Sinclair User


Mountain Bike Racer

Author: Chris Jenkins
Publisher: Zeppelin Games
Machine: Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Sinclair User #96

Mountain Bike Racer

A little competition. Look at these screenshots of Mountain Bike Racer and see if you can work out what they remind you of. When you've figured it out, write it on a postcard and send it to Zeppelin, or on second thoughts don't bother.

They must realise perfectly well that MBR is staggeringly similar to Gremlin's Motorbike Madness; take the engine out and it's practically the same game. This is a pity, since Zeppelin started off doing very original stuff, and it would be a pity if they ended up resorting to pinching concepts from other companies.

Anyhow, rather than just referring you to the review of Motorbike Madness, here's the idea; you control a mountain bike pedalling furiously left-to-right across a scrolling background. Different sorts of terrain and obstacle require different techniques; for brick ramps you have to pedal very slowly, for stone ramps very quickly, for jumps you need a lot of speed and a jump, for bumps you need a particular wiggle - you get the idea. To make life difficult, you get a ramp followed by a gap followed by a lump, and that's one level one. Easy-Peasy!

Mountain Bike Racer

Finish a level and you get to visit the nice young lady in the bike shop - depending on how much dosh you make for finishing the level before the timer runs out, she'll sell you lots of nice bits for your bike - ice chains, oil. new lyres and like that. No Batman radio, I'm sorry to note.

Level Two looks remarkably like Level One expect it's a different colour, and there are twelve levels in all.

Nice clean graphics, precise joystick control, decent sounds and a tough old challenge; a pity it isn't more original.

Label: Zeppelin Author: Stephen Anderson & David Taylor Price: £2.99 Memory: 48K/128K Joystick: various Reviewer: Chris Jenkins

Overall Summary

On yer bike! I've seen this before somewhere!

Chris Jenkins

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