Pole Position Atari 2600  FAQ/Strategy Guide
Version: 1.0
Author: Larcen Tyler
Last Revision Date: 09/12/04
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This document is electronically published work Copyrighted ©2004 Larcen Tyler.
Permission is granted to make a copy _ONLY_ as a personal reference copy, in
which case the document _MUST_ remain in its original, unedited form.  Any
other reproduction is strictly prohibited.  This document may not be used as
a promotional item or for profitable means of any kind (even if no profit is
intended to be gained.)

This document is only allowed to appear on the GameFAQs website and no other
website whatsoever, nor may any part of this document appear on any website
for any reason whatsoever.

Pole Position is a registered trademark of Namco and used under license by
Atari.

Atari 2600 and any accessories mentioned within are registered trademarks and
copyrighted materials owned by Atari Games.

GameFAQs is a registered trademark and copyrighted 1995-2004 by Jeff 'CJayC'
Veasey.

Any other names mentioned within not mentioned in this section are registered
trademarks and/or copyrighted materials owned by their respective owners.

Larcen Tyler is in no way affiliated with any of the companies listed above,
or their affiliates in any way.  No affiliation should be assumed for any
reason whatsoever.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. REVISION HISTORY
2. HOW TO PLAY THE GAME
3. SCORING
4. TIPS
5. CONTACT INFORMATION
6. CREDITS
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1. REVISION HISTORY

09/12/04: Hey, it's an all-time favorite of mine, so I figured I'd write a
guide for the game!
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2. HOW TO PLAY THE GAME

You've made it to the Fuji Speedway, one of the best tracks in the world.
Your goal is to qualify for the main race by completing a fast lap in under
73 seconds, and then complete four laps during the main race.  Buckle up and
get ready to burn rubber!

(Note: The difficulty switches, TV Type, and Game Select switches aren't used
in this game.)

Make sure your Atari 2600 is set up correctly, and the game cartridge is
inserted properly.  Plug a joystick controller into the left jack, as this is
a one-player game only.  Turn on the power switch.  If nothing happens, check
that your system is set up properly, and that the cartridge is plugged in
firmly, and then try again.

To start the game, simply press the action button or toggle the Game Reset
switch.  A fanfare will play, signalling that you are getting ready for the
qualifying run.

Acceleration is done automatically.  To apply brakes, press the action button.
Push the joystick left or right to steer the car in that respective direction.
Pull the joystick downward to shift into high gear (indicated by 'HI'
underneath the large letter 'G' in the upper-left part of the screen.)  Push
it upwards to shift into low gear (indicated by 'LO.')  Your speed is
indicated by the meter underneath the indicators listed above.


QUALIFYING RUN:

In order to qualify for the main race, you must finish your qualifying run in
less than 73 seconds.  Your lap time is indicated in the upper-right part
of the screen underneath the large letter 'L.'  If you do qualify, you'll
receive bonus points based on which position you earned during the qualifying
run, and then you will be allowed to participate in the main race.

If you don't qualify for the main race, you will still be allowed to drive
untill your time (indicated in the upper center of the screen by the large
letter 'T') runs out.  Then your car will stop and fifty points will be
awarded for each rival car you passed on the course.  The game will then be
over, at which point you can press the fire button or Game Reset switch
to start a new game.  You start each qualifying run with 90 seconds.

When you are nearing the end of the track, checkered flags will flash on
either side of your score, indicating that you are near the start/finish
line.  When your score reaches 10000, you will have successfully finished
your run.  Your car will stop, bonus points will be awarded based on how
well you did (see below for more details) and you will be ready for the
main race.


MAIN RACE:

Three low tones will sound, kind of like a '3, 2, 1' thing, and then a high
tone will sound, as if to say 'GO!'  You will have 75 seconds to complete
your first lap around the track.  Completing a lap will earn you extra time
to complete the next lap.  If you run out of time before completing four
laps, then your car will come to a stop, and you will be awarded 50 points
for each rival car you passed during the race, and the game will be over.

