Jaguar XJ220
| Developer: Core | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Core | Sound: |
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| Year: 1992 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Racing | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 2 simultaneous | Rating: |
7/10 | |
This one had been on my “high-priority” list for over a decade, for two good reasons: first, it’s notoriously hard to get running on an emulator (probably due to corrupted virtual disk files), and second, I have zero patience for things that don’t work. Back to the drawer it went!
This afternoon, I must have been particularly bored. After an hour of fumbling around, I finally found a solution, which I’ll share with you right now.
Download the following files:
“Jaguar XJ-220 (1992)(Core Design)(M4)[cr SKR](Disk 1 of 2)[a2].adf”
“Jaguar XJ-220 (1992)(Core Design)(M4)[cr SKR][a](Disk 2 of 2)(Data Disk).adf”
Launch the emulator in “Quickstart” mode, selecting “Amiga 500 1.2 ROM + 512 SLOW RAM” (with both drives enabled, for once they actually matter).
When the “File Requester” screen appears during gameplay, click “Exit”.
Now, let’s get to the meat of it. You’re driving a … Jaguar XJ220 (imagine that) and competing against Porsche, Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Chevrolet (Corvette) on 36 circuits spread across twelve countries. That, you see, is not a poor man’s game.
The first three races are set in England and mandatory. After that, you’ll choose your next destination—but not without forking over an entry fee. Yes, money rules here: you pay to race, you pay to repair, and when the cash dries up, it’s game over. Amusingly, consistently coming in last doesn’t matter as long as you can bankroll your incompetence.
Unlike other games in the genre, collisions don’t slow you down much. Still, try not to mow down too many signs, as you’ll need to spend all or part of your winnings at the end of the race to replace damaged parts. It’s an interesting idea, though I could have just as happily settled for an indestructible car. How about you? An indestructible car that never needs refuelling.
Graphically, I find the game pretty unremarkable, even if the backgrounds have the merit of renewing themselves and accommodating pleasant weather effects. I’m not a fan of how the car is modelled—you only see its rear end, which isn’t my favourite view of a Jaguar anyway.
Regarding the game’s finish, two big pluses: the ability to save and the presence of a level editor! Two small minuses, but debatable: the monotony of the tracks and the obligatory stops for refuelling (would this be a way to push us to think about race strategy? Haha! No, I’m not in the mood).
All things considered, I prefer Lotus Turbo Challenge 2. The adrenaline rush of racing against the clock at checkpoints is far more exciting than doing lap after lap.
In 1993, Jaguar XJ220 was ported to the Mega CD (Sega Genesis). I’ve only seen this version in videos, but it does look better—at least the car’s rear end does.
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