Developer: Sculptured Software Publisher: Electro Brain Released: 1991 Genre: Racing
Racing games on the NES are a bit of a blind spot for me. True, I played Rad Racer and R.C. Pro Am at the time but beyond that it gets hazy. I suppose Cobra Triangle technically counts but that game has more than just aggravating races in its arsenal. Then there is Super Sprint but the less said about that game the better. I guess the moral of the story is I was not a big fan of the genre back then. Eliminator Boat Duel is a game I came to years after its release as I trawled the NES library. It seemed interesting, and it is. But I can’t really say whether I like it or not. Take that as you will.
Players compete in tiered series of races against a variety of opponents for cash prizes. The more you win the more cash earned to buy various upgrades for your boat. These span a number of categories like turbo acceleration, a stronger hull, repairing damage and improved steering. As you upgrade you have to keep an eye on your damage; broken down boats aren’t as fast and will also remove some of your upgrades. By the game’s midpoint you need every single point as your opponents by the midpoint are fully maxed out.
The solo campaign pits you against eight increasingly better racers but these aren’t single challenges. You face each wacky opponent across three tracks and each has multiple tiers. The most common viewpoint is overhead like Micro Machines. Actually these sections are eerily similar to that title down to the controls. As you dodge obstacles and collect nitro you will want to finish first to earn the $5000 bonus. The second viewpoint is third person as you try and stay in between the flag poles and jockey for position against your opponent. Sometimes the race will end here, other times it will switch back to another top down section for the finish. Not every course is structured the same which keeps you on your toes.
Even though the matches are varied generally you will spend most of your time in the top down view. Here the game resembles Micro Machines and even features similar controls. As you navigate the treacherous waters full of sharks, whirlpools, logs, and other debris your main goal is to stay ahead early to get first crack at any time Nitro. The AI will stick to you hard and will take the lead at the slightest mistake. With nitro boosts you can build a decent lead to offset your inevitable slip ups. The course design is not always as clear cut as it should be. The screen oftentimes does not scroll fast enough to reveal upcoming corners or hazards. But of its numerous viewpoints this is still the best.
The third person segments are the best visually and to an extent exciting gameplay wise. As you dodge random logs and jockey for position against the computer it is intense. But only the last few seconds of the race matter. Because of the viewpoint both you and the computer are always on screen. You can never get more than a few inches in front of the AI before the game forces it to catch up. For such a cool viewpoint it is disappointing that the majority of the time spent in it is worthless. This could have been the best aspect of the game if you could leave the computer behind. Shame.
The difficult is sky high by the game’s midpoint. It can already be tough to stay ahead of your opponent as is. But by the second half the gloves are off and you can barely make any mistakes. Everyone’s boat is fully kitted out and if you aren’t close you stand no chance of winning. It doesn’t help that the game has some aggressive rubber-banding going on as well. On the higher difficulty levels you are penalized for hitting more objects which is ridiculous in my opinion. You have to be near perfect to avoid spending all of your money on repairs, leaving little for progression. It is wholly unbalanced, making me question who is the expert setting for?
Yet in spite of these flaws I can still see the good in Eliminator Boat Duel. There is something visceral about a tight race, where you and the AI are neck and neck and a single mistake will throw you behind. Granted, the rubber-banding helps with that but still. The game has a lot of personality despite its age which keeps it from being generic. And it works better as a two-player game where it comes down to skill and not luck. This is the reason why I am on the fence about it; I see the flaws but can still see its good points.
In Closing
Would I recommend Eliminator Boat Duel? That is tough to say. There are very few games on the NES like it. Its flaws are notable enough that most would be better off with Micro Machines instead.
