Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing (NES) Playthrough
190A playthrough of Data East's 1990 license-based racing game for the NES, Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing.
This video shows a full playthrough of the World Grand-Prix Series mode.
In Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing, you compete through a season of sixteen Formula One races in order to become the world champion. It's an awkward fit since Unser never drove in the World Grand Prix, but his likeness was only added as an afterthought for the game's American release. The original Japanese version, World Grand Prix: Pole to Finish, had no celebrity endorsement.
You can create your own personalized team, as I did here, and invest your winnings to improve your odds, carPG style. If you'd prefer to skip the customization bits, you can play as Unser himself - he comes decked out with fully-upgraded stats from the outset.
Each race is roughly based on a real-life track, and before you begin, you are given the option to do a qualifying lap to gain an advantage in the starting order. The racing feels similar to Nintendo's F1 Race and Square's Rad Racer (https://youtu.be/2nTdJF8TuuE), but your turbo is limited and you'll need to pit every so often to refuel, adding a nice bit of strategy to the mix.
The game moves along at a smooth clip, the illustrated panels that show up between races are nicely drawn (especially his lady friend with the power bangs!), and the music is super catchy. The controls are sharp and responsive, and I appreciated how much of the difficulty balance depends on how you distribute your upgrade points - it gives a nice payoff for the effort and time spent experimenting with your setup. It's not an easy game to finish, but if you play smart, the challenge is quite manageable.
Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing wasn't ever regarded as the cream of the NES's racing crop, but this Data East cart offers more depth and longevity than many of its competitors, and the core mechanics are strong enough to keep it fun and challenging throughout. I'm a fan.
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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