92 lines
5.2 KiB
Plaintext
92 lines
5.2 KiB
Plaintext
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STUNT TRACK RACER
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STUNT TRACK RACER is a futuristic racing simulation published by Microplay and
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distributed by Medalist International, a division of MicroProse Software. This
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fast-moving game offers superb three-dimensional graphics and race animation,
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four racing divisions, eight elevated tracks, practice mode, simple joystick or
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keyboard control, modem support for two players, save option, and copy
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protection. The Atari ST version (which requires 512K and a color monitor) is
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the basis of this review.
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Geoff Crammond, the designer and programmer of STR, is also responsible for THE
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SENTRY, one of the more original strategy/arcade games, as well as REVS PLUS, an
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outstanding racing simulation that you still may be able to find for your
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Commodore 64. In STUNT, Mr. Crammond has combined souped-up 21st-century
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vehicles and elevated rollercoaster tracks with the ST's great graphics and
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animation capabilities to create a game that'll wire your brain to the screen
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and your hand to the controller.
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Having served your racing apprenticeship on Formula 1 tracks that were shut
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down in 2006 for safety reasons, you now yearn to hit the Stunt Tracks. It's the
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year 2008; you've bribed all the right people, had all your injuries repaired,
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and made it to the Stunt circuit, where the tracks sometimes reach heights of
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500 feet. There are four divisions, each with two tracks: Little Ramp, Big Ramp,
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High Jump, and Drawbridge are self-explanatory.
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Your vehicle is turbo-charged: a cross between a dune buggy and a rail that
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sports a titanium alloy suspension system, special extra-sticky tires, and
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nitrous oxide fuel that propels you from a standstill to 60 mph in two seconds.
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The chassis has been reinforced to withstand the bone-rattling impact of a 50
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mph landing.
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The goal of the game is to become the top driver in each division, beginning in
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Division 4 and heading toward Division 1. Assuming you become the Division 1
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champ, you can then enter the Super League competition: The overall goal is the
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same but your opponents are much tougher and all vehicles have been further
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modified to handle even higher speeds. Points are awarded for winning a race and
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for the best lap time.
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The ST screen display consists of a large arena and the track you've selected,
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as it might be seen from a high vantage point. You can rotate a track through
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several different views. When you're ready, a crane picks up your vehicle, drops
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it on the track, and it's off to the races.
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Each track is solid-modeled and three-dimensional, which you'll see from the
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driver's POV: If you think of a rollercoaster -- one of those theme park
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monsters, for example -- and imagine yourself in the lead seat, you'll know
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exactly what you're in for. You have to drive fast, handle the bumps and dips,
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and hit the jumps and ramps at the right speeds and/or accelerations, so that
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you land in a way that minimizes the damage from the impact.
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The dashboard of your vehicle consists of lap indicator, lap time, speedometer,
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and a readout (in meters) of the distance between you and the nearest opponent.
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There is also a readout for boost, which is a limited supply of a special fuel
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used for greater acceleration.
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There are keystrokes available, but STUNT is best controlled with a joystick:
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Left and right steer the car, forward accelerates, backward brakes, and the
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button adds boost. One neat feature is that when you push the stick forward and
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then release it, the car will accelerate by itself until you hit the brakes.
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When you're not using the stick (or the keyboard), auto-alignment steers the car
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in the direction of the track -- except when you're not on it, of course.
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The difference between the stunt tracks and a real rollercoaster (other than
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the obvious one) is that a rollercoaster doesn't come unhinged from the rails
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(not usually, anyway). On a stunt track, you have to steer the car through the
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turns, across the ramps, and up and down the hills and gulleys: Hit a ramp at
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the wrong speed and you'll land too harshly; time a jump poorly and you'll miss
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the track completely and crash into the supports.
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The STUNT TRACK RACER package comes with one copy-protected disk and an
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instruction manual that includes a 25-page article called "The History of Motor
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Racing, 1895-2008." The two-player option requires a modem and another STR owner
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with an ST or an Amiga.
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STUNT TRACK RACER is an outstanding game, one that was certainly informed by
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REVS PLUS, Geoff Crammond's previous race simulation. The graphics are superb
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throughout, the race animation is realistic enough to make you lose track of the
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outside world, and joystick operation is extremely easy to learn and use. The
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banked and elevated tracks dip and rise (more so than in any race or driving
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game you've ever played, and enough to make your belly flip over), and the gooey
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tires keep the vehicle on the surface -- except when you're airborne, which is
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often.
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If you're looking for the speed and thrills of a rollercoaster ride, and the
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tension and excitement of competition, you needn't look any further than STUNT
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TRACK RACER.
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STUNT TRACK RACER is published by Microplay and distributed by MicroProse.
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*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253
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