Gallop Racer 2006
- April 19, 2006 00:00 AM PST
Tecmo is heading back to the horse track with their upcoming game Gallop Racer 2006.
Regardless of whether you know a real horse from a sea horse, a simple fact remains: horses run like nobody's business. When it comes to video games, however, how do you translate that sense of speed and danger to John Q. Gamer, who just happens to be on the couch in his boxers, safe and far away from the dirt, the sweat, and those mighty, mighty beasts? It's simple, you take Tecmo's upcoming Gallop Racer 2006 for a ride. Continuing their horse-racing franchise for all those fans out there, 2006 doesn't add a bevy of outstanding new features, but does do a nice job of fine-tuning elements from previous game to a mind boggling level.
Whip It Good
For those not in the know, horse racing is one part sport, one part gambling. If you're riding the horse, you're essentially tasked with one thing - win the race. To do so, however, you'll need to do far more than whip your beast in to submission. Horse racing, especially in Gallop Racer 2006, is a careful mix of adrenaline and resource management. Depending on the length of the race, of which there are many, you'll need to know when to urge your horse to run faster or let it conserve its energy. If you play your cards right, you'll have a horse ready for the home stretch. But, if you blow your energy early on, you'll find yourself struggling just to finish. The game utilizes a pretty simple meter system for doing all those things, which makes it accessible to both rookies and veterans alike.
You can ride an almost limitless number of horses, thanks to the games ample stat system that lets you not only jump in to a game and ride like there's no tomorrow, but also a cool breeding system that lets you try to produce future champions. To go along with the deep stat system, you'll also find a dizzying array of customization options for your ride, including such superficial things as decorative items for your horse to wear. While it may feel a bit odd dressing up a horse, the system is just robust enough to keep things interesting and give your horse a nice degree of personality.
All The Pretty Horses
While it's try that Gallop Racer 2006 will more than likely only appeal to those diehard horse racing fans (or the folks who head to track at lunch time to try and win a few bucks), there's no denying that Tecmo has a fine product on their hands. For the genre, Gallop Racer 2006 leaves the competition in the dust en route to a winning post finish. It's just up to you to keep that horse alive so it reaches that point. Go easy on the whip!
