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Super Cycle |
Copyright/Publisher: Epyx, Release Year: 1986,
Genre: Motorcycle Sports, Number Of Players: 1
As the sun slowly rises over the race track it's time, once more, to take up the challenge
of the racing circuit. You awake after a hard night of celebration your last success in
traditional style, and realise you have but a few minutes to whip over to the garage and pick
up your bike. Luckily time allows you to respray your bike - now what shall it be? A subtle
green? A shocking pink? A putrid purple?
Whatever colour you choose, you will most certainly need a new set of leathers to match,
or clash, which ever suits you best. Once kitted out with your newly resprayed bike and shiny
leathers you can take your place on the track, ready to race. Having selected one of the three
levels of play the countdown begins, the starter waves his flag, and you're off...
The screen is split between the playing area - which shows your bike, the track and
competitors - and an illustration of the dashboard, which indicates your speed, rev counter
and gear. The gears are represented by three lights in the centre of the dashboard. When a
gear has been selected the light turns from blue to yellow.
The first track is a fairly simple one with its fair share of curves and obstacles. Whizzing
round at the maximum speed of 140moh isn't too difficult and so leads you quickly onto the
desert circuit. This track is lined with cacti - colliding with these causes a nasty blow-out
and costs valuable time. However, if you do manage to complete this track you have a chance
to boost your score on the first bonus track.
The bonus track are basically normal tracks, but scattered along them are various flags which
flap quite happily in the wind until you run over them, toting up your score as you do so.
Each track is played against the clock, so no matter how many times you crash it is still
possible to win, so long as you finish the circuit in time. the tracks increase with
difficulty as you progress. Oil spillages, puddles, ice, and cones cause hazards, especially
when on the bridge circuit which spans a river.
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P.S. |
Me, I'm no biker - give me four wheels and some bodywork around me any day, and you can see why.
The times I've ended up base over apex in this game. But for sheer adrenalin pumping, this game
takes some beating. After a record breaking run on level 3 (he he he) I come away from the game
feeling a physical wreck. As if that wasn't enough, all the little details are beautifully done:
the flag at the start, the road obstructions, even the way the back of the bike bounces up and
down when riding down the hard shoulder. Go for Revs if you want a simulator, but for sheer
exhilaration and excitement, go for Super Cycle - it's unbeatable.
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R.E. |
There hav ebeen a great deal of racing games infiltrating the market lately, and it is good
to see one from the top end of the pile. Super Cycle is a fast, exciting and most importantly,
enjoyable racing simulation. All the little extras are great fun too - especially being able
to have a purple bike with a pink and lime leather jacket. Mmmm, nice! The high score
table's good too as it is possible to save it on the disk and leave little obscene messages
for everyone to see. Move over Julian, I wannanothergo!
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Gary Penn |
Epyx have excelled themselves and come up with the most addictvie and exhilarating race
game yet; I was surprised to find that even Pitstop II is considerable slower in comparison!
All three skill levels are highly addictive and challenging - more so than any other race
game available - and I've found it difficult to tear myself away. Definitely one for the
collection - you would be silly to overlook it.
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