Mario Andretti

One of racing's most hallowed drivers is now out to make a name for himself in the world of computer gaming. It's probably safe to go ahead and etch that name in stone. Exploring and then dominating new territory is a hallmark of Mario Andretti's splendid 33-year career.

Widely acknowledged as the greatest racecar driver in history, Andretti has scored victories on nearly every circuit in the racing world. He's won a national dirt-track championship, stock-car racing's Daytona 500, endurance sports-car racing's Sebring 12-Hour, Indy-car racing's Indianapolis 500, and a Formula One world championship.

The challenge for Electronic Arts when making Mario Andretti's Racing Challenge was to translate Andretti's incredible expertise into a sophisticated but playable game. EA responded admirably, producing a game that boasts a wide range of features and a very satisfying driving simulation.

You start out as a rookie dirt-track driver who needs a sponsor —which, not coincidentally, is how Andretti began. Once you've proven you can win in the sprint-car series, you move up to modifieds, then to stock cars, prototypes, Formula Ones, and, finally, Indy cars.

On the pro circuits, you'll have to prove yourself over and over again, just as Andretti did. It's the only way to graduate to racing's higher ranks. The competitions are patterned after real races on actual circuits. To make it to a major race, you have to qualify in a preliminary race.

Many of the tracks are as famous as the men who race them. You can choose from LeMans, Pocono, Indianapolis, Monte Carlo, and Daytona, among others. Each one is designed to represent its real-life counterpart in great detail — size, appearance, reference points, grandstands, and banked turns.

Mario Andretti has something for just about everyone. Action fans will find plenty of high-speed thrills and chills. Simulation buffs can try out different cars on a wide range of tracks. And role-playing enthusiasts get the chance to work their way up from rags to riches, just like the now-legendary Super Mario Bros..