|
|
|
BUMP 'N' BURN (AMI)
|
Publisher: Grandslam Video.
Developer: Softeyes. Released: 1994. Genre: Racing. Other versions: CD32. Posted 30th March 2022. By Tom Clare © 2022 |
|
Releasing on a whopping six floppy disks in 1994, Bump ‘n’ Burn represented one of the most full-blooded attempts to capitalise on the emergence of the so-called party racer. Another new generation of children was hooked on Wacky Races cartoons and so, perhaps unsurprisingly, games sought to capture its action-packed high-jinks. BnB was the closest you could hope to get to the television show (save a direct use of the license), with lavish cartoon visuals, an oddball roster of racers and a slew of zany weapons. It played to the strengths of its platform, making full use of the Amiga’s colourful palette, whilst delivering the kind of rapid scrolling and undulating tracks the Lotus games had become renowned for.
The game centres around a gruelling, fourteen race tournament, with seven separate environments each hosting two races. These can be tackled in more or less any order, with points awarded by finishing position, with more on offer on harder courses. There are all manner of Hanna-Barbera-inspired creations to race with: Loretta Lamour and Mr Fabulous are Bump ‘n’ Burn’s answers to Penelope Pitstop and Peter Perfect respectively. Elsewhere, there’s a pair of dinosaurs and a none-too-subtle homage to the Buzzwagon in the form of the Bucktooth Beavers. Each character has a unique weapon, as well as a host of power-ups that are dotted around the circuits.
Teamwork helps a great deal towards survive the challenging championship... but it isn't mandatory
It’s easy to get into and fun more or less straight away. Joypad support is better handled than a lot of Amiga racers, with ‘fire’ assigned to accelerate and the up/down functions used for directional weapons. Handling is agile and nippy, allowing the player to dart around hazards and claim all-important coins. These in turn can be spent at the parts shop at the end of each race to improve the various characteristics of the kart.
As with most kart racers, two-player split-screen is where you’ll find the most enjoyment and but for some slight issues sighting corners, this part of the game runs fantastically well. It produces full fields of competitors and there’s little appreciable trade-off in performance, even on base Amiga models. That said, if you’re playing Bump ‘n’ Burn on a 500, be ready for some painfully lengthy loading times and a lot of disk swapping. Requesting a disk change simply to show a game over image is an unnecessary kick in the teeth.
As with most kart racers, two-player split-screen is where you’ll find the most enjoyment and but for some slight issues sighting corners, this part of the game runs fantastically well. It produces full fields of competitors and there’s little appreciable trade-off in performance, even on base Amiga models. That said, if you’re playing Bump ‘n’ Burn on a 500, be ready for some painfully lengthy loading times and a lot of disk swapping. Requesting a disk change simply to show a game over image is an unnecessary kick in the teeth.
FOCAL POINT: MAPPED OUT
|
|
Bump ‘n’ Burn offers a range of different screen orientations. The most enjoyable way to tackle its lengthy championship is, perhaps unsurprisingly, in two-player split-screen, which it handles very well. Should you opt to go it alone, there’s the choice of two displays. There’s full screen, considered the standard method, which shows off the game’s excellent graphics to their fullest. Alternatively, you can play using split-screen with a course map filling the bottom screen, a la Super Mario Kart. Not only does each track sport a unique, stylised layout that allows you to keep abreast of positions, they also highlight just how different the courses are. Years before Nintendo tried it, the Wartorn City course opts for a point-to-point route, with checkpoints rather than laps and no repeated sections.
The world of Toonia looks sumptuous. Aptly enough, its inviting, clean looking animations, fluffy clouds and primary-colour backgrounds are entirely in-keeping with a cartoon. There’s a potent mix of locations, nearly all of which make for enjoyable races. The opening race track represents a gentle entry point into the game, sporting nifty banked corners and tunnels. The Wartorn City is an absolute fiery chaos, with bombs, tanks and TNT to avoid. The Frozen Fjords have slippery patches that must be navigated with care, whilst the Fallen Forest challenges you to dodge trees, logs and water hazards. Perhaps the most hair-raising course is the Volcano, which sees the player barrelling down a mountain at speed whilst having to hit bounce pads to clear cliff-edge jumps.
