Off Road Challenge

"No challenge here!"

From the developers of Cruis'n USA comes Off-Road Challenge. Off Road Challenge is actually a conversion of an arcade game into console format. Likewise, the game was meant to be played in the arcades and not a system for good reason.

Story: N/A

Gameplay: 6/10
As soon as the title screen appears, you can select a one-player game, two-player competition or fiddle with the options. If you decide on the one-player game, you are given the choices to "Just Play," start a new Circuit, resume a saved Circuit, or view your best times for each course. The game has six courses total, featured around North American attractions. including treks through the scorching Mojave or the frozen Rockies. As you might imagine, only six courses is not a lot. It's certainly not enough to keep someone entertained for very long.

The object is to continue through the Novice, Pro, and Master circuits until you are finally crowned champion. If you don't want to enter a Circuit, choose "Just Play," pick your truck, any of the six courses and prepare to challenge seven computer-controlled drivers. You can choose from one of eight different vehicles. All vehicles are rated in speed, power, handling, and weight, just like most racers are.

The game is played like any other racer except there are obstacles to avoid and four types of bonus items you can run over and use. Banners are also found along the way, indicating checkpoints you need to reach in time to keep racing. Once you get to the end of the course, however, the race is over. There are no laps to run, so you won't have the opportunity to grab missed items after you pass them by. Just one straight run on each track.

Features: 8/10
One cool feature about the game is that it also allows players to customize their trucks with the money earned from finishing at least fourth or better, or by running over treasure boxes along the tracks. The Speed Shop will appear after each race showing your cash total and a list of current upgrades. If you're not satisfied with the way your truck is handling, for example, you can upgrade your tires. You don't really change the type of tires, just improve the overall rating in this area.

Graphics: 5/10
Sound: 7/10
The graphics in this game aren't really good even for an N64 game. Backgrounds are all pretty flat, and those that are tried to be textured appear blurry instead. The general sounds themselves aren't really anything special, though there's one cool thing. Your vehicle has its own radio that lets you choose whatever track you want to listen to while cruising down Snore Highway.

Rent or buy?
This may maybe been worth a rent back in the day, but since you really can't rent N64 games any more, neither. Only six tracks aren't going to hold your interest for anymore than twenty minutes.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 06/09/05