Classic Software Review: Digital Integration Simulators. Why are ice rinks never awash with the blood from countless fractured skulls? Not even one lopped off finger after an argument with a razor sharp blade... Winter sports all seem very dangerous to me. I can well remember John Noakes displaying his bruised purple arse to the nations kids after pretending to be a bobsleigh and not the rider. Digital Integration are one of my very favourite software houses. Their sims always went one step further to giving you more options and realism than was seemed possible on the Spectrum. Bobsleigh was maybe their most simple game - just push the bob as fast as you can and then try not to have a major disaster ... but you do crash. In fact you have an awful lot of unfinished runs to contemplate before you master the art of not crashing into walls.
There's a real feeling of speed to this program (in fact its quite similar to Stunt Car Racer) and a real sense of panic as you hurtle down the course at 110 mph on four strips of metal! The thrill and point of the game is to go as fast as possible so expect your heartbeat to rise considerably! The game is flavoured with crispy blue/white graphics and sound fx (128k) that add bags of atmosphere as you hit and rebound off walls and soar high up the banked curves of solid ice (like I do). Braking isn't allowed until you cross the finish line. There are lots of different courses to complete and seasons to work your way through. You'll have to alter your bobsleighs set-up according to weather conditions using different shaped runners. There is some stick pounding involved as you push off or improve your fitness but it doesn't spoil the game like other waggling nightmares I could mention. And that really is the games only slight fault unless you like spending a tenner every other week. I picked this game up from WH Smiths not so long ago on the DI budget label Byte Back, so maybe a few brand new copies are still lurking out there. I had no idea that such an ace brilliant game was hiding behind the rather stark cassette cover.
(DAVE)
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