Please login to submit a screenshot

"Rough off the starting line."

Lets face it. When you get into the NES library, there are a ton of racing games that range from the realistic to the completely insane. There are games that run along the lines of future racing, and games that feature remote controlled cars racing around predetermined tracks with an unfair computer advantage. Games that feature several different tracks and even a decently friendly difficulty are hard to find, with Al Unser being among those types of titles. With lackluster control, a bad racing interface and a computer difficulty that is almost impossible to overcome, there is hardly anything here that is worthy of playing and having fun with.

In the racing world, Al Unser is a legendary racer who pilots the F-1 style race cars on the tracks throughout the world. For those of you who are unaware of the style of racing that F-1 is, it has super race cars that are capable of reaching insane speeds in a matter of seconds, while racing on technical race tracks throughout the world. People tend to watch this sport for the sole purpose of seeing just who has the top machine in which racing camp. However, much like this game, the racing tends to be uninteresting and you can spot a winner in the first couple of laps of the race no matter how long the race goes on for.

Game play in Al Unser Jr. is easy to get into and is pretty basic in the way that you go about doing things with only three modes to choose from at the start of the game. There are a pair of time trials which allow you to race against the computer or against a set time and try to defeat everyone’s time. This mode is fairly interesting though you won’t have much use for it when you get into the actual racing that the game has to offer. These modes are great for practicing the controls on the other hand, and really should be tried a few times before you attempt to take on the World Circuit.

The other portion of the game offers you straight up racing against the computer and a field of 23 other computer controlled racers. These races allow you to gain experience and try to beat some tough opponents with some well known and unknown racers at the time. Although there are different racers that you can use, it really doesn’t matter which of the various racers you choose to drive with. The computer tends to have an ultimate advantage when you’re racing against it, and you’ll see that no matter who you choose, the minute you bump something, you come to a dead stop and have to restart.

One of the more interesting things that the game does have to offer with the game play is that you can take advice from the game on how to race and just what you should do with each track. While this is an interesting idea, there is nothing here that supports it and it seems as though the offer of advice is there so that you have to work harder at doing what they tell you. Personally, the point system that the game offers with the racers is moot and there isn’t a reason to have it there, because the computer doesn’t act accordingly and neither does your race car. The practice portion of is a good idea, but it only diverts attention from the main race and actually going up against the computer.

The idea of turbo in the title is apparent here with the controls and you’ll have to learn just how to work it in order for it to be helpful for you. Although there isn’t much to the control, the standard idea of having to slow down into the corners is definitely here, because your car will be out of control otherwise. In order to use the turbo, you have to use the directional pad and press up while moving. Once you’ve gotten the speed of your car up to a certain point, you’ll use turbo and get an insane boost. The problem here is that ninety percent of the tracks have so many curves, you can’t really get to the turbo portion without crashing.

Unser doesn’t do a fabulous job of presenting the game to your eyes either, though there are two noteworthy points that should be addressed. First of all, the heads up display with your car in terms of the speed gauge and even the driver portrait are well done and thought out, with the speed being presented in a bar fashion. The other noteworthy thing here is the way that the tracks move and twist with the curves, though you might find that there isn’t much else interesting after the first couple of stages. Something that should be addressed is that the landscape doesn’t keep up with the speed of the cars, and breaks up at every given opportunity.

Musically speaking, Unser is lacking in all departments with all of the tracks having the same music repeated in the same fashion with little or no depth. While I find it interesting that the upbeat track is laid down and fit’s the mood and theme of the game, I find it rather sad that only one track could be found to play through all of the stages. Sound effects are another issue altogether, because without the hum of your car and the occasional braking effect when you’re going around a corner, there isn’t anything else to hear. Compared to other racing games on the NES, this puts the presentation at nearly the back of the pack with little or no hope to advance further than games such as Bigfoot.

Al Unser Jr. Turbo Racing isn’t the greatest racing game to ever make the NES platform and you might find that without the name {which you might recognize}, there is little here than your standard racing game. While there are some interesting ideas with the game advice and practice tracks, the overall pressure to make them work effectively was lost somewhere in the translation. Racing is a wonderful sport and a great video game idea when you get all of the formula right, but here, the formula is missing some key ingredients that keeps it from rivaling other games such as RC Pro Am and Rad Racer.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 10/28/03