Scorcher Review

Looking at Scorcher is a little like watching a TV with bad reception: The more you squint, the better it looks.

Scorcher puts the racer on a shielded bike, which rolls around in a Marble Madness-esque fashion. Holes in the track and the ability to off-road add to the fun. Unfortunately, Scorcher isn't a particularly good racing game.

On the plus side, Scorcher possesses some pretty cool tracks. Since the bike's shield - in effect - turns the machine into a ball, the vehicle bounces all over the place, shoots through tubes, and flies over obstacles, like holes and jumps. Unfortunately, as a game Scorcher doesn't evolve past the tried out (and some would say tired out) standard "pass a checkpoint, get some more time" formula.

Looking at Scorcher is a little like watching a TV with bad reception: The more you squint, the better it looks. The colors seem faded, almost as if the game's graphics have been out in the sun too long. On the plus side, the movement is very fluid, and controlling the bike is a smooth operation - almost too smooth. Players will find themselves turning off the track until they get the controls down.

Ultimately, Scorcher is better left on the shelf. Despite the good tracks, the game simply doesn't distinguish itself from all the other racing games that are available. Only the most die-hard racing game fans will enjoy this one.

The Good

  • N/A

The Bad

About the Author

Jeff Gerstmann has been professionally covering the video game industry since 1994.