Quad Challenge
System: Genesis
Release Date: October 1991
Developer: Now Production
Publisher: Namco
Genre: Racing
It’s up to you to master control of the ATV in Quad Challenge! Today is your chance to win the championship. Well, it’s your chance to take part in a cross country gauntlet of 16 races to prove that there is no better ATV racer than yourself. In front of you are the hair raising hairpin turns, the spine crunching jumps, and the speed demon straightaways. Only the very best will be able to master them all. Can you be counted among those warriors of the dirt track?
Enter your name and get ready to race. You have the choice of four different ATVs. The green one is the fastest, but it accelerates and handles poorly. The yellow one is the slowest, but it won’t wipe you out on those tight turns. The green and red ATVs have a manual transmission, while the blue and yellow have automatic transmissions. While you may have a favorite quad to race with, I found myself switching them up based on the type of track I saw in front of me.
If I saw a big straightaway, I was more likely to go with green or blue. If there were more turns for me to worry about, I cautioned toward yellow or red. Most turns could be taken in the 120 to 130 km/h speed range, but being able to shift down to cap your speed at 90 helps with avoid wiping out on the hairpin turns. The manual warns you to stop accelerating when you land a jump and this is no lie, you’ll lose speed if you don’t let go of the throttle.
Getting ahead of the other racer is easy to do off the bat if you time your start right. However, they really like running into you from behind and stopping your forward progress. These races are one on one affairs, but you’ll often run into another racer on the track who only exists to get in your way. This will ruin your best laps and drive you nuts, especially when the computer runs right through them. Luckily, you get a password after every race, but if you lose three times, it’s game over.
Graphics: 1.5
The frame rate is pretty low, the tracks are brown mud, and the background is nothing special.
Sound: 1.0
No music during races, but you need to listen to the sounds to do your best… except you hear your opponents sounds, too. This can be confusing.
Gameplay: 2.0
The racing is incredibly standard, but it works.
Difficulty: 1.5
Sometimes you need to run a perfect race, which can be impossible with the randos showing up.
Fun Factor: 1.5
I wasn’t compelled to get through all 16 races.
Overall Rating: 1.5
Quad Challenge earns a C-. There’s nothing special on display here, it could have used a lot more polish.