ST Format


No Second Prize
By Thalion
Atari Falcon

 
Published in ST Format #48

No Second Prize

Bike racing sims don't come much better than Thalion's No Second Prize, so it's great to see the game make it onto the Falcon.

You play one of six worldly-wise racing fanatics who has to take part in one of the most gruelling competitions the racing world has ever seen. There are 26 different circuits to complete and you have to win every single one of them to get your hands on one of the rarest, most beautiful motorbikes ever built.

The ST version of No Second Prize proved to be an exhilarating experience, with its slick 3D vector graphics and nail-biting gameplay. It was justifiably awarded an ST Format rating of 87% in ST Format 46. However, the Falcon version is identical - it's merely been converted from the ST version. There are no extra colours, although the intro sequence looks as if it's been tweaked, and the in-game graphics are certainly no more detailed.

Even worse, there are no sexy sounds or music samples. You're left with the mind-numbing din of chip noises blaring through the Falcon's internal speaker. The only discernible difference between it and the ST version is slightly faster gameplay, but then the original was already a little too fast for comfort anyway.

The game's still tricky to control at first - after all not everyone drives a motorbike with a mouse - and it takes a lot of practice to get round the track in one piece, let alone win. All too often you end up kissing the side of a burger van or mowing down isolated pockets of spectators. Still, you can always console yourself by looking at the different views of your disasters with the excellent remote camera replay.

Verdict

No Second Prize is a great bike racing sim, but Thalion win no awards for porting the ST version across to the Falcon. Graphically the game's identical to its ST twin and even retains the aggravating chip music and sound effects.

Highs

The Falcon version of No Second Price is fast with smooth scrolling vector graphics.

Lows

It's exactly the same as the ST version.

Rob Mead

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