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General articles -
Reviews
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Written by Spector
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Wednesday, 25 February 2009 06:23 |
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Grade: 8/10
 
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Review
Another of Mastertronic's budget titles. BMX Racers has you and your
gloriously 80's BMX bike pitted against 5 obstacle courses in the
prestigious "Mastertronic Gold Cup". Viewed from above. you guide your bike
through the courses avoiding the many obstacles in your path. such as oil
slicks and fences. Some of these obstacles can only be cleared by the use of
strategically placed ramps. but you have to position yourself correctly on
approach or you may not clear the obstacle completely. As well as all this.
you have to pick up all the marker flags on the course or your ride will be
declared void. And don't forget those energy pods: failure to get these and
you will not reach the finishing line. Clearly. pre-planning of your route
matters as much as quick reflexes in this game.
With it's carefully designed levels and obstacles. BMX Racers lives or dies
by the rhythm of it's gameplay. Or in other words. is the actual feeling of
navigating the courses a good one. The answer is a resounding yes. It helps
that each of the levels are different from the other. but more importantly
each level within itself forces you to do a variety of moves that stops the
game from being monotonous. Level one is a simple enough affair. but from
level two onwards. you have to use ramps. accelerate and decelarate at the
right times and use quick movements to get the flags and energy pods. It all
adds up to some intricate gameplay. And it's not easy - unlike Formula 1
Simulator. you won't have this one beaten in a weekend.
BMX Racers happens to be well presented too - decent scrolling. good sound
effects and fine. colourful graphics are present throughout. The C16's
superior colour pallette to the C64 is shown in all it's glory here. There
doesn't appear to be any major bugs either. though on a couple of occasions.
I have sped through the finishing line and the program has failed to
recognise it. which resulted in me crashing a few seconds later. This is a
minor quibble in what is otherwise a fine execution of a good game that
would still have been recommended back in the day if it had been released at
three times it's original price. No doubt about it. BMX Racers delivers the
goods - and you don't even need a crash helmet.
8/10
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