[{"TitleName":"WEC Le Mans","Publisher":"Imagine Software Ltd","Author":"Alick Morrall, Bill Harbison, John Mullins, Jonathan Dunn, Mike Lamb","YearOfRelease":"1989","ZxDbId":"0005648","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 62, Mar 1989","Price":"£1.25","ReleaseDate":"1989-02-23","Editor":"Dominic Handy","TotalPages":100,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"EDITORIAL\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nEditor: Dominic 'bye bye' Handy\r\nAssistant Editor: Stuart 'here I come' Wynne\r\nStaff Writers: Mark Caswell, Philip King, Lloyd Mangram, Nick Roberts\r\nContributors: Raffaele Cecco, Mel Croucher, Ian Cull, Mike Dunn, Paul Evans, Ian Lacey, Barnaby Page\r\nEditorial Assistants: Caroline Blake, Vivienne Vickress\r\n\r\nPRODUCTION\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nSenior Designer: Wayne Allen\r\nDesigners: Melvin Fisher, Yvonne Priest\r\nPhotography: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson\r\nProduction Manager: Jonathan Rignall\r\nReprographics Supervisor: Matthew Uffindell\r\nProduction Team: Robert Hamilton, Robert Millichamp, Tim Morris\r\n\r\nEditorial Director: Roger Kean\r\nPublisher: Geoff Grimes\r\nAdvertisement Director: Roger Bennett\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Neil Dyson\r\nSales Executives: Sarah Chapman, Andrew Smales, Lee Watkins\r\nAssistants: Jackie Morris [redacted]\r\n\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nTypeset by The Tortoise Shell Press, Ludlow. Colour origination by Scan Studios [redacted]. Printed in England by Carlisle Web Offset, [redacted] - member of the BPCC Group. Distribution by COMAG, [redacted]\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 (like a game that has been offered as a prize being scrapped) 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 the Sticky Solutions Department a line at the [redacted] address). No person who has any relationship, no matter how remote, to anyone who works for either Newsfield or any of the companies offering prizes, may enter one of our competitions. No 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 is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates.\r\n\r\nTo DW and DH, thanks for all the good times!\r\n\r\n©CRASH Ltd, 1989\r\n\r\nISSN 0954-8661\r\n\r\nCover Design & Illustration by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Will you want to play this for 24 hours?\r\n\r\nProducer: Imagine\r\nMiles per gallon: £8.95 cass, £14.95 disk\r\nAuthor: Sentient Software, sound by Jonathan Dunn\r\n\r\nThe 24 hour WEC Le Mans race is one of the toughest in motor racing. Konami attempted to give the thrills, without 24 hour play, in an impressive hydraulic cabinet which just lost out to Out Run. A year after the disappointing Out Run conversion, Imagine hope the arcade runner-up will beat the arcade champion on the Spectrum...\r\n\r\nAs with the arcade machine, the number of laps seems drastically reduced - just four. Getting you there in style is a turbocharged engine with high and low gears - press fire to change up or down. Forward on the joystick accelerates, backwards applies the brakes vital for tight, hairpin bends and edging past competitor cars.\r\n\r\nEach lap is divided into three checkpoints and you start with just 66 seconds to reach the first checkpoint. If you reach it with lots of time in hand, your time limit for the next checkpoint is increased. Fail to reach it and you're out of the race. If you crash along the way the timer kindly stops until you're moved back onto the road, but getting back up to speed takes time you can't afford to lose.\r\n\r\nAnother tough race game, but much older, is Full Throttle. Despite that game's simple visual charms, WEC Le Mans beats it hands down for looks, with well-defined graphics whizzing past at great speed and - unlike Enduro Racer - no confusing overlaps. Also like Full Throttle it remembers the competitor cars, so you can catch up with those two drivers who caused you to crash. But otherwise this is far inferior. For a start there's only one track which little resembles the map layout, then there's dodgy collision detection and only one (far too tough) skill level, severely limiting lastability. WEC Le Mans is great fun to play for a while, but I suspect it will soon end up gathering dust.\r\n\r\nMARK 69%\r\n\r\nTHE ESSENTIALS\r\nJoysticks: Cursor, Kempston, Sinclair\r\nGraphics: smooth-scrolling track but general lack of variety in appearance\r\nSound: adequate 128K title tune, but poorish ingame engine noises\r\nOptions: definable keys","ReviewerComments":["I don't think I've got any relatives called Jonathon (Dunn), so I can safely say his title tune is pretty dull, while ingame FX are almost nonexistent. Sadly, WEC Le Mans has got nothing I haven't seen before; the hills are very effective, but so were Enduro Racers and that's got much more content. The colour clash on the sides of the road is pretty unpleasant, and as for the collision detection - well! I counted four slip-ups (ie, straight up someone else's exhaust pipe!) in one go, and my games aren't remarkably long, believe me! Nine pounds could buy a lot more.