Power Drive Rally

Atari Jaguar

by Larry Tipton

Game Title: Power Drive Rally

Publisher: Time Warner Interactive

Developer: Rage

Format: Cartridge

System: Jaguar 64

A friend of mine for several years now has been telling me how fun Rally / Sprint racing is. He used to race competitively several years ago while stationed in England. He used to talk about the fast 3 cyl. cars, the tracks, the "hand break" turns and power slides. On one occasion, much to my surprise, he demonstrated the "hand break" turn on a two lane city street, turning 180 degrees at 40 mph in one of those little Ford Fiestas. YEOW! This is FUN?!?

Now comes along a racing game that allows me to experience the fun and challenge that my friend Bill spoke of. I now understand to some degree how much fun this kind of racing can be .... on my Jaguar 64!

This game is a great addition to the Jaguar 64 family of games. The game view is from above, it has a slightly tilted top-down look. It has a definite quarter-munching arcade game feel to it. The graphics are incredible to behold. The game-screen pans smoothly. The cars animate perfectly. The front wheels turn! When you slide, it looks like a slide. You can even do complete 360s .... DONUTS anyone? The cars leave their tracks in the road. The sound effects and music are both good. The control is tight. The weather effects are cool. The night driving is challenging....In fact the whole game is challenging! Fortunately, there is a save game feature (three slots).

Be careful out there. Your car does take on damage. Specifically, the cars engine, suspension, tyres, brakes and lights (you need lights for night driving!) . These items can be repaired between rounds, but it will cost you $$$. It costs $1000 to enter an event. SPEND and REPAIR wisely.

You have an onboard navigator with you at all times. Listen to his instructions or be prepared to miss a critical turn... and lose the race.

Game Details:

Power Drive Rally (PDR) offers several game modes...

• PRACTICE allows you to get the feel of the car. You can experiment with the various techniques required to win. This type of racing requires a skillful driver, speed alone will not suffice.
• SINGLE PLAYER RACE requires that you first qualify, then race in several different events:
  • SPECIAL STAGE - you against the clock---avoid hitting stuff,
  • RALLY CROSS - You against another driver and the clock,
  • SKILL TEST - challenges you ability to quickly start, stop, turn, avoid obstacles, back up, etc.
• MULTI-PLAYER RACE allows you to race against other human players, one at a time. You do not have to qualify to advance to the next level.

The Race Circuits...

• England: Asphalt tracks. The terrain is rocky. The climate is mainly dry, with some thunderstorm activity.
• Arizona: Sand-Gravel-Cactus-ROAD KILL tracks. Desert terrain. Hot climate.
• Italy: Snow-covered Asphalt tracks. Resort town surroundings. The climate is cold with snow.
• Finland: Asphalt track. Forest and lakes. Ice and Snow.
• Kenya: Sand-Gravel-Oasis tracks. The terrain contains bush and forest. The climate is hot and humid.
• France: Asphalt tracks. Rocky mountain road. Climate is dry to rainy with flash-floods.
• Corsica: Asphalt tracks. "Specialized" terrain. Dry climate.
• Sweden: Gravel tracks. Forest trail terrain, Cold, wet and Icy.

Other Game Items of Interest:

• You can pull off several racing maneuvers such as the PENDULUM TURN, HANDBRAKE TURN, and POWERSLIDE.
• There are POWER UPS in the game including $$$, power boosts and "Stop Time."
• There are several car types in the game: Mini Cooper S, Fiat Cinquecento Turbo, Bauxhall Astra 16V GTI, Renault Clio Turbo, Ford RS Cosworth and the Toyota Celica CT-4.

OK, Game Rating on a scale of 1 to 10:

Graphics:         9

Control:         8.5

Sound F/X:      8

Music:            7

Fun Factor:      9

Replay:          8.5

Value $$$:       8

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Overall Score: 8.5

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I highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys racing games with and arcade feel. You cant go wrong with Power Drive Racing. Whats with the car horn?

--Larry Tipton

• <Tiptron@aol.com>