't seen it, then stop reading now and get down to
your local Bankbuster video store and rent a copy - if you don't like
it, then there's really no hope for you, and you probably won't like
this game either. For the rest of us who loved the film, then here is
a dream come true... Now you too can burn around Turin, from the
rooftops to the sewers, in a '60's Mini Cooper! Tyres will squeal,
sparks will fly and tables in pavement cafes will be scattered as you
crash through underground shopping malls and skid down church steps.
Pedestrians leap aside and police cars and the Mafia give chase at
every turn, and all the while the game is peppered with dialogue from
the film. Although I don't want to give the impression that this game
is only for people who have seen the The Italian Job, it will make a
lot more sense and you will certainly enjoy it more if you have. You
will recognize scene after scene faithfully recreated and adapted to
make an absorbing and amusing game that is impressively true to the
spirit of its inspiration.
Was there ever a more stirring opening to a film than that red
Lamborghini twisting through the snowy Alps, driver in shirtsleeves
and sunglasses, cigarette clamped between lips and cool easy listening
on the 8-track? "On Days Like These..." I'd like to think Beckerman
died happy, and indeed that fabulous car may not have been the
greatest pleasure in his life when we get to see his Missus later on.
There is no Matt Monro on the soundtrack to the game, but Quincy
Jones's irrepressibly catchy theme tune and snatches of Rule Britannia
are present and correct, supplemented by a pastiche of that essential
theme tune, which means that thankfully it doesn't become overused.
Every key event from the film is represented in the game, from
Charlie's jail release into a stolen limo, through roping in Professor
Peach and training up the Chinless Wonders in London, to nobbling the
traffic tapes in Turin and of course the Job itself and making the
most spectacular getaway in the history of the movies. Flying across
rooftops and weaving down backstreets, screeching through colonnades
and underpasses, burning around the rooftop racetrack and splashing
across the weir, it's all here. And as well as skating down steps and
careening through the sewers, you also get to mount the ramp onto the
rooftop of that spectacular Dome building. Oh yes, and you just might
end up dangling over a cliff in the coach... So plug in your
PlayStation and get set for a wild ride, just like the Minis as they
burst across the opening credits.

At the Main Menu you can scroll around to highlight your choice from
modes including Destructor, Checkpoint, Free Ride and Italian Job.
This last one is the main game, where you progress through simple
missions played out on the streets of first London and then Turin, and
finally a short section through the Alps. Free Ride will allow you to
get used to the city environments and learn how to handle your car.
The other modes are essentially a collection of sub-games using short
sections from Italian Job and can be played separately from the main
game or not at all. As it happens, a couple of these street runs can
be useful practice for the main game, and so if you are a confident
driver then you may want to play each Destructor or Checkpoint mission
in turn, to learn some handy routes and shortcuts for when you begin
the Italian Job itself. If you read the manual you have the
information you need for the very simple controls and more about what
all the other modes are etc., so what follows is really just a guide
to get younger or less experienced gamers (or those who have never
played the likes of Driver or Crazy Taxi) over that "What am I
supposed to be doing?" phase that surely afflicts most gamers from
time to time. The Italian Job is really not too difficult to complete
and you should just have a whole lot of fun playing it as long as you
are not expecting Gran Turismo. I expect they had a bigger team
working on that game.

To begin with then, I suggest you choose Free Ride. Only one car is
available at the start, although you will earn more which are
uncovered as you work your way through the levels in the game. I bet
you can't wait to see what is hidden under those sheets! So let's get
stuck in.


FREE RIDE - London

Free Ride is just that; there is no objective or time limit. Cruise
around the streets of London as it might look in Bizzaro World - in
parts strangely familiar but at the same time quite unreal. Although I
wasn't expecting the ultra-realism of a Metropolis Street Racer, I can
say that living in London as I do, I find the peculiar geography makes
even the eccentric mapping of London Racer look really accurate. You
can drive past the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster
Abbey, and there is something which looks a bit like Piccadilly
Circus, and King's Cross train station and New Scotland Yard are in
there too. Otherwise the streets are mostly just mapped from generic
buildings, which are nevertheless interesting to look at. Notice for
example that there is an Italian restaurant called Torino (!) which
seems to have more branches than McDonalds. (I work as a computer
artist, so I enjoyed just cruising around admiring the artwork, but I
guess it's not a thrill to everyone...) The roads in this version of
London are about as  busy as on an early Sunday morning, although with
a wildly disproportionate number of buses and taxis, which breeze
along merrily and then turn without indicating, just as they do in the
real world. Geezers in suits and dollybirds in miniskirts stride
purposefully about the otherwise empty pavements or wander happily
down the middle of the road until you put the wind up them and they
scarper sharpish. You will soon see a number of (anachronistic)
builders' skips with conveniently-placed ramps, as well as other
sloping parts of the scenery which should give you some ideas, so have
some fun bombing around the streets and see what you can find. You may
drive up the street where a certain red low-flying car zooms overhead.
What the hell was that? When you earn a better car you can find out,
as it seems the Ambassador's car is too heavy to make the leap. You
may also come across a couple of characters who take exception to
being Caught in the Act! I'm not sure what act this is, but it makes
them want to smash your car up with theirs. I get the feeling that
some parts of the game were started as ideas but not followed through
fully, and having these guys bash you about adds nothing to the
experience I'm afraid, so just drive away.