\r\nMike Dunn\r\n59%","The inlay calls it the most gruelling and challenging car race in the world and I definitely agree; I was sure my wrist was going to snap on some of those corners, and completing each sector is really demanding. WEC Le Mans gives you a fast, roller coaster ride around a very plain track with just a few spark plug advertisements to cheer it up. But even though the variety is lacking, I kept coming back for more (psycho?). On the negative side, sound is surprisingly poor and as the race is supposed to be 24 hours long you would have would get darker - like in the arcade game - but the Spectrum programmers seem to have overlooked this (at least in the first 3 laps). WEC Le Mans has nothing particularly outstanding about it, but it's a great way to let off steam.\r\nNick Roberts\r\n69%"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Technically competent, but has too little game content.","Page":"14","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Mark Caswell","Score":"69","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Mike Dunn","Score":"59","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Nick Roberts","Score":"69","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Better programmed than Out Run, but less variety."},{"Text":"Roaring around the famous Le Mans circuit in top gear."}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"DRIVING LESSONS\r\n\r\nDon't just hold down accelerate, when a car looms up decelerate and go in the opposite direction to pass.\r\n\r\nAlways start in low gear and change into high, it saves time accelerating.\r\n\r\nTry not to oversteer as it causes you to skid.\r\n\r\nNever drink and drive! (These tips are getting silly! - Ed.)"}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Presentation","Score":"73%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"70%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"67%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"70%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"65%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"66%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 39, Mar 1989","Price":"£1.6","ReleaseDate":"1989-02-16","Editor":"Teresa Maughan","TotalPages":100,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Teresa Maughan\r\nArt Editor: Catherine Higgs\r\nDeputy Editor: Matt Bielby\r\nProduction Editor: Jackie Ryan\r\nStaff Writer: Duncan MacDonald\r\nDesigner: Thor Goodall\r\nEditorial Assistant: David Wilson\r\nTechnical Consultant: David McCandless\r\nContributors: Marcus Berkmann, Richard Blaine, Ciaran Brennan, Jonathan Davies, Mike Gerrard, Sean Kelly, Catherine Peters, Rachael Smith, Phil South\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Simon Stansfield\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Stephen Bloy\r\nAdvertisement Director: Alistair Ramsay\r\nProduction Manager: Judith Middleton\r\nAdvertisement Production: Katherine Balchin\r\nMarketing Manager: Bryan Denyer\r\nPublisher: Terry Grimwood\r\nFinance Director: Colin Crawford\r\nManaging Director: Stephen England\r\nChairman: Felix Dennis\r\n\r\nPublished by Dennis Publishing Ltd, [redacted] Company registered in England.\r\nTypesetters: Carlinpoint [redacted]\r\nReproduction: Graphic Ideas, London\r\nPrinters: Chase Web Offset [redacted]\r\nDistribution: Seymour Press [redacted]\r\n\r\nAll material in Your Sinclair ©1989 Felden Productions, and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of the publishers. Your Sinclair is a monthly publication."},"MainText":"Game: WEC Le Mans\r\nPublisher: Ocean\r\nPrice: £9.95 cass/£14.95 disk\r\nReviewer: Matt Bielby\r\n\r\nEeeeeeeeoooooooowwwwwwwwwww!!! Could this be the best car racing game yet? Matt Bielby gets his crankshaft (fnar) in gear to find out.\r\n\r\nIt's not much fun being a Le Mans 24 hour racing driver. First you get strapped to the front of a giant petrol tank containing a trillion gallons of highly dangerous fluid. Eeek! That's enough to put most people off for a start.\r\n\r\nThen they send you off around a twisty, turny, treacherous track at 200 miles an hour, with 30 or more totally mad people to join you. And that's not the worst!\r\n\r\nThe worst is that they make you do it for 24 (24!!) hours non stop (well, actually, that's a bit of a lie) and feed you full of coffee to keep you awake. All very well, but what they haven't thought of is providing any way to, erm, 'do your business,' without stopping and losing the race. Ouch! Maybe a full bladder is an added incentive to winning and getting first in the queue to the little drivers room.\r\n\r\nBut in Ocean's new game WEC Le Mans you can stop playing at your convenience to use the, er, convenience. And there are so many other good things about WEC Le Mans I don't know where to start.\r\n\r\nThis is possibly the best Speccy race game we've seen since Enduro Racer, knocking OutRun and the rest into the pits. Indeed, though the graphics and animation are perhaps not quite up to Enduro standard, WEC Le Mans manages to remember where the other cars are meant to be in relation to you rather better, so it's a real race against other cars instead of just the clock.\r\n\r\nWEC Le Mans has lovely large car sprites, a challengingly curvey track and a smooth set of acceleration/braking/gear change controls. However, there are no surprises at all in the gameplay: bonus points and extra time are given if you manage to make each successive time checkpoint and you spin off if you hit the trees, barriers or other cars.