Buggy Boy.

Buggy Boy.

Elite released a number of high profile arcade conversions such as Bomb Jack, Commando, Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins and Space Harrier, but Buggy Boy (1988) is less well remembered. It’s an arcade racer where you guide a large buggy through various obstacle-littered courses, trying to reach the end of the stage before the time counter gets to zero. Buggy BoyThere aren’t any vehicles to compete against and bash you off the road, but you must avoid the many boulders and trees on the track, often by using the strategically placed ramps that allow you to jump over them. The main sprite is unusually large and colourful, and vehicle control is enjoyably different from the usual driving games once you master the use of the fire button to turn your buggy at tight angles.

It’s all very jolly with nice AY spot FX, but Buggy Boy suffers from being not fast enough, particularly when compared to the brilliant Wec Le Mans released the same year. It’s still worth a go – just remember that the North, South, East and West tracks are better than the Offroad one because they have a definite finish to aim for, and it won’t take you too long to complete them all.

  • 6/10
    Gameplay - 6/10
  • 7/10
    Graphics - 7/10
  • 7/10
    Sound - 7/10
6/10

Summary

Not Wec Le Mans or Chase HQ class but it isn’t as bad as Out Run either, so give it a go.

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