Review by ABBUC
Hand-stopped 1:26 minutes! No, this is not a lap time, as one might assume due to the game title, but the loading time until the start screen with original 1050 floppy and real floppy disk!
Why do I mention this? Well, in relevant forums the use of xBios (for memory reasons) as DOS was criticized, because then corresponding fast loading routines or PBI devices don't work.
My opinion about this later...
Now let's get to the actual game. The cover photo after loading looks really good. But the hammer is the title music. Yello's "The Race" was excellently implemented here. Your fingers are itching to finally start the “Race”.
To get straight to the point. The game requires a certain amount of "training". There are 8 different tracks, which have such sonorous names as "The Hump Back" or "The Rollercoaster". You can either play alone or fight for 1st place with up to 8 players in the racing series. If you play alone you start in Division 4, the lowest class. There are six races in which you compete once against each other in duel mode. There are three laps per race against the computer opponents. The winner gets 2 points and an extra point for the fastest lap time.
The first place in the table is then promoted to the next higher division. If you also win Division 1, you then drive in the “Super League”. Here there is increased "Engine Power" and "Brakes". If you also make it to Division 1 and win it, you can be decorated with the title "Super League Champion".
Now let's dive into the racing business. After we have chosen the "Single Player League", we can enter our name. On the next screen we have the choice between "Hall of Fame, Practice, Start the Racing Season and Load/Save/Replay". To view the best lap times or race times, select "Hall of Fame". The "Practice" point is highly recommended, especially at the beginning, to get familiar with the track profile. With "Start the Racing Season" it's time to get down to business! With "Load/Save" you load or save the game, with "Replay" you don't have to enter your name again when restarting the season. Yikes, so much text and still not on the gas...
But let's get started. When we have started the "Racing Season", some details about the race are displayed. If you press the fire button again, the course of the route is presented, which we can view from different perspectives. Of course, we have practiced diligently beforehand and can drive the track with our eyes closed...
Now press the fire button again and we're already sitting in the cockpit of our "stunt car".
A crane heaves us onto the track and as soon as we've been released, we have to step on the gas, otherwise the computer opponent will casually pass us. Now it's time to get to grips with the controls and displays of our racing car. For those who know the game on other platforms: there is no keyboard control!
Let's start with the displays. At the top left, we see a line snaking to the right. It indicates chassis cracks. If the line comes to the right end, the car is scrap and the race is over. At the top right you can see holes that indicate structural damage. If the line moves to the left end, the car is also "dead in the water". The difference is that the chassis cracks are repaired after each race while the structural damage remains.
At the bottom left, the "L" stands for laps. Next to it is the "B" for special "Boost Fuel" to be able to accelerate or brake more. The distance to the opponent is shown below. A negative number means you are ahead of your opponent. The flag to the right also shows whether you are in front of or behind your opponent. If it's yellow, you're in the lead. The scale in the middle above the steering wheel shows the speed in miles per hour multiplied by 10. The stopwatch on the right under the scale lights up yellow when you have driven the fastest lap time. To the right is the current lap time and below that the fastest lap.
Now for the controls. Joystick forward/backward corresponds to accelerate or brake. Left and right is just left and right. The fire button activates the boost function (then it also brakes better!). You don't have to constantly pull forwards or backwards. Give the impulse once and it will automatically continue to accelerate or brake.
But now it starts!!! Push the stick forward and press the fire button, the flames are already licking out of the exhaust, and it starts with a lot of noise. You ride on a kind of roller coaster from which you can fall off the sides. So always stay in the right direction and don't drive too fast. The route is shown vectorized in (pseudo) 3D. ANTIC Mode 4 is used here.
If you leave the track, a crane will put you back on track, but you lose a lot of time. In addition, there is damage to the car. Damage can also result from hard landings after jumps, or cornering too hard.
The controls require some practice at first. You first have to get used to the perspective and coordinate your control inputs accordingly. However, the frame rate is surprisingly smooth, at least no comparison to Flightsimulator II.
Adjusted speed and not a continuous lead foot (apropos, don't I still have "foot pedals" hanging around somewhere, might be worth a try!?) is required here.
Especially for jumps, the speed should be chosen so that the landing takes place in the descending slope to avoid damage. Later routes require precise landings. If you need time to catch your breath, the space bar is your friend. It pauses the whole event. You can end a race prematurely with the "ESC" key, but you will not receive any points. If you leave the track, e.g. shortly before a big jump, the acceleration is no longer sufficient to build up enough speed to master the jump. Our racer then struggles in vain and is soon just scrap. Here I always got out in "ESC" to avoid further damage.
Conclusion:
If the game only came on cassette and the loading time was 15 minutes, never mind, this game is definitely worth it! I played the C64 version for comparison and found almost no differences. The higher frame rate of the ATARI didn't really matter. The engine noise of the C64 is perhaps a little more "realistic", but the fat yello sound is missing. The level of difficulty is crisp and making it all the way to the top is difficult, but probably not impossible with the right training. Long-term motivation is therefore required. The multiplayer mode is predestined to be tested for suitability at one of the next ATARI meetings.
Our rating: Outstanding