There is a sort of mini-game to play if you head for the scrapyard.
(It is up a side street alongside a light brown-walled park with a
pond and children's playground in it - if you have trouble finding it
just head diagonally across the sandpit at the start of this level and
then go straight up to the T-junction and take a left and it is up
there on your right.) There is a red car waiting there and you are
challenged to a race. This is a bit frustrating at first, as it
streaks away from the start and so always seems to win. However, you
will probably notice that after a couple of corners the red car seems
to slow down or lose control slightly. If you can stay hard on his
tail then here is your chance to RAM the bugger. (Later on if you have
the big coach this is particularly satisfying, because he drives
slowly and you can easily crash him aside.) Once you muscle in front,
just hog the centre of the road and don't hit any lamp posts and at
last you can win. Your only reward is to see his motor get scrapped!
Even so, it may be worth seeking out this challenge if you have been a
bit over-enthusiastic elsewhere on this Free Ride and run your damage
meter up, since you will always begin this race with damage at zero,
even if you limped in with one wheel missing. You don't even have to
bother to race; you can just shoot off again. (You can only do this
once though, which is no problem since you can achieve the same effect
by just pressing Start and choosing Retry.)

Sooner or later your reckless behaviour will attract the attention of
a waiting police patrol car. You will hear their sirens and your
speedo will flash blue for as long as they are after you - and they
don't give up so easily. You will have to shake them off by roaring
away and then making swift diversions up any handy side road. You may
see yellow letters appearing onscreen one by one, which means that
they are right behind you and making a note of your number plate. When
they have the whole thing then You're Nicked! Luckily they seem fresh
out of Hendon and forget the numbers just as soon as you put some
distance between you. Simply make lots of quick turns and things will
soon quieten down. However, don't get jammed amongst traffic or street
furniture or your car will quickly be rammed out of action. This is
especially true when you find yourself in the narrow side streets of
Turin.

Practice as much as you need to until you are comfortable with the
handling of your car. I have to say that the eccentric behaviour of
all the cars is the most serious flaw of the game. I appreciate that
it isn't easy to programme the physics of realistic crash detection
and so on, but maybe the team at Pixelogic should give Codemasters a
call to ask about licensing the excellent dynamics from Colin McCrae
and the TOCA series? The worst thing is that any instinctive attempt
to correct your car in flight results in it floating around wildly in
just about the opposite direction to the one you want to go in. I know
you wouldn't be able to steer in mid-air anyway, but it seems as if
turning the wheels makes them act as aeroplane flaps or something. As
you improve your skills this becomes a bit more manageable, but for
now the best solution seems to be just to get used to lining up your
jumps as well as you are able, and then lifting off your thumbs until
you are sure you've landed and control is returned. The same goes for
those many occasions when your car will mount the scenery like an
excited puppy - just let go of the buttons until it seems to have
calmed down, as the slightest tap on the control pad has your car off
on a mission of its own. To be fair, once you accept this 'thumbs-off'
technique, some of the vehicles handle really well, especially under
fast cornering, and it's just a matter of practice to get the best out
of each one. You should notice that you lose power going up hills,
which is a clever touch, so obviously a fair bit of effort has gone
into trying to make the behaviour of the cars seem realistic. Less
time spent making frankly unconvincing sparks fly (it looks like
you've hit a volcano) and more on positive steering control would have
been appreciated by me, but then again some people want the moon on a
stick. Once you have got used to your floaty car and feel you have a
fair grasp of the London road layout, Quit and go straight to the main
game.


ITALIAN JOB

Charlie will give you a film briefing to explain your task, and there
are onscreen instructions at the beginning of each short mission.
These are all quite straightforward. The only controls you need are
Left and Right and the X to accelerate. Keep the damage to a minimum
and just follow the arrow.


