Walkthrough - Guide for The Italian Job
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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.