Buggy Boy

Silly, Screwy Racing

After the joy of Arkanoid 2, we continue our trip through Atari's Super Pack with Beyond the Ice Palace and Black Lamp. Both are already featured [click the links], so let's move on to a favourite of mine, Buggy Boy. What an arcade conversion, and those with a keen memory will remember that I've already covered it.

I made a silly video recording showing Buggy Boy running at dizzy speeds on my 16Mhz Mega STe!! Doesn't create extra frames, but still very exciting to play. Well, I loved it!

Buggy Boy is an arcade classic, for which the Atari ST received an authentic port that looks so colourful. Simple as that. It's fun yet doesn't take itself seriously whatsoever. So you can forget the crucial stuff like road surfaces, tyres, suspension, handling, pit stops, or even the paint job. Nope, just choose which of the five tracks you fancy and then jump into your buggy and race through checkpoints - all against the clock.

Let's not forget the belting cartoon-like visuals for a chance to view a couple of screenshots...

Who doesn't love two-wheel stunts? If Michael Knight can do it, so can I.

Abandoned logs help our cute buggy to leap high into the air!

Fun, Fun, Fun!!

Remember what I said, forget realism. Everything you experience will be completely unrealistic, thanks to roads cluttered with obstacles and wacky physics that perfectly complement the entire silliness and fake theme. The first track is an off-road loop, whereas the others are segmented by checkpoints as you progress. This racer was always meant to be fun, offering silly leaps and two-wheel driving, Knight Rider style!

Points can be earned by collecting flags in the order shown at the top of your screen. Once completed, they begin to flash - so it's a good idea to collect more before that stops. Slalom-style gates are scattered throughout for tons of points, and some offer time bonuses. Heck, you might even see a soccer ball... Go on, kick it.

Football, in a driving game? Yep, check out the screenshots that follow...

Hit that soccer ball like Pele and see what happens to eagle-eyed drivers.

Why not climb those sloping walls to avoid obstacles like annoying rocks.

Forget sim, this is pure arcade!

Buggy Boy's tracks aren't boring, and some of them have weird aspects - such as banked curves like a Scalextric track! Thankfully, these can be used like you're racing at Bristol Motor Speedway. It's superb and an unexpected surprise, which certainly adds to the excitement. However, not all is good; look out for rocks, bushes, or barriers that slow you down or take you for a tumble. Driving head-on into a wall will cause you to explode, and water has never been good for any vehicle. Each bad event forces the loss of precious time!

The joystick controls are brilliant, albeit limited by the hardware itself. Of course, an analogue wheel was always going to be missed, but the weirdest aspect is pushing upwards to accelerate rather than using the button. That's because tapping that switches between your two gears. It's odd, but you'll get used to it.

Arcade fun on your Atari ST? Whatever next? I'll tell you, some more screenshots...

There was plenty of room, but I still chose to leap over that rock. Why not!

Watch out, tunnel ahead! Enter without hitting slap-bang in the wall if you can?

Aesthetics

Buggy Boy hasn't aged badly whatsoever and brought back all my old arcade memories. The sprites are nice, their colours are gorgeously vivid, and the appearance is cartoon-like. The framerate isn't exactly Vroom, but it looks cute and performs smooth enough not to hurt my eyes, ala Cisco Heat and OutRun!!

The audio captures the arcade experience with its ace chiptunes - all produced by the talented Jason C. Brooke. Sound effects are zesty and memorable - with jazzy jingles and funny "boings" as we leap.

So, it looks and sounds great? Do you know what that means? Yep, more screenshots to gawk at...

Bumping into some obstacles slows you down...

...whereas others cause the buggy to realistically tumble. Ahem.

The CryptO'pinion?

It's difficult to find something negative to say about this frivolous racer, but, if I were to be picky, the framerate could be a tad smoother, and I miss the extra audio touches like skidding sounds or when driving through tunnels. But I'm really being picky, because this is an outstanding conversion of the original.

Okay, so it looks, sounds, and plays absolutely great, plus the ability to instantly select your preferred course is a huge bonus. It's authentic, entertaining, and doesn't take itself seriously at all. Plus, it will always keep on dragging you back for more. Buggy Boy is an Atari ST gem, and I love it. So will you. Play it now!

The floppies can be sourced at Atari Legend but, if you have the hardware, I would advice downloading the hack by D-Bug. This not only comes with a fantastic intro but also supports faster Atari computers, like my own Mega STe. Absolutely superb!!!