London 1. The Ambassador's Car

"It's going to be bloody difficult to drive across London in this
thing"

Well, not too difficult. Turn left down the road from the prison and
make a right as the arrow suggests. The police are lying in wait and
know a stolen car when they see one, so power off down the hill and
keep straight and you'll soon leave them for dust as long as you don't
hit anything. Just past the tree-covered roundabout a smaller arrow
swoops down and starts urgently pointing to guide you to a garage
entrance. Always keep an eye on the guiding arrow if you lose track of
where you are, and you will see this smaller arrow throughout the game
whenever you reach your objective. For now, if the boys in blue are in
close attendance you will see the instruction to Lose The Cops! which
means you'll have to put some distance between your car and theirs
before Marvin will risk letting you in. Just take a quick spin around
the block while giving it some welly and arrive back without the
speedo flashing to see the garage doors open up.

Having collected your silver Aston Martin, this 'pree-ti' car will now
be available in Free Ride mode if you want to return there and
practice some more. The handling is appreciably better than the
sluggish Ambassador's car.

London 2. Meet Camp Freddie

When you Save your game (you'll find the Save and Load commands in the
Options part of the Main menu) you will notice that each mission
unlocks as you complete the previous one. Now you have just over a
minute to make your way to King's Cross and meet Camp Freddie (Isn't
that where US Presidents invite Middle East leaders?) If you fail he
will mince off back to Mr. Bridger and the job's off. You can just
follow the arrow in the general direction and take any likely road
until you get there, but if you have used your Free Ride time well you
will already know the fastest route to take. Pull up on the concourse
steps and collect Camp Freddie.

London 3. Peaches For Peaches

"I like 'em big. BIG!"

Sadly, Benny Hill's character is not represented in the game apart
from this. It's a pity they didn't use his skills to speed up the
computers at the loading screen. As soon as you collect the fat lasses
you have a Panda on your case. Make your way in the direction shown by
the arrow whilst screeching up any likely side roads to throw off your
pursuers. Only when you have succeeded will the Professor appear on
the balcony and there is a nice touch here, just like the film, where
the camera zooms in as the girls call out and wave. A-whoo-hoo!

London 4. Special Delivery

There are two parts to this level. First off you are driving as Tony
in the blue Mini, and you have to take Bill to nick a Land Rover. Time
is tight here, and so although there is no point usually in giving you
exact directions (since your preferred route may be affected by
traffic or whether the cops are on your tail etc.) I can recommend a
route for this mission which is: left out of the yard then right and a
quick left up the hill. Over the crest turn right then left down the
hill and straight across the junction. Crash the lights and slew off
left and then right and speed forward until the little arrow lets you
know you've arrived with only seconds to spare. Bill leaps out to
collect the Land Rover from under the owner's nose and in this motor
you can now retrace your steps. (If you go the other way out of the
yard you'll run into the patrol car arriving in lightning response to
his 999 call, and it's a real pain to shake it off.) Arrive back to
the safety of the garage. Good Show, Old Bean!
On the other hand, if you are too slow then you'll see your target
motor loaded on a train. Too Bloody Late! You'll now have to make your
way in the very opposite direction to King's Cross to intercept the
other Land Rover. You should make this easily if you have studied the
routes in Free Ride mode. Now you have to return to the first yard
(once again avoiding the patrol cars, as the Land Rover is none too
nimble and you don't have time to muck about). You will by now have
access to a Mini and a red Austin Cambridge (or is it a Morris
Oxford?) in Free Ride. This car has a bit of poke, so you can easily
sort out the Boy Racer at the scrapyard.

London 5. Skilful Bill

"You gotta have eyes in the back of yer 'ead"

Or a rear-view mirror would be nice... You won't need it here though
as your task is clear - chase after Charlie and smash his backside
about a bit. Don't be too hasty because if you get tangled up in the
scenery then you will find that Charlie is Long Gone! It's not
surprising sometimes when Charlie somehow manages to drive STRAIGHT
THROUGH a double-decker bus on turn four which then proves to be too,
too solid if you try it! You may have to Retry a couple of times, but
as you learn the route he will take (including sharp turns up narrow
alleys) you will be able to anticipate the turns and cut across and
ram him. You can jostle him from behind, but you do more damage if you
can broadside him. You will see how much damage you are doing (and
taking) by checking the respective on screen meters. In no time it's
all over.