\r\n\r\nThis total lack of anything unexpected is perhaps the game's weakest feature. For example: the game is based on the one famous race course so each lap is exactly the same as the last, which may help it become a good simulation of the repetitiveness of an actual race but is not exactly a selling point.\r\n\r\nGet far enough and the course switches to night for a bit, where it all gets a bit more difficult 'cos you can't see a thing except headlights!!\r\n\r\nSo, a rather fine racing game that works exactly as it's meant to but is very hard to write much about because it's so simple. With two of the best racing games (Enduro Racer and Super Hang On) being about bikes, WEC perhaps gets 'best car race' by default. We're impressed with it - but we wouldn't buy the company. (Oh I don't know! Ed)","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"54,55","Denied":false,"Award":"Your Sinclair Megagame","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Matt Bielby","Score":"9","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Hey! Slow down even more, put your headlights on dip and keep both hands on the wheel. Captain Tread says \"Don't forget, even though it's a clear, sunny day. there's still might be fog around the next corner!\"\r\n\r\nRemember! Safe motoring can save lives. Cheerio!"},{"Text":"Hey, be careful, you could do someone an injury just pulling out like that. Mirror, indicate then (and only then) manoeuvre. Captain Tread says \"You're not the only driver on the road - don't forget it!\""},{"Text":"Look! There are some cars in front of you! Don't just plough through them, you could cause a nasty accident. Beep your horn and only pass and when they have pulled to the side of the road. Captain Tread says \"Think before you overtake!\""},{"Text":"Slow down - you're driving like there's no tomorrow. Captain Tread says \"Imagine you have an elderly relative in the passenger-seat drinking a mug of Ovaltine.\""},{"Text":"That's no way to take a chicane - this 'racing line' business may get you through fast, but should you skid you may cause injury. Captain Tread says \"Stay on the left hand side of the road - treat the racetrack as you would a busy street.\""},{"Text":"Wooaahh! You're approaching this corner too fast. Put the brakes on and change down a gear. Remember - Captain Tread says \"Safety first!\""}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"HOW TO LOSE THE RACE, WITH CAPTAIN TREAD\r\n\r\nHello, I'm Captain Tread, your advanced driving instructor. The ups, downs and bends on this Le Mans course can be very dangerous, unless you know the drill. That's where I come in - I'm here to help."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"9/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 63, Mar 1991","Price":"£1.85","ReleaseDate":"1991-02-07","Editor":"Andy Ide","TotalPages":92,"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, 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":"WEC LE MANS\r\nHit Squad\r\n£2.99\r\nReviewer: Jon Pillar\r\n\r\nAha! This is the driving game that's my barg of the month, if not the year. Like most coin-ops, it's simpler than Simple Simon's simple brother - just complete 4 laps of a course without running out of time between the checkpoints. But, it's the kind of game that once loaded is harder to get off your Speccy than fluff stuck under the ENTER key! Unusually for the Ocean conglomerate, the 128K sound is rather (hem hem) 'dubious', though the graphics are top-notch. The road has more twists and dips than a '50's dance craze! The other cars progress from puttering L-plate drivers to speed maniacs who hog the inside lane of vicious curves before ganging up to box you in! The clock never reaches zero unless the checkpoint is just too far away, and the playability leaps so far off the top of the scale that you could give it a brush and get it to paint the ceiling! My only quibblette is that, no matter how slow you're going, whenever you hit something you skid to a complete halt. WEC regains some brownie points by politely stopping the clock as it scrolls you back onto the road.\r\n\r\nWhat else can I say? It's better than Chase HQ. (Blimey! A complete barg - and some controversy thrown in for free. Service or what?!)","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"81","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Jon Pillar","Score":"94","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Feel the need, the need for going very quickly in blue Le Mans car in France."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"94%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 78, Jun 1992","Price":"£2.5","ReleaseDate":"1992-05-17","Editor":"Andy Hutchinson","TotalPages":84,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"HERE COMES THE SUMMER!\r\n\r\nFor him in vain the envious season rolls, who bears eternal summer in his soul. What are you most looking forward to the summer?