Saturday Night Speedway is the latest installment in the Dirt Track Racing series developed by RatBag and produced by Atari (formally know as Infogrames.) Back in the late 1990's when the first short-track dirt racing game was released by Ratbag, there was great hype and anticipation for a game that truly typified this rather unique and popular grass-roots sport. Finally there was the opportunity to drive sideways and sling mud in ultra high-powered machinery around a dirt oval. Throughout the DTR series we have had the occasion to drive Sportsman racecars, Unlimited Sprint Cars, Late Models, Concept Modifieds and in the latest release, even Non-winged Midgets. Each version has its own particular style of car and the expectation of improvement over the last release. To be honest, each version has been a step forward in the development of the platform but never to quite the level we had hoped. I've said it many times before-it takes time to perfect a gaming platform. The automotive industry exhibits the same improvements in its progressing platform. Certainly cars built today offer more features than those built in the 60's. Yet along the way there have been some automobiles and parent companies that have taken steps in the wrong direction. Why? Because they thought they knew more about what the customer wanted than the customer. I believe that's where RatBag is today with Saturday Night Speedway.

There are some positive parts of this game that deserve mentioning and if I had never had the opportunity to play any of the other DTR games these features might seem more exciting. For instance SNS features a new car shape in the form of a USAC Midget: a smaller 4-cylinder non-winged sprint car. Although these cars don't have the brute horsepower of their bigger and older brother, the USAC Champ Car, they are lightning fast and a blast to drive. These mini rocket ships are adept at both pavement and dirt tracks and can be adapted rather quickly to either surface. This is one point where RatBag missed the boat as there are no pavement ovals in which to race the Midgets. Yes, there are some pavement tracks that are new to the game but they're not what you think-- not your conventional oval racing arena. One of the fantasy tracks named "Rattler Canyon" is a circuit of left hand turns of various radiuses and camber, which appears to be like a rally course. This track winds around and back over itself in the attempt to keep the driver turning left throughout the course. Night City Speedway likens to a Need for Speed track that speeds the player through intersections and buildings on darkened city streets and then from pavement back to dirt within the same circuit. The fantasy tracks actually bring a breath of fresh air to the DTR series, and I have to applaud the guys at RatBag for trying something new. There is nice detail, lighting and plenty of roadside scenery that is very well done. The only drawback is that the Midgets are the only cars that really seem to handle well at these tracks. There is also the addition to the Eldora track in that it's covered in ice. Not to worry though as the regular Eldora is still in the game with the customary traction. Icy Eldora is actually quite fun. Personally I think more tracks with this type of surface should be included because it is exactly what you would expect from driving on a dry-slick surface. The other tracks appear to be shiny and dry-slick as you reach the feature event but the traction is still the same. At times you can even see the reflection of the lights on the track surface. The track gives the appearance of being dry-slick but this is purely a visual effect.

The AI cars are quite capable at the conventional circle tracks, and they do give you a good battle. Even if you pass them, they don't just disappear, never to be heard from again. If you make a mistake, they are right back by you. On the fantasy tracks, the Figure 8 track and at Icy Eldora, the AI drivers are much easier to beat even at the Pro level. Once you get the AI on the ice, they are bouncing off the walls and each other. It seems there wasn't a priority to make the AI competitive at the 'new' tracks. For the most part the AI drivers do offer solid competition, although it is difficult at times to determine where they are around you. The sound positioning effects are not at the level they should be. I'm accustomed to driving without a mirror but without the sound positioning, the lack of a mirror becomes more of an issue.