London 6. Prison Pals

You have to break another team member out of 'The Scrubs'. Just crash
the gate and try to swing around to collect Dominic and exit the same
way - if you crash out through the other gate then you'll most likely
tangle with the waiting police car. If they nick you then you really
are Prison Pals. Make your way down the street and head for the gap in
the police roadblock to enjoy another movie moment. With the police in
hot pursuit you'll have to do some zippy driving to shake them off
before arriving back at the goods yard and shooting straight up the
ramp into another garage. Oh, Jolly Good Show, Charlie!

London 7. Keeping It Up

By now you will have unlocked the definitely tasty E-type Jag in Free
Ride mode, so it may be a good idea to have a look at your growing
collection of vehicles. They each have noticeably different handling;
some are very fast but more fragile, some corner well and others are
heavy enough to bash other cars out of the way, so take time to
experiment and find which one suits your driving style. In addition
you will find a police car available here, and although this appears
to be a nothing more than a rubbish Ford Anglia, (just like the one
the coppers checking out the abandoned Ambassador's car are using in
the film - nice touch), you should definitely take this for a spin, as
it has the advantage of seeming invisible to the other Pandas. You can
now scream around the streets as much as you like (quite literally if
you hold the R1 button) and as long as you don't actually crash into
another police car then nobody gives a monkey's! That's all right,
Constable, he's On The Square.

If you bring your freshly-honed skills back to this level, then
following Dave is a breeze. It may be that you will again need a
couple of goes to learn the route, but it is not too difficult
overall. Watch out for the narrow alley which he cuts down a bit
sharp. You can scatter dustbins and cardboard boxes down here, just
like Starchy and Hup. There is no need to give it the gun, as you
won't be able to overtake and in fact he'll go even faster; just match
his speed and things will be easier. Despite a couple of twisty turns
he won't shake Lorna off. Toffee-nosed jerk!

London 8. Big William's Ride

Oh Boy! This is like that film with a big speedy bus, but here it's
the banging around that you have to avoid. Keep an eye on the dynamite
meter so you know what is causing you most harm and take appropriate
avoiding action next time. Sweeping obstacles out of your way doesn't
do much damage, but bashing a tree or bus definitely does - KABOOM!!!
Now that's what I call a blowout. It's probably best to stick to the
main roads and don't get involved in any head-on collisions. Make your
(by now familiar) way past King's Cross and up the diagonal road
behind there and along a cul-de-sac, until you reach the car park
where Arthur signals you in. Dead easy if you take Charlie's advice
and Drive Carefully!

After enjoying a little cut scene showing the Mini drivers in training
and the famous over-use of dynamite on the security van, it's off to
Italy. And remember - they drive on the wrong side of the road there.


FREE RIDE - Turin

You will now have Turin as well as London available on Free Ride, and
all the cars earned there can be played here too (some of them seem to
have had a respray), and an interesting difference is that the humble
Ford Anglia becomes a hardly more enticing Alfa Giulia police car.
However, you will find that this car also has the advantage of not
attracting the the waiting patrol cars. This should make it your
chariot of choice if you fancy a good long drive around the tree-lined
avenues and piazzas of beautiful Torino, nestling in the shadow of the
snowy Alps. When you think about it, it really is quite a feat of
PlayStation engineering for the developers to stream the huge city
environment more or less seamlessly (you may see a message telling you
to clean the CD if it is having trouble pre-loading the upcoming
location). Show your appreciation by visiting every last corner, if
only to admire the architecture for which the city is famous. Compared
with so many other games, there is no noticeable pop-up of buildings,
and although some features such as trees and bushes are unconvincingly
modelled, the various Baroque buildings are beautifully rendered and
it's a small compromise that everything is so blocky. Once again there
are numerous ramps and jumps to enjoy, and see if you can find the
hidden rooftop racetrack, where a timer appears to check your lap
times (quite tricky, as you have to cope with some dizzying camera
angles). In any case, time spent exploring will again pay off nicely
when you return to the game proper.

