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 THE CYCLES: INTERNATIONAL GRAND PRIX RACING 

 THE CYCLES: INTERNATIONAL GRAND PRIX RACING is yet another addition
to Accolade's successful line of racing simulations. It was designed
by Distinctive Software, Inc. (DSI), the group responsible for TEST
DRIVE (I and II) and GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT, and it has the distinction
of being the first motorcycle racing game to offer a first-person
perspective on the action. (This review is based on the IBM-PC
version; Amiga version notes follow.) 

 There are fifteen tracks from all over the world, and three classes
of competition: 125cc, 250cc, and 500cc. Gameplay is very similar to
that of GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT -- so similar, in fact, that only
die-hard fans of GPC will find anything truly worthwhile in THE
CYCLES. 

 For those unfamiliar with GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT, here's a rundown of
THE CYCLES' basic gameplay. You begin by selecting a practice
session, a single race, or the entire championship circuit. The
first two let you chose any one of the fifteen tracks, while the
circuit follows a pre-determined schedule. You must then determine
the difficulty level, rated between 1 and 5. The higher the skill
level, the better your competitors are, and the easier it becomes to
blow an engine or spin out. You may then enter your name, followed
by the number of laps you wish to race, from 1 to 99. Your final
choice is the bike class you wish to compete in. The higher-powered
bikes are obviously faster, but compensate with better handling. 
Each class has a different set of nine computer opponents, each with
a different level of skill and aggressiveness. 

 If you elected to compete in a race, you're then required to
complete one qualifying lap to determine your starting position. 
Assuming you survive your qualification run and turn in a reasonable
lap time, you're shown the starting positions of all riders, after
which it's off to the track for the main event. The program records
the best four lap times for each class at each track. 

 Control is either by keyboard or joystick, and the latter is
strongly recommended. DSI has done a better than average job with
their joystick routines, although control remains a bit too
sensitive. 

 Perhaps the only significant difference between THE CYCLES and
GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT is the addition of elevation changes to the
tracks. The track surfaces undulate, climb, and descend in a very
realistic manner, and even affect the performance of your bike. It's
very convincing, and greatly enhances gameplay by making each track
a more unique experience. The effects on your bike, however, are
limited to increasing or decreasing acceleration when climbing or
descending a hill. More complex factors, such as changes in traction
when cresting a hill or entering a climb, are not applied. 

 The effectiveness of the first-person perspective is questionable, 
mostly because the player's point-of-view doesn't change as the bike
leans over. A real rider's perspective shifts out to the side of the
bike and lowers, becoming closer to the track surface. This would no
doubt seem very dynamic in a computer simulation, but THE CYCLES
doesn't go that far. What's more, the tachometer is situated on the
bike's instrument panel, and as the bike leans left and right there
is a noticeable discrepancy in the tach readings. This can be
extremely disconcerting if you're near the high end of the rev
range, because it's rather easy to blow an engine at higher
difficulty levels. 

 The final concern is that of challenge, and this is where THE
CYCLES fails miserably. If you're at all skilled at racing games, or
perhaps at action games in general, you'll soon discover that even
the highest difficulty level doesn't provide enough challenge. This
is simply because the computer opponents are not sufficiently
skilled. Even the top-ranked opponents enter turns so slowly that
you can easily rear-end them if you're not careful. It's possible to
lap several riders in a five-lap race, and with only nine
opponents, that can become boring very quickly -- especially
considering that riders can drop out (another change from GPC). 

 In the IBM version, copy protection depends on a three-part code
wheel. The game may be installed on a hard drive, although the
INSTALL batch file does not prompt you for a drive specification (it
assumes drive C). The packaging boasts support for the Ad Lib sound
board, but in disappointing fashion, extends such support to music
only; all sound effects are still delivered through the standard PC
speaker. 

 Any game that does not does not provide a constant challenge -- no
matter how good its concept and execution -- is bound to have a
short life. THE CYCLES is a perfect example of this truism. It's fun
to play, and allows you to use real-world racing techniques to good
advantage. But as soon as you're able to routinely beat the pants
off your competition, you start asking, "What's the point?" 
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be one. 

 AMIGA VERSION NOTES 

 THE CYCLES looks and plays just fine on the Amiga. It's very
similar to GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT, but the courses and bike control are
different enough to make this game worth trying, even if you already
own GPC. 

 Accolade has finally abandoned its difficult and unpleasant disk
copy-protection schemes; instead, a code wheel is included, which
works simply but effectively. The program comes on one copyable
disk, and can be installed easily on a hard drive. Graphics, music, 
sound, and game control are all neatly implemented, and the opening
credits are a real showcase for the Amiga's various and special
video display capabilities. THE CYCLES runs on A500s, A1000s, and
A2000s with 512K of RAM (or 1 Megabyte of RAM if a hard drive is
used). For once, the game actually lets you quit without having to
hit the "Control-Amiga Amiga" boot sequence, although you don't
return to a normal Workbench as a result. 

 I like THE CYCLES even better than GPC (which I like a lot), so if
you have neither, I'd recommend this game as your first choice. 

 THE CYCLES: INTERNATIONAL GRAND PRIX RACING is published and
distributed by Accolade. 

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253