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BADLANDS (AMI)
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Publisher: Domark; Tengen.
Developer: Teque; Atari Games. Released: 1990. Genre: Racing. Other versions: AST; C64; CPC; SPC; PC. Posted 14th October 2019. By Tom Clare © 2019 |
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As the nineties beckoned, the racing genre was continuing to evolve at a furious pace, and such progress necessitated that Badlands would face a glut of strong competitors on release, both in the arcades and on home computers. Born in the shadow of Super Off-Road and subsequently overlooked, this stylish, dystopian top-down racer is worthy of a closer look.
It’s a significant title for a clutch of reasons. Badlands would bring about the end of a racing lineage that spanned dated back to 1976. The Sprint series enjoyed a resurgence when it was rebooted in 1986, with the much-loved Super Sprint and Championship Sprint facilitating frantic, and very accessible, multiplayer fun. The two aforementioned, Grand Prix-themed racers never graced the Amiga, leaving Badlands as the series’ sole representative on the system. Owners were treated to a cracking version however, and one which captured the arcade experience with surprising fidelity.
Whilst there isn't a huge amount of variety to the course design, there are several great moments, like this do-or-die highway jump
The most immediate divergence between Badlands and the Sprint games comes in its Mad Max-inspired, post-apocalyptic setting. Gone are the sanitised, neat-looking race circuits, and in their place some deliciously hostile, grimy landscapes that evoke all manner of cinematic comparisons. One of the circuits is dominated by a stretch of broken highway, punctuated by a hold-your-breath jump the player must line up in order to avoid crashing and burning. The Junkyard is aptly-named, with the route defined by a graveyard of defunct motors, many of which can be triggered to drop oil slicks. There’s even a prison yard, with moving gates that tease the player with a sniff at some high-risk, high-reward shortcuts.
Badlands’ handling is nippy and satisfying, with just a hint of understeer lending the car’s behaviour a pleasing sense of depth. Clipping the scenery will still result in a fair bit of speed loss, but the collision parameters were considerably more refined than those of Super Sprint, where at times it felt like you only had to look at a crash barrier to end up well and truly ensnared in it.
Survive the eight circuits, and you’ll get a shot at tackling the reverse courses. But there’s a twist: additional hazards and new points of interaction (such as electricity pylons, waste spills) that add a new dimension to the tracks. Granted, the layouts are noticeably similar to those seen in its predecessors. The static camera and modest resolution output resulted in limited visual options and on-screen space, and there’s only so many variants on figure-eights before things start to feel a little samey.
Badlands’ handling is nippy and satisfying, with just a hint of understeer lending the car’s behaviour a pleasing sense of depth. Clipping the scenery will still result in a fair bit of speed loss, but the collision parameters were considerably more refined than those of Super Sprint, where at times it felt like you only had to look at a crash barrier to end up well and truly ensnared in it.
Survive the eight circuits, and you’ll get a shot at tackling the reverse courses. But there’s a twist: additional hazards and new points of interaction (such as electricity pylons, waste spills) that add a new dimension to the tracks. Granted, the layouts are noticeably similar to those seen in its predecessors. The static camera and modest resolution output resulted in limited visual options and on-screen space, and there’s only so many variants on figure-eights before things start to feel a little samey.
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Upgrading your vehicle with all manner of turbos, tyres, shields and missiles adds an appetising additional factor to the journey, though the vehicular combat aspect is a little hit and miss. Blowing up parts of the scenery, and indeed ramming barriers to create shortcuts, is superb. However, the cannon weapon is lame, both from a special effects standpoint, and for the tepid effect it has on your competitors. This aspect suffers further from Badlands’ cars appearing slightly too large for their track surrounds, an issue relating to the game employing a lower resolution output than its predecessors. It’s an issue that was acknowledged during development, and likely the reason races feature only three cars instead of four. At to this the use of “down” on the joystick to fire, with so few straight sections of road with which to aim, and it feels like a missed opportunity.
The A.I. leaves a little to be desired as well. Whereas Super Sprint provided strong, consistent competition that involved a lot of close racing, Badlands sees one opponent hobble around hopelessly, offering little meaningful contribution (save impeding the player when they’re being lapped), and another who starts slowly, and finishes like a fireball. After a few races, if you haven’t managed to acquire a decent number of bonus wrenches (largely luck as they appear at random parts of the track and are often snaffled by your opposition), you’ll end up a sitting duck, powerless to defend a half-lap lead that’s eroded in a matter of seconds.
Badlands’ Achilles heel lies in its (lack of) longevity. It’s addictive, fun, and immediate, just like its predecessors. Tracks will take some mastering, and its ideal for a great blast. Nevertheless, there’s nothing beyond surviving as many races as you can, with your opponents soon reaching a level of performance that’s almost impossible to compete with. There’s high-scores to beat (points based on best lap time and average lap time prove especially welcome as they reward the player’s burgeoning speed), but little to keep you returning longer term, particularly given how exasperating the A.I. can be to race against.
The A.I. leaves a little to be desired as well. Whereas Super Sprint provided strong, consistent competition that involved a lot of close racing, Badlands sees one opponent hobble around hopelessly, offering little meaningful contribution (save impeding the player when they’re being lapped), and another who starts slowly, and finishes like a fireball. After a few races, if you haven’t managed to acquire a decent number of bonus wrenches (largely luck as they appear at random parts of the track and are often snaffled by your opposition), you’ll end up a sitting duck, powerless to defend a half-lap lead that’s eroded in a matter of seconds.
Badlands’ Achilles heel lies in its (lack of) longevity. It’s addictive, fun, and immediate, just like its predecessors. Tracks will take some mastering, and its ideal for a great blast. Nevertheless, there’s nothing beyond surviving as many races as you can, with your opponents soon reaching a level of performance that’s almost impossible to compete with. There’s high-scores to beat (points based on best lap time and average lap time prove especially welcome as they reward the player’s burgeoning speed), but little to keep you returning longer term, particularly given how exasperating the A.I. can be to race against.
The reverse courses add even more in the way of hazards, but it's a task even reaching them
Badlands’ two-player remains tremendous fun though, and sees the game at its best. Short, frenetic races result in breathless skirmishes, the outcome of which can change in an instant. It does a sterling job of mimicking the coin-op original, with handling characteristics, options and attract screens remaining much the same, save for a slight reduction in visual detail. There’s almost nothing to choose between the Amiga and Atari ST versions. Indeed, the only really noticeable difference lies in the Amiga’s superior sound effects. However, players will be better served playing along to the slick soundtrack, so it’s a moot point.
Super-responsive handling and smart visual design help lend Badlands a distinctiveness among its peers. It stands well enough on its own merits, with the innovative shop element and interactive circuits suggesting the developers were still keen to venture new ideas. Scant options and limited longevity proves a real hindrance though, so if you still harbour dreams of burning around 16-bit wastelands, then it’s definitely preferable to do so with a friend.
Super-responsive handling and smart visual design help lend Badlands a distinctiveness among its peers. It stands well enough on its own merits, with the innovative shop element and interactive circuits suggesting the developers were still keen to venture new ideas. Scant options and limited longevity proves a real hindrance though, so if you still harbour dreams of burning around 16-bit wastelands, then it’s definitely preferable to do so with a friend.
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VERDICT
"Badlands is addictive, fun, and immediate, just like its predecessors. Scant options and limited longevity proves a real hindrance though, so if you still harbour dreams of burning around 16-bit wastelands, then it’s definitely preferable to do so with a friend." OVERALL: 6/10 |