C&VG


Kellogg's Tour

Author: Tony Dillon
Publisher: CRL
Machine: Commodore 64

 
Published in Computer & Video Games #85

Kellogg's Tour

Now there is a new bandwagon for software companies to clamber onto. First, there was the 'Official coin-op' bandwagon. Then there was the "officially endorsed by a famous and well-loved sports personality" bandwagon. Now, there's the "Make it about a breakfast cereal" fad. Following hot on the heels of the press releases concerning the soon-to-be-launched Coco Pops game (joke!), here's the Official Game of the Kellogg's Tour of Britain.

For those of you who don't know, the Tour of Britain is a cycle race from Newcastle to Westminster - 678 miles in all. Divided into six stages, the cyclists involved have to try and get to the front of the pack and complete the course in the fastest possible time, collecting different coloured jerseys along the way. If, for example, they reach the top of a particularly steep hill and end up in first place the pinnacle, they are given a white jersey, some bonus time and get awarded the title, King of the Mountain (which just happens to be a mega rockin' track off Kiss' platinum album, Asylum). Certain routes are sectioned off. Once you enter these sections, the idea is to sprint through them in the fastest possible time. If you manage to beat the previous record, you get another jersey and a time bonus. By the way, you also get a jersey if you win a stage. After a while, I can see you getting pretty hot with all those jerseys on.

Still, how has the C64 version fared in the computerised translation. The best way to describe it is a cross between Milk Race and the cycling event in Summer Games II, though not a patch on either. The problem is that there's no variation. Even the hills are only represented by a slope-o-graph thingy at the bottom of the screen. Maybe I can stick it for a stage or two, but for six! Forget it! Boredom city!

I might be tempted to like this a little bit more were the gameplay of any excitement, but continuous joystick waggling with a bit of the old fire button thrown in here and there completely fails to excite me. Add graphics that would have embarrassed a Vic 20 and you've not got much of a game.

This game goes against everything Kellogg's has ever stood for. You know what I mean: life, sunshine, happiness, smiling families... Still, if this game sends you to sleep, you can always have a sunny bowl of Corn Flakes when you wake up.

Tony Dillon

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