My entry for the Fog of War Writing Challenge puts an unpublished piece I wrote last year under the microscope.

Original Version

A shareware 2D racing game -- when was the last time you played one of those? When was the last time you even saw one of those? Regardless of the fact that it seems as though New Star Grand Prix is at least 15 years late, this game brings back fond memories of such classics as Micro Machines, Rock'n'Roll Racing, and Papyrus' NASCAR Racing series in the mid-90s (and to a lesser extent their IndyCar Racing series, which I only played a few times). The game itself plays like something of an amalgamation of all those older titles, except with a stronger emphasis on keeping it simple. Driving is as simple as holding down a key to accelerate, tapping another to brake, and steering with two others. You bounce off walls and other cars with little reduction in speed, and only an increase in the damage meter to deter such lapses in control. Keeping track of fuel levels and the condition of tyres is as simple as hitting the space bar, and you must be careful to visit the pits before either meter runs down to empty.

Where the game takes a turn away from traditional "casual" racing games, whilst also snubbing simulations in their focused approach, is in its off-track functions. You earn money from succeeding in races, as well as from sponsorship deals, but also from gambling at a casino, which you can visit with friends or the pit crew as a kind of bonding exercise. Doing this is important, too, as your relationship with each of the four groups in the game -- your boss, the pit crew, the fans, and your friends -- is given a star rating that goes up or down depending on your actions both on and off track. You can make your boss happy simply by getting good lap times in practice and qualification, as well as finishing in the points in the races themselves. The pit crew like you to get around the track in one piece during races and to spend time with them during the week, but they hate it when you damage the car. The fans just want you to win. And your friends want your attention and your gifts -- you can buy cars and property for yourself or for your friends.

The game bases its tournament on the Formula 1 Championship/Grand Prix mechanism, using the traditional non-licensed approach of misspelled driver and team names, and vague names for locations (just the name of the host country) of each Grand Prix. A newspaper headline is presented at the end of each race to give an indication of your performance.

There is something special about New Star Grand Prix, but unfortunately the version I played only lets you play through the first three Grand Prix(s) of a season -- too soon for me to figure out exactly where the magic lies. But it is clear that the game captures some element missing from contemporary racing games that makes me wish for a return to when I thought the racing genre was the coolest of the bunch.

Flesch Reading Ease: 58.56
Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 12.00
Gunning fog index: 15.29

See page 2 for the edited version and reflections