Dodgems and Connect 4

About

Dodgems and Connect 4 is a two-part game from 1982 that blends arcade action with classic strategy. In Dodgems, you steer a car through winding lanes to collect dots while dodging an opponent. Your car moves constantly forward but can switch lanes at open junctions. Collide with the other vehicle and you lose a life. Three lives total. Speed levels 1-9 let you adjust the difficulty. The second game is a straightforward 7x6 grid version of Connect 4. Drop tokens to create four in a row either against a human or the computer. Controls and visuals are simple but functional for the ZX81's hardware. The package stands out as one of the earliest examples of combining arcade and board gameplay into a single title. While neither game breaks new ground individually, the dual format offered more value for early home computer buyers. Dodgems in particular feels surprisingly twitchy for its era, with collision detection that works better than many similar titles of the time. Released nearly 40 years ago, it's a rare artifact from the dawn of the 8-bit era. Players looking for a no-frills mix of reflexes and strategy might appreciate the straightforward design.