IndyCar Racing II Review

The white flag waves defiantly from the tower as you make your way around the track.

Tank nearly empty, running on tires that seem about to burn up from the three-digit speeds, you grit your teeth and know you only have to hold on for one more lap. Easier said than done, though; Andretti the cruise missile has a lock on your tail, and try as you might to swerve from side to side to prevent him from drafting, he's on you like there's a tow rope tied to your rear wing. Too fast into turn four, you take it a bit too high, and Michael cuts inside to your left. No way, you think and floor the accelerator--"eat my wake." The checkered flag goes up, and you almost rip the cord out of your joystick raising your arms in triumph. Got milk?

Dos Minimum System Requirements

MS-DOS 5.0+

2x CD-ROM

VGA

486DX/33

8 MB Hard Drive Space

Win95 Minimum System Requirements

Pentium +

16 MB RAM

Papyrus' IndyCar Racing II is now available for both the PC and Macintosh on a hybrid CD-ROM. This Sierra racing simulation provides superb detail and accuracy in a simulation, complete with customizable paint schemes and voice-activated pit controls. But don't expect a high-paced arcade racing game like Virtua Racing or even Outrun. Despite claims of "crisp, high-resolution graphics," IndyCar Racing II features mostly polygonal objects when viewed from the cockpit, and frame redraw rates do not convincingly invoke a sense of real time action.

Attention to detail, though, is the major selling point of this game. There are thirteen different customizable characteristics to the car, from brake bias, to tire compounds, to camber and more. Do you go with a .35-inch wheel stagger to take those left turns with authority? Do you put less than the full 40-gallon fuel complement in your gas tank so you become that much faster? What about a stiffer shock absorber, or a lower front wing? You could spend an entire week inside the garage just fiddling with the many ways to improve your car's performance.

Continuing with the obvious theme of variety being the spice of life, IndyCar Racing II offers fifteen classic IndyCar racetracks to test your mettle on. Wind your way through the scenic streets of Long Beach or test the sound barrier at Burke Lakefront Airport. Even travel to such exotic locations as Australia, Canada, and Milwakee. Milwakee? Well...

With surprisingly good artificial intelligence, your opponents respond amazingly well to your every move, taking advantage when you corner badly and deftly circumnavigating those ever-present spin outs. In fact, not all of your opponents' moves are reactive or scripted, as is often the case in sim programs, for sometimes the car behind you will initiate an attack on his own.

IndyCar Racing II takes full advantage of the Macintosh's voice recognition software, letting you call out commands to your pit crew without having to take your eyes off the screen and yell out "Ack! Where's that stupid F11 key?!" The game understands such commands as "give me 35 gallons of petrol" and "repair damage." Unfortunately, attempts at getting the computer to respond to the command "go, go, Gadgetmobile" have so far been unsuccessful.

One of those games designed for the joystick or one of those overpriced steering wheel controllers, IndyCar Racing II just doesn't have the right feel when run from the keyboard and mouse. Looking for a great arcade racing game with fluid graphics and non-stop action? Then keep searching, Speed Racer. But if you're an armchair IndyCar pilot in the mood for the next best thing to the real enchilada (guacamole and all), go in for a pit stop at your local computer store and grab a copy of Papyrus' IndyCar Racing II.