Of all the retro games we thought might make it to Switch,
Moto Roader would not have been one we would have guessed at. But here we are
some thirty years later experiencing the crazy car madness once again and to be
honest, the more PC Engine games that make a comeback the better.
Moto Roader is a simple game. It’s not unlike a five-player
version of Micro Machines set on one screen. There is a wide range of different
themed tracks which are categorised by different types of environments such as
city or jungle. There are also some more fantasy designed tracks and the final ‘dungeon’
track is a completely different type of crazy.
Playing the game is simple. You have your accelerate button
and can also fire missiles and drop explosive barrels. There are two types of
control method to decide how your car drives as well but apart from that it’s
simply about getting around the course faster than your opponents. Very few
updates have been made to the core game so you are basically getting the same title as was released on the PC Engine 30 years ago.
It’s fair to say that the single player mode will not last
you much time at all. There is a decent selection of cups to try out but races
generally last less than a minute so getting through a five track sequence breezes
by. The opponent AI is also difficult to deal with at times as with races that
last such a short time there is very little room to catch up if you make a
mistake. There is no online mode included which is a shame but with this kind
of game it is all about local multiplayer and that is where the game is likely to
find its long-term appeal.
Overall, Moto Roader MC will perhaps be too simple for some.
However, it comes at a very cheap price and there is certainly some chaotic fun
to be had if you are using the Switch for regular bouts of local multiplayer
action. If you are into retro racing games there is a retro charm here and it is certainly worth a look but don’t be expecting serious depth or single player
longevity.
Overall 6/10
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