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Final Lap Special: GT & Formula Machine (Bandai WonderSwan Color)

Reviewed by: DCGX GameTZ Subscriber 450 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (11) Has Written 56 Reviews
Reviewed on: 9-May-2006

Description

Final Lap Special is an updated version of the original Wonderswan game Final Lap 2000. Players get to race in either GT tournaments or Formula tournaments.

Gameplay
For each mode, GT and Formula, you can only race as those cars in its respective tournaments which is made up of 10 races. The more you win the better the car you get to unlock, from Class E to Class SS. This game is remanisant of Pole Position in that the car basically stays in the same position as the track moves under it like many early racing videogames. Corners can come up pretty fast and it takes a good deal of both reflexes and timing to get around a corner without running into the grass. Besides the two main single player modes there is also a Vs mode by liniking to Wonderswan Colors together and racing head-to-head. As well there are three mini-games: dodge the boulders, hit the cones, and stay on the narrow track.

Graphics & Sound
The graphics are basically an update to Final Lap 2000 that was released a year earlier with the only major difference being that the game is now in color. And while that isn't much, the colors are done very well and are used nicely to separate the tracks from monotony. As well, Namco has done their best to break up the track monotony by using different billboards, trees/brush, and the different city/landscapes in the background. Not terribly detailed but nice. The cars themselves look very nice especially in the car select menu, very detailed and realistic. The sound is basic. The music can get repetative especially during a long race but the car sounds are adaquate to the car shifting, slowing and accelerating.

Replay Value
This game is fun so after you've beaten it you will still come back to it for a quick run. The only reason to conitnue with your current, finished game however is to unlock any cars that you didn't along the way. The mini-games add a nice touch as well and are challenging after a while. The other option is to clear your data and to start from scratch all over again.

This game is very import friendly with all the menus being in english so it would behoove any fan of racing games to pick this one up. Though not a total sequel to Final Lap 2000, it is a great Color game all the same.