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You're a mean customer. A real hard case. You live for the speed, excitement and explosions of the fastest, most violent sport going. Galaxy 5000 is the name of the game - the ultimate successor to 20th century Grand Prix.

The action takes place on specially developed outer space tracks, orbiting high above each planet in our solar system. The racers drive the fastest form of transport known to man. These armour-clad turbocraft are designed to give the most powerful performance in the harsh conditions. They're also equipped with jump abilities, which make it possible actually leap off the surface of the track, be it to avoid ground hazards (like mines) or to make short cuts on the track simply jumping through space!

There are four sub-races to each level and the going gets progressively more difficult with each race. Extra hazards and more powerful weapons are put up against you - including the likes of massive cannons, out to blast your turbocraft into its component molecules!

So, now you know the gen. Reckon you're good enough to take on the best Galaxy 5000 has to offer?

At the end of the race, your winnings are added to your account and you're taken onto the spending screen. Here you can purchase a new craft, or repair the one you've got. The repair screen is quite novel in that it graphically depicts the extent of the damage, and as you spend money, the damage is gradually repaired.

Each level has progressively more dangerous hazards. Look out for laser cannons, lightning rods, bazooka bombers, black holes and plain old deadly spikes! Keep your finger poised over that jump button to successfully negotiate those potentially deadly hazards.

You start the game with a Tomahawk-class turbocraft, but if you earn enough money (through winning races of course), you have the opportunity to upgrade your ship.

The first ship you can buy is The Crusher, a heavily armoured ship that will cost you 100,000 credits. The best ship money can buy is the deadly Stiletto. Armed with Plasma Bombs and Sidewinders it's "a bit hard".

Should your new ship be destroyed, you can always revert back to your original ship - so make sure you keep it in good repair!

Galaxy 5000 is like a sort of third person perspective version of F-Zero for the Nintendo, complete with all the thrills, spills and excitement of the Super Famicom game.

The speed of the game is perhaps the most impressive aspect - hit a boost pad at top speed and you'll see what I mean. Attempting to out-fox the other players by devising your own cunning short cuts is another aspect that's quite appealing.

Combine this robust gameplay with the prospect of simultaneous two-player exictement and you've got a great game that all race aces should snap up as soon as they see it on the shelves!

Although it might not look much, Galaxy 5000 is simply brilliant! It starts off really easy but quickly powers-up to a deadly, no-holds-barred barge-'em-out - which is just how I like my racing games!

RC Pro Am was like that, but whereas that got a tad boring after a while, Galaxy 5000 gives you a real sense of progress by giving you different turbocraft to fly and increasingly hazardous courses to test your accelerator on.

Your opponents also race harder the further you get into the game, leaping maniacally across corners wherever they can, and forcing you to do the same to keep up!

The presentation screens showing the very square-looking turbocraft aren't as impressive as they could have been, but the game graphics make up for all that. They're really fast and smooth, and they're complemented prefectly by the sampled "'Scuse me!", "Watch it!" and "WAH-WAIIIEEEE!" sound effects.

Activision have come up with the best Nintendo race game yet seen, and I just can't wait for their next set of releases, which includes Die Hard and Ultimate Air Combat!

Presentation 91%
Well presented throughout, with some decent presentation screens. The repair screen is particularly good.

Graphics 89%
Excellent backdrops and brilliant techno-car sprites. The scrolling's a tad jerky, but you don't notice it at high speed!

Sound 92%
Plenty of raucous effects and vaguely appealling music.

Playability 91%
The competitive action and blasting thrills combine to make a really enjoyable game.

Lastability 91%
Plenty of tracks and sub-heats to master mean they you'll be at this for ages!

Overall 91%
One of the speediest and most playable console race games available!