Just as in London there is a mini-game to be found in Turin, and this
one is quite amusing. From the start, pull a U-turn and head off to
the left, then first right and straight up until you notice a timer
appear and start counting down. This indicates that you have reached
the underground car park, and as you circle left around the block you
will see the timer appear again just as you approach the next
entrance, and notice that there is a cone icon next to it. Turn left
once more and the timer appears for a third time. That's too
intriguing to ignore, so head on down the ramp to see what's going on.
Hmm... lots of flashing cones, eh? Well if you have already done any
of the Destructor mode rounds then you know how to deal with them.
Bish Bosh Bash. The red Mini is particularly nippy, but any of the
others will do. It's quite exhilarating in the slippy E-Type or rorty
Cobra when you get it, or you could try doing it in the big coach if
you fancy a challenge. You can make use of the handbrake and charge
around like a mad thing, or you can play it safe and crawl around like
a tortoise, tagging them one by one. It's your choice. Having knocked
ALL the cones over before the timer runs out, a man will stride down
and he'll be so impressed that he will offer you a job. It's easiest
to leave the way he (and you) came in and you just follow the arrow to
the Pizza Parlour, where you are then asked to deliver several pizzas
before they get cold. This is a nice idea, as it gives you a reason to
speed around different parts of the city centre against the clock. The
coach is too slow, and it must be said that if you opted to take this
Free Ride in the police car then this task will be too simple. Any
other vehicle will be chased by the police, and you can't drop the
pizza off with the cops on your tail - time is tight enough as it is,
so you really can't be doing with that. You will find a quiet route
eventually (you'll need to sneak around the police car waiting just
past the halfway point). If you fail the task you'll need to Retry the
present level and go through the whole cone thing again, so probably
with relief you'll return to the Pizza Parlour just about in time, to
be told that your reward awaits at the Mansion. Some reward! Well, he
did say it was a different kind of vehicle... a Fiat 'Cinque' I
suppose. It's actually great fun to bomb around with this, as you get
more of a driver's-eye view, which can be quite hairy at times. I
notice that this dinky car can slip through the gateposts beside the
power station, but I can't imagine why as there seems to be no other
way out, which means you can't even use it to give the police the
slip- they just bumble around outside until you come out again. Try
giving the horn a toot for a bit of a larf.

Once you have had a good look around Turin, you may want to
investigate Destructor mode which also now features Turin as well as
London. Some of the routes are the ones used later in the game so you
can practice the optimum line on those necessary jumps and turns while
building your skills. You can have hours of fun here in any case. For
starters: can you clear all the rounds knocking down every single
cone? Of course you can, but what is the least number of cones you can
hit on each round and still manage to finish in time? You can always
just try to beat your best times etc. Anyone who claims to have
'finished' the game in 3 hours and 22 minutes or something is
obviously missing the point - I really think it's supposed to be fun!
So let's get back to the Italian Job right now. Make It Work,
Charlie...


ITALIAN JOB (continued)

Turin 1. Torino Tours

Assume control of the Dormobile and follow the arrow. You will soon
see it pointing the other way, so what to do? Don't bother waiting for
the off-ramp - just look for the red cones and crash through the
central reservation to weave back against the oncoming traffic, and
then barge the wrong way down the nearest sidestreet. Benissimo! You
are driving like an Italian already! As you follow the arrows you will
be shown some of the more significant sites in the game, so pay
attention and try to visualise the layout of the city. It really pays
dividends to enjoy a thorough tour of the city in Free Ride mode
beforehand, as I think another flaw in the game is the lack of any in-
game maps. Turin especially is enormous and it can take hours to get a
handle on every street and where each one goes to. I notice that there
IS a map of each city in the booklet for the game, but it is tiny.
You'll just have to take in and remember prominent landmarks around
the city. Don't dawdle though, as the clock is ticking and there is a
lot to see. Along the way you will encounter "the Marfyer" and it's
another disappointment that these guys are so easy to shake off and
then they scarcely make another appearance in the game. The drive to
the power station is a little misleading if you try to follow the
arrow too closely, since the only entrance is from the busy perimeter
road, along the south side, which means that you'll have to skirt
around to reach it while the arrow seems to point in the other
direction. It's not a big problem though. On the way back out to the
road, take a look at the big building to your right, with a long
ramp... A-ha! I can't believe you are playing this game if you haven't
seen the film and if you've seen the film you know what to expect
here, and sure enough you get a good close look later in the game. For
now though, follow the arrow to your Mansion Hideout. And a very
discreet hideout it is.

Turin 2. Mafia Mania

You'll play as Charlie in the white Mini having to drive his bird and
her shopping to the airport. Oh Blimey. There is just one slightly
tricky bit - as you turn onto the autostrada you'll have to do a sharp
U-turn and then cross through the central reservation to go down the
opposite exit ramp and on to the airport in  good time.
Unwelcome guests turn up and there is a bit of argy-bargy, which is
easily escaped by leaping the fence and making like a rally driver up
the muddy lane to the mansion. Piece of cake. On the other hand, if
you fancy a rumble, then head up onto the autostrada where you will
find more mobsters waiting to ambush you along the way back to your
hideout. You can just ease off until each one rolls forward and then
dodge behind them. Go straight through the  roundabout and on down the
hill to spin around the block to the right, by which time you'll have
outrun them.

