Touring Car Challenge
(Codemasters for the PC)
by Brian Johnson
As the official game of the RAC British touring car championship, Tournament Car Challenge (or TCC) boasts the authentic cars and regulations of the 1998 circuit. The game, seemingly a must for any enthusiast of professional auto racing, brings to the table glowing reviews from publications like Electronic Gaming Monthly and Radar Online Magazine. So I was expecting something, above the norm. After all, the bar for professional car racing simulations has been set high with an infinite number of racing games dating back to the invention of the Atari 2600. I myself have been feeling the itch for simulated speed since my first crack at the Pole Position sit-down arcade game.
From this standpoint, TCC falls slightly short of its fast pace promises of no-holds-barred auto racing. Perhaps it’s my fault that the graphics didn’t titillate my senses. I’ve been tainted by too many Vigilante 8s, spoiled by Twisted Metals, and jaded by Interstate 82s – games that pack so much more then just auto racing. Come on, would you rather bump a guy off the road, or draw a bead on his head with a laser-targeted, ceiling-mounted M60? Uh, I don’t know… Of course you do! The popularity of auto racing can be attributed to two simple truths: people love speed and consequence. How many of us have craned our necks as we pass an accident on the highway, or stopped channel surfing the minute you see a NASCAR car pull apart like a matchstick house in a hurricane as it hits the concrete wall at 200 MPH? It’s not an obtuse observation to expect a racing simulator to combine these ingredients. I want to feel like I’m flying by the seat of my pants with one hand on the wheel and the other on my heart, praying to God I don’t hit the wall at 90 and make an orphan of my cat.
On the other hand, fans of the international racing car circuit will be pleased to find TCC offers several options for racing purists. These include time trial races, a chance to compete for the touring championship via a point system for high-place finishes, and cup races in which the winner receives cheat codes. There are also pit stops, a two-player option in which players can compete on the same team, and a challenge mode close to an arcade version in which you race to see who gets the farthest on a two-lap time trial.
In this spirit, I look at a game like TCC in the following light… Is it a good game? Yes. Is it accurate in its depictions of the British racing circuit? Sure, I’ll take their word for it. Does it provide an accurate simulation for revelers of auto racing? You betcha. So why did I find myself asking why I would choose this game over any of the other official car circuit games? As I sped around the track, well, I can’t say I actually stayed on the track that much, my driving was really more of an interpretation of the track – you’re on it, you’re off it, you’re on it, you’re off it, pulling up the rear, doing my own auto racing impression of RUDY, the race car that wouldn’t quit, I found my attention wandering from the game at hand. My yearning for a high-speed thrill ride was definitely left flapping in the breeze.
In the final analysis, racing fans will love the accuracy and attention to detail. Those looking for fun may find it a rehashed version of the same old song and dance.
