The late Ayrton Senna, probably the most talented driver of all, bagan his illustrious racing career in karting. There he learned all the skills required to move up the ranks and become F1 world champion.
It is a route followed by most of today's top drivers, but for the rest of us of us kart racing is limited to an afternoon at the local kart track. This game, however, gives you a chance to tackle some real karting tracks. Of the eight available in Kart Duel 2, five are simulations of actual existing tracks and the other three specially created. There are three modes of gameplay (Grand Prix, Time Attack and VS) and in each mode you get the chance to select the kart of your choice as well as the chance to do a bit of fine tuning (tyre thread, sprocket and seat height etc).
In Grand Prix mode the competition works on a points system, using three different circuits for S Stock C and S Stock D classes, while the FP class has two. To advance through the different classes you must score a set amount of points in each of the races until ultimately you have all the circuits cleared.
As with real karting, you begin with a rolling start but, unfortunately, you have to begin from the back of the grid. Kart Duel 2 also has an Ayrton Senna Memorial in which you can watch video footage of Senna in action. There is also a Database Mode where you can get a run-down on all the different parts that make up a modern day racing kart (air intake silencer, carurettor, rear axle shaft etc).
Ayrton Senna Kart Duel 2 is good, honest fun and sure to prove a winner even if it is a little behind on the graphics front.
Graphics: 75%
Sound: 70%
Gameplay: 79%
Address any correspondence to Game Zone, The Irish Times, 13-15 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2 or by email to games@irish-times.ie
Top 10 games
This week's 10 top-selling PC CDROM games at Virgin Megastore are:
1) World Cup 98 - > £34.99 2)
2) Might And Magic 6 - > £34.99
3) X Files: Unrestricted - > £19.99
4) Lula - > £19.99
5) Star Wars Supremacy - > £34.99
6) Age Of Empires - > £34.99
7) Quake 2 - > £29.99
8) Ultimate Soccer Manager 98 - > £34.99
9) Forsaken - > £34.99
10) Starcraft - > £34.99