Pitstop II.

A racing game for the C64 with F1 cars. The action takes place on a split screen for the opposing cars(red on the top and blue on the bottom). Either the computer controls the other car or a human opponent. There are six real life circuits to choose from. You can also alter the difficulty and number of laps. There are are other cars on the track as well – just to spice things up.

The cars are fitted with a turbo boost for extra speed – but this comes with a price – fuel consumption! You also have to be wary of your car’s tyres. Ride those curbs or bash another car, and you will damage them. They turn a different colour on top. There are a few stages to the “tyre wear”, but go to far and they’ll burst! Likewise with running out of fuel – that will leave you stranded as well. This is where the pitstops come in. The pits are just after the start/finish line and on the left hand side. Park your car there, then you can refuel and change tyres. This does involve you controlling your pit crew – which can be fiddly.

The game is enjoyable against the computer at the easy levels, but it really stands out with a second player. It can be tough on your wrists(pushing up a lot of time to accelerate with a joystick does this), but the competitive nature of the game demands this. The scrolling is handled well with a nice sensation of speed. The graphics are utilitarian and the sound effects are okay for a game of this type as well. Now rev up your engine and : “Go, go, go!”.