Commodore User


Supertrux

Author: Mark Mainwood
Publisher: Elite
Machine: Commodore 64/128

 
Published in Commodore User #68

Supertrux

The Supertrux trophy is the most coveted trucking award devised. Nine European countries have come together to sponsor the event and award the prize. They're also agreed to let the thirty ton trucks ruin their roads and terrorist their motorists. You take the wheel of the truck and the idea is to negotiate a route through the nine countries, avoiding hazards on the way. After you have successfully made it through one country the road forks to give you a choice between two more countries.

Sound familiar? That's right, it's Out Run with trucks. In fact, Supertrux is actually closer to Out Run than Out Run 64 was. The C64 version of Out Run didn't allow you to choose your route, the graphics were pretty awful and the roadside effects just seemed to gracefully float past. Supertrux has taken the same format and improved it vastly.

The road moves quite smoothly and convincingly as do the other hazards. Background scrolling is also good, giving a view of the country you are currently racing in. The graphics around the road also give an indication of your location. Although road graphics are quite varied the trucks aren't, all the other trucks look exactly like yours with a different colour scheme.

Super Trux

Sound is a bit of a let down, there's a reasonable title screen tune but in the game all you get is the throaty 'roar' of the engine picking up speed.

Supertrux is certainly playable, a good control system with no gears to worry about means that you can concentrate on the road and avoid hazards. Some countries have a fork in the road so your choice of route expands still further; some routes may be short cuts, others may be very difficult. This means that when you've finished the game, and that could take quite a while, you can always go back and try a different route.

Bearing in mind the limitations of the C64, I think that the programmers have done a good job on Supertrux. If you liked Out Run but were disappointed with the C64 conversion then you could find Supertrux a decent substitute.

Mark Mainwood

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