Writing Throwback: GP 500

Here is another old review I wrote over 14 years ago. Man is this short, and bad.

Review

Have you ridden a motorcycle? I have not but know people who have; both said this game is realistic. Who am I to argue? I knew a little about bikes, but I walked away with a lot more. I wanted one. So was I impressed? Yes.

GP 500 simulates the real world motorcycle Grand Prix 500 series. It features such riders as Michael Doohan, Max Biaggi and Alex Criville. So the riders are real but what about the tracks? Well, I cannot say they are realistic because I have not been on the tracks for real. However, they say they modelled the tracks approximately and from what I have seen compared to watching it on the television I think they are spot on visually speaking.

What does the game let you do? Play with a bike, from fiddling with the engine, gears, and tyres to just about everything in between. It plays well too; I love to crash, and this game lets you crash big time. Fiddling with the options let you control things like both brakes independently so you can apply just the front or rear. Doing that opens up a whole new game as you can dive into corners with more precision, and it feels like you are in control of the bike.

This game also features all the courses you know and love like Spain, Holland and Australia. The in-game sound is good too, with the crowd noises fading in and out while going past. Artificial intelligence is good too; they will not just sit behind you but will change racing lines to jump on you when enter a corner too hot and leave you behind.

The graphics in the game are crisp — I ran it on a Pentium III 450 with 128MB of RAM and a Riva TNT2 — and they are fluid. The crashes could be more realistic as the rider stays rigid, but I guess the point is not to crash. I like how you have the choice to choose which team to race for, and the different bikes also feel distinctive.

Is this game a worthy purchase? Yes. I do not know what it is about GP 500, but it is addictive. I prefer four-wheel racing, but this game made me want to play it. Overall very solid and if you love bikes, you will love this even too.