Crazy Cars 3

Title		Crazy Cars 3
Game Type	Driving
Players		1
Compatibility	A500+ or better
Submission	Terry Everest

Review
    Crazy Cars 3 is a good racing game and the best of the Crazy Cars
series without question.

    The manual explains that you are unemployable in the normal manner and
that your sole possession of value is a Lamborghini Diablo which you have
spent your life savings on buying at a knockdown price. You have no option
but to compete in an organized league of illegal highway races to earn
yourself some cash and get rich.

        You start in division 4 of the league and race against all sorts
of underworld characters who are all after the same thing as you.  Each
race is situated in an American state or city and each has a huge entry
fee as well as a cash prize. The method of making money is either to win
the race or place but often coming second or third may not get you a
profit at all. Luckily you are able to gamble as much money as you dare
against the named characters and whoever beats the other gamblers in the
race picks up the pot of bets made. This is an excellent way of increasing
your income, or of losing it, but if you beat just one of the other
gamblers you get their wagered amount (unless  your wager  is lower in
which case you get that amount from them.

        The graphics in this game are not spectacular but they are fine
and the general presentation is very good, some attempt has clearly been
made to make the courses represent the locations at which they are set.
Also the sound is fairly good.

        Progression is achieved by winning money so that you can afford
the extortionate fees of the bigger races and prize money increases with
fee and difficulty. Once you have earned $50,000  you can buy a pass
for the end of division race.   This is a tricky time trial on a desert
road covered in trucks going both ways and cattle horns but once completed
you progress to the higher division (ie 3).

There are a number of upgrades to purchase for your car and also you
sustain damage in  races  which  has to be repaired at the garage to avoid
low car performance. The upgrades are a bit too expensive but you will
need the right one or two to succeed in higher divisions. The famous
nitro boost capability is the most extreme and it costs $50,000. The
acceleration it gives if carefully used can propel you into first place
and win you the race. Obviously it only becomes financially worthwhile
in the harder, later races where the prize money starts to get to the
hundred thousand dollar mark.

        The game is pretty good and the driving experience is intensified
by competition with your RIVALS and also with the police.   As I have
mentioned the races are highly illegal and the cops have a number of nasty
ways of catching you out.  The most common is the  highway patrol which
may be moving or stationary, the cops will come after you very fast if you
exceed the limit which is 110 kph. This makes for some tense action as
you desperately try to keep going even when cops keep ramming you, and
your rivals are near. Only determined driving will shake off the cops and
they do you loads of expensive damage.

    As you progress, new and improved upgrades can be bought and there are
radar devices to allow detection of cops and improvement  of the car. The
police however are increasingly vigilant and have such things as speed
traps and cameras which cost you in automatic fines - these are pretty
inescapable.

This game is very addictive I thought and you may try to progress to
higher divisions  or you might just keep playing it again and again for
the quick win and the thrill of the chase enhanced by large sums of money.

    If you appreciate gameplay over other considerations this is excellent
stuff and although it is hard, and you will become despondent of losing,
this is a great pick up and play game with hours of progression towards
the top division, and its well finished too. I would recommend this to any
real racer or amiga fan.

        I will give it 70%  which is a fair accolade from me.
"Will turn you into an obsessive gambler and speed criminal for several
hours a week if you let it"   tel.

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