If you successfully complete all four laps, your car comes to a stop, and,
in addition to the standard 50 points per rival passed, 200 points are
awarded for each second left on the timer.



TRACK DESCRIPTION:

The Fuji Speedway is fairly simple, but has a few spots to watch out for.

After you start, you'll be on a straightaway for a moment, before
encountering your first turn to the right.  You may want to shift into low
gear when you're about to enter the turn to avoid losing control.  After
you come out, you can shift again.

You'll then take a short left turn, followed by another right turn.  After
you come out of the right turn, be ready to shift into low gear again almost
immediately, as you'll be going into a hairpin left turn in a moment.

If you take the hairpin in low gear, you should be OK.  Otherwise, you may
lose control and crash.  After taking that, you'll encounter a long, but
easy, right turn that breaks into a straightaway briefly.  At this point,
you should see the checkered flags flashing.  This indicates that you're
near the finish line.  As soon as you come out of the turn, it's all
straightaway from there.
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3. SCORING

You earn 10 points for every moment that you're driving on the track.  One
successful lap is worth 10000 points.

Passing a rival car is worth 50 points at the end of the game.

When the race is completed, every second left on the clock is worth 200
points.

The qualifying times and scores earned are as follows:

STARTING        LAP TIME      BONUS
POSITION        REQUIRED      POINTS
  1            58"50         4000
  2            60"00         2000
  3            62"00         1400
  4            64"00         1000
  5            66"00         800
  6            68"00         600
  7            70"00         400
  8            73"00         200
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4. TIPS

-Don't start in high gear, as it will take longer for your car to reach
maximum speed.  Instead, start in low gear and let it build speed.  When
the speed meter is in the middle, shift to high gear.  Shift down when going
into a turn.

-Don't worry about the brakes, just use the high and low gear to slow down for
turns or to avoid a collision.

-If you crash into another car, it will mean lost time, but the game isn't
over.  As long as you still have time on the clock, you can keep racing.

-And lastly, but most importantly of all, and I'm sure you saw this coming:
HAVE FUN!
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5. CONTACT INFORMATION

READ THIS BEFORE YOU SEND ME ANY E-MAIL!

The following types of E-Mail I will _NOT_ accept under any circumstances:

-Mail that contains flaming (insults) or offensive content within.  If you
don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything!

-Spam/Advertisements of any kind.  This is against the law, and will not be
taken lightly.

-Asking if you can use this on your website/in your FAQ/Magazine/anything
like that will not be tolerated.  In case you missed it, I specifically
stated that I won't allow it in the disclaimer section at the beginning.

-Asking where to find this game in a ROM format, or any other illegal
software requests will be ignored.

-Asking me where to find this cartridge.
(Honestly, I wish I knew where to find Atari games, but I have as much of
a hard time finding them as you probably do! Your best bet is to check
online.)


The following types of E-Mail I will accept:

-Suggestions and/or constructive criticism.
-Strategies of your own.
-Any information I may have left out in this version.
-Generally, anything that will help me improve this guide in future revisions!
(Make sure you put "Pole Position Guide" as your subject line.)

You can reach me at: [email protected]
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6. CREDITS

This guide was written by yours truly, but without a lot of other things, it
would not have been possible.  So here are those who made it possible:

-My mother, whose love of the Atari 2600 got me into video games.
-Doug Macare of General Computer Corporation (GCC) for his amazing work on
this great game.
-Atari, for releasing the Atari 2600 and getting the rights to Pole Position.
-Namco, for designing one of the best racing games of all time.
-Jeff 'CJayC' Veasey, for providing us with 'GameFAQs' where FAQ authors like
myself can share our works.
-AtariAge (www.AtariAge.com) for providing me with information where needed.
-And, of course, you knew it was coming, you couldn't deny it, the most
important person of all, YOU, for reading this guide!
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©2004 Larcen Tyler

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