Before you all cringe at the thought of yet another addition to the current pile-up of 3D racing games I urge you to settle down in a comfy sofa and reminisce. Cast your minds back to the mid-Eighties when wet perms, T'Pau (ouch!) and really nippy Radio Controlled buggies were all the rage. Those 'do it yourself' kit-buggies that were so fast they could easily run over a cat- you know the ones I'm talking about here. Gremlin Interactive has a knack for developing racing games that are very much 'hands on' and easy to pick up and play. Having been past masters of classics such as Super Cars and Lotus Challenge, Gremlin is attempting to portray all the frills and spills of arcade racing but in the vein of radio controlled buggy racing in their forthcoming Buggy title. Actually for the purpose of this preview (and because I'm a lazy twat) think of 'Buggy' as the European title because for the US it will be called Team Losi RC Racer.

Gremlin's games have nearly always been labelled with the 'retro-classic' tag and in terms of gameplay and Buggy will be no different in that respect. But who cares? A 'hands on' approach to gameplay, which is easy to get to grips with and undeniably fun to play is a proven formula, which Gremlin has perfected throughout the years. You'll be able to 'take control' of any one of 16 distinctly different buggies, each with its own handling capabilities/disabilities. Fifteen varying tracks have been touted thus far to enable the player to charge his/her particular buggy around. These will range from sun-scorched beaches, subterranean grottoes, sylvan woodlands and jungle arenas to miniature gardens. Incidentally, Gremlin Interactive has stated that the tracks will be 'hair raising' and 'insane' with jumps and puzzles that need to be carefully mastered. Navigating gates on the track, in the air, or upside down will require skilful navigation in order to progress to the finish line first. Overtaking in mid-air and performing stunts should also add that little bit of extra 'oomph'. And in true arcade fashion, objects will litter the track with the sole purpose of hindering a player's progress. Other than that Gremlin has promised to include secret areas and short cuts for your Buggy to zoom through. Bonus picks ups will also litter the various tracks that include turbo boosts, time-stops, mega-grips as well as a few extra surprises. You know the drill. Sounds frustrating. Sounds like fun.

The selection of play should be pretty familiar to racing game freaks and will include Championship, Time-Attack, Full Season and Head-to-Head modes. Multiplayer gaming will indeed be an integral part of Buggy, whether via a two player split-screen mode or across a LAN. Buggy may prove liable to cause fisticuffs when played in multiplayer; but since when has that done anyone any harm?