Amstrad Action
1st August 1991
Quattro Racers
If you like speed, then this is the compilation for you. Three vehicles to choose from and four distinctly different styles of play. The list looks something like this...
BMX 2 Simulator
Another Codemasters 'simulation', this time of that '80s phenomenon, BMX. The action is viewed from overhead. You race in a group of up to four players, tearing round a dirt track on your BMX bikes - you control your racer by rotating his or her bike left and right, pedalling to speed up.
Be careful not to go too fast, because a spill from your bike could mean the end of your racing career. Use the bends and ramps to your advantage and try to grasp the physics of the bike.
Once mastered, the game is a joy to play, especially in the multi-player mode. The graphics are more than adequate and the sound is really rather good. Very playable on its own but very special indeed as part of a compilation.
Championship Jet Ski
Quite similar to BMX 2 this one, but it really has more in common with the Atari arcade game Super Sprint. You guide a tiny jet-ski around a watery maze. Your aquatic pranks are limited by obstacles such as jetties and large ships. These obstacles form a kind of track.
The water has strange effects on the handling of the craft and this takes quite some getting used to. It's entirely possible to slide around a corner at extreme speed, come out at the other side unscathed and overtake the opposition.
The graphics are a little too practical to be attractive and the tiny sprites are at times confusing. Green screen users can just forget it.
The sound effects are sparse but well implemented and the game plays like a dream. Easily the most fun on the compilation.
ATV Simulator
ATV stands for All Terrain Vehicle and that is just exactly what you drive in this game. It looks very similar to an old Mastertronic title Kickstart and plays in much the same way.
You drive the four-wheeled buggy over a scrolling landscape of ramps, walls fences and other obstacles. The buggy can be made to speed up, wheelie or even jump.
The obstacles must be tackled in various ways. Wheelie over the ramps and hop stones to avoid disaster. Even coming off walls is tricky - you have to land at just the right angle to make a safe descent.
If you do come off the buggy, you have to run back to it as quickly as possible in order to beat the strict time limit. The main problem with the game is the difficulty level.
The graphics are a bit sad, but do the job well enough. Sound is frankly rotten, but there is some fun to be had bumping over the track. Even with these problems, it's still a decent little game and well worth a few goes.
BMX Freestyle
Oh dear. There had to be one turkey in the pack and here it is. Returning to the tired old format of riding BMX bikes (no one has them any more, it's all mountain bikes!).
This time showing off is the order of the day. Ride around on a little BMX performing all manner of stunts in a variety of settings. These tricks include wheelies, jumps, half pipe tricks and slow racing??!!?
Performing wheelies is easy and very dull. Just ride along with your wheel up. Ramp-jumping is a bit more exciting - but still poor. Track and field style waggling to build up speed, with a simple press of the button required to jump over your suitably amazed friends.
The half pipe is the most entertaining event. You ride up and down in a U-shaped bowl. Thrilling.
Slow racing is just as frenetic as it sounds, slow joystick waggling involved here and very exciting it is too. Ho hum.
The graphics are OK, but the control method is stupidly cumbersome and the overall effect is a mind-numbingly tedious game.
Verdict
Four games at this price represent incredible value - especially these (even with BMX Freestyle!).
