Yee-double-hah! From
the hit hot author of
BMX
Simulator comes Codemasters'
chart challenger
ATV Simulator.
ATV is a quad racing (ie dune
buggy) re-enaction of the
quality we've come to expect
from the budget champs.
From the first upbeat notes
of Dave Whittaker's music you
know this is going to be high
rev, high speed action. In true
Le Mans style you have to run
and jump your buggy and roar
into the first of your trails. This
is the sand dunes, and
relatively easy; you have to
scale, leap and generally crash
your way round lumps and
hillocks within sixty seconds.
But later screen trails are
harder (and imaginatively daft
- just how do you get the
buggy off the seal's nose in the
iceberg section?). And you
have to finish in the time limit,
or back to screen 1 you go.
There's an excellent split
screen two up facility, which
allows simultaneous game
play, giving you real eyeball to
eyeball keyboard conflict, (
ATV
is joystick compatible). Each
obstacle surmounted gains you
points, so a result is possible
even if you don't clear all the
screens. On screen info
includes your time and fuel
status, but most of the graphics
are given over to the racing.
Control is not as easy as first
appears - sheer speed and
aggression will not bring the
laurels of victory. Up/down
control lets you wheelie (the
180° wheelie spins are a gas if
not always useful!), the fire
button jumps the
ATV, (or the
driver when he has to board
the brute). Left/right controls
speed. For steep slopes,
wheelie slowly and jump
simultaneously - it's a knack
you'll need to master.
If you come off (the crashes
are sensational, but not fatal),
run back to the
ATV, face the
right way and re-mount to start
your race with danger.
| Ratings given by other magazines |
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| Info supplied by the SPOT*ON database |