Developer.....Tantalus Publisher.....Sega Players.......1 or 2 Difficulty....Easy to Hard
Manx TT Superbike is a decent attempt at upstaging the immortal Sega Rally. The Manx TT races have been going for over 90 years now and it seems that no one likes anything better than screaming around the tight bends of this small island scaring sheep - which is fine by me. Add powerful production bikes into the couldron and seven other hungry competitors and you've got the recipe for a cracking game.
Converted from the hit coin-op, this game features just about all of the arcade's features and throws in extra features such as more bikes (rather, differently-tuned versions of the Honda RVF-RC45), a practice mode, a Challenge mode (where you must place third or higher in the first three races, and win the final race) and a Superbike mode (where you go up against better competition and have to place third or higher in every race). You are allowed to use the superbikes in all Saturn modes when you complete the Challenge section, and these include a supercharged RC45 (the best bike of the lot), and two Team Sega Suzuki GSX-R750 bikes (as raced in the 1996 championship). There is an extensive (although not as extensive as in that other game) records section, and truth be known, there is more variety here than in Sega Rally. They have brought across the ghost mode, which, despite the lack of options, does the same job and does it well. The 2-player mode is a good laugh, and the idea of the slip-streaming tactic is a welcome thing. The graphics of the game are pretty solid, speedy and decently detailed, although the graphics do tend to lack a little colour. Also, the 2-player mode's graphics are compromised, and some graphics appear too late, meaning that a turn may appear just before you have to take it. Still, the game has some great full-screen FMV sequences, and the bikes are nicely constructed and look very authentic. The sound is pretty decent, with realistic bike noises and sound effects, and the collisions really do sound like they hurt, although you never do really crash, which is odd, but possibly a plus-point. The music isn't brilliant in-game but you do have the option to alter the music and sfx volume levels, which is alright.
There aren't any true difficulty levels, but the game makes itself difficult for numerous reasons. The Superbike mode is pretty rough. The riders don't have any regard for your safety and decide to stick to the 'racing line', often knocking you flying, and sometimes it seems as if they've all got it in for you, because you get mobbed by four or five of them at once. However, the other bikes have a set race pattern, like with Daytona and Sega Rally, so their tactics can be learned quickly. It's just up to you if you want to avoid the other bikers or not. The slipstreaming feature helps you regain ground on the leaders but it's the controls that are the weakpoint of this game. The bikes have a real oversteer problem, meaning that the bikes with great handling tend to steer into objects should you keep your finger on the D-Pad for a moment too long. The best bike in this situation would be the no. 10 bike, which glides through sweeping bends but goes kamikaze into tight corners. Considering the fact that the no. 10 bike is the worst for handling, this is a major problem. You could cure this problem by buying an analogue pad, which keeps a little oversteer but allows for greater consistency (a steering wheel understeers and is generally a more expensive purchase), but without one the Superbike mode is made even more difficult. Some might say that this lengthens the lifespan of the game but I would say that this tends to frustrate rather than entertain. Still, the game is quite funny in areas - just check out the sheep mode, where you and the other competitors ride rams.
Still, if you want a racing game with a little variety and happen to like bikes, then this is your game, provided you've got the 3D Control Pad. It is a close, if not perfect, conversion of a less-than-stunning coin-op, but was rather expensive when released at £44.99, especially so when bought with an analogue pad or a steering wheel. You decide if it is worth it. It's cheaper now, it is good fun, and I can recommend it.
Graphics: 85% Audio: 83% Originality: 55% Lastability: 90% Gameplay: 88%
Overall: 88%
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