Softeyes’ effort does a great many things to a decent standard, with only a small number of blunders. Unfortunately, these mishaps are the reason Bump ‘n’ Burn isn’t mentioned alongside the various Mario Kart titles, Crash Team Racing or Diddy Kong Racing. Firstly, the weapons are disappointing. They’re unsatisfying to use, with defensive pick-ups (notably the oil slick and the landmine) proving useful, though you never see the outcome of their deployment. Forward-firing projectiles have only a moderate effect on competitors and as often as not, you’ll be frustrated seeing an enemy sent into the scenery, only to bafflingly extend their lead.
Softeyes’ effort does a great many things to a decent standard, with only a small number of blunders. Unfortunately, these mishaps are the reason Bump ‘n’ Burn isn’t mentioned alongside the various Mario Kart titles, Crash Team Racing or Diddy Kong Racing. Firstly, the weapons are disappointing. They’re unsatisfying to use, with defensive pick-ups (notably the oil slick and the landmine) proving useful, though you never see the outcome of their deployment. Forward-firing projectiles have only a moderate effect on competitors and as often as not, you’ll be frustrated seeing an enemy sent into the scenery, only to bafflingly extend their lead.
|
|
Bump 'n' Burn runs well, regardless of the Amiga model or the number of players
Count Chaos has a lot to answer for. The game’s chief antagonist benefits from some of the most flagrant rubber-banding you’ll ever come across and I lost count of the times I lost a race, having landed hit after hit, only for him to snatch victory with a burst of speed across the finish line. On the rare occasions you manage to get the better of him, he’s nearly always finishing second. Other competitors are reduced to a bit-part role, there to hinder your already-slim chances of winning the championship. Getting snared in a midfield battle early in a race can spell trouble: expect to be accosted with hits from behind, every couple of seconds, that cause your kart to lurch all over the road.
As a consequence, races struggle to find a happy medium in trying to provide excitement. Sometimes, they feel curiously quiet, as you focus on trying to pass/re-pass the Count out front. Other times, it’s a mess of activity. Whilst the karts handle nicely and the racing delivers a stern challenge, BnB fails to achieve the same level of consistent enjoyment and addictiveness that Super Mario Kart delivered. Whilst the opening twelve tracks are of a good standard, the final two, hosted in space, are awful. When you’re not being peppered by explosions, you’ll find yourself being lifted clean off the road, time and again, by UFOs that are near-impossible to avoid and will hold you stationary for several seconds. It’s infuriating and a bum-note for the game to end on.
The menu music is infectious but the in-game sound effects do drone a little. Three speed settings offer a little something for further down the road, but the replay value isn’t as strong as it might have been. Had race results felt a less random and some of the courses had fewer cheap tricks, it could have been a top karting game. Bump ‘n’ Burn is a lavish and at-times impressive kart racer, but its gameplay doesn’t quite live up to its presentation.
As a consequence, races struggle to find a happy medium in trying to provide excitement. Sometimes, they feel curiously quiet, as you focus on trying to pass/re-pass the Count out front. Other times, it’s a mess of activity. Whilst the karts handle nicely and the racing delivers a stern challenge, BnB fails to achieve the same level of consistent enjoyment and addictiveness that Super Mario Kart delivered. Whilst the opening twelve tracks are of a good standard, the final two, hosted in space, are awful. When you’re not being peppered by explosions, you’ll find yourself being lifted clean off the road, time and again, by UFOs that are near-impossible to avoid and will hold you stationary for several seconds. It’s infuriating and a bum-note for the game to end on.
The menu music is infectious but the in-game sound effects do drone a little. Three speed settings offer a little something for further down the road, but the replay value isn’t as strong as it might have been. Had race results felt a less random and some of the courses had fewer cheap tricks, it could have been a top karting game. Bump ‘n’ Burn is a lavish and at-times impressive kart racer, but its gameplay doesn’t quite live up to its presentation.
|
VERDICT
"Bump 'n' Burn is a lavish and at-times impressive kart racer, but its gameplay doesn’t quite live up to its presentation... Iffy AI and a couple of questionable design choices mean it's good, rather than great." OVERALL: 6/10 |