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After the home-grown, unofficial sequel, Domark at last bring us the 'real' one. But is it better?

"So then guv, let's go over this again. What you're saying is that your present vehicle isn't as fulfilling as it once was, eh? Well, I'm sorry, but you are driving a very old model - fine in its day I'm sure, but really up to the standard demanded from today's serious stunt driver? Have you considered the 1992 range? I'm sure you'll be impressed by all the new features and optional extras on offer..." (Ahem.) Or something much like that anyway.

Yes, much in the same way that your average company exec wouldn't be seen dead driving (or "drivin'", even) last year's Cavalier GSi, Domark figure that it's about time Hard Drivin' was re-written and re-released to cash in on a whole new generation of Amiga-owning wannabe stunt racers.

Race Drivin' (the coin-op) was Atari's official sequel to 1989 arcade ground-breaker Hard Drivin' (Hard Drivin' II was just something Domark made up themselves, and not a coin-op conversion at all), and has taken a year or so to filter down to the Amiga. As it is, it comes out hot on the heels of Mindscape's broadly similar 4D Sports Driving which provides another interesting point of comparison. Race Drivin' certainly isn't short of competitors (though, truth be told, none of them are exactly what you could call spectacularly good). If the original game can be described as the basic Popular Plus model then this is an XR3i by comparison (though probably not the Cosworth). Well - in principle at least.

So how's it different from Hard Drivin'? Well, the 1992 model includes two new courses (as well as the original speed and stunt tracks) to master, a choice of three cars to drive, enhanced graphics (you can now see the towers and lights of a city on the horizon) and a two-player head-to-head race option, via the linking of two Amiga.

This is an excellent idea, and adds an intriguing extra dimension to the whole rev/skid/crash experience. Without this link-up, two players can still compete (racing the same track alternatively and then comparing lap times) but it's no substitute for actually bombing along the same strip of concrete neck and neck. This novel feature aside, however, improvements upon its predecessor are merely cosmetic.

So once again, it's time to get your motor running, head out on the highway and do some serious damage to a high-powered car. The challenge with games such as this is to master the art of guiding a (frighteningly realistic) car around a difficult course in as short a time as possible.

The first thing you'll learn is that each corner, dip, loop-the-loop and bridge can only be taken at certain speeds. Once you've worked out what that speed is, you can start carving fractions of seconds off fastest lap times as you fine-tune your cornering and braking technique. It's this aspect of the game that's supposed to provide the long-term enjoyment factor.

OK, people go for different things, and I'm sure that there are lots of us who found Hard Drivin' a lot of fun and a great challenge - though more likely down the arcade than with the stuttering Amiga version. The problem always was that this game relies too heavily on novelty value and coin-op-style smooth 3D - the actual gameplay doesn't stand up for very long once they're stripped away, and try as it might the Amiga can't really cope with this sort of 3D speed very well. The programmers have done a sterling job here - much better than on the first game - but Race Drivin' still lurches uncontrollably into the same no-fun trough as Marble Madness, After Burner, Dragon's Lair and all those other classic coin-ops that made for lousy Amiga titles.

This is no real fault of the original games as such; it's just that they were never designed to be played for longer than ten to fifteen minute stretches. No, they were designed to be immediately appealing - underneath the gloss, there's not really much left to be discovered.

Basically, then, I've mixed feelings here. Domark have certainly made an effort to add more to the game but I'm not sure that it's enough. What I can definitely confirm is that the graphics are excellent, the cars seem to handle realistically and the two-player option could be fun.

You pays yer money and you takes yer risk, really. I'd say this isn't for everyone, but for those who know that they'll enjoy the challenge, or for those who've enough spare dosh to take a chance, it could be a good buy.

Uppers: Two new tracks, three different cars to crash and a neat two-player option just manage to make Race Drivin' sufficiently different from its predecessor. Great graphics and realistic driving action.

Downers: But is there any real game underneath the facade? 4D Sports Driving (Race Drivin's closest rival) offers more cars and a course editor.

Race Drivin' is a smooth, well-presented package built on a tried and trusted formula. The two-player option probably gives it the edge over 4D Sports Driving. Just. Limited, but good fun.