Top five best ever videogames about cycling: Super Keirin
Published by Halverde on 11/29/2006 at 14:51.
#2 - Super Keirin (Super Nintendo)
Thought you wouldn't see another one of these until our self-imposed three weeks of track related updates were over? Here comes Super Keirin. It's almost as if we had this planned all along.
Super Keirin isn't actually as good as any of the games that've preceded it on this list so far -- it's made it up to number two purely on the basis that keirin racing is the best thing ever. In fact, we're not sure to what extent it IS a video game -- your control over events is limited to moving your little man into a betting booth and picking two numbers.
Trying to find your way to the velodrome is just the start of the fun.
Still, if owning a microcosm of autonomous keirin racers has always been your greatest desire, this game will more than satisfy. We've already drawn attention to the Japaneseness of the previous game in the list, but this one is the most Japnese sports game we've ever played. And not just because you have to learn kanji before you can understand what's going on.
She looks friendly now, but as soon as she's parted your money from your wallet she'll call the security guards and get a restraining order and not answer your phonecalls when you drink a bottle of whisky and try to apologise at two in the morning. You were too good for her anyway.
Whereas the West would make a track racing game where you exercise control over a cyclist or a team of cyclists, keirin racing in Japan is a gambling sport like horse racing or greyhounds. Which means a Japanese track racing game is a gambling game. Fair enough, apart from we don't get any sense of wish fulfilment from watching little pixelated men ride in circles.
The one at the front is the pacing vehicle. The graphics get much better when he swings over.
And true to Japanese form, your little character has a rival. We're not sure how you're supposed to beat the rival and complete the game, but we suspect it has something to do with winning more money than he does.
See, we told you they get better.
At best, the game rewards you for being able to understand the numerical expression of the chances of you losing all your money. At worse, the conditions for winning and losing are entirely down to the results of a random number generator, rather than, you know, skill. It probably depends on whether you're a glass half-full kind of person, we suppose.
Conclusion
If you're a compulsive gambler, can read Japanese and don't mind watching little men ride slowly around a track, this is the game for you! If not, wait until next week's game, which pisses all over every other game we'd previously listed (and is therefore quite obviously Pro Cycling Manager).
Download Super Keirin from us
We're not sure how legal this is. Semi-legal, perhaps? Nevertheless, we suspect Nintendo wouldn't make any money from you going onto eBay and buying a second hand Japanese copy for hundreds of pounds, so it's not like you're stealing.
Download Super Keirin. You'll need an emulator to run it on too. Like this one. Stealing games is difficult :(
Thought you wouldn't see another one of these until our self-imposed three weeks of track related updates were over? Here comes Super Keirin. It's almost as if we had this planned all along.
Super Keirin isn't actually as good as any of the games that've preceded it on this list so far -- it's made it up to number two purely on the basis that keirin racing is the best thing ever. In fact, we're not sure to what extent it IS a video game -- your control over events is limited to moving your little man into a betting booth and picking two numbers.
Trying to find your way to the velodrome is just the start of the fun.
Still, if owning a microcosm of autonomous keirin racers has always been your greatest desire, this game will more than satisfy. We've already drawn attention to the Japaneseness of the previous game in the list, but this one is the most Japnese sports game we've ever played. And not just because you have to learn kanji before you can understand what's going on.
She looks friendly now, but as soon as she's parted your money from your wallet she'll call the security guards and get a restraining order and not answer your phonecalls when you drink a bottle of whisky and try to apologise at two in the morning. You were too good for her anyway.
Whereas the West would make a track racing game where you exercise control over a cyclist or a team of cyclists, keirin racing in Japan is a gambling sport like horse racing or greyhounds. Which means a Japanese track racing game is a gambling game. Fair enough, apart from we don't get any sense of wish fulfilment from watching little pixelated men ride in circles.
The one at the front is the pacing vehicle. The graphics get much better when he swings over.
And true to Japanese form, your little character has a rival. We're not sure how you're supposed to beat the rival and complete the game, but we suspect it has something to do with winning more money than he does.
See, we told you they get better.
At best, the game rewards you for being able to understand the numerical expression of the chances of you losing all your money. At worse, the conditions for winning and losing are entirely down to the results of a random number generator, rather than, you know, skill. It probably depends on whether you're a glass half-full kind of person, we suppose.
Conclusion
If you're a compulsive gambler, can read Japanese and don't mind watching little men ride slowly around a track, this is the game for you! If not, wait until next week's game, which pisses all over every other game we'd previously listed (and is therefore quite obviously Pro Cycling Manager).
Download Super Keirin from us
We're not sure how legal this is. Semi-legal, perhaps? Nevertheless, we suspect Nintendo wouldn't make any money from you going onto eBay and buying a second hand Japanese copy for hundreds of pounds, so it's not like you're stealing.
Download Super Keirin. You'll need an emulator to run it on too. Like this one. Stealing games is difficult :(