Turin 3.  Traffic Tape Caper

Make a U-turn and follow the arrow. As you bounce down the steps,
don't race across the piazza as there is a police car waiting there in
the dark. Take a left by the railings instead and then cut across what
looks like Washington Square in New York and go up from there. This
will save you a good deal of time by not having to shake off the cops.
Steal the bicycle from the underground carpark (you despicable git)
and now it's a cruise back along the main street to the power station.
You can admire the moon and the beautiful night sky on the way as
there's not much else to do until you reach the big building with the
ramp. You can turn in right there as before. Now Charlie chucks the
bike over the fence to short out the power. Stone the crows! All that
mucking about and that's what he wanted it for?
Suddenly the police turn up (implausibly quickly) to see what's
happened to the power, so take off pronto - not to the right, as it's
a dead-end, but back to the perimeter road and go right from there. If
those two police cars start banging you about it will be curtains, so
don't hang around. The night streets are crawling with cops (there's
never one when you need one) and they are frankly hard to avoid, so
when you pick one up you'll need to pull some routine evasive
maneouvres before arriving at the Traffic Control HQ to pick up the
lads.It's not over yet, as you need at least 60 seconds on the clock
to make it all the way back to the mansion even without more of the
inevitable blue light bother. It may be best to ignore the arrow and
just head right then straight along to the roundabout where the
autostrada begins and take that all the way back to the mansion turn-
off. That way you won't meet a single police car, which makes the run
a bit dull doesn't it? If you still run out of time you'll have to
start right from the first drop-off again, so Get Your Skates On,
Mate.

Turin 4. Interference

Your task is to find and disable a number of traffic cameras. These
are scattered pretty evenly on each of the main roads all around the
city centre, and although there is no arrow to follow it shouldn't
hold you back, because there doesn't have to be any order in which you
knock them out and the smaller arrow appears in good time when you get
near one. It's best to work a criss-cross pattern, as most of the
cameras are in that central area, and you don't want to stray too far
in any case because the next thing to do after disabling the cameras
is to get to a nearby meeting place.
If you somehow find yourself wandering the streets watching the clock
run down every time, you could try heading off to the right and
knocking out the camera on the corner of that piazza first. Then head
left and go all the way to the river, picking up four more one after
the other along the way. That's more like it! Now turn right to
collect yet another, and since there is a generous amount of time
allowed for this mission, take the scenic route over the bridge and
stick to the waterfront to bag two more. Back across the Po on the
other bridge and stay to the right as you head straight along the tram
tracks to pick off another camera, and the next is at a tram stop on
the left side a little further on. Next up is the Piazza Castello,
where cameras come thick and fast as you turn right and speed along
the colonnade knocking out two on the way (don't miss the one off to
the right as you emerge) and then it's up the steps and another two
easy knockouts, and then duck in the back door to the shopping arcade
opposite. Collect one each to the left and then the right of the
central fountain, and swing back round to collect the third which was
straight ahead. Just one more! Exit the arcade to take a left along
the tram tracks to look for the last camera you require, and you'll
find one just next to the Pizza Parlour. Now the arrow leads you
straight on and then right to bring you to the meeting point, which is
up an alley just off the corner of  'Washington Square'.

Turin 5. Convoy

"The timing's tight on this one..."

Head off in the general direction shown by the arrow. There are
different routes you can take, but it is maybe quickest to head left
onto the autostrada as the arrow suggests, and then come off again and
blast down toward the first roadblock. The major roads around the
convoy route have been barricaded by the police, and although you can
easily crash through, you will acquire an unwanted escort which you do
not have time to throw off. If you bring a police car to the
rendezvous then the whole job is blown. A better idea is to cut around
using the side streets. In this case, take a left (just after the
church and in front of the roadblock) and the next right, taking note
of some useful-looking ramps there. Follow the arrow to the right
again and weave straight ahead past another roadblock on your left
(ignore the arrow encouraging you to go left here) and take the next
available left instead (where the Italian-striped awning is), and then
speed straight ahead through the traffic chaos until you see the arrow
begin pointing left once again. It's a tight squeeze past the traffic,
so you should drive up on the pavement as Charlie eggs you on, and
then it's a right at the lights and you can now sit back and watch the
heist come off in Charlie's own inimitable way. Byoot'ful!

