Nigel Mansell’s World Championship Racing.

Format: Multi
Publisher: Various
Developer: Gremlin Graphics
First release: 1992
Availability: PAL and NTSC
Version reviewed: Super Nintendo.

That lovely moustache greets you at the title.

First released in 1992 for the 16bit home computers, Amiga and Atari ST, Sir Nigel appeared across multiple formats to mostly great success, except the hugely disappointing Mega Drive version. Despite initially feeling like a typical into the screen racing game, Nigel Mansell’s World Championship Racing has an interesting handling feel that elevates it from a traditional racer.

North American Box Art.

Graphics:

Nigel Mansell’s World Championship Racing uses a low-slung first person style view, reminiscent of the Sega arcade classic Super Monaco GP. The screen update is fast and smooth with good scaling of sprites that transition smoothly between frames.  There is good variety across the 16 tracks, each with a different background as you’d expect, plus a variety of trackside obstacles such as trees, lampposts and advertising boards. Hills feel satisfyingly steep on the climb and look deep when powering down at top speed. The rain effect is quite amusing, with huge raindrops falling diagonally, almost certainly drowning spectators on impact!
Due to the low slung nature of the view, roughly 1/3 of the screen used for actual gameplay. The rests is for the multiple meters for speed, gears, time etc. It would have been preferable if the speed meter had been put further up to reduce clutter on the small gameplay area, the map is also rather large and obtrusive.
The menus are cleanly presented with some nice details such as the spinning globe on the track screen and the car itself when setting up.

Chasing the pack.

Sound:

Sound is exceptionally ordinary. The music is fine and does a job and it doesn’t grate which is a bonus. Engine noises are decent and give of a suitable high pitches whine with added echo when going through a tunnel.

Great ready to hit traffic.

How Does It Play?

As stated in our opening statement, despite looking like a fairly traditional into the screen racer of the time, Nigel Mansell’s World Championship Racing has an interesting handling model which gives it a surprisingly solid and three-dimensional feel.
When turning, rather than the car essentially sliding left and right across the track, it will turn somewhat diagonally as if the circuit is rotating slightly. It’s a subtle effect and one you really need to try to understand how it feels. It gives the player a little more depth in the feel of driving, which in turn enhances immersion.
The game is super-fast and ultra-responsive. Turn in on the car is quite heavy, deliberately so particularly in the simulation mode and you really need to prepare the correct angle for corners. Deceleration is important here as it will allow you to turn a touch sharper into a bend than when you are accelerating.
The computer offer a tricky challenge but one that is certainly beatable with patience and mastery of the handling. Weather is also variable which will help determine your tyre choice, and pit stops are also needed as tyres will degrade, absolutely ruining grip!
You cannot go full pelt here, you must drive with precision and car in the twisty sections to become F1 champion.

Battling on the crest of a hill.

Content:

Nigel Mansell’s World Championship Racing offers a full season mode as the main mode. Two difficulty options are available, arcade and simulation with the former offering slightly more forgiving handling, a good introduction. There are 16 real world circuits with a password option that isn’t too painful to continue progress but there is just a single car, Mansell’s F1 machine. This is customisable so you can adjust down-force, gear rations, tyres and transmission types. There is a single race mode, and a practice more to hone your driving skills. More than enough content here for the single player but sadly no multiplayer option.

Tuning potential..

Summary:
Nigel Mansell’s World Championship Racing is a much better game than given credit for. Again, despite the traditional look, it offers a uniquely three dimensional feel which makes it feel fairly realistic despite the limitations of a sprite based racer. Fast, smooth and challenging, this is a worthy purchase for any racing fan. Just be wary of the disappointing Mega Drive version, it’s not the same game.

Verdict: Recommended.