\r\n\r\nEditor: Andy (Dreamy days dangling a leg in the water while drifting down the Avon in a punt & snogging French exchange students. Or both at the same time) Hutchinson\r\nArt Editor: Andy (Going to America, hopefully) Ounsted\r\nDeputy Editor: Linda (Glastonbury festival) Barker\r\nStaff Writer: Jon (Leaving his duck shaped brolly at home) Pillar\r\nArt Assistant: Maryanne (Picnics in Vicky Park) Booth\r\nAdvertising Manager: Alison (Looking sexy & brown) Booth\r\nSenior Sales Exec: Jackie (Drinking ice cool beers at the Crystal Palace) Garford\r\nProduction Coordinator: Lisa (Ice cream sundaes with Martini) Read\r\nPublisher: Jane (Barbies & Pimms) Richardson\r\nPromotions Manager: Michelle (Cycling to Mrs Miggins' bun & tea shop) Harris\r\nPromotions Assistant: Tamara (Riding a horse through a field of long green grass) Ward\r\nGroup Publisher: Greg (Peace, love & understanding) Bingham\r\nCirculation Director: Sue (Windsurfing) Hartley\r\nAssistant Publisher: Julie (Cream teas) Stuckes\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair (Champion the Wonder Horse repeats), Future (The Company Weekend) Publishing, [redacted]\r\n\r\nManaging Director: Chris (Strawberries and cream on the front lawn) Anderson\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: Future Publishing Ltd [redacted]\r\n\r\n©Future Publishing 1992. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from Charlie Footstool from Dingley Dell.\r\n\r\nISSN: 0269 69683\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair leaps onto passing cars with it bottom a-waving with notables periodicals like: Commodore Format (The scuba-diving season), Amstrad Acton (Sitting in the beer garden of The Brewers Arms in the evening), Amiga Format (Beetle Bash and the beach), PCW Plus (Wimbledon), PC Answers (Winter), PC Plus (Reptile dayy), Sega Power (Softball in Vicky Park on a Thursday), Amiga Power (Sailing, snogging and softbaallll!), Amiga Shopper (Cold beers by blue seas), Classic CD (Watching us stuff Pakistan in the test matches), Needlecraft (Myxomatosis), Cycling Plus (Going saddle-less), Photo Plus (Hampstead Heath of an evening), Mountain Biking UK (Outdoor rumpy-pumpy), PC Format (See Mountain Biking UK), Public Domain (Sun), ST Format (Fire Walk With Me: The Film), Total! (Driving an MR2 with the top up) and Today's Vegetarian (Two weeks of sun,sea, sand and sex in Greece) and coming soon... Calculator Operator's Chronicle.\r\n\r\nBut what we really want to know why is... who the hell elected Mary Whitehouse as defender of public morals anyway?"},"MainText":"DRIVING GAMES\r\n\r\nWEC Le Mans\r\nHit Squad/Issue 63\r\nReviewer: Jon Pillar\r\n\r\nDon't get put off by the horribly boxy graphics - beneath 'em there's a formidably playable racer struggling to get out. Simply a case of driving around a set of courses very quickly, WEC scores over the opposition with some commendably generous time limits. Um, that's it really. A doozy!","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"54","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Jon Pillar","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 83, Feb 1989","Price":"£1.6","ReleaseDate":"1989-01-18","Editor":"Graham Taylor","TotalPages":100,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Graham 'phew' Taylor\r\nDeputy Editor: Jim 'shiny shoes' Douglas\r\nProduction Editor: Alison 'get lunky' Skeat\r\nArt Editor: Tim 'diced carrots' Noonan\r\nAdventure: The Sorceress\r\nZapchat: Jon Riglar\r\nTechnical: Andrew Hewson, Rupert Goodwins\r\nContributors: Tony 'ratty' Dillon, Chris 'snivel' Jenkins\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Martha 'eejit' Moloughney\r\nAd Production: Emma Ward\r\nPublisher's Assistant: Debbie Pearson\r\nPublisher: Terry 'serene' Pratt\r\nMarketing: Clive 'it's alright I'm here now' Pembridge\r\n\r\nPhone: [redacted]\r\nFax: [redacted]\r\nEditorial and Advertisement Offices: [redacted]\r\n\r\nThis Month's Cover: Jerry 'fluffy bunny' Parks\r\n\r\nPrinted by Nene River Press, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by EMAP Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1989 Sinclair User ISSN No 0262-5458\r\n\r\nSubscription Enquiries: [redacted]\r\n24 Hour Order Line: [redacted]\r\nBack Issues: Back Issues Department (SU), [redacted]"},"MainText":"Label: Ocean\r\nAuthor: In-house\r\nPrice: £8.95\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nJoystick: various\r\nReviewer: Tony Dillon\r\n\r\nThe next 16 bit owner to walk up to me and say that the Spectrum is a dying machine, I'm going to kick his teeth in or I'll do the next best thing, I'll grab him by the lapels and drag him over to a Speccy, and then put on WEC Le Mans, the latest in a long line of racing conversions. Up until now, I always thought of Super Hang On as the ultimate in Spectrum racing. Le Mans looks at SHO, says \"I can do that,\" makes the graphic bigger, moves more items around, does it faster, makes the tea, puts the kids to sleep and then takes you out for a meal afterwards. Now that's what I call programming.\r\n\r\nThe WEC Le Mans race itself is a 24 hr continuous race around some racetrack somewhere or other (probably Le Mans - GT).\r\n\r\nYou start under starters orders in the front of the grid. It's right from this point that you notice the acute resemblance to the coin-op's graphics. It's when the whole caboodle starts moving that the game really starts to impress.