Indianapolis 500: The Simulation

The Good
Indy 500's graphics are simply stunning considering the system requirements. You cannot find a PC that won't run this game well. The sound is also quite good; if you have an Adlib or Sound Blaster, the engine sounds are amazingly realistic.

That's not to say Indy 500 is an arcade game--when it says "simulation", it means it. You can adjust your spoiler, outer and inner tire pressure, and even the amount of fuel you have in your tank to shave precious seconds off of your lap. Also, the physics are true to life: If you enter a corner too fast, centrifugal force pushes you to the outside of the track, tires squealing.

The Bad
The manual doesn't explain the various customization parameters very well for people new to Formula-1 racing. I know that less fuel in the tank means that the car is lighter, for example, but an explanation of what spoiler drag and tire pressure do for your car would have been helpful.

The Bottom Line
An excellent simulation, on any PC.

The Good
A technical prodigy for the era in which was made. An era in which the Berlin wall had still not fell, when the Soviet Union still existed, when Mandela hadn't still been freed, etc. And to move all that graphics, all that cars while at the same time being so smooth, it is something that one must commend.

The Bad
If there is something bad (it is not) I will say that is the total lack of variety regarding tracks or circuits. Only Indianapolis in its 500 miles fashion. But the brickyard is more than enough, precisely because this is what this game is for, to reproduce with the maximum accuracy the mentioned race. And it is something that it does very well.

The Bottom Line
A late eighties must-have