Overview
Top Gear is a racing game released for the SNES in 1992. It was published by Kemco, and was developed by Gremlin Graphics. It was one of the first racing games launched for the console. The main goal of the game is to dominate the world of motor racing by winning races from several different countries and against many computer rivals.
Gameplay
In Top Gear, the player navigates each track using the D-pad and acceleration button. They must race against 20 other CPU cars. There are a number of obstacles like rocks, traffic blockers, or other cars that must be avoided. Besides accelerating and taking turns the game contains a nitro system allowing the player to have 3 speed boosts. During these speed boosts it is possible to travel well over 200 MPH driving downhill and it is easier to turn. The game also allows the player to pull over into the pit-stop to refuel. This costs valuable time but is necessary to continue racing. The pit-stop system adds a layer of strategy because the player must decide when to pull over during the race because it can be hard to catch up again and return to first place.
1 Player Mode
Even in 1 Player mode the screen is split in two by a vertical line. The player controls the car on the upper half of the screen, and on the bottom half a CPU car is shown. The CPU on the bottom screen is the best competitor and will almost always come in first or (if the player places first) second place. Depending on how the player places in each race they are awarded with a certain amount of points. These points determine an overall ranking. At the end of the 4 races for each country if the player is ranked 3 or higher then they get the password for the next country and can continue.
2 Player Mode
When two players are playing the screen is still split the same way and the second player controls the car on the bottom half. If one player is ranked 3 or higher they both get to continue on to the next country.
Cars
There are four different cars available with varying amounts of tire grip, fuel consumption, acceleration, and top speeds. The white car is generally thought to be the best choice for beginners.
Red Car
- Max Speed: 235 KPH
- 0-100: 6.1 sec
- Tire Grip: Low
- Fuel Consumption: High
White Car
- Max Speed: 210 KPH
- 0-100: 3.6 sec
- Tire Grip: High
- Fuel Consumption: Low
Purple Car
- Max Speed: 220 KPH
- 0-100: 5.2 sec
- Tire Grip: Low
- Fuel Consumption: High
Blue Car
- Max Speed: 220 KPH
- 0-100: 4.5 sec
- Tire Grip: Mid
- Fuel Consumption: Mid
Countries
There are 8 different countries that are featured in the game. Each one contains 4 tracks, each with unique backgrounds and track layouts. The countries and tracks are as follows:
United States
- Las Vegas
- Las Angeles
- New York
- San Francisco
Brazil
- Rio
- Machu Picchu
- Chichen Izra
- Rain Forest
Japan
- Tokyo
- Hiroshima
- Yokohama
- Kyoto
Germany
- Munich
- Cologne
- Black Forest
- Frankfurt
Scandinavia
- Stockholm
- Copenhagen
- Helsinki
- Oslo
France
Italy
United Kingdom
- London
- Sheffield
- Loch Ness
- Stonehenge
Password System
Top Gear did not feature a save system, instead opting for a password system based on simple text inputs for each country. Each difficulty setting had a different set of passwords.
Music
The music used in the game consists of original compositions as well as music that has been remixed from the Lotus series of games. There are five different songs: one song for each of the four races in each of the countries, and one for the title music of the game. Music from Top Gear has been used as inspiration for the song Bliss from the British band Muse.
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