                    OVERDRIVE - HINTS `N` TIPS
                    --------------------------

Unless you happen to be some kind of racing god, Overdrive is going to be
mighty difficult to complete in on anything other than the Rookie setting
to begin with.

The only difference between the difficulty settings is the fact that Rookie
allows you three disqualifications, Novice two and Advanced just one.

Control
-------

Of the two methods of control - the standard rotate-and-thrust and
directional. R `n` T is the easiest to get to grips with, if only because
this is the way in which most games are controlled anyway. Response of the
joystick is very quick, so it is important not to over steer, or over
compensate for errors.

Centring the car (making it go in a straight line) is tricky to get the
hang of, and tapping lightly on the joystick is the only way to avoid
hitting the edges of the track.

Racing
------

Always take up the option to qualify. The starting posistion on the grid
isn`t too important, but it is essential to have a good idea of the layout
of the track before taking part in the race.

Qualifying is a four lap event, and it`s useful to make a note of how much
fuel you have remaining on completion of the final lap. Less than half a
tank means you are likely to run out on the actual eight lap race and will
need to secure some extra.

It doesn`t really matter where you are at the beginning of the race, as the
posistions aren`t sufficiently spread apart to make a big difference,
though obviously first posistion isn`t to be sniffed at. Having used the
qualifying sessions to find out where the turbo pads are, aim for these to
boost your speed.

Don`t put their importance above all else though, especially on the first
couple of laps of a race, when both opponents are likely to be close to
you, and a posistion on the inside of a bend is a big advantage.

There is no need to try to guess when the next corner is coming up. The
arrows in the floor give you all the time you need to make your move,
although the outside of a bend is the best place to be (unless of course
the blue cars are close at hand, but hey - no on-one said this was easy!).

Pickups and Hazards
-------------------

If you are winning races, then money will take care of itself (and if you
aren`t, then disqualification will ensure anyway), leaving fuel as the
single most important pickup. No vechile ever runs out of fuel more than
one or two laps from the finish, however it is best to build up a decent
lead before straying from the racing line and possibly wasting a little bit
of time.

The steering wheel and spanner are both useful, as they improve your
control and lengthen your turbo boosts respectively, but neither are worth
risking valuable time - and possible collisions - for unless they are in
your path.

Tight cornering, turbos, and picking up whatever fuel is needed should
ensure that little else is required to win a race. Unless of course you
encounter a hazzard.

Oilslicks and ice patches are the on-road ovstacles that need negotiating,
and can be treated in a couple of ways, depending on where they fall. In
some cases, a slippery hazzard will appear as a patch on the road - usually
at a bend for major inconveinence - and after one or two laps, can be
anticipated and therefore avoided with only minimal loss of time. Hazards
which stretch across the road are different, but no more difficult to
contend with.

These usually come just before a bend, the idea being that you will spin
off into the side. As you approach such an obstacle, decrease your speed
slightly, and a fraction of a second before your vehicle hits it, move the
joystick in the direction of the impending  bend. (i.e., if the bend
preceding the hazzard is a right hander, move the joystick to the right).
If judged correctly, this manoeuvre should see you skid over the edge of
the bend and face down the next straight with no loss of control.

General Tips
------------

All the competing drivers have different levels of skill and competence,
but every race can be won by following the same routines. When a good
percentage of the race is complete, more and more races will need straight
out victory to continue, instead of merely second place. The options screen
gives you the chance to put these off for a couple of races and choose a
simpler race, but there is no point since you take on the mystery driver on
the special tracks. Every race needs to be completed.