\r\n\r\nThe amount of things moving about on screen at once is probably one of the most impressive feats of programming since the rainbow processor. Either side of the road is filled with a series of light and dark bands. These scroll towards you very smoothly. The horizon lifts and falls as you climb and descend the hills. There are dozens of objects lining either side of the road at once, signs, adverts etc, as well as anything to half a dozen opposing cars on screen as well. What's more, it all moves faster than Super Hang On.\r\n\r\nThe game has a memory for the opposing cars, which makes the game that tad more realistic. What I mean is, that the computer remembers where all the cars are at any time. If you should pass three cars, and then slow down, three cars will overtake you. Similarly should two cars appear on the horizon. Stop for a few seconds, accelerate into top speed and, sure enough, after a couple of seconds, those same two cars will make an appearance.\r\n\r\nIt plays similarly to the coin-op, and is about as difficult as well. The steering wheel of the original has been replaced by a progressive steering system whereby the longer you hold the joystick in the required direction, the more obtuse your turning angle.\r\n\r\nSound is fairly restricted, unfortunately. The same boppy tune appears on both 48 and 128 version, but the 128 is the only machine with in-game effects, which consist of nothing more than a loud farting noise.\r\n\r\nOcean prove yet again that they are THE software house for 89. Roll on Chase HQ.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Absolutely berilliant racing game.","Page":"8,9","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Tony Dillon","Score":"91","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"94%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"67%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Lastability","Score":"88%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"91%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 108, Feb 1991","Price":"£1.85","ReleaseDate":"1991-01-18","Editor":"Garth Sumpter","TotalPages":84,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Garth Sumpter\r\nDesign Editor: Andrea 'Hotlips' Walker\r\nDesign: Margaret Goldrick\r\nStaff Writer: Jason Nalk\r\nSU Crew: Chris 'Hateful' Jenkins, John Cook, Pete Gerrard, Gary Liddon\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Jim Owens\r\nAd Production: Jo 'Titters' Gleissner\r\nMarketing Manager: Dean Barrett\r\nMarketing Assistants: Sarah Ewing, Sarah Hillard\r\nPublisher: Graham Taylor\r\nManaging Director: Terry Pratt\r\n\r\n(c)1990 EMAP IMAGES\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nDISTRIBUTION; FRONTLINE\r\n\r\nTypesetting by Garthtype\r\nTypos by A.C.C. Ident\r\nColour work by Proprint. B&W filming by PRS.\r\n\r\nNo port of this magazine may be reproduced without permission. Sinclair User would like to express its deepest regrets at the recent death of Mike Johnston, who was the Consultant Editor on the initial launch of Sinclair User. He was first secretory of the Guild of Software Houses and was always a driving force within the industry. He will be remembered for his tireless work running ZX microfairs which he himself initiated and his loss will be felt by everyone that had contact with him."},"MainText":"Label: Hit Squad\r\nPrice: £2.99 48/128K\r\nReviewer: Chris Jenkins\r\n\r\nOK, you don't actually spin around on your seat as you're playing it, as you do in the original coin-op, but WEC LeMans on the Spectrum captures most of the thrills of the original, so much so that on first release we at SU described it as \"absolutely brilliant\", an accolade we don't use carelessly.\r\n\r\nUsing the fire button or space bar to change from high to low gear, you whizz around corners and along straights through four laps, each consisting of three stages. The track curves and humps realistically, and steering is more responsive than a romantic rabbit.\r\n\r\nThough the car and background graphics aren't astonishing, the animation's pretty good, and the all-important sense of speed and control is satisfying. Spins and skids are handled realistically, and it's a real challenge to complete each lap in front.\r\n\r\nPerhaps no longer the best car racing game - there are so many competitors it's hard to pick a best - but Wec Le Man still qualifies in the front row.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Front-rank car racing coin-op conversion stands up to the test of time.","Page":"76","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Chris Jenkins","Score":"88","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"84%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Lastability","Score":"89%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"88%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) Issue 18, Mar 1989","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1989-02-02","Editor":"Graeme Kidd","TotalPages":140,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Future Publishing [redacted]\r\nTelephone [redacted], Fax [redacted], Telecom Gold 84:TXT152, Prestel/Micronet: 0458 74011\r\n\r\nEditor: Graeme Kidd\r\nReviews Editor: Bob Wade\r\nStaff Writers: Steve Jarratt, Andy Smith\r\nProduction Editor: Damien Noonan\r\nConsultant