Math Gran Prix

"What a wasted effort..."

I remember reading about this game in one of those game catalogs that you would find occasionally packed in with an Atari game or the system itself. It seemed appeasing to me, but it would be awhile before I could actually try it. When I did try it, though, I realized exactly why it took so long to try this game, and maybe it was for the better.

Graphics: 3/10
If you've played Atari Bowling, then odds are you know what to expect for most of the symbols here. The cars themselves look pretty much like the cars you'd see in Dodge 'Em. At the top of the screen, some text (rare for most Atari games) will ask you how many spaces you're going, and then present a math problem. Big deal. The track looks more like a game board (which is what I think the developer was aiming for!)

Sounds: 2/10
You'll hear a cheap sound effect for what would probably be the sound of your car as it drives across the track, er, board. If you manage to land on the same space as your opponent's car, you hear a standard sound effect that's supposed to be your car crashing! If you get a problem wrong, you hear a buzzer that's just WAY too loud!

Controls: 1/10
Oh how awful. You're supposed to enter numbers with the joystick. Most of the time, the controls are rather stiff and unresponsive, and two thirds of the time you end up entering the wrong number. As for moving your car, don't even think about it, the computer does it for you.

Basically, you and your opponent (a friend or computer player) take turns answering math problems, where a correct problem moves you forward, but an incorrect problem costs your turn. The first person to reach the finish line wins. Ho hum.

Replay: 2/10
If you've got a little brother or sister who needs help with their math, then this is a fun way to help them learn, seeing how the computer is not the best of opponents. It's a simple and effective way to teach them how to do their arithmetic problems. Otherwise, there's no point in playing it.

Overall: 3/10
It had some great potential as a teaching tool, but all-in-all, this grand prix gets the black flag before it even starts! Take off the 'Math' and you've got a great racer from Activision, which is definitely better than this! Otherwise, send this game into the pits at all costs!

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 04/09/01, Updated 07/16/01