Top Gear (SNES)

Two major sub-genres would essentially die out with the close of the 16-bit era, having both enjoyed immense success during it. One was the scrolling beat ‘em up; a fall from prominence that in retrospect is difficult to fathom given how popular Streets Of Rage, Golden Axe and Final Fight had been during the period. The demise of the other victim, the 2D checkpoint-chasing racer, is a little easier to understand. With the advent of 3D came a massive change in how gamers viewed the racing genre. Along came the likes of SEGA Rally, Ridge Racer and (a little later) Gran Turismo, and regardless of ... more

GRAPHICS The display can be a bit cluttered and only on passing the start/finish line is there indication of how many laps are remaining (I always forget). A split-screen view is used, even on single player, where the car at the bottom of the screen is controlled by the computer. While the backgrounds range from plain to decent, they are different for the majority of the courses, and there are landmarks of various countries to look out for. Also, there are obstacles at the roadside and on track to watch out for! The twenty cars see to limited paint jobs but are well drawn. There are times when ... more