Top Gear was a racing game for SNES, released back in 1992.
It was a very simple game: You choose between four different cars, each one with it's own color, max speed, acceleration, tire grip and fuel comsuption. Then, you will race to the first at eight different countries, each one with four tracks.
You begin each race with three nitros to help you boost your speed. Also, you can't run out of fuel, obviously. So, dependind on your car, you may have to visit the pit-stop to refuel.
For some reason I don't know, the game used the split-screen mode even if you choose single player. So, the botton screen was used for a random CPU car.
The graphics were pretty simple, and the soundtrack had only four different songs during the races. So, I bet everyone who played this game during childhood still remember the soundtrack.
Top Gear 2 came in 1993. It was a huge improvement over the first game. First of all, you can play the single mode in fullscreen. Horrah!
Now, with more countries and tracks, you have a car that can be customized and cash. After completing a race, you earn money to buy engines, wet tires, dry tires, gearbox, armors and Nitro. You can also choose between eight different colors for you car. You can also find nitros and cash along the roads.
This game also introduced the damage system. Other than running out of fuel, now you car can crash if you take too many hits. I feel like Top Gear 2 was a more complete game over the first one, but somehow, I also think it was harder.
The graphics and sound quality also improved.
Top Gear 3000 was the third and last game on SNES.
This time, instead of racing in countries around the world, you would race at different solar systems and planets. Yes, it was a futuristic game. In other words, it's not more about real places in the worlds, but... Fictional worlds.
Just like Top Gear 2, you can customize your car. But this time, you unlock more itens as you win races. You can even buy weapons. For example, the "Jump" weapon makes your car jump over other vehicles. The "Warp" makes your car teleport forward. But these weapons are not available until you finish certain races.
The tracks also improved. Some of them may split in two at some points, so you can make your own way to the end. This makes Top Gear 3000 one of the most impressive racing games on SNES. Also, I'm pretty sure everyone who played this game will remember the cutscenes where your car gets inside a giant spaceship to change planets.
Overall, I think Top Gear 2 is my favorite. I had the first one when I was a kid, and Top Gear 3000 is really impressive, but... I don't know, I think the second one was a more enjoyable racing experience.
What do you think?
