Mean Machines


Turbo Racing

Categories: Review: Software
Publisher: Data East
Machine: Nintendo (US Version)

 
Published in Mean Machines #7

Turbo Racing

Strap yourself into your mega-speed road racer and ready yourself for the trials and tribulations of the life on the Formula One circuit! Turbo Racing has a lot in common with the ageing coin-op classic, Pole Position, in that the action is based around a scrolling 3D track and your objective is simple. Use your racing skills and guide your speed monster through the traffic to the coveted number one slot.

Al Unser Jr (a bit of a big light in the USA when it comes to driving fast cars) has officially endorsed this Nintendo driving game, and the programmers have taken every opportunity to use his inane smiling features wherever possible...

Turbo Power

If you thought that your Formula One car's prowess was equal to that of an L-reg Skoda, guess again! When you reach top speed, simply by moving your joypad upwards a special boost of turbo power propels your car forward at truly phenomenal speeds! Watch it though, because using this option burns up, your fuel at an alarming rate!

Unser For This

Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing

Al Unser Jr., the game's official sponsor gives out his own special advice for each of the game's sixteen tracks! Among the tracks included in the game are Brazil, Spain, Monaco, and the UK, although it must be said that Mr. Unser Jr's words of wisdom are pretty useless for anyone speed freak psycho driver who's any good at all at any road-racing games.

Pit-In Pranks!

During the course of your Formula One frivolity, the chances are that just like real life, you're going to run out of fuel! At the beginning of each lap there's special lane that you can enter in order to refuel your car.

Also, if your car sustains some damage (some of the computer driver are graduates from the Ayrton Senna School of Motoring), it can be repaired here!

Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing

Time is lost of course, but it's a lot better than not finishing the race at all isn't it?

Matt

Turbo Racing is a pretty playable game - your Formula One car is easy to control and the feeling of speed when you ignite your nitros is quite neat (the screen even shakes!).

The 3D update is fast and realistic, although the graphics tend to flicker when things get very busy, and the roadside obstacles are very plain. There are a lot of tracks, and it takes quite a while to learn them all, and the computer opponents are also challenging, so it takes plenty of practice before you start winning races.

Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing

Still, if you're prepared to stick with it, Turbo Racing offers plenty of thrills and spills for a speed freak.

Julian

Being a bit of a speed freak, I thoroughly enjoyed playing this. The 3D update is smooth, fast and convincing and the computer opponents are no dummies, so you really do have to race to get a decent grid position, making the game challenging and exciting.

The most important thing in a race game is that the action is fast and exhilarating, and I found that with Turbo Racing this is certainly the case - the opposing cars weave about and if you're not concentrating it's easy to spin off on a corner.

Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing

Nintendo race games have been thin on the ground up until now - so if you feel the urge to warm your turbos, take this for a test drive immediately.

Verdict

Presentation 82%
There's plenty of presentation screens to wade through, and also a save game option.

Graphics 78%
The in-game graphics flicker sometimes when there's a lot happening, but the 3D update is fast and the cars are excellent!

Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing

Sound 63%
Pretty standard road-racer fare. Nothing to pump up the volume for.

Playability 81%
The car is easy to control and the game is fast and exhilarating...

Lastability 76%
...and the tough computer opponents make sure that it takes plenty of practice before you become a Grand Prix winner.

Overall 80%
An excellent road racing game with plenty of options and fast and challenging action. A must for Nintendo road racing freaks.