Editor: Brian Larkman (Graphics)\r\nAdventure Editor: Steve Cooke\r\nContributors: Simon N Goodwin\r\nArt Editor: Trevor Gilham\r\nAssistant Art Editor: Angela Neale\r\nProduction: Diane Tavener, Claire Woodland, Vivien Dean, Naomi Steer, Louise Cockroft\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Jonathan Beales\r\nAdvertising Sales Executive: David Lilley\r\nPublisher: Kevin Cox\r\n\r\nCover by Simon Bisley\r\n\r\nSUBSCRIPTIONS\r\nAvon Direct Mail [redacted]\r\n\r\nSPECIAL OFFERS\r\n(Christine Stacey) [redacted]\r\n\r\nCOLOUR ORIGINATION\r\nSwift Graphics Ltd [redacted]\r\nD P Graphics [redacted]\r\n\r\nDISTRIBUTION\r\nSM Distribution [redacted]\r\n\r\nPRINTING\r\nChase Web Offset [redacted]\r\n\r\n© FUTURE PUBLISHING LTD 1989\r\n\r\nNo part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without our permission."},"MainText":"Ocean shift into top gear.\r\n\r\nOutrun may well have been a tremendous success as far as sales went, but we here at ACE, and judging by the amount of mail we received, a good few of you too, were disappointed with the 8-bit versions of that Sega classic. The car moved unconvincingly, was slow and handled appallingly. So can Ocean make a better job of converting another classic car driving coin-op?\r\n\r\nThe action is viewed from just behind and slightly above the car, and the object of the game is to compete against a number of other cars around a circuit. There are three checkpoints on the course, so to stay in the running the player must reach each checkpoint within a time limit. Make it, and some extra time is added to help you reach the next checkpoint. Once the lap is finished you start all over again until you've completed four laps of the track.\r\n\r\nThe controls are simple enough, just accelerate, brake, left and right. What's not so simple, of course, is avoiding roadside obstacles and other racing cars. When you get to know the course and where the straights and bends are, staying on the road becomes less of a problem - or would do if the amount of traffic didn't increase as you progressed, making it more and more common to find yourself weaving between bunches of up to four cars.\r\n\r\nIt's good to see that not all of the computer-controlled cars are expert drivers - indeed one of the major hazards (especially later in the game) is avoiding computer cars that have collided with each other and gone spinning off. Crashing into any of the cars sends you tumbling end over end, losing precious time while you restart and build up speed again.\r\n\r\nWhat Out Run didn't have, and what really makes a coin-op conversion like this playable and addictive, is realistic handling from the car and an impression of speed. Ocean have got both just right, and though there may not be much depth to the game, it remains extremely playable and you're likely to be coming back to it for months.\r\n\r\nReviewer: Andy Smith\r\n\r\nRELEASE BOX\r\nAtari ST, Price TBA , Imminent\r\nAmiga, Price TBA , Imminent\r\nSPEC 128 £9.95cs. £14.95dk, Out Now\r\nAmstrad, £9.95cs. £14.95dk, Out Now\r\nC64/128, £9.95cs. £14.95dk, Imminent\r\nIBM PC, To be decided\r\n\r\nPredicted Interest Curve\r\n\r\n1 min: 75/100\r\n1 hour: 80/100\r\n1 day: 90/100\r\n1 week: 60/100\r\n1 month: 45/100\r\n1 year: 20/100","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Great gameplay that's highly addictive.","Page":"43","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Andy Smith","Score":"832","ScoreSuffix":"/1000"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"(Above) Amstrad - Computer cars often collide and go spinning off, so beware of groups of closely-bunched cars."},{"Text":"(Below) Spectrum - The timer is running out and there's still no sign of the checkpoint. Take a chance and overtake that car on the outside. You'll either clip him and ruin any chance of reaching the checkpoint, or you may just scrape by and make it in time."},{"Text":"(Right) Amstrad - Rear-ending one of the computer cars sends you flying spectacularly through the air. It looks good, but wastes lots of valuable time!"}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"AMSTRAD VERSION\r\n\r\nAlthough only four rather drab colours are used and the sound effects are nothing much, what makes this special is the way the car moves and the smooth, fast scrolling. A thoroughly enjoyable racing game made even more so by the graphics.\r\n\r\nGraphics: 8/10\r\nAudio: 6/10\r\nIQ Factor: 2/10\r\nFun Factor: 9/10\r\nAce Rating: 841/1000\r\n\r\nPredicted Interest Curve\r\n\r\n1 min: 80/100\r\n1 hour: 90/100\r\n1 day: 90/100\r\n1 week: 60/100\r\n1 month: 45/100\r\n1 year: 20/100"},{"Text":"ARCADE ACCURACY\r\n\r\nAs close a conversion as you could reasonably expect. There are a few features missing but the main ingredient, the gameplay, has been captured.\r\n\r\nCoin-op Score: 8"},{"Text":"SPECTRUM VERSION\r\n\r\nIt's just as colourful as you'd expect on a Speccy, with sound effects to match. The scrolling is faster on the Spectrum than it is on the Amstrad giving a greater impression of speed. You won't find any of the computer cars smashing into each other though, and when you crash the car doesn't go flying dramatically through the air. It still just as exciting and playable, though, and coin-op racing fans will not be disappointed."