Racing games, as a whole, haven't exactly aged as well as games from other genres over the years, but there's still something to be said for the classic arcade racers of old. Sure they were basic in design and the visuals weren't much too look at, but at their core they were still simple and enjoyable racing experiences. Pitstop II is a good example of this.
The Pitstop series took the arcade racing action, found in many other arcade racers like Pole Position, and added in some authentic pit stop action to make things a bit more realistic. Now you couldn't just drive full out around the racetrack, as you had to also keep an eye on your tire conditions and fuel gauge if you had any hopes of actually finishing the race. While this feature might turn off those who prefer to fly nonstop around a race track, those who can appreciate an added dimension in their racing games will likely appreciate what Pitstop II brings to the table.
The game play in Pitstop is fairly simple and straightforward. You control your car the same way you would in most other racing games of this time period. You can steer the car from side to side using the joystick and accelerate using the action button. As you come to the end of each lap, you'll see a pit lane appear on the track that you can drive into in order to make a pit stop. It's here that you take control of one of two crewman. One crewman changes your tires and the other pumps the fuel into your car. Once you've taken care of the pit stop, you put the steering while icon back onto your car and back out to the track you go for another trip around the track. If you're quick enough in the pits, you won't lose any ground to your opponent. These pit stops are generally where races are won and lost.
At the beginning of the game you can choose your racing options. To start with, you can choose to play a one or two-player game. The one player game is enjoyable enough, but if you want to have some real fun, you'll get a lot more intensity and challenge out of going at it with another player. You also have your choice of six different authentic racetracks, along with your choice of 3, 6, or 9 lap races. If you end up playing the single player game, you can even choose three different levels of difficulty, although there's not a big difference between the three in the overall scheme of things.
The control in Pitstop II takes a little getting used to, but once you get a grip on the controls, the game becomes a lot of fun to play. It's fun to see how far you can push your car's tire and fuel situations, but it can easily be your undoing if you're not careful. The game's play mechanics are obviously nowhere near the level of complexity of today's racing games, but this is actually what makes it so much fun to play. This is just a pick-up-and-play type racing game of old and it won't take you long to see why classic computer game fans still hold this game in such high regard.
The visuals in Pitstop II are about what you'd expect from a Commodore 64 title. The tracks are all very similar in look and feel, with their only differences being the twists and turns of each different track. Although the game contains no 3-D elements, the sense of movement and speed is very well done for a game from this time period. The game does make use of a split-screen display, even in the single-player mode, but it's still quite easy to keep track of the action that's taking place onscreen. Don't expect any eye candy, but Pitstop II does a great job of keeping the racing action as realistic as possible, especially given the hardware limitations of the Commodore 64 computer.
The music and sound effects in Pitstop are about like the visuals. They're good enough, but certainly not anything to get overly excited about. The car sound effects are fairly good, albeit not as realistic as some would expect, and the sound effects in the pit area are also quite good. There's not much to the game as far as audio goes, but it's got it where it counts. About the only thing missing is the speech that's found in the Pole Position game. It's a small omission, but it still would have been a nice touch nonetheless.
If you're a Commodore 64 fan that used to love playing the Pitstop titles, this is a game you should definitely consider taking for a spin again. It's simplistic approach to racing, coupled with the interesting use of the pit stop scenario, makes for a fun and unique racing experience that you just couldn't find on many game consoles or computers during this time period. That being said, racing game fans who've become spoiled by the extremely realistic approach of modern day racers might find this title a little too dumbed-down and basic for their tastes. It's clear that this game will definitely appeal more to those who grew up playing racing games from this era of gaming. Pitstop II proves that even these classic computer racing titles can still be a lot of fun to play, even all these years later.
1. Bass X0
08 Aug 2008, 00:11 GMT
racing games in general from this era don't age well and are pretty simplistic.
2. hansolo350
08 Aug 2008, 00:23 GMT
I'd have to agree, except RC Pro am is still good.
3. Angelic Lapras King
08 Aug 2008, 00:42 GMT
Ah, classic racing sounds! XD
4. AngelBlack187
08 Aug 2008, 01:01 GMT
me not want. dracula x would of been nicer
5. Mickeymac
08 Aug 2008, 04:16 GMT
Sounds cool to me. I loved Pole Position, but the version I have doesn't have multiplayer, so this would be a pretty good buy, if we had C64 games out here. Personally, I find that these racers have aged well, and are a lot of fun. Sure they're simplistic, but to be honest, I just want to go fast!
6. Corbie
08 Aug 2008, 04:31 GMT
I agree wholeheartedly Mickeymac. I just wanted to clarify as I generally see a lot of racing game fans griping about how goofy and overly simplistic these old-school racers are. It's just the way I like them, personally,
7. Kelvin
08 Aug 2008, 08:13 GMT
Yes, good solid game this, with unpretentious gameplay. I do think that the lack of bells and whistles does let it down a bit, but if all you want to do is some simple racing, then you could do worse. And it's not as if we've got a huge choice of racers on the VC right now.
