PC CD-ROM minimum system requirements: 486SX/25; 4MB RAM; 6MB hard disk space; DOS 5.0; VGA. £24.99
THE title of this game may lead one to believe this was a serious motorsport enthusiast's dream. Fortunately or unfortunately, which ever way you look at it, World Rally Fever couldn't be further removed from the real thing.
It's as arcade-like as you're likely to see and these games seem to be all the rage at the moment. Unlike the true simulations, there is no tweaking of the cars' set-ups and no qualifying or suchlike.
There are four skill-levels and 16 stages set in 10 locations. The level you choose to race at will reflect how many credits you are given, the hardest rewarding you with the most credits.
Controlling these cars won't exactly test your patience but they do lack feeling, performing more like a hovercraft than a rally car. But this can be quite enjoyable, especially when you push the car to far that it's skimming around hair-pin bends almost out of control, while you're trying your utmost to avoid collision.
World Rally Fever rubber stamps its arcade nature by the inclusion of weapons which can be picked up as you speed around any of the tracks. Unlike most other games of this nature, it's not the car you select but the driver and just as in life itself, these characters have their high and low points. Not to be taken too seriously but good fun in small doses.
Graphics: 87%, Sound: 85%, Gameplay: 79%