Previous Next

If you thought Out Run Europa was the best driving game you'd ever seen, cop a load of this. Okay, so the screenshots don't look anywhere near as colourful as those from Out Run Europa but when you actually see the game running you'll know exactly what I'm on about.

For one thing the screen update is obscenely fast, and becomes even more amazing when you sit back and take in the scenery's high detail. But more on the game's technical merits later. You play the part of a customs officer - but not any old customers officer. Oh no, you are in fact a rather hip Lamborghini-cruising dude.

Unfortunately, just as you're cruising round town, impressing all the lovely locals with your machine, you learn that a terrorist leader has discovered the locations of a number of UN arms dumps. Does he think, "Blow me, this is a bit sensitive. I'll just pretend I never found it in case the coppers nip round?" No, he does not. He quietly sends his dodgy mates round in a big Ford Transit to nick the stockpiles. It's now up to you to make sure he never gets to use them.

Before each level starts, you learn where your enemies are via a satellite link. Then it begins. Levels are divided into two sections, or countries. The first half of the level takes you through friendly territory where there's little enemy resistance - it's just a way of letting you build up your confidence. Halfway through the level you break through the border checkpoint and things start to hot up. Helicopters open fire on you, vanloads of terrorists shred your windscreen with gunfire, jet fighters strafe the road. And if that isn't the worst jam you've ever been in, mines and barbed wire increase the danger tenfold. But that's what you're there for.

In Turbocharge, you still view your car from behind, but when you push left and right on the joystick, the road itself moves, not the car. The more you play, the more you realise that this approach enables you to concentrate on what's coming towards you. It feels much more like real driving and enables you to simply get on with the action without the added hindrance of an unresponsive vehicle.

Rammers, police, whatever. Take 'em out. And remember, you're guzzling fuel fast. There are fuel cannisters all along the way but you've got to be faster off the mark than Carl Lewis to get 'em. If you do miss them, which is extremely likely, keep your eye on the fuel gauge and hit a turbo only when the time is right. Rocketing past aggressors without slowing down to engage them in combat gets you to the end-of-level terrorist more quickly than, er, a very quick thing.

Every level's scenery is unique. Inevitably there are pyramids and sphinxes in Egypt, tanks in Libya, skateboarding monks in Tibet (er... p'raps not) and a few picture postcards' worth of countries at least. Even the presentation or in-betweeny screens are excellent. Whenever you get a satellite message, arrest a terrorist or come to a sticky end, you're treated to one of 13 pixelated masterpieces. The animation in the game itself is red hot - especially when your car explodes. You'll see it soon enough first time you play, but it's almost worth forfeiting the game just to watch it again. The game is filled with neat touches like this - it'll take a while to spot them all.

System 3 have already made a lot of noise about the game's sound (if you know what I mean). They claim they've succeeded in producing five channel sound on the C64. That's stretching the truth a tiny bit but instead of sitting with your ear to the monitor and trying to count them, just sit back and let it hit you, which it will.

Once you've either dealt with or overtaken the mainstream opposition, you catch up with a terrorist leader. He may be a bad guy but he's got a car like yours, so you've got to give him credit for taste. Having said that, you're not here to admire his wheels so use whatever means possible, whether it be gunfire or missiles (hey, who cares?), to get him to stop. Once you've done this, you're given your next set of orders and it's off to your next location.

If the features I've already described haven't convinced you that this is an unmissable experience then let me tell you now. The superior control method, the speed, the graphics, the gameplay and the sound effects all add up to a gut-wrenching intercontinental law-enforcement extravaganza. If you missed Out Run Europa, buy this. If you bought Out Run Europa, sting your folks for the cash and buy this anyway. Any Commy owner who lets an opportunity like this pass him by is, on the one hand stupid, and on the other hand incredibly stupid.

1. Level 5's action is similar to level 1's.

1. Speed you wouldn't believe. Boost will blow your socks off.
2. Wonderfull detailed scenery, and lots of it!
3. Unusual but effective control method.
4. Limited fuel and missiles make it more a game of good judgement than luck.
5. Road-forks, just to make things more juicy.
6. Loads of debris to avoid, and opponents to blast.
7. Tunnel and explosion effects are brill!
8. Soundtracks (five channel or not) add considerably to it.
9. Presentation screens are nice 'n atmospheric.