Turin 6. The Getaway

"Put yer foot down! Put yer foot down!"

With the loot in the boot, it's the highlight of the game - the
getaway. The Mini is a bit fragile, so try not to bash it about too
much or allow any of the police cars to ram you more than once or
twice or you'll soon get wrecked. (If I remember our old family Mini,
it should be more likely to collapse from rust than be merely bashed
out of action.) It's clear enough what to do on this level - just
stick close to the car in front. If you lag behind a bit they slow
down, but if you crash and waste too much time they'll race away and
you're on your own. It's then a real struggle (the first time anyway)
as the route is labyrinthine to say the least. Do what you can to keep
up - by now you should be able to use all your skills. You can go with
maximum acceleration and simply lift off on corners and in preparation
for short jumps. You'll get the hang of this as you race under the
colonnade and around the twisty passage up the steps and in through
the back door to the shops. You shouldn't need more than the
occasional dab of brakes, for example just before the leap from the
underground shopping precinct to the 'sottopassaggio' arcade of shops.
That way you will not launch uncontrollably into the wall, but land
safely and so be able to aim slightly on the diagonal to slide
effortlessly down the subway with full control as soon as you hit the
deck. Lovely-jubbly. You can pull some snaky turns through this
underpass by using full throttle and turning even before you reach the
corner ahead. That way you will slip around each corner instead of
bouncing off the walls. Ease off as you launch up the steps and let
your momentum carry you as you turn left to shoot past the dozy police
car. Another thrill is the launch up those ramps you saw earlier
around the church, where you can fly over the honking traffic and land
and screech around the next couple of corners before aiming for the
short leap and then you ZOOOOM past the camera - Bump! Bump! Bump!
Whoo-hoo! Now a skilful sideways slip through the arch and back on the
power with only a slight steering adjustment as you bounce up the hill
around the church and you're treated to another dramatic camera angle
as you slide down the steps on the other side. Keep wide to the right
around the next corner so the waiting police car doesn't ram you, and
give it lots of power after a left at the lights to weave through the
traffic along the narrow street. Ease off again as you bounce down the
lane across the road so you have full control to power up the ramp.
THE ramp - just like the film! Sweep up onto the roof and stick close
to the cars in front, as they will show you the perfect line to LAUNCH
your car down the ramp on the other side and if you get it just right
the camera will swoop around in freeze frame. Oh YESSSS! Why couldn't
the whole game be like this? And there's more...
Keep to the right on landing to avoid each of the two patrol cars that
will charge toward you, then it's a sharp right at the crest of the
hill and career down through the car park. I guess it would be funny
if you were to park up among the other Minis here as in the film, and
then burst out suddenly as the police shoot past in the other
direction, but you have to keep up the momentum here. If you follow
close to the white Mini then once again you will have the perfect line
as you mount the trailer (straighten ever so slightly on the way up if
you need to) and don't forget to lift off the controls until you land.
Screech around the corner and leap again and make a quick turn and
straighten a little so you can sweep smoothly up the entrance ramp
onto the FIAT factory rooftop racetrack. You can just burn around at
full speed, and try to keep the power on through the final turns to
give your car the necessary boost up the ramp. Be sure to line up dead
straight and let go of those buttons so that you land square. Hold the
throttle to get over the first gap and then you should have enough
momentum to release and scooch across the second and now try to align
yourself diagonally so that you just skitter off the last rooftop down
through the tree branches. If you give it too much gas then it's more
likely that your rubber car will bounce in all directions up the
grassy bank on the other side, wasting precious seconds. Hopefully you
will land facing the right way and lined up just right so that you can
speed after the others along the riverfront to the weir. Keep to the
pavement in a straight line (the camera angle is not helpful here) as
there are benches and trees to snag you on the right as well as
another police car trying to ram you from the left. A quick turn into
the water and hold a straight line as the camera goes on another
journey, which at least lets you admire the fantastic animation of the
rushing water. You can try a dab of brakes on the ramp to avoid
launching into the police car which is trying to cut you off. You
should be able to veer around this chappie, but definitely do not
tangle with him as there is another already on your tail and you'll
get battered. If you get it just right your speed will carry you up
past the traffic light which can otherwise easily snag you, and it's
up onto the road and you can then power around the basilica, racing
after your mates (you can steer anti-clockwise around this building
and shoot through the tram buffers if you have fallen behind and need
to make up a few seconds). It's a real bonus to be in close contact
with the others as you fly into the sewer because you can follow their
line right-left-right etc. through the open gates rather than
launching clumsily through a blocked arch. You may have the police in
close attendance and reading your number plate, in which case you'll
have to really hang it out and zip around those arches. Finally you
emerge into the daylight and your mates drop the grille... Phew!


