Al Unser Jr.'s Road to the Top

GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES!

Time to kick into overdrive and go airborne as we take off over the snow-covered hills and paved courses of Al Unser Jr.'s Road to the Top racing.

Time to buckle up and kick these sports pages into high gear my fellow buckaroos as we take an action-packed trip through this game.

You can drive to the checkered flag using go-karts, snowmobiles, Irocs, and Indy Cars in a One- or Two-player Mode. It's a unique option to have a wide variety of vehicles to drive.

There is an Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulty setting.

Once you make your choice, take to one of the 12 different tracks using one of the four vehicles.

Try to get off the starting line quickly. If you fall behind at the start, you're toast.

There is no manual transmission in the Easy Mode and the gears are changed for you. In the Hard Mode, you manually shift the gears using the L button to downshift and the R button to upshift.

You can meet Al Unser Jr., in the ultimate race on a new track if you win.

To race against Al, you must win in the Race to the Top Mode and place first in the final Indy Car race of the season.

Passwords let you record your progress as you race your way through the many windy twists and turns of this game. In case you were wondering, the Indy 500 was the pinnacle win of Al Unser Jr.'s racing career. Did you know he began his prestigious career racing go-karts?

"Little Al" Unser Jr. comes to the SNES in a big way with this good racing game. Its varied and unusual racing vehicles will have novice drivers cheering.

Road Warriors

Little Al wasn't always an Indy- car champion. This game follows his career path, starting with go- karts and moving to snowmobiles, stock cars, and finally Indy cars. Each vehicle has its own attributes: go-karts comer well, for instance, while Indy cars zip by at incredible speeds. The simple, stripped-down racing action pits you against obstacles like oil slicks and some slight bumps in the snow when you're aboard your snowmobile.

Easy controls make this game appealing to first-time drivers. You only accelerate and brake -- you don't shift, access course maps, pull into the pits, or customize your cars. At least your vehicles respond accurately to the controls you do have, so you can cut through traffic effectively.

Sights and Sounds

The simple controls are paralleled by the simple graphics. With no onscreen map and few gauges, you get an uncomplicated view of the dozen colorful courses. A few details of these fairly ordinary graphics, such as snow kicking up from snowmobiles, enhance the action.

The sounds, though, rev up the intensity. You'll like the distinctive whine from the different vehicles, supplemented by good tire squeals and bumps from collisions.

If you're not a pro racer who's used to great games such as Nigel Mansell, jump into Little Al's unusual cockpits. Then just go, speed racer, go!

The race is on and it is up to you to become a master racer. Try various different racing styles and techniques, starting with go-karts, winning your way thru different levels, and using different vehicles for the various stages. Experience the excitement and joy of conquering such obstacles as Pike’s Peak. Gear up and test your driving abilities against the computer or race against other opponents. Watch out for the competition, they will stop at nothing to prevent you from trying to be number one. Can you learn the courses and think you are experienced enough? Why not try your hand against Unser the famous Indy car racer in a final race, which will be in Vancouver. Are you skilled enough to try your hand at becoming a leader in the racing world? Are going to show off your new, found skill and take the crown from the current champion? This racing adventure released in 1994, is a multi-player game for use with the SNES.