RVF Honda

STORY / GAMEPLAY
RVF Honda is a quite realistic and faithful moto racing simulation developed in the early 90s. In this game, you have the opportunity to master a Honda powerful 750cc motorbike. Like all racing drivers, you start by competing at club level eventually graduating to national events and then to the international circuit. Actual race tracks, such as Donnington, Mockenheim and Salzburgring, are accurately simulated. The circuits feature puddles of water that make the bike's handling tougher and oil leaks that make you lose balance and fall. It takes time to remount the bike and get back on track by revving the bike at high speeds, so you must be careful! In every curve, you always have to decelerate and simultaneously shift down the bike's gears (6 in total), otherwise you'll crash on any obstacle outside the track. Quite tricky at the beginning but once you master your bike's controls, you'll be flying at 200mph! Note that the game loads from the same disk on the Amiga and ST (a rare detail for its time)! Also there is a two-players link mode with which you can connect an Atari ST with an Amiga! Overall, RVF Honda is a great racing simulator with an arcade touch, which tends to be very addictive!

GRAPHICS / SOUND
The Atari ST version has great graphics, although its less colors compared to the Amiga version (but the difference is noticeable only at the sky shadings). On the other hand, the ST version runs a bit faster and smoother, being also more playable. The game offers a variety of nice details such as crashes, real time indicators that show your speed, RPM, distance covered in miles and even this funny sequence where you push the bike to restart it! The other riders are nicely drawn and animated as well as their bikes. The sound on the Atari ST features high quality sampled bike engine throttles which add a lot to the overall game's presentation! The intro tune is also nice, offering a rock style theme during the loading screen.