Variations
1 – Race: A simple, vertically scrolling racing game in the vein of Sega’s Monaco GP, though actually predating that game by a year. The player controls an orange car and must score as many points as possible within a two-minute time limit while avoiding white cars that “bounce” back and forth on the road. Colliding with a white car destroys the orange car and wastes time. Points are scored according to the speed the car is travelling. There are two skill levels; the second increases the maximum possible speed the orange car can travel and thus the maximum scoring potential in the two minutes available.
2 – Spin-Out, 3 Laps: A top-down racing game for two players. There are four skill levels, with higher levels increasing the complexity of the course with additional hazards. The cars are controlled by simply pushing the direction in which you wish to drive; there is no “turning”. The car’s speed can be increased by holding down the joystick button. Colliding with your opponent’s car causes you, them or both to spin out; colliding with a wall causes you either to spin out or destroy your car, wasting a few seconds before you respawn. The winner is the first player to complete three laps, and the game times the race.
3 – Spin-Out, 15 Laps: As above, but 15 laps instead of 3.
4 – Cryptogram: A word game for two players. The first player types in a word while the second averts their eyes. The game then scrambles the letters in the word and shows the second player the anagram. The second player must unscramble the word one letter at a time; the game will indicate when their guess for that letter is incorrect, and allow them to move on to the next letter only when they get one correct. Once the second player has unscrambled the word, the game indicates how many mistakes they made along the way.
Initial release date: 1978
Also known as: Speedway, Spin-Out, Crypto-Logic (USA)
A Videopac+ enhanced version is available.
Race 
Spin-Out 
Cryptogram
Pete’s Take
Although simple, the games in this collection have an undeniably addictive quality, and the package as a whole marks a strong opening to the Videopac’s library.
Race is an enjoyable if simplistic solo game, but can also be played competitively by challenging friends to beat your high score. It’s fun because there’s a good “rhythm” to it, and the Videopac joysticks are immensely satisfying to slam from side to side to avoid the oncoming traffic.
Spin-Out takes a little adjusting to if you’re accustomed to top-down racers where you actually “turn” your car, but the simple controls make it a lot more accessible than something like Sprint, particularly as you’re limited to using a joystick rather than a paddle or driving controller as seen on the 2600. The four skill levels provide variety, but it’s a shame there’s no option to compete against a computer-controlled racer — though you can always do “time trials” using the in-game clock if you want to play solo.
Cryptogram is highly dependent on trust! It’s an extremely basic game — the kind you could easily play with pen and paper — but the novelty value of playing it on a TV screen with the Videopac’s colourful capital letters and farty sound effects makes it entertaining for a game or two. Use it for tournament tiebreakers or something.
Videopac Games 