Game:

Buggy (1998)

Category:

Preview

Duration: 1:02

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Trailer of Buggy from Gremlin Interactive Press Kit September 1997.
Publisher: Gremlin Interactive

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PRESS RELEASE

If you're fed up with the same old racing games that seem to appear in a different box every six weeks or so, then Buggy on PC and Playstation from Gremlin Interactive, will be just the thing to rekindle your love of all things fast and competitive.

Buggy gives you the chance to take control of one of sixteen super-compact, radio-controlled vehicles. Each possesses a distinctive paint-job and its own unique handling: some respond like drugged bison, while others flit around like pond-skaters in a gale.

These buggies are raced across fifteen exotic circuits: from Japanese gardens and sun-swept beaches to subterranean grottoes and sylvan woodlands, but there’s more of a challenge to Buggy than simply finishing first.

All of these tracks are littered with obstacles which can be avoided or jumped. Jumps will propel the buggies high into the air, allowing them to perform stunts as well as providing a novel means of overtaking. And if that’s not enough, buggy drivers face the double jeopardy of negotiating these obstacles, while attempting to pass through as many of the slalom gates along the way as they possibly can.

These various rainbow coloured gates are arranged thoughtfully on the tracks and although players do not have to complete them, adept driving will reap its rewards. The seven colours are used to build sequences and hitting the gates in sequence will produce a variety of beneficial results. Short sequences deliver simple bonuses, such as speed bursts, while more complicated sequences deliver extra abilities, like time-stops and mega-grips, as well as a few surprises.

Using these extra abilities or combinations of these abilities not only gives you an advantage over your opponent but also allows you access to parts of the tracks that were originally not available. This adds depth to the gameplay in Buggy that is not found in traditional race games. Players will return to tracks again and again because, as they become more experienced they will find more features.

Collect enough bonuses, pull off enough stunts, win enough races and you’ll even find some new super-buggies waiting to be driven

Rest assured Buggy is not going to be any nine day wonder either. There are four modes of play that ensure longevity and relentless challenge. Single race is self-explanatory, while Championship mode enters the player into a full race season. Gamers with friends can treat themselves to a Head-to-Head - split screen racing over any track in the game. Finally, Time Attack mode pitches the player and his machine against the clock, as the player tries to shave valuable hundredths of seconds off the best time for each given track. This is a solo pursuit with no troublesome computer controlled vehicles getting in the way.

Buggy will definitely be one of the best looking games this Christmas. Real-time light-sourcing and superb 3D modelling put Buggy at the head of the pack, while new particle effects will see the buggies churning up the dirt before they disappear in a puff of smoke.

PC owners will be able to enhance this fully 3D environment. Buggy like all new Gremlin titles, will be compatible with NEC's PowerVR chip, offering users an array of spellbinding 3D effects. These include real time shadows, fogging, solid external objects courtesy of the 32-bit Z buffer, smooth shading, translucency and bilinear filtering, which eliminates pixellation. It will also be compatible with all major 3D graphics cards

A light, intuitive control system finishes off the package and gives Buggy a real-world feel. When this is combined with classic gameplay and the option for split screen two player Buggy looks a hot favourite for best racing game of 1997.

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