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Audio","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"IQ Factor","Score":"2/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Fun Factor","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Ace Rating","Score":"832/1000","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"C&VG (Computer & Video Games) Issue 89, Mar 1989","Price":"£1.2","ReleaseDate":"1989-02-16","Editor":"Eugene Lacey","TotalPages":100,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Eugene Lacey\r\nDeputy Editor: Julian Rignall\r\nArt Editor: Andrea Walker\r\nStaff Writer: Paul Glancey\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Garry Williams\r\nSales Executive: Johanna Cook\r\nCopy Control: Lora Clark\r\nPublisher: Terry Pratt\r\n\r\nSubscription Enquiries to: EMAP Frontline, [redacted]\r\n\r\nEditorial and Advertisement Offices: [redacted]\r\n\r\n102,401"},"MainText":"SUPPLIER: Ocean\r\nPRICES: Spectrum/C64/Ams £9.95 cassette/£14.95 disk, ST £19.95, Amiga £24.95\r\n\r\nThe summer of '87 brought something of a revival for driving games in British arcades. The most popular of them all was the immensely successful Out Run, and following close behind was Wec Le Mans, with its unusual rotating cockpit giving new meaning to the term \"going for a spin\".\r\n\r\nUnsurprisingly for a game called Wec Le Mans, you, the hapless player are strapped in a car on the starting grid of the 24 hour Le Mans road race. Your auto is ably kitted out with an accelerator (always handy if you want to go really fast), a brake (always handy if you're already going really fast), a speedometer (so you know whether or not you're going really fast), and low and high gear shift (to get you from fast to really fast and back again). Controlling the game via joystick or keyboard is very satisfactory, because the longer you hold the steering, the greater the lock put on the steering wheel, as a gauge at the bottom of the screen shows.\r\n\r\nThe track runs between three checkpoints, and you have to beat the clock to the next one or retire to the pits in disgrace. Seeking to foil your speedy ambitions are a host of other cars which dodge and weave across the track, crashing into one another, bursting into flames and generally making the going difficult for safe drivers like you.\r\n\r\nTo make a twisty, turny, bumpy track even more dangerous, signboards, lamp posts and other trackside obstacles lie in wait for the reckless driver, who tries to skid his way through corners at top speed, instead of braking. Unfortunately, breaking is exactly what your car does after a crash has hurled it twenty feet into the air and fifty yards down the track - a sure-fire way to lose time and the race. As the race progresses the track becomes more and more crowded with backmarkers, who like nothing better than crashing into each other and taking you with them as they career off the road.\r\n\r\nAnd that's it really, just what you'd expect from a motor racing simulation, oh, except to say that this one is really good. The track graphics are a teensy bit jerky, but the 3D effect they create is fast and convincing enough, and the car sprites follow the dips and curves in the road perfectly. Apart from the bouncy tunes and jingles the game sounds are limited to the tinny buzz of the engine, which grows irritating as the race goes on, but serves its purpose of indicating when to change up a gear.\r\n\r\nGameplay is as fast as you could hope, and challenging too. After a day's concerted effort I was on the brink of getting onto the third lap but after that the number of the cars on the track and the incredibly tight time limit proved impossible to beat.\r\n\r\nBeing unable to beat the game is no reason for me to bear it a grudge, though. Indeed, this is one of the most elegant race games I've seen on any computer lately, and it's certainly the best I've played on the Amstrad.\r\n\r\nThe Spectrum version is of similar high quality and the game doesn't seem to lack anything in spite of the machine's graphical and audio shortcomings. Strange, isn't it, how well driving games translate to the old Speccy?\r\n\r\nOn these two machInes at least, this has to be one of the best arcade conversions going. Test drive it today.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"22,23","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Paul Glancey","Score":"83","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"24 hours of speed."},{"Text":"Map of the track."},{"Text":"No garlands for Glancey as he smashes into a sign."},{"Text":"On the starting grid."},{"Text":"Spinning out on the bend."},{"Text":"Wec le Mans - great racer."}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"AMSTRAD SCORES\r\n\r\nGraphics: 82%\r\nSound: 68%\r\nPlayability: 94%\r\nValue: 80%\r\nOverall: 82%"},{"Text":"UPDATE...\r\n\r\nThe C64 version is a bit of an unknown quantity and we have yet to see anything on that particular game. The 16-bit conversions, due later on in the spring should be up to scratch, certainly in the graphics and sound departments."