We are still waiting on a suitable Amiga AGA emulator with robust recording features before tackling such games.
Hot Rod
Hot Rod arcade conversion by Software Studios and published by Activision in 1990.
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Screenshot |
Player's Review
"Want to burn some rubber? Feel the need for speed? Then take on HOT ROD and race through 30 turbulent tracks, encountering the meanest conditions, such as rain, snowdrifts and ice - then tackle the challenge of murderous rock slides and slippery sand. Tight corners abound with moving police cars and construction crews to hinder your way, testing your driving skills and stamina to the end. Win the races and buy extra parts from the race track garage:- bigger engines, snow tyres, spike tyres, speed tyres, bumpers and wings - then it's back to the starting line for more HOT ACTION !!!"
The game opens up full of promise with great presentation bolstered by a soundtrack from Jeroen Tel. But then we get to the game. yeah, it looks pretty good as top down racers on the C64 go but it is so annoying to play. The opposition can be brutal and it is far too easy to get stuck on the track side potentially taking all the fun out of the game. There are points and gas collectables on the track but also sometimes off the main track and going for them can be costly. But maybe it's worth it as if the opposition gets ahead, you are automatically pulled back into the action costing you some gas. Once the gas runs out, its game over.
Each race is a single point to point race and ideally you lead the race to get the most spending money which you can spend on car upgrades. Between each race you get access to the garage, the same one from Turbo Outrun it seems! One annoying thing about the upgrade system is that what it allows you to be seems to be a little random and it will taunt you with stuff you cant have. It will also allow you to rebuy what you already have and it isn't always instantly clear what you have so make sure you have a good memory. To help you, your car does kind of display each upgrade but some are quite subtle.
The races are split ito mini leagues containing three races each on different terrains. When the game is eventually won, it will normally end on the final screen, but the version I'm playing has been modified to start over with your choice of car colour.
Overall, its a well made and presented game on the C64, but the gameplay doesn't seem to have been the main focus in this conversion.
00:00:00 Title 1
00:03:40 Title 2
00:06:40 League 1
00:11:26 League 2
00:16:08 League 3
00:20:48 League 4
00:25:42 League 5
00:30:48 League 6
00:35:16 League 7
The game opens up full of promise with great presentation bolstered by a soundtrack from Jeroen Tel. But then we get to the game. yeah, it looks pretty good as top down racers on the C64 go but it is so annoying to play. The opposition can be brutal and it is far too easy to get stuck on the track side potentially taking all the fun out of the game. There are points and gas collectables on the track but also sometimes off the main track and going for them can be costly. But maybe it's worth it as if the opposition gets ahead, you are automatically pulled back into the action costing you some gas. Once the gas runs out, its game over.
Each race is a single point to point race and ideally you lead the race to get the most spending money which you can spend on car upgrades. Between each race you get access to the garage, the same one from Turbo Outrun it seems! One annoying thing about the upgrade system is that what it allows you to be seems to be a little random and it will taunt you with stuff you cant have. It will also allow you to rebuy what you already have and it isn't always instantly clear what you have so make sure you have a good memory. To help you, your car does kind of display each upgrade but some are quite subtle.
The races are split ito mini leagues containing three races each on different terrains. When the game is eventually won, it will normally end on the final screen, but the version I'm playing has been modified to start over with your choice of car colour.
Overall, its a well made and presented game on the C64, but the gameplay doesn't seem to have been the main focus in this conversion.
00:00:00 Title 1
00:03:40 Title 2
00:06:40 League 1
00:11:26 League 2
00:16:08 League 3
00:20:48 League 4
00:25:42 League 5
00:30:48 League 6
00:35:16 League 7
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