Lotus Turbo Challenge

"A decent Genesis racer"

I picked this game up about 7 years ago due to the fact that it had a cool name. I must admit now, that yeah, it was a pretty cheesy game, but maybe I gave it a 7 for nostalgia alone. I can still remember my friend and I playing that game in two player mode, annoying the hell out of each other with the taunt (C button). I believe now that every game should have a taunt button. YEE HAW! YEE HAW!... Anyway, less taunting and more reviewing. On to the scores!

Graphics- 5

Typical first generation Genesis. Decent car sprites, and sparse, blocky, nasty looking backgrounds (If you can even call them that.) Tunnels are really spots that the developers figured they could omit backgrounds entirely and just put a gray screen. However, the track graphics are varied enough, and the cars look decent, so I think a 5 is appropriate.

Sound- 7

Call me crazy, but I think the sound in this game is pretty good. I can't exactly put my finger on why though... Wait, yeah I can. The voice samples are spot-on, featuring words such as CONGRATULATIONS! CHECKPOINT! and my personal favorite, YEE HAW! How can anyone not like the music and FX...

Control- 7

It's an old racing game. So that means that there's the accelerator, the brake, and the taunt. Basic racing fare, for the most part. You switch between Manual and Auto, and I recommend that you keep it on Auto unless you have an unusually high frustration tolerance. It's pretty easy to maneuver left and right to avoid cars. And don't forget to jump the logs to cross the rivers!

Replay- 7

You'll play this game for longer than you might originally expect. Two player mode is smooth and the taunt (best... button... ever...) will keep you entertained for quite a while. But you probably won't beat the game at first. The 8 levels are quite difficult, but a password system keeps the fun going!

Final Score- (not an average)-6

It's not pretty. It doesn't have much depth. But it's decent. Especially considering that this is one of those fifty cent games in a giant bin at the local discount store. But, it was good enough to warrant a sequel, that takes the mediocrity of this game and takes it to the next level of mediocrity. Remember, a 6 is still an above average score, so hardcore Lotus Turbo Challengers don't send me angry hate mail.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 03/09/01, Updated 03/09/01