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"88%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"81%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value","Score":"80%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"83%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"The Games Machine Issue 17, Apr 1989","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1989-03-23","Editor":"Jon Rose","TotalPages":116,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"EDITORIAL AND HEAD OFFICE\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nEditor: Jon Rose\r\nFeatures Editor: Barnaby Page\r\nStaff Writers: Robin Hogg, Warren Lapworth, Robin Candy\r\nEditorial Assistants: Vivien Vickress, Caroline Blake\r\nResearcher: David Peters\r\nPhotography: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson (Assistant)\r\nContributors: Mel Croucher, Don Hughes, Marshal M Rosenthal, Jason Sheldon, John Woods\r\n\r\nPRODUCTION DEPARTMENT\r\n[redacted]\r\nProduction Manager: Jonathan Rignall\r\nSenior Designer: Wayne Allen\r\nReprographics Supervisor: Matthew Uffindell\r\nProduction Team: Ian Chubb, Yvonne Priest, Melvin Fisher, Robert Millichamp, Robert Hamilton, Tim Morris, Jenny Reddard\r\n\r\nADVERTISING AND ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENTS\r\nEditorial Director: Roger Kean\r\nPublisher: Geoff Grimes\r\nGroup Advertisement Director: Roger Bennett\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Neil Dyson\r\nAdvertisement Sales Executives: Sarah Chapman, Lee Watkins\r\nAssistant: Jackie Morris [redacted]\r\nGroup Promotions Executive: Richard Eddy\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts [redacted]\r\n\r\nTypeset by the Tortoise Shell Press, Ludlow and on our Apple Macintosh II running Quark Xpress 2.0. Colour origination by Scan Studios [redacted]. Printed in England by Carlisle Web Offset [redacted] - a member of the BPCC Group. Distribution effected by COMAG, [redacted].\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 (like a game that has been offered as a prize being scrapped) 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 TGM. 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 Viv Vickress a line at the PO Box 10 address). No person who has any relationship, no matter how remote, to anyone who works for Newsfield or any of the companies offering prizes, may enter one of our competitions.\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return anything sent into TGM - including written and photographic material, hardware or software - unless it's accompanied by a suitably stamped, addressed envelope. We regret that readers' postal enquiries cannot always be answered. Unsolicited written or photographic material is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates. Colour photographic material should be 35mm transparencies wherever possible. The views expressed in TGM are not necessarily those of the Editor. Other Newsfield publications are CRASH (Spectrum), ZZAP! (Commodore 64/Amiga), FEAR (fantasy and horror) and MOVIE - THE VIDEO MAGAZINE. Now that's quite interesting, but why are you reading all this when there 111 pages to go?\r\n\r\n©TGM Magazines Ltd, 1989\r\nA Newsfield Publication ISSN 0954-8092\r\n\r\nCover Design by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Spectrum 48/128 Cassette: £9.95, Diskette: £14.95\r\nCommodore 64/128 Cassette: £9.95, Diskette: £14.95\r\n\r\nDULL DRIVING FROM IMAGINE\r\n\r\nDespite wilder hydraulics than Sega's Out Run and being a technically and graphically better game, Konami's 1986 arcade release WEC Le Mans flopped in the arcades. Punters wanted to race Out Run's sexy Testarossas, not mess about with humdrum Porsches. Kicking off with 8-bit versions, Imagine now try and redress the balance in the home.\r\n\r\nThe French race upon which this games is based is an all-day-all-night affair, but on the computer you're only expected to compete with other drivers against an allotted time limit around four laps with three checkpoints per lap. Running into the other, often devious, drivers can see your car spinning off the track of flipping end over end, and it's in the extravagance of the graphics that the coin-op can often disguise shallow gameplay. Needless to say, the 8-bit conversions suffer in comparison to the original, and WEC Le Mans fails, ironically, through remaining too faithful to the coin-op.\r\n","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Excellent presentation and superbly detailed graphics fail to disguise the lack of visual variation as you progress. Sad, because it kills long-term playability.","Page":"48","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Arcade WEC Le Mans out ran Sega, but it's not so hot at home."}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"\"WEC Le Mans fails, ironically, through remaining too faithful to the coin-op\""},{"Text":"COMMODORE 64/128\r\n\r\nOverall: 14%\r\n\r\nUnlike the Spectrum version, the Commodore game is awful. The car sprite is nicely detailed, but you can forget everything else. The striped track often staggers backward, roadside graphics are minimal and the sound effects inconsistent. Avoid it."},{"Text":"OTHER FORMATS\r\n\r\nAlso available for the Amstrad (£9.99 cass, £14.95 disk), ST and Amiga versions will be out for Easter at £19.95 and £24.95 respectively."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"61%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]