It’s it. It’s the race you’ve always wanted to win. The race of your life. Head-to-head. NOSE to NOSE. Flag to signal the ultimate race in the world. Only your closest partner – or worst adversary – is standing in your way while you race against each other on 32 challenging racetracks spread across Paris up to Rio.
In the following years, there’s the SNES trilogy, dubbed “Top Gear” (or “Top Racer” as it was referred to by Japanese Japan). The sequels following the initial TG were more sophisticated in terms of options for race cars designs and the requirement for “money” for the parts and accessories from pole positions during races. The first Top Gear is valued for its simple in its approach: choose your name, select your gearbox (auto or manual) and then choose the layout of your controller, then you could even choose a car and race!
Each car you choose with care for the speed: power and handling. Take the controls and blast it through the blacktop. This is the fantastic race on split screen at its finest It requires your skills, determination and split-second speed to continue to race all day long all night long through pitstops, barriers, and roadblocks. So gear up. Make sure your engine is running. Go for the Nitro. There’s only space at the top of the list one!
Graphics:
The graphics of this game perform their task very well. A neat and clean opening screen followed by a nicely laid-out options screen, which also has a stunning (by SNES standards) digitized image behind the text. In the game itself, the graphics are decent, and the cars are nicely drawn. One thing that top gear has that I’ve never seen elsewhere is the way in which, in specific races, the day shifts tonight, and the reverse is true, which either improves or reduces your visibility.
Additionally, the backdrops are distinctive to each track; you can view Leaning Tower at Pisa in Pisa and Pisa, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and so on. The pit lane is also very animated, and the speedometer and timer. Are well laid out so that you can look at the speedometer and timer without fear of crashing. I also loved the tiny speech bubbles that pop from the sides of the vehicle whenever you hit another vehicle or utilize Nitro. For instance, if you’re trapped in a crowd of cars and keep hitting them, the driver will shout something like “get out of the way’, or “are you blind?’.
The Controls:
The controls are flawless. You have four control options, including a left-handed option that lets you hold your SNES Pad upside-down. Moving your car around is simple, and so is cornering. Taking overtaking on fast corners is not a problem since you can speed around the outside, or take one small speed drop, and take a pass to your inside. The throttle and nitro buttons are simple to reach, requiring only one stroke on the index finger to get them. In manual gears mode, a simple press of the L or R buttons will let you go either up or down the gear.
Sounds and Music FX
I have to admit that I believe that Top Gear has the best music of any of the racing games. The title track is one of the best (It can also be the closing music for Lotus1 on the Origin), and the in-game tracks are great as well. They always appear perfect for the track you’re playing on. High notes appear to be in sync with sharp turns, and the music has a beat that gets the adrenaline flowing while you race around hairpin turns. The sound effects from the car (skidding and engine noises, etc.) are also accurately captured.
Gameplay:
The main strength of Top Gear is its exciting gameplay. The fact that it’s a permanently separated screen (like Mario Kart) will always see you playing in a race against an additional “human” gamer is the game’s trump card. When you play in single-player mode, the second player’s car will be controlled by SNES and has to replenish its fuel as you do. In two-player mode, player 2 controls this car. Each race has 20 cars. Your position on the grid for starting is determined by the finish place in the previous race. e.g.) If you finish 1st in the race, you will start the next race 20th place, 2nd = 19th, and the list goes on.
If you’re the first person to finish any track in the country you reside in, you will receive 20 points, and second place earns 15 points. 3rd place earns you 12, and the 4th spot earns you ten. The 5th spot earns you 8. This is the threshold point; however, in the event that you don’t finish a track in 5th or better (out of 20 vehicles), then you won’t be able to progress into the track that follows. Additionally, you must be at least 3rd or higher in any continent or country before you can move to the next nation.
The tracks span across eight regions around the globe. The eight areas include The United States, South America (mainly in Brazil; however it also contains one track from Mexico), Italy, Germany, Japan, France (including one track in Monaco), The United Kingdom as well as Scandinavia (Sweden, Finland, Norway as well as Denmark).
Additionally, you can pick from four vehicles that contrast strongly from each other. It is the white vehicle that’s the best for fuel efficiency; however, in general, it is the lowest speed. On the other hand, Red is the fastest, but it consumes gasoline just like water. The purple and blue cars have a comparable speed and consumption rate of gas; however, the blue car has more stability when turning than the purple car.
There are a lot of distinctions between cars, and playing with different cars makes every game seem like a completely different game because depending on the car you drive, you may be driving a highly manoeuvrable vehicle or one that is as nimble as bricks on wheels. (when driving a red or blue car, it’s more difficult to pass and stay clear of obstacles). Also, you may have a car that needs to be refuelled only every time, twice or even once on a particular track.
The acceleration also varies, which is essential when beginning to get going or following an unfortunate crash or pit stop. The Nitro power can also vary between cars, which impacts the duration of the boost and also overall. Max speed also plays a role in this as well. Some vehicles hold their speed more than others and aren’t able to slow down as quickly following a boost in nitro or an uphill.
If you are running low on fuel, you need to pit stop. To do this, simply drive towards the pit lane. Then, when the fuel level is adequate, head out. Pit stops need a strategy because pitting early in the race can give the racer more opportunity to make up time. If you are running out of fuel, it does not mean that you’re not in the race, as your car will continue to drive forward for a time and when another car is hit, the back of you, you’ll start shifting.
It is possible to run a complete lap without fuel until you manage to complete the lap or get to the pits. But you’ll be losing many positions in the event of a collision or stopping in a place where there are no other vehicles. If you are playing with two players, you can simply ask another driver to push you, however.
The tracks are well-designed, and on longer courses, it’s possible to use a variety of strategies for when to refill or use nitro. Certain tracks like the black forest seem authentic as this track is packed with steep hills, just like the real world. The speed of Top Gear is phenomenal; it’s not incredibly fast; however, it is speedy and smooth when you compare it with the likes of F-Zero as well as Mario Kart, which are sluggish and appear slow when compared.
Challenge Factor:
Top Gear has three difficulty levels. The higher levels allow the computer to be more powerful and faster and also introduce more obstacles on the track. Although the game itself isn’t challenging, you must attempt to be first in each race since every loser could finish in fifth. Additionally, you should attempt to beat the record set by the course that can be seen on the screen prior to the race.
In addition, you must try to finish the game in every car, like the red car. This means you cannot afford to crash, and you are able to reach speeds of approximately 250 mph if you’re skilled. Red cars also consume fuel like there’s no day, yet it is much faster than the blue and white cars. The white car is a good choice for beginner players, while the blue and purple vehicles are for intermediate players, and the red car is designed for experts.
Final Thoughts:
Top Gear does not hold any importance in the history of racing games since it doesn’t have the top-of-the-line options of features, features, or accessories like its sequels did or the other games that could be based on it on different systems. This is unfortunate as it is not just Top Gear simplicity in its most captivating form in terms of racing, and it also sets an avenue for others to replicate the technology it used and enhance it just from a perspective of gameplay.
If you own a SNES and would like to revisit the glory of the Pre-hacked racing era of video games, Top Gear would be one of the games you’ll need to purchase. The game will probably be one of the most thrilling racing games on your list.
