Overhead Racers #17

Super Cars (1990)
By: Magnetic Fields Genre: Overhead Racing Players: 1 Difficulty: Medium
Featured Version: Commodore Amiga
Also Available For: Atari ST, NES, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum

I have been meaning to review this fab game for many years now as I have happy memories of playing it at my good friend Luke's house on his Atari ST, and accordingly I was going to look at that version here. However, as is often the case when I'm preparing reviews here, I had a quick look at some other versions too, and was slightly started to find that the Amiga version appears to be a jolly sight nicer in all regards, so I have instead decided to focus on that version like the graphics tart I didn't realise I was. None of the versions are terribly complicated though, admittedly. Simply load the game, enter your name (which must be four letters long, it seems, so I went for 'boob', naturally), choose one of the nine available tracks, and off you go.

Soon after this you will most likely realise there is at least a little more to Super Cars, but not much. There are, you see, three cars available, all with made-up names but clearly modelled after real cars. You start with a blue Alfa Romeo SZ but you can also enter the showroom and buy either a red Honda NSX or a white Cizeta-Moroder V16T, both of which cost a pretty penny. You get a choice of things to say to the wily dealer though, and with the right combination you should be able to get him to lower the prices a little. The Alfa is fine to start with though, and you can also buy upgrades for whichever car you're using by visiting the garage run by the blonde hottie below. As you can see in the screenshot, here you can buy more speed, turbos, power steering, retro (improved braking), armour, spin assist, and front and/or rear missiles! The stripey-shirted temptress charges a lot though.

One is also inclined to question the quality of her wares as they only last for the next race. This means caution is your friend when it comes to spending your cash which is, unsurprisingly, earned by racing. First place will win you £20K while second nets you £12K and third gives you £5K. Finish outside the top three, however, and it is, rather harshly, game over. Your results, your car, and more importantly all your cash - gone! You will at least only have three CPU-controlled opponents to start with but their numbers swell through the game until you are eventually facing seven other racers. Naturally, they also get faster and better as you progress through the championship which is contested over three classes. Get through all nine tracks and you'll be promoted to the next class where you have to do the same again.

Unfortunately, you always start at the back of the field no matter how well you do in the previous race, and getting past the other racers can be trickier than navigating the loopy courses sometimes. The cars knock together in an annoying, speed-reducing way, you see, and it isn't hard to seemingly become 'stuck' to one of them. Gnngh! How many times I've shouted "Get out of my damn way!" at the screen I don't know! The apparently-poorly upheld circuits also feature hazards like oil/water spills and slow-down patches and the like, which you'll generally run into just as you finally get past a car that been causing problems for ages! On top of that, your car's engine, body, fuel and tyres all degrade as you race and will need to be repaired now and then, which stripey-shirt babe also charges a fortune for.

You'll need to keep an eye on their levels actually as, much like not finishing a race third or better, if you skid too much or bash too many cars or barriers or run out of fuel - it's also game over. Gnngh! Happily, if you don't drive like a lunatic, it will take more than one race to wear stuff out, and you have those upgrades to help you out too, although as mentioned, they only last for the next race so it's worth saving them for races you suck donkey balls at. Interestingly, the missiles, though unspectacular to behold, will destroy a car with one hit, leaving the wreck on the circuit for the rest of the race. I suppose it's just as well though, as you do only get one missile per purchase. Jeepers, that young lady must be raking it in!

Suffice to say, though, Super Cars is a game that has a bit more to offer than it first appears to. It's unforgiving for sure, perhaps more so than any other game of this genre I've played, but it's good fun and addictive. Even better, it has aged well too. Aside from their layouts, the courses all look the same, but they are challenging to race look nice thanks to the crisp graphics and greater trackside detail here than in the ST version. The music is great as well (there is even some in-game!), as are the effects, and the three 'classes' should keep most players occupied for many moons. The only downside really is that, unusually for a game of this type, it's for one-player only, which now makes me wonder if Luke and I were playing Super Cars II as I'm sure we were racing against each other. Does the sequel have two-player racing? I guess it's time to revisit that one too!

RKS Score: 8/10

Gameplay Video: here's a video of the whole game being played by one of the talented fellows at AL82 Retrogaming Longplays (check out their great channel here). Oh, and don't watch if you want to avoid spoilers!