Final Lap Twin

You're Not Sure Why, But Your Father and Sister Have Sent You On a Training Mission to Become the World Four-Wheel-Drive Champion. Put Your Driving Skills to the Test As You Go Against the Computer Or a Friend. Choose From the F3000 Gp Or the F-L Gp Series, and Try to Score As Many Points Or Compete For Rankings in One of the 24 Different Races. You Can Also Go Against a Gang of Four-Wheel-Drive Warriors. Listen to the People Along the Way For Clues to Find Out What Your Family Has in Store For You.

The most interesting game this month is Final Lap Twin. Like the others, it seemed rather so-so at first, but a few tries will have you dying to prove that you really can win a race. And when you discover that there's a role-playing game built in, well, the time you can spend with this game can be alarming.

The first part of Final Lap Twin is the straightforward car racing game. It offers both one- and two-player modes (the latter requires a TurboTap accessory and a second controller). You can choose from an assortment of cars and work your way through a series of Grand Prix races. When you pass a car, the computer flashes your position on the screen, and the splitscreen view insures that you can always see the nearest car you're racing against. This view is especially effective when racing against a friend in the two-player mode.

Even more fun, however, is the role-playing game. The goal is to upgrade your car and improve your driving skills to the point where you can defeat a gang of four-wheel-drive warriors and become the best driver in the world. You move your character from town to town looking for races. Each time you win a race, you collect money to further upgrade your car.

While Final Lap Twin is certainly not a full-fledged role-playing game in the common sense of the term, a wide variety of interesting things can happen. By pressing button I, you bring up the command window, from which you can investigate what's around you, move (using a transport box) to streets you've already visited, get a map of the area, and tune up and change parts on your car.

You upgrade the car by purchasing better bodies, batteries, tires, motors, and even wings (which increase the car's ability to jump). After you've reassembled your vehicle, you leave the city and search for adventure. Before long you'll be challenged to a race. If you win, you'll drive off with some money. If you lose, you'll find yourself at home and disgraced.

Final Lap Twin, Space Harrier, and Pac-Land all have one thing in common: They seem less impressive at first than they turn out to be after some playing time. In one way that's good because it means they have substance. In another way, though, it's unfortunate. The TurboGrafx has the capability to make even a poor game seem excellent the first time you fire it up - in fact, the graphics and sound should blow you off your feet. Sooner or later, the designers will learn how to make the most of the machine's full potential. In the meantime, take a look at these three offerings (particularly Final Lap Twin) to get an inkling of what the TurboGrafx can do.

Rev your engines and get the pedal to the metal! Final Lap Twin is real racing action, with real tournament play in both Formula One and standard scenarios. Select between practice laps or a world tournament that takes you across the globe to race on some of the most famous tracks! Choose between automatic and manual transmissions and weave through the pack to reach the top six positions and go for first place. An ingenious RPG adventure is also included in this intense racer.