279: Super Cars

Number 279
(0.9 points)
Super Cars
1991: 92

Atari Games' Super Sprint was clearly an influence on quite a few driving games on home computers, and this little top-down racer is another to add to the list. It appears here on the low end of the 1991 list, and the following year would be replaced by its successor, in an equally low position.

At first glance, Super Cars seems like a simple racer in the Super Sprint mould, but when you explore the menus, you realise it's a bit more advanced than that. There are various upgrades you can make to your car, including weapons, and a number of different cars you can take out on the track, provided you have the cash. You need to keep an eye on your tyres, fuel and any damage that your car receives, so regular trips to the garage are necessary. There is no two-player option, and the computer-controlled cars have very basic AI, but there are quite a few tracks to race on, and variety in the different cars and upgrades.

As top-down racers of the time go, Super Cars is a nice entry in the genre. Other games like Micro Machines will rate more highly, but they don't include the variety in play that this does. Of course, the sequel features slightly higher in this list as it was included in the 1992 list, but this provides some good old-fashioned racing fun.

Recommended TOSEC disk(s):
Super Cars (1991)(GBH)[cr Flashtro][f 680x0 Flashtro][t +13 Flashtro][budget]