Final Lap Twin
Reviewed by Michael LoCascio
At first glance, Final Lap Twin appears to be nothing more
than a run-of-the-mill racing game. The graphics and sounds
are just one small step above 8-bit standards (as opposed to
those in the incredible racing game Super Monaco GP, which
was available for the Genesis at the time). I was initially
so underwhelmed by Final Lap Twin that, when I was looking
for a driving game for my Turbo, I selected the mediocre
Victory Run instead. It wasn't until much later that I
realized my mistake and discovered what made Final Lap Twin
a special and unique game. This title mixed a role-playing
adventure with racing, and the results were intriguing and enjoyable.
Let's discuss the dull aspects of the game first (before we
move on to the good stuff). You can choose to race in your
standard Grand Prix competitions. One or two players can
participate in each race; finish among the top six spots and
you move on to the next stage. Earn the most points after
eight courses (or 16 in some modes) and you win the game.
Hooray. You do get to choose from various kinds of cars
before the races commence, but there wasn't really all that
much difference from one type of car to the next. The only
option that made any sort of difference was the choice
between auto or manual transmission; I usually stuck with manual.
All of this is your standard fare when it comes to racing
games. Throw in the below-average graphics and sounds, and
it's easy to understand why many player overlooked this
title. Things don't begin to get interesting until you try
the game's 'Quest Mode'.
Your goal in the quest mode is to become the world racing
champion and make your father proud. Your adversaries are a
bunch of hooligans called the 'Baby Four-Wheel-Drive
Warriors'. You start out in your hometown and begin an epic
adventure in which you must discover hidden items, upgrade
your racing car, and defeat the Warriors in numerous
competitions. What makes this mode work is the game's sense
of humor - you'd never believe just how entertaining a
role-playing racing game could be. During your journey,
you'll meet all sorts of strange characters and take on a
multitude of bizarre tasks (at one point, your car is cursed
and shrinks until it becomes the size of a toy!). Possibly
the most amusing element of the entire adventure is the
'combat system'. Encounters with enemy characters would
typically do down like this:
After exploring a vast field for a few moments on my way to
the nearest town, the screen goes black (just like in any
RPG that contains random battles). An ugly, mean looking
face appears on the screen.
'I'm Uncle Guido. Wanna race?'
Hmm.. Uncle Guido looks pretty tough. I do have the choice
of racing or running away.. I think I'll pass on this one,
so I turn down Guido's offer.
'Too bad. It's all set up. '
Eh... wait a minute......
And thus, the race begins. Instead of attacking the enemies,
you must defeat them in races. You can try to run away, just
like in many true role-playing games, but as Uncle Guido
proved, sometimes your attempts to escape will be futile...
and you'll have no choice but to race! If you win the race,
you get money, which can be used at the parts shops that
you'll come across in the game's many towns.
Now, we're not talking about an Ultima-caliber adventure
here; the quest is short and easy, but it does provide a
humorous and enjoyable alternative to the dull Grand Prix
modes. The quest is so amusing, in fact, that the game
warrants purchase simply to experience the neat little
adventure. Final Lap Twin isn't a great racing game, and
it's certainly not a top-notch RPG, but it somehow becomes a
very good game when it puts the two genres together. You
just never know what you'll come across next in the world of
video games.
Overall: 7 out of 10
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