THE ALPS

1. Red, White and Blue

"You gotta keep them lined up with the ramps!"

The idea is to trail along behind the coach for just five seconds
whilst keeping a steady distance and with the wheels lined up with the
ramps. You'll know you have it right when the countdown appears. When
it gets to '1' just hold it and a little cut scene shows the Mini
leaping aboard. Just two more to go and for five little seconds each!
Of course the catch is that the coach doesn't keep an even speed and
it veers occasionally to boot. You'll spend your time bumping off the
ramps or watching him disappear up the road. If he gets too far ahead,
you can catch up quickly by switching lanes and zooming across to have
another go. All the time those precious seconds are ticking away...
You have my sympathy in this task. The very first time I did this I
got it no bother and I wish I knew why, as every time since has been a
frustrating experience: 5-4-5-4-3...nearly...5-4-3-2...nearly...Hey!
Where are you off to now? There's no time for this, William...5-4-3-2-
1...5 Aaargh! (Of course it could just be my arthritic fingers from
playing so much SSX Tricky at Christmas.) It's worst when you get the
first two in and the third just won't go. The red car goes in easily
enough, and the white car is OK too as the coach just swerves gently
to the left lane, but by the time you attempt to load the blue car it
swings across all three lanes and lurches forward from time to time in
between. You can listen to Charlie and hang back or close in, but it
seems your best chance is to wait for the coach to steady up, such as
when approaching the underpass or going past that barn structure. Just
zoom up and hold it for as long as you can by dabbing the gas and
making tiny steering adjustments. If you think this level is too easy
then all I can say is Please write a FAQ. And they said your education
was wasted...

(By the way, I always used to wonder why they had to do this in the
film - why didn't the coach just stop for them?)

2. Home Free

"Put your foot dahn, William"

Every second counts on this run, so shorten those bends by cutting
across verges and try to make the tight turns even before you see them
through the trees. Stick to the main road going through the village
and just lift off the throttle as you swing into the corners. Ignore
any traffic, as you can easily punt them up the road like pinballs.
Soon the Mafia make their final appearance and it's probably harder to
drive past their car than it is to shovel it over the cliff, so with
commendable restraint Big William clears the way, (which is good
because too much swerve and you'll follow him over). If you have 1:30
or more on the clock, you should be OK for time to finish. Swing
through the tight tunnel bends with the throttle lifted or you'll once
again bounce helplessly off the walls. As you emerge there is a new
hazard in the (comically squared-off) shape of falling boulders. These
present only a minor obstruction, but they can waste precious seconds
if you play too much footie with them. There is a little cheat just
past the second arch, on the hairpin bend, where you can cut out a
tricky section if you simply clamber up the slope (where there is a
white rock) so as to join the road a little further along. If you
drive into any obstacles, remember to keep your thumbs off the pad, as
the coach is frustratingly frisky. Rendezvous with the Dormobile and
the lads toddle on board. Now it's a straightforward run to the end
with only about half a dozen boulders to dodge.

Having followed each plot point so faithfully, it should be no
surprise to you that the cut scene ends the game with the same
cliffhanger as the film. And who would have it any other way?


Actually, I wonder if the game designers might have had a bit of a
headscratch to try to think up a game section which included saving
the gold from the stranded coach? I reckon Charlie's great idea in the
film was to gun the engine so that the tanks ran dry and tipped the
back end up a bit. That would have taken a little while though, so on
reflection, probably not. How about making a sling with the lads'
football scarves to hook the pallet? Surely the weight of that much
gold would have taken them over when it slid back anyway... Perhaps it
had to be an open ending because the moralists of the time would
object to a bunch of crooks seen to be getting away with their crime,
and so it's left to your imagination to decide whether the lads made
it in the end. Which is how it is in this game. In fact, you have do
have a reward of sorts, because you have now unlocked the fabulous
Lamborghini Miura. It is insanely fast and has tight cornering without
a hint of tyresqueal, so you can really slot it in amongst the traffic
and slip smoothly around corners should the police even manage to get
near you. You might want to have a blast around Turin with your prize
and relive all those golden moments right now. Ah well, who's for
Italian Job 2?

Dada-dada-dah-da. Dah-da. "This is the Self-Preservation Society..."





Copyright (c) 2002 J Woodrow

Thanks to Tim and Frances for buying this game for me.

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