Top Gear Overdrive

I hadn't played this one before and didn't take any notice of it back in the day, probably because it was released two days after Ocarina of Time. Like its somewhat-related predecessor Top Gear Rally, Top Gear Overdrive offers a sort of sim/arcade hybrid style of racing, though it definitely leans more toward the arcade side of things and doesn't take itself too seriously. Handling is touchy but adaptable and the vehicles aren't glued to the track, so they bounce around relatively realistically; flying off the track or hitting something head-on at a fast enough speed will see you burst into a fireball Rush-style.

The game's championship and versus modes feature six tracks. Tracks are repeated across the championship's six seasons, but progressively longer seasons and shifts in time-of-day and weather--the latter affecting vehicle handling--keep things relatively fresh. Don't expect headlights during night races, though; vehicles instead give off a classic N64 glowing aura. Each track has a number of shortcuts, but some are implemented disappointingly: not only are they difficult to enter but they're filled with obstacles and tight turns and offer a negligible advantage.

To pass a championship season you must place top three on every track, and so upgrading your vehicle's handling, acceleration and top speed, or even trading it in for a new vehicle, quickly becomes necessary. You'll need cash to do so, which is either earned by placing in the top three or picked up on the track like nitrous is. Often, though, AI racers will take it before you get to it, which is pointless given they can't use it, and makes seasons more of a grind than they need to be albeit not unbearably so.

Overdrive looks and runs great in its higher-res mode with the Expansion Pak, and whilst the sound effects are mediocre, the grunge soundtrack is excellent. The game's music is provided by Portland band Grindstone, who I of course checked out on RYM, finding that they're pretty much completely obscure. The music in Overdrive appears to be from their debut album, and whilst it doesn't sound great off a cartridge, it's impressive, effective and one of the game's best assets.

Flawed but fun, thrilling and one of the better more realistic racers on the console.