Sony PlayStation £34.99
Indy racing to you and me is Formula One American-style. The most obvious difference is the use of oval tracks, and no oval is more famous than the one down Indianapolis way.
This is the Blue Riband event of the CART season and can be compared with Monaco GP for its glitz, glamour and prestige. In fact, winning the Indy 500 is probably just as important as winning the championship itself.
Therefore, the name Indy 500 alone is sure to sell this game even if IndyCar racing isn't as popular on this side of the Atlantic. But the name alone won't bring this into the bestseller lists. The PlayStation has a lot of quality car-racing games in its stable and to get noticed everything has got to be top notch.
And, unfortunately, while Indy 500 is a more than able game the competition in this division is so fierce that it is unlikely to make an impact. The graphics are sufficient to carry this game off but the voice samples, and one in particular, would test the patience of a saint.
This sample - "Are you trying to break the machine?" - occurs whenever you veer off course and its repetitiveness smacks of laziness and a lack of attention to detail.
This is not to say that Indy 500 is a terrible game, but the small faults mean it's not a contender. Steer well clear unless you are a complete racing nut. Graphics:
70% Gameplay:
Snow Racer 98
Sony PlayStation £34.99
Snowboarding seems to be something of a fashion thing with game-makers at the moment and Snow Racer, while it's not only about snowboarding, is based firmly on this new Olympic sport. Also thrown in for good measure is a bit of Alpine skiing. Officially endorsed by board and ski manufacturers Nidecker and Dynastar, Snow Racer is aimed at the more serious fan of the sports. There are 15 different slopes and tracks to choose from and they feature hidden courses with shortcuts. There are also 20 surf grabs and display jumps for you to master. There is a host of skiers and snowboarders to choose from and these can be matched up with any number of boards and skis. There are also the usual modes of gameplay in each format; Time Attack (including your own ghost), VS, Championship etc.
But it's not as much fun as Cool Boarders 2. Perhaps those who know their backside alley-oops from their half pipes will think differently. Certainly, the amount of pop-up in this game (you have to watch the course being drawn before you can decide on what line to take into a turn) is phenomenal.
Snow Racer 98 has its moments and certainly has plenty of variety in the gameplay department but is not very inviting. For me, Cool Boarders 2 is a far better experience. Graphics:
81% Gameplay:
Top 10 games
This week's 10 top-selling Sony PlayStation games at Virgin Megastore are:
1 Grand Theft Auto - £44.99
2 Star Wars: Masters of Teras Kasi - £39.99
3 Formula 1 97 - £39.99
4 Gex 3D - £39.99
5 VR Powerboat Racing - £39.99
6 Final Fantasy VII - £44.99
7 TOCA Touring Car Championship - £44.99
8 Tomb Raider 2 - £44.99
9 Bushido Blade - £34.99
10 Bloody Roar - ££39.99