SpeedWay Racing Game for the PSPC Review

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Program Requirements:
Device:
Palm size PC (may not work with your model due to direct
screen access techniques. Read more about this below)
90 K free RAM
Version 1.10

SpeedWay by Surerange
and Jimmy is a top view racing game for Palm-sized PCs
running WindowsCE. It uses special direct screen access techniques to create smooth
scrolling graphics. Because of this technique, SpeedWay might not be compatible with every
Palm-size PC. There is a program that you can download from Surerange that will test
your unit for compatibility.FYI: SpeedWay installed and worked just fine on my
Casio E-11.

When you first start SpeedWay, you’re shown a screen that will let you start playing,
change options, list the top 5 drivers, get instructions or exit. Of course, the first
thing I did was tap on Start. I never read directions… I was then shown the playing
screen but I couldn’t get my car to move! So, I quit the game and read the directions…
🙂 Unfortunately the directions don’t tell you how to start your car moving.
I ended up looking on the Jimmy site which did explain
how to control your car.

You use the rocker button to speed up or down (and start the car moving). Pressing the
action button will switch gears. You can also switch gears by tapping on the little gear
shift at the bottom middle of the screen.

At the bottom left of the screen is the steering wheel. You can see the
hands holding it at 10 and 2 just like your driving instructor always told you to do! A
ball in the center of the wheel shows you which direction you are moving in. To steer, you
tap either the left or right hand to steer in that direction. You can also keep an eye on
the speedometer at the bottom right of your screen.Controlling your car is pretty easy
once you get the hang of using the rocker switch to control your speed. I usually get
going as fast as possible and then take my finger off the switch. This makes it easier to
hold my PDA since it is a little awkward to use the rocker and stylus to steer at the same
time.

The race track is pretty much straight, without any curves. But, you have to be on your
toes because there are obstacles like oil slicks, rocks and the other drivers that you
need to avoid. If you happen to hit a rock or another car, you’ll immediately slow down to
0mph and have to quickly get back up to speed. If you drive through an oil slick, it will
cause your car to vear off in either direction.

Some options that you can set are the number of cars on the track. You can choose to
have 9, 6 or 3 cars. You can also turn on/off rocks and/or oil spills. You can even
turn the volume on or off.

The objective is to cross the finish line before the others. If you can finish in at
least 4th place, you can go to the next level of play. The game has 10 different levels.

The graphics quality of the game, it is really good. I especially like the dash board
at the bottom of the screen. It reminds me of the PC game TestDrive. The sound effects are
pretty basic though with some roaring engine sounds and squeals when you run into
something.

SpeedWay is fun but needs something to make it better so that it will keep your
interest. It would be nice if there were some curves in the road or maybe guns so you
could blast at obstacles that were in your way. Or maybe a lap timer that will tell you
how quickly you raced through a level. That way you could compete with your friends to see
who is the best SpeedWay driver.

The biggest problem with SpeedWay is the price. $24 is a high price for this small
game. There also isn’t a demo version so that you can try before you buy.

Price: $24 (£15)

Pros:
Great graphics.
Interesting game controls.

Cons:
Price is too high.
Needs some other game features to keep your interest.

Product Information

Price:	$24.00
Manufacturer:	Jimmy Software
Pros:	Great graphics. Interesting game controls.
Cons:	Price is too high. Needs some other game features to keep your interest.