Your Sinclair


Quattro Racers
By Codemasters
Spectrum 48K/128K/+2/+3

 
Published in Your Sinclair #68

Quattro Racers

Oh dear. It's that word again - 'simulator'. Hold your breath, we're going in...

BMX Simulator 2

Now here's a game that pokes you in the ribs and whispers "playability". Essentially Super Sprint with bikes, BMX 2's presentation is snappier than a croc in a mousetrap. It's got funky music and graphics, action replays of races, two skill levels and a (separately loaded) set of harder courses. Pride of place though, goes to the four (four! Four!) player mode. It's not flawless (it's very difficult to tell who's who during a race) but as a communal game it could replace Trivial Pursuit as the perfect way to ruin parties.

Championship Jet Ski Simulator

Essentially BMX 2 on water, with two human players and the added obstacle of numbered buoys to steer between. Thoroughly polished, with teeny (but thankfully very clear) graphics, Jet Ski is bright and cheerful. The tight qualifying times make it harder than it should be. but that's not a problem.

BMX Freestyle Simulator

Essentially Jet Ski without water, on bikes and completely different gameplay. Freestyle pops you (and a pal) into an informal 'street' contest, where you display your skill at wheelies, ramp, half-pipe and quarter-pipe jumps, slow racing and freestyle riding. It looks okay and sounds okay, but after half an hour I still couldn't get past the first test. So either it's ludicrously difficult or I'm just plain crap. (Thank you, you're too kind.)

ATV Simulator

A tasty little two-player racer, simply brimming with obstacles to lumber over. You progress through six terrains (sand dunes to swamp), all of which are displayed with the liveliest graphics this side of Iron Man. It's got a generous time limit and plenty of great touches (like the way you have to scamper back to your ATV after you've hit a rock and cartwheeled off it). All in all, ridiculously playable.

Verdict

A pretty good compilation then, well above par. All the games are (weirdly!) up to the mark (if a tad difficult) and if you've got chums coming round then this is the tape to whip out. You've guessed it - it's a YS Megagame Simulator.

Jon Pillar

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