Review: Chequered Flag (ZXS)

Unlike most releases today Chequered Flag arrived without a story, but most important and surprising of all, without rival cars to race. So in effect the game was nothing more than a time trial across various fictional and non-fictional tracks such as Silverstone and Brands Hatch. With only one view (from behind the wheel) it was extremely basic, yet at the same time the game was a challenge to post decent times, and steer around the empty circuit.

Sensing the air of isolation Psion included various obstacles to bring an arcade feeling to the game. Drivers had to be wary of oil slicks, water and glass, which could cause you to lose control and crash, ensuring a pleasing crash effect. Eventually when you suffered enough damage the game would be over. Despite its age the sense of control was well implemented, and the feeling of relief when you reached the finishing line was real. Many friends gave up on the later tracks, which were exceptionally difficult, and with the only reward being another possible track it wasn’t much incentive. Making it even tougher was the fact that the track was enclosed by an invisible wall, so the driver was unable to skid off. Instead merely touching the sides of the track resulted in damage being suffered; forcing drivers to take the perfect racing line at all times.

Changing the gears badly and running out of fuel on long distance races also accumulated damage to the car. The cars themselves only numbered three in total; McFaster Special, Psion Pegasus and the Ferreti Turbo. The car select screen offered identical pictures of each car – with the only noticeable difference being the different colours when behind the wheel. This is as basic as it gets, but back in the early 80's it was a major breakthrough.

As for the visuals, it would be safe to say that everything was sacrificed to maintain a decent frame rate and sense of speed, which thankfully Chequered Flag delivered. The backdrops for each track were made up of only three colours. The only thing visible on the horizon was the skyline, and trackside consisted of the odd tree or sign, so there was little distraction. The viewpoint from behind the car did contribute to the difficulty, as going around a sharp bend it was hard to see when it would end and straighten out, often forcing the driver to overcompensate and crash. And without any track layout on screen, drivers had to memorise each track in order to succeed.

Chequered Flag is one Spectrum release that is well known, rather for being first than any outstanding gaming achievement. Today the game is still enjoyable for a few minutes and like many from the era is best left in the past.

Rating: 5 / 10

Words by Jason Julier