[{"TitleName":"Grand Prix","Publisher":"D&H Games","Author":"Adam Parker, Shaun G. McClure","YearOfRelease":"1989","ZxDbId":"0002113","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 87, Apr 1991","Price":"£1.85","ReleaseDate":"1991-03-21","Editor":"Richard Eddy","TotalPages":52,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"EDITORIAL\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nEditor: Richard Eddy\r\nSub Editor: Warren Lapworth\r\nStaff Writers: Mark Caswell, Nick Roberts, Lloyd Mangram\r\nArt Editor: Mark Kendrick\r\nPhotography: Michael Parkinson\r\nProduction and Circulation Director: Jonathan Rignall\r\nSystems Operator: Paul (Charlie) Chubb\r\nReprographics: Matthew Uffindell (Supervisor), Robert Millichamp, Robb Hamilton, Tim Morris, Jenny Reddard\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Judith Bamford\r\nAdvertisement Sales Executive: Christine Moore\r\nAdvertisement Production: Jackie Morris (Supervisor), Joanne Lewis\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\nSubscriptions: Caroline Edwards [redacted]\r\n\r\nTypesetting Apple Macintosh Computers using Quark Express and Bitstream Fonts.\r\n\r\nSystems Manager: Ian Chubb\r\n\r\nColour origination Scan Studios [redacted]. Printed in England by BPCC Business Magazines (Carlisle) Ltd, [redacted].\r\n\r\nDistributor COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nYearly subscription rates: UK £17.20 Europe £24.00, Air Mail overseas £37. US/Canada subscriptions and back issues enquiries Barry Hatcher, British Magazine Distributors Ltd [redacted]. Yearly subscription rates US$47.00, Canada CAN$57.00 Back Issues US$5.20, Canada CAN$6.20 (inclusive of postage). \r\n\r\nCOMPETITION RULES\r\nThe Editor's decision is final in all matters relating to adjudication and while we offer prizes in good faith, believing them to be available; If something untoward happens we reserve the right to substitute prizes of comparable value. We'll do our very best to despatch prizes as soon as possible after the published closing date. Winners names will appear in a later issue of CRASH. No correspondence can be entered into regarding the competitions (unless we've written to you stating that you have won a prize and it doesn't turn up, in which case drop us a line). No person who is related, no matter how remotely, to anyone who works for either Newsfield or any of the companies offering prizes, may enter one of our competitions.\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced whole or in part without the written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return anything sent into CRASH - including written and photographic material, software and hardware - unless it is accompanied by a suitably stamped addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photo material on 35mm transparencies is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates. Copy published in CRASH will be edited as seen fit and payment will be calculated according to the current printed word rate. The views expressed in CRASH are not necessarily those of the publishers.\r\n\r\nCopyright CRASH Ltd 1991 A Newsfield Publication. ISSN 0954-8661. Cover design and illustration by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"D&H Games\r\n£9.99\r\n\r\nWell, you've become the manager of a football team, tried your hand at cricket, so why not get into Formula One racing and become the manager of a Grand Prix Team? Why not indeed!\r\n\r\nIf you've played any of D&H's managerial games you'll know the basic format this game uses. Once loaded, there are many option screens where you set up your game. You can alter things like driver's name, sponsors and tyres. Each decision you make affects your racing in a different way.\r\n\r\nAfter the option screens you finally get the chance to race (using the term in its loosest sense). The 'full graphical simulation' the inlay boasts is just one screen crammed with simple graphics. This screen includes a grandstand, the pits and the main track. You just sit and watch while the race takes place, a car shooting by every few seconds. All the action takes place off-screen; the only way you know what's going on is from the messages that appear at the bottom of the screen.\r\n\r\nFans of managerial games will probably find Grand Prix a refreshing change from the usual boring football. But the game's written in BASIC, and shows it, and the £9.99 price tag is a bit steep.