Grand Prix Circuit

STORY / GAMEPLAY
You are a Formula 1 pilot and you drive your car (through dashboard view) as you thunder rounds at speeds of over 200mph (well, OK it doesn't give that feeling actually). It is well advised to select the novice level for the first few attempts, as it is not that easy to handle the car at that speed (plus that at this level the other drivers treat you softly and the gearbox is set to automatic). The game allows you to either practice, single race or compete in a championship in which you race circuits. There are eight tracks in Grand Prix Circuit all from different countries. Every race allows for one qualify lap to determine pole position. The length of each race is determined by you and can go up to a max of 99 laps (!). During the race there is a small map of the entire circuit in the top left corner. In a long race, your position will probably be effected by the need to make at least one pit-stop to change all your tires! The AI is great, and the computer controlled drivers have different driving styles, and are hard sometimes to overtake during a race. Also, each car has different behavior. Yes, prior to any race you can choose among some pretty famous teams and their models such as McLaren, Williams and Ferrari.
Grand Prix Circuit is a pretty good driving thanks to the creators of the famous Test Drive series.

GRAPHICS / SOUND
The graphics on the IIGS do not give a great impression, especially when speed comes in. But the IIGS runs a bit faster and smoother compared to the Amiga version. Surely (and much like the Test Drive series) you will not get the feeling of actually driving at a hooping 200mph with a McLaren but still the game has great simulation in all other terms. The cars are nicely designed and handled well on tracks. The dashboards aren't quite as detailed as in the Test Drive series. Some other visual details are nice though, such as the black smoke when pushing your tires or when nudging hard the car in front of you your hood crumples and he spins out in a full 360 degrees. The game on the GS runs in 16 colors much like the PC (DOS version (the Amiga runs in 16 colors during gameplay and up to 32 colors on the main-menu and static screens with a few more visual details).
The game's sound does the job great, offering engine throttles and the like. There are several menu tunes as well, all nicely composed. Unfortunately the IIGS version does not support sampled sound effects.