Final Lap Twin
System: TG-16
Release Date: January 1990
Developer: Namco
Publisher: NEC
Genre: Racing
Final Lap Twin is another racing outing on the TurboGrafx-16. It doesn’t really do a whole lot new, but it is like World Court Tennis in that it includes a Quest mode. Here you have to… I don’t know… beat a gang of Baby Four-Wheel-Drive Warriors? What?
Dad sends you out to travel across the land moving from one town to the next. Along the way, you’re challenged by random enemies to a one on one lap around a course. If you win, you get paid and can continue on. If you lose, you go back to the starting town and get 300 bucks from your dad. You can buy upgrades to the body (for escaping), battery (for using turbo), tires (for increasing traction), motor (for maximum speed), wings (to improve jumping). Along the way, you face bosses who give you items like the map and compass when you win.
Outside of Quest Mode you can play one or two players. Choose between the lower horsepower F3000 and the higher horsepower F-1 classes. You can compete in a test race where you do one lap and a GP where you race three laps on multiple courses. Finishing in the top six moves you to the next course, finishing outside leads to game over.
Races are very simple. You accelerate with Button I. Lay off the accelerator as you go around corners. I’m used to the stripes outside of the tracks being an extension of the track, but here they slow you down. There are also ramps in quest mode races, which give you a boost to acceleration. The battery also gives you the ability for turbo boosts if you hold Up. Button II brakes, but who uses brakes in a racing game? Only losers, if you ask me!
Graphics: 2.0
Frankly, outside of a good number of colors, the graphics are pretty poor.
Sound: 1.0
The weakest part of the game by far. The sounds and music are pretty poor.
Gameplay: 2.0
Despite the multiple modes, they aren’t different, they’re races. The races don’t have much depth to them, just stay on the best line and win.
Difficulty: 2.5
You need to be on the ball in order to keep going on in GPs and need a buttload of patience to keep going in Quest Mode.
Fun Factor: 1.0
Without much variation, it’s not very fun for very long.
Overall Grade: 1.7
Final Lap Twin earns a C-. The game is playable, but it isn’t worth a whole lot of your time.