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BMX SIMULATOR
(1986/7) AMAZING REALISM |
REVIEW
by Nightcrawler
As
the title suggests, this is a game about a simulated BMX bike race! You control
a guy on a BMX bike from a top down birds eye view of the entire course. Your
opponent in the race is either computer controlled or if you have one - a friend.
The bikes are green or red and you have a time limit to complete a set number
of laps. If you complete the course before the time is up, then you qualify
for the next race.
There are seven courses in total and they progressively get harder with all number of ramps, bumps, burms and water to aid you or slow you down. (Burms are banked corners, they enable you to hit a turn at high speed and also more importantly allow you to carry that speed when you exit from the corner). The controls are fairly easy with the fire button pressed down for acceleration and released for brakes, followed by left and right stick movement used to turn the bike.
The single player option is by far the hardest as just completing the race in the given time is testing enough, without taking into account the indestructible computer controlled bike! Whether you collide with his bike or he hits you, it's always you who takes the dive! The computer bike will always follow the same path each race and crashes in the same place each time on certain levels. The only way of completing the later courses is if you let him go first and follow him, because if you race him then 10 times out of 10 you will either collide with his bike or hit the scenery.
The
two player option in my opinion is what this game is all about. Less frustrating
then the single player and more fun as rivalry kicks off and collisions are
now fair. Also an added bonus is an action replay option, which must have been
one of the first of its kind in computer games as far as I remember. So whether
it's a close race or just totally messed up then you can see your glory or misery
all over again.
The time limit still
occurs in two player and another bad point is the fact that once you fall off
your bike you get back up but are usually facing the wrong way. The high standard
of music and sound effects as well as reasonable graphics does help a great
deal, but with the sticking points that I mentioned before make this a "nearly
game" that just doesn't quite reach it's potential.
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"BMX
see-you-later"
(6/10) |
GAME
TIPS
Remember to slow down around corners by releasing the Fire Button.
Avoid close contact with the Computer Opponent as you
will always end up the victim of a collision.
Be careful when you get up from a crash as you will normally
end up facing the wrong direction!
BMX Online
(BMX Tech Help, Buyer's Guide, How To's and Interviews)
www.bmxonline.com/bmx/
BMX Plus!
(Website for the magazine, with Photo Gallery, Shop and BMX Maintenance Tips)
www.bmxplusmag.com/
Metal-E-Zine
(Interview with David Whittaker from 1989)
www.metal-e-zine.com/intex/david.htm
Remix64
(Interview with David Whittaker from October, 2001)
remix64.phatsites.de/index.php?load=interview_nr_88