\r\n\r\nNICK 35%","ReviewerComments":["This reams-of-text style of presentation is okay when applied to a football manger game but in a racing game it just doesn't capture the excitement of the fastest sport on four wheels. If the management aspect was backed up with a playable action sequence it would have been much better. In Grand Prix all you can do is choose from a list of options and watch the 'action'. The graphics are poor: a few crudely drawn car sprites whizzing on one side of the screen and off the other isn't at all rewarding. On a budget label, Grand Prix may be value for money, but at a tenner it certainly isn't.\r\nMark Caswell\r\n30%"],"OverallSummary":"At a tenner Grand Prix is very poor value for money.","Page":"48","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Mark Caswell","Score":"30","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Nick Roberts","Score":"35","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"The 'full graphical simulation' ('htm 'htm) in Grand Prix."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Presentation","Score":"28%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"14%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"5%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"35%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictivity","Score":"30%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"33%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 52, Apr 1990","Price":"£1.7","ReleaseDate":"1990-03-18","Editor":"Matt Bielby","TotalPages":92,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Matt Bielby\r\nArt Editor: Kevin Hibbert\r\nProduction Editor: Andy Ide\r\nTechnical Consultant: Jonathan Davies\r\nContributors: Ollie Alderton, Robin Alway, Marcus Berkmann, Amanda Cook, Jo Davies, Jonathan Davies, Cathy Fryett, Mike Gerrard, Simon Goggin, Sean Kelly, Duncan MacDonald, David McCandless, Paul Morgan, Rich Pelley, Catherine Peters, David Wilson\r\nAdvertising Manager: Mark Salmon\r\nAdvertising Executive: Simon Moss\r\nPublisher: Greg Ingham\r\nProduction Manager: Ian Seager\r\nProduction Coordinator: Melissa Parkinson\r\nSubscriptions/Mail Order: The Old Barn [redacted]\r\nDistributors: SM Distribution [redacted]\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair is published by Future Publishing Ltd [redacted]\r\n\r\n©Future Publishing 1990. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission."},"MainText":"GRAND PRIX\r\n\r\nNo, it's a French word, you loathsome little oik. Go and see the headmaster immediately. Now where was I? Oh yes. This sim enters the gripping world of Formula One motor racing, and, one or two quibbles aside, deals with it very well. You are the manager of a racing team (it's up to you which), and you have two of the worst drivers in all of motor racing. Quite what it takes to improve your lot (your car's rubbish too) I haven't yet worked out, but you can be sure I will - even if it takes me months. There are the usual D&H features - a main menu which connects lots of other menus, on which you manipulate the various factors that will help you win the race - or, in my case, come last. Just to make it more humiliating, there's a slightly crude graphic representation of the race, with all the cars going incredibly fast except for yours, which poodle around like C5s. There are trillions of factors, including pitstops (can you keep yours to a minimum, and will it make any difference if you do?), crashes, hirings and firings, sponsors and loads more. Hints and tips on this monster will be more than welcome in The Clinic.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"A tad primitive to look at of course, but the management stuff is spot-on. Worth your readies.","Page":"56","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Marcus Berkmann","Score":"85","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"\"'Ere, John, gorra new motor?\" Well, as a matter of fact, no. Which is probably why it's 15 laps behind Nelson Piquet's."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Life Expectancy","Score":"90%","Text":""},{"Header":"Instant Appeal","Score":"78%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"30%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"85%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 65, May 1991","Price":"£1.95","ReleaseDate":"1991-04-11","Editor":"Andy Ide","TotalPages":84,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Andy Ide\r\nArt Editor: Sal Meddings\r\nGames Editor: James Leach\r\nStaff Writer: Linda Barker\r\nDesign Assistant: Andy Ounsted\r\nContributors: Marcus Berkmann, Jonathan Davies, Cathy Fryett, Mike Gerrard, Jon North, Rich Pelley, John Pillar, Adam Waring, David Wilson\r\nAdvertising Manager: Simon Moss\r\nPublisher: Jane Richardson\r\nPublishing Assistant: Michele Harris\r\nCirculation Director: Sue Hartley\r\nGroup Publisher: Greg Ingham\r\nManaging Director: Chris Anderson\r\nProduction Manager: Ian Seager\r\nProduction Coordinator: Melissa Parkinson\r\nSubscriptions: Computer Posting [redacted]\r\nMail Order: The Old Barn [redacted]\r\nPrinters: Riverside Press [redacted]\r\nDistributors: MMC [redacted]\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair is published by Future Publishing Ltd [redacted]\r\n\r\n©Future Publishing 1991. