R.C. Grand Prix
System: SMS
Release Date: June 1990
Developer: Absolute Entertainment
Publisher: Seismic Software
Genre: Racing
Bring out your radio control to compete in R.C. Grand Prix. Go head to head with three other racers as you seek to be the very best that ever was. Upgrade your machine to be the fastest car on the block and win all 10 circuits.
The only button used in this title is Button 1. It’s your selector and your accelerator. There is no brake, you have to lay off the gas to slow down. As we have an isometric view, pressing left or right changes your heading, you don’t have a steering wheel here. Corners that should be 90 degree turns are actually 135 or 75 degree turns, so you have to over or under compensate, which isn’t very friendly.
After each race, you earn money based on your place and how much time was left on the clock. You can buy new engines, tires, suspension, gears, and batteries. Grabbing the ultra motor made me leave the other racers eating my dust, but the next race, they had ultra motors, too. This completely ruined any advantage I had earned by winning the early races and making money.
If you finish fourth or run out of time, it’s game over. Try again. The manual tells me there’s a drag race between the fifth and sixth races, but I couldn’t get past the fifth race, so I didn’t see it. If I got lucky, competitors would get stuck on the wall and I could catch up and overtake them, but it’s not something to count on.
Graphics: 2.0
I thought everything looked pleasant.
Sound: 1.5
A little chime alerts you to upcoming turns. Music outside of races is cool enough.
Gameplay: 2.0
The isometric view makes 90 degree turns not work like 90 degree turns should.
Difficulty: 2.5
The ability to upgrade your car with your winnings is nice, but the computer getting the same upgrades the next race kills your advantage.
Fun Factor: 2.0
I enjoyed myself and think that I could do better if I found the right upgrade path.
Overall Grade: 2.0
R.C. Grand Prix earns a C. This is an overall average game that you may find a bit of enjoyment out of.