What is IndyCar Racing II?

Racing games have come a long way since the days of the old arcade game Pole Position, and maybe none have come further than IndyCar Racing II. You’re probably thinking, “So how much different can racing games be? You just push the accelerator, steer, and try not to crash, right?” Wrong. First off, this game comes with a manual that is longer than a driver’s education book for a real car. Secondly, this isn’t so much a game as it is a simulator; this is to Pole Position what F/A-18 Hornet is to Glider. (There are 56 key commands listed on the quick reference card.)

IndyCar is a complete simulation of one of the most complex pieces of machinery on the planet — the modern race car. As such, this isn’t the kind of game that you can simply throw in your Mac and play, any more than you can step off the street and into a real Indy car — you really do need to read the manual before you start. However, once you uncover the hows and whys of choosing tire compounds, gear ratios, selecting and setting the angle of your wings, adjusting the stagger, and setting the front and rear anti-roll stiffness, you’ll discover a game with more depth than your average arcade racer. Beyond simply not crashing, much of the game’s challenge is figuring out the correct car settings for each course. Novice players may find all the complexity overwhelming. Luckily, the program enables you to turn off items of realism — like damage from crashes — until you ramp up in skill. You can also choose automatic transmission, auto-braking, and more. To get the full experience, of course, you’ll have to risk all.

Speaking of not crashing — it can be pretty tough to stay on the track. Control is extremely precise (it changes as you wear out your tires and as you use fuel), which takes some getting used to. Control is even more tricky if you’re using a keyboard (or worse, your mouse) to control the car. No, you really need the incremental control that an analog joystick, like CH Products’ FlightStick Pro or the Gravis MouseStick II, to get full enjoyment from the title.

Once you master the controls you’re really ready to enjoy the game, and enjoy it you will: There are fifteen tracks from which to choose although, disappointingly, not Indianapolis, thanks to licensing issues); a racing season mode (you can save mid-season, of course, but not during a race); the opponent AI is dead-on; and winning a race (oh hell, just finishing a race) gives you a sense of accomplishment. One of IndyCar’s coolest features (that isn’t available on the PC) is the ability to actually talk to your pit crew and order adjustments to the car. You’ll need a PlainTalk mike and the corresponding software.

The game’s 3D graphics are completely polygonal and really detailed. A 7200/120 produces an acceptable frame-rate with all the texture-mapped detail turned on, but on a 6100/60, you’ll want to run at the lowest level of detail, which does detract from the experience. As you’d expect, the action can be viewed from multiple angles during the race, with even more camera angles available for instant replays. The best graphic touch, however, was the built-in editor for creating your own custom-color schemes and advertising decals. That’s cool.

Overall, this game is a lot more complicated than expected, but once I settled down and read the manual, I found a deep, satisfying strategy-driving experience. If you’re into racing, buy IndyCar and, well... start your engine. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

Charla, Chris. (November 1996). IndyCar Racing II. MacAddict. (pgs. 82-83).

Download IndyCar Racing II for Mac

Architecture

IBM PowerPC

System Requirements

From Mac OS 7.5 up to Mac OS 9.2

Compatibility notes

Minimum Requirements

• PowerPC processor
• 16 MB RAM
• 15 MB hard disk available
• 2X CD-ROM drive
• System 7.5
• Joystick recommended

Emulating this? It could probably run under: SheepShaver