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A top notch rally game from Ocean with detours into other dimensions

This rally is far more than a straightforward dash from A to B over difficult terrain. Strange effects have been built into the route which transforms it into a trip through the Twilight Zone.

Not only do you have to complete each stage within a set time limit you must also amass bonus points to progress and to do this you get involved in some very strange manoeuvres indeed.

The landmarks dotted over the landscape include marker flags indicating the course and fuel dumps whch give you an instant tank up. It's important to go around the flags the right side as indicated on the dashboard layout below the main screen and refuelling is essential for you to reach the finishing gate on the first stage.

That's the basic set up but there are many surprises in store. Reckless driving is in fact encouraged - make for the hills, jump over them and you get bonus pints and if you hit them at an angle the car does an impressive somersault and you get even more points.

But if you want to sample the more bizarre side of the rally heard for the magical standing stones. Ramming these head-on produces a strange range of effects. Sometimes you will just stop dead but particular stones will variously cause your car to take to the air, reverse the screen so you are driving with the sky above you or create a curious blurring effect on the landscape.

All these effects are graphically so convincing that you immediatey accept them as a part of the game. The perspective shifts are also very smooth giving a real sensation of speed. Searching out all the screen effects can distract you from reaching your objective but it's worth expending a few lives just to test them out and after a few outings you discover that they can actually help you. Flying over trees and obelisks, for instance, brings in some valuable bonus points. On some stages, diversions from the main course are essential to collect the necessary bonus points.

Sometimes the weather conditions alter and fog descends cutting visibility down completely so that objects seem to appear out of nowhere. Each stage presents different challenges.

The first is a flat plain strewn with objects to collide with for a bonus point accumulation and others to strictly avoid. Only experience will tell you which is which.

The second stage is completely different being a winding course over an icy surface. Choosing the correct speed is important here but you'll find that even successfully getting through the flag gates is not enough to get you to the next stage. Also on the course are numerous cones which you must clip to get you the required points tally.

Nightmare Rally is an excellent game for anyone who likes being behind the wheel of a computer simulation. Very challenging, very unpredictable, this game is highly addictive and highly recommended.