154: Ivan 'Iron Man' Stewart's Super Off Road

Number 154
(20.4 points)
Ivan 'Iron Man' Stewart's Super Off Road
1991: 35 (6.6)
1992: 52 (9.8)
1993: 91 (4.0)

At last, after over 140 games, we reach our first three-time appearance, a solid port of a popular arcade racing game.

It's an off road racing game, in the style of Super Sprint, where four small cars of different colours (the silver one being the Iron Man himself) race around a single-screen track. The first to complete five laps wins the race and the top monetary prize, which can be spent on various upgrades to your car such as tyres, speed and shock absorbers - an important element in off road racing. You can use a limited number of nitro boosters during races, and you can collect both them and money on the track.

A mainstay of arcades in the early 90s, this fun arcade racer really shines in multiplayer, with two players on sticks and one on the keyboard, joining Ivan Stewart on the track. I always loved the arcade game with its big spinny wheel, and the home versions are usually pretty fun too. The only downside is that due to it being an arcade game, it doesn't have much depth, and eventually when your car is fully upgraded, the races just repeat. Still, it's a great pick-up-and-play affair, and as I said, great with friends.

Recommended TOSEC disk(s):
Ivan 'Ironman' Stewart's Super Off Road (1990)(Virgin Mastertronic)[cr PDX]