Screaming for more
Screamer 2 For PCs with CD ROM Lean back on your seat, fasten your seat-belt, take a deep breath and get ready for the next lap at breakneck-speed.
Screamer 2 is probably one of the best arcade racing games on the market.
It is very likely the fastest, most difficult racing action ever unleashed on a PC.
Firstly, players choose one of four teams - Condors, Wasps, Angels and Zeus - to race with. Then they select their own racing car, also from a list of four - Toyota Supra, Acura NSX, Porsche 911 and Mazda MX5.
Drivers can use the standard car provided by the computer or customise one themselves.
They also can change tyre types, adjust rear and front suspension, handling and brakes.
In Screamer 2, there are four different modes of challenging racing waiting for you - Arcade, Championship, Time Attack and Multiplayer.
Arcade offers plain, brainless racing - a no-holds-barred contest featuring three opponents over six different courses.
If you like to customise cars and plan your strategy for getting to the top, Championship racing is definitely the one for you.
Racing against the clock is possible with Time Attack, also a great way for you to get a feel for the handling of your car. When starting off, the vehicles can be quite tricky and frustrating.
Multiplayer, on the other hand, enables up to four people to compete in either Combat mode, Network game, or via a serial link.
But there is no modem support for Multiplayer races. Drivers can hook up on a network, direct link, or run a two- person race on one PC with a split-screen view.
The graphics for Screamer 2 are brilliant and dynamic. They serve up plenty of visual splendour and are definitely an improvement over the original Screamer.
For instance, cars and backgrounds are beautifully rendered.
The graphics are so realistic that even a cow may lift its head from grazing in a Swiss meadow to watch you blast by.
And drivers may be attracted by the scenic rainforests of Colombia or the snowy peaks of Switzerland.
Music and sound-effects also are incredible. A hopping techno soundtrack features nine different tunes to entertain you while racing and this adds a good feel to the whole game.
Unfortunately there is no save-game function. If an untimely spin or game lock-up snatches away your hard-earned title, you must start a new race.
To run Screamer 2, you need a Pentium 60 or above with 8 MB of RAM (low-res) or 12 MB of RAM (high-res), 39 MB of hard-disk space, SVGA, 2 x CD-ROM drive, and DOS 6.0 or higher.
A Sound Blaster or compatible sound card also is required.
For SVGA you need a super-high- power graphics card.
MEGAHINT: Here are some cheat codes for you to type in at the main menu screen. Access to all seven tracks (including bonus) - mrtrk; bonus cars - tacar; tbcar, tccar or tdcar; access to all five championship modes - chmpa.
MEGAHINT: Want a good all-round car? Then you need to pick the FWD Spark. It has a healthy top speed and provides the necessary traction to win on all tracks.
MEGAHINT: To cope with the smoking-fast lap in Finland, keep the throttle floored and let the snow banks straighten you out in the curves.