8. Falk Sturmfels
08 Aug 2008, 08:19 GMT
The scrolling is pretty good. But i don´t have to download it - i got it on my original C64.
Are there any plans for you americans to get the C64 as additional hardware for the VC? How popular was it in the states back in the late 80s?
9. vsync
08 Aug 2008, 09:03 GMT
Taking the last curves on with white & red tires and low fuel was a real kick when I was younger. Loved this game, and managed to get really skilled with the pitstops
.
What's up with not being able to control your pit crew in newer racegames?
The fun element is not changing the tires which combined with the tire sensitive collision, make every curve sweatier in the long run. Kinda like boosting in f-zero x! ; it's also the main element of the game that I think has survived the test of time next to plain multiplayer madness.
Also found a nice interview with the main programmer.:
http://home.arcor.de/cybergoth/gamesa/pitstop2.html
And hi, this is my first comment ever here
.
10. Corbie
08 Aug 2008, 10:28 GMT
I also loved the Pitstop games back during my Commodore 64 days. Between this and Jumpman Jr. I rarely saw the light of day on weekends.
@Falk - The Pitstop games were very popular here in the US during the Commodore 64 days. All of Epyx games were, to be honest. Anyone remember Breakdance or Temple of Apshai?
@vsync - Welcome to the site. Glad to have you here.
11. Tony
08 Aug 2008, 14:38 GMT
For those of us in the US, we may have to wait for Ferrari Grand Prix challenge( genesis) or Final Lap Twin (TG-16) for split screen racing.
I know everyone is holding their collective breath:) But I agree with Corbie, I enjoy the retro look of old racing games. On the other hand, games like Project Gotham racing, Rallisport Championship, Excite Truck, and Burnout are great too.
12. Apocalypse
08 Aug 2008, 16:04 GMT
Wow, did anyone notice that the video runs 2.32 min. and at the end of the video they are still in the first lap. o_o
13. Mr. Cheez
08 Aug 2008, 20:26 GMT
@Apocalypse. Actually, they were entering the second lap, according to the lower-right map screen, but it's hard to tell
.
I agree with Mickey that old racing games are fun, as I love games like Pole Position and Excitebike. I think that many racers these days have become needlessly complicated. After all, I really don't need to customize my rear view mirror and tail lights to get full enjoyment out of a game. It's just better to keep it simple.
Though arcadey racers like Mario Kart and Burnout are still great too.
Speaking of Pole Position, does anyone else think this game looks suspiciously similar? They look exactly the same, except the cars are a different color and there's no billboards to run into.
14. Mickeymac
08 Aug 2008, 21:41 GMT
@Mr. Cheez
When I first saw it, I thought it was Pole Position! Now we just need to know which one came first.
Just to mention, I don't own many racing games, but I do have GT4 and Wipeout Pure, yet I can enjoy games like Pole Position. Mario Kart, as has been previously noted, was hit & miss for me, but when I wasn't getting hit by 6 consecutive items, I was having fun. I think I aught to try Burnout though. Edit: Burnout is my new favorite series! Who knew there was a game that rewards you for driving agressively! I always drive agressively, it's my favorite way to play a racing game!
Is Pole Position on the VC already? Is it even capable of doing so?
15. Mayhem
09 Aug 2008, 14:46 GMT
This one was always about the two player mode anyways... and yeah Pitstop was inspired by the success of Pole Position.
16. Mickeymac
09 Aug 2008, 15:25 GMT
Well, at least it has the one thing Pole Position doesn't, Two-player mode. I think racing games are the only thing my brother and I are both equally enjoy, so split screen is appreciated.
17. Tony
11 Aug 2008, 18:15 GMT
@ Mickey Mac
I am not sure if Pole Position was ever on the NES. I have it for the GBA retro collection. It looks good but does not play well with a GBA controller. IF they could do Pole Position with Wii Wheel functionality that would be great. Umm... Get on that Nintendo, Please!
18. STEADY MOBBIN 22
12 Aug 2008, 19:50 GMT
This game doesn't interest me in the least bit, but I love that cover art style they used to use.
19. Mickeymac
14 Aug 2008, 01:34 GMT
@Tony
Yeah, I have it on both a Gamecube collection, and on a specialized controller pack that looks like an arcade stick, but the joystick can be pivoted to turn like steering wheel, and it does play better on the joystick than with a D-pad, and don't even get me started about the Analog stick!
20. The_Indigo_Effect
27 Aug 2008, 05:31 GMT
It's usually the quirky racing titles, like R.C. Pro Am, that really stand out from this era. Galaxy 5000 and Excite Bike are pretty good, but I never cared much for Mach Rider (both nes games). Nintendo should consider a contemporary remake of Mach Rider; there's a lot of potential with that one.
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