Speed Buggy

The Good
It's not uncommon that you will find racing games in each arcade that you visit, where the object is to race a series of opponents around a specific track and finish in one of the top three positions. Going against the trend is Buggy Boy. The original arcade version was so popular, and Elite has released a very flawless conversion to the Amiga.

What sets Buggy Boy apart from other racers is that there are no opponents that you have to deal with. You control a buggy who needs to get around a number of courses, avoiding obstacles on the road and trying to make it to the finish line in the shortest time possible. Contact with any rocks, trees, barriers, or the like can slow your progress down, but that's nothing compared to what happens if you crash into a tunnel or fall into water. Each course consists of five legs, and you must complete each leg within a reasonable amount of time before you can progress to the next.

The courses themselves have different kinds of landscapes that look amazing against the road. My favorite one is the night setting on the “West” course. The title screen is excellent, as is the buggy that you drive. It has smooth animations, and the mud spurting out of it is a nice touch.

There are some objects that can be used to help you get across checkpoints. For example, flags allow you to collect a number of points, sticks in the middle of the track make you jump over dangerous obstacles ahead, and stones make you drive on one side. There is even a soccer ball that you can kick, though I don't see any point in doing this. The highlight of the game is driving up a gray slope, collecting as many flags as you can.

There is some sound effects during the game, mainly from collecting flags, passing a checkpoint, and getting many “TIME” flags. The sound of the buggy's engine adds to the atmosphere of it all. At the time of its release, there was no need for background music. The only actual music that plays is when you select a course and when you earned a name in the high score table.

The fact that you can outsmart yourself in terms of how many legs you complete (as well as topping your high score) adds to the replayability. I only completed the first course so far, but I am not very good at the others yet.

The Bad
Nothing.

The Bottom Line
Buggy Boy is a faithful conversion from Elite, with great graphics and sound. There is nothing more satisfying than performing tricks (like riding on one side or jumping) in an attempt to finish a leg. The game has “just one more go” written over it, as you try conquering each course as well as topping your high score. Great stuff.