“Turbo Prop Racing”

Sony Playstation

Racing games. They’ve been a tradition since the days when “Pole Position” and “Out Run” sucked up all your time and quarters at the arcade.

There have been racing games with cars, motorcycles, jet skis, futuristic hovercraft thingys … but one mode of transportation that seems to have been forgotten in recent games is the speedboat.

Now, the sport of speedboat racing returns to the realm of video games with “Turbo Prop Racing” for the Playstation.

The game’s six tracks have themes, each located in places such as Miami, the Grand Canyon, Alaska, Canada, Costa Rica and Hawaii. The best level by far is a level in which the boats coast through a river of lava down a volcano in Hawaii.

Three dimensional graphics are one of the best aspects of the game, and the fast-paced techno background music fits the game well.

Although it is enjoyable, the game is rather difficult to play at first. It just takes some getting used to.

In order to continue on to the next stage, the player must achieve a first place ranking in each race.

This causes a significant problem for the game’s early levels, notably Canyon and Alaska, which are surprisingly more difficult than later stages. In fact, they are the hardest ones in the game, while some of the later levels are much more fun and easier to play.

All the tracks are littered with turbos, which can be picked up along the way and are necessary for even standing a chance at winning a race.

After the six levels are conquered the first time, they are then repeated, this time in darkness, with the sun down and more obstacles. When the night stages are completed, players must work their way through mirror images of the same tracks.

While it’s not as groundbreaking as “Pole Position” or “Out Run” and doesn’t offer anything that hasn’t been done before, “Turbo Prop Racing” is well worth a play.

3 1/2 stars out of five

— Conor Bezane

“Spyro the Dragon”

Sony Playstation

In a mystical land with castles, rolling hills, fire-breathing dragons and seaside landscapes, “Spyro the Dragon” conjures up the image of a childhood storybook.

The game has the same feel as “Super Mario 64” but with a different storyline and characters.

Instead of stomping on enemies, the purple dragon and his sidekick dragonfly, Sparx, charge toward them and blow fire at them.

But just because it is similar to past games, that doesn’t mean it’s not good. “Spyro the Dragon” is charming in its own way.

The game is appealing to virtually any age group, even young players, because it is simple and is still fun for players who are old enough to remember playing “Frogger” and “Space Invaders” on their old-school Atari 2600s.

The premise of the game is simple. Spyro goes around rescuing dragons, collecting gems and recovering stolen dragon eggs. When dragons are rescued, they come alive and speak to Spyro, giving him new tasks and tips.

The object of the game is to rescue all the dragons and to ultimately defeat the bad guy, Gnasty Gnork, who has imprisoned them.

Slick 3D graphics and witty, cartoon-like characters make the game fun to play and watch.

This game has an addictive quality to it, so when you start playing you never want to stop.

4 stars out of five

— Conor Bezane