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission."},"MainText":"D&H Games\r\n£9.99 cass\r\nReviewer: James Leach\r\n\r\nI could have been a Formula One driver, you know. It's true. I was very unlucky, because on the day I was due to sign with Ferrari in Italy I had a cold, so had to stay in bed. An unknown dude called Nelson Piquet happened to be on holiday near the team workshop. He didn't have a cold, so got picked instead - and look at him now! Life can be very unfair, readers.\r\n\r\nAnyway, the Formula One business is very exciting. Probably more exciting than running a football club (if that's possible), which explains why D&H Games have decided to do a management sim about it. The main idea is the same. You pick a 'GP' team, con a load of sponsors into paying for your tyres and fuel and win as many of the season's races as you can. And, er, that's it, really (at least in Grand Prix it is).\r\n\r\nAt the start, most of the selection bits are done from big lists of companies who'd just lurve to supply you with engines, gearboxes or other oily bits for your 2 racing cars. Some are more generous than others, so it pays to shop around (as my gran always says).\r\n\r\nGRANDSTAND VIEW (SORT OF)\r\n\r\nOnce the team is set up the fun really starts. Get a huge overdraft from the bank, pour some cash into engine development and go to the circuit (or simply disappear to Brazil forever). And here's where the graphics come in. You have a top view of about 30 feet of the circuit and the pits. You see the 20 cars line up in 2 rows. There's a long pause. A very long pause. Perhaps the computer's crashed... But no! Eventually the cars edge off the screen You'll see them again in a few seconds as they whizz past on another lap. Thrilling stuff. A box at the top shows the race positions. Crashes and spin-offs are shown at the bottom.\r\n\r\nMost of the races are about 50 laps, so take about 10 real minutes to run and during the race all you control is the pitstops. The cars come in anyway if they get knackered or their fuel runs low. You can speed things up by selecting the Refill and Change Tyres options, but you still feel a bit useless. (You are anyway. Ed)\r\n\r\nAnnoyingly, you don't control the cars at all when they're going - you just set them up with the correct tyres, fuel etc before the race. But unless you've been playing for hours you'll probably finish last (if at all).\r\n\r\nThe race graphics are jolly (but rather old-fashioned), and they're the best thing about Grand Prix. And if you're determined to win it can be quite exciting watching the battle unfold, especially in 2-player mode.\r\n\r\nBut when each race is over you just fiddle with your team, hiring better mechanics, drivers and directors. There isn't much else to do except make small improvements for the next 10-minute race (in contrast to last month's D&H offering Soccer Manager, which gave you lots of control). And so it goes on. And on. If it was a budget game it'd be well funky. But at £10? No way, Jose!","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Looks like a cheap and cheerful management sim. Except it isn't cheap, and there isn't that much to do.","Page":"76,77","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"James Leach","Score":"52","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"The grid is worked out after qualifying. My bods are 12th and 17th. (Could be worse!)"},{"Text":"The main menu and the excitement's killing me. Let's go practice to see if we can qualify."},{"Text":"The race is on. Senna leads, bit some people have stopped in the pits already."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Life Expectancy","Score":"46%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"48%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"50%","Text":""},{"Header":"Instant Appeal","Score":"55%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"52%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]