Look, we know you’ve collected them all Pinchcliffe Grand Prix memorabilia there to collect. We’re sure that as you read this, you’re sitting there in your Pinchcliffe Grand Prix pajamas and shaking with fear at the prospect of buying another Pinchcliffe product, because your partner threatened to throw You are out if you dare to add more objects in the seven rooms of Pinchcliffe that you have filled to burst. Don’t worry, though, because at least this one is available digitally, meaning you can add to your teeming collection without taking up any more precious space in your home.
If you’ll allow us to take the sarcastic tongue off our cheeks for now, the reality is that the Pinchcliffe Grand Prix is actually a big deal in some parts of the world, especially its native Norway. Released in 1975, the film is the most watched Norwegian film of all time.
In other words, Norway’s population is about 5 million, but the film sold 5.5 million tickets during its theatrical run. To be fair, though, that might be because it’s been in cinemas for a total of 28 years (and that’s not a bad joke, it’s a fact). So yes, if you live outside of Norway, you may not have heard of Pinchcliffe (or Flaklypa Grand Prix as it is well known), but that does not mean it is insignificant.
If you’re new to it, the film tells the story of Theodore Rimspoke, an inventor of transportation who lives with his animal friends, a hedgehog named Lambert and a magpie named Sonny. When Theodore discovered that his former assistant had stolen his racing car blueprint and became a world champion with it, he and his friends decided to build their own version of the car with the help of a friend. funding from a wealthy Arab Sheik – who has a bit of a stubborn stereotype, assuming the movie dates back to the 70s – and stepped into the next race on his own.
The title might suggest that this is a simple game of karts, but in reality, the Pinchcliffe Grand Prix has a story mode that must be completed before any real racing can take place. Thankfully or disappointingly, depending on how you look at it – this story mode can end in about an hour or so (so we assume it’s true to the movie in that respect).
The story mode comes in the form of a captivating point-and-click adventure, but don’t start picturing Monkey Island or Sam & Max in your head: there’s no real challenge here because the game constantly tells you at the top of the screen what you have to do next so there’s no real puzzle to solve or anything like that. .
Despite the complete lack of difficulty, the mode is easy on the eyes because of much of the game’s successful attempt to match the stop-motion clay look of the source material. The characters and setting look lovely, and the cinematic sequences will sometimes slip at certain times with little difference in the art style.
Dotted around the various areas of Story mode is a collection of ‘fun facts’ that can be found, containing hilariously funny information on completely random topics like the history of the bed. , the properties of silk and the amount of human DNA is similar to that of a banana (50%, if you’re asking). We hope the 47-year-old movie still has a younger fan base as it’s clear the game is geared towards kids rather than adults who may have loved it as children.
The story mode also includes nine mini-games, which can be found and unlocked to choose from in the main menu. None of these are going to change the world, but at the same time none of them are particularly poor. These include a passable Shanghai Solitaire replica, a fun isometric cycling section, a jigsaw puzzle that awards players exciting high-resolution photos of movie models. and a curious mail-sorting game that would sound dull if you were to explain it to you, but actually had our attention for quite some time.
As you play through these minigames and explore the Story mode locations in detail, you also collect car parts, which can be used to build the vehicle in question, Il Tempo Gigante. Once you’ve earned enough parts to build half the car, you can enter the final race and technically beat the game, but you can then continue to explore the world and unlock the remaining parts if you want to fully complete the car in 100% nerve.
Once the Short Story mode is gone, the only other main option – aside from the ability to replay the minigames and try to get a higher score – is the racing modes that will then be unlocked. These are pretty simple but get the job done: there are your typical Grand Prix modes where you win a bunch of trophies where points are awarded for your place in each race, as well as races. Time trial races and checkpoints.
Importantly, these races are fun to play. They certainly won’t make Mario sweat under his overalls, but what’s there is harmless and the handling is satisfying enough to hold our attention until we’ve played through every race. The player can also unlock other cars, from milk floats to fancy Cadillac-style cars, and the whole thing is overall quite charming with its unique art style shining through and really does the film’s justice.
There’s only one problem. Well, 50 of them. The game is on sale for £49.99 at launch, which is simply too much for its overall level of content. When you consider how short the Story mode is, and the race, while entertaining, takes place on some visually strikingly similar tracks, that’s a pretty hefty price tag.
Of course, that’s just our decision and it’s always up to you to decide whether £50 is too much money for something that would take a relatively skilled player several nights to get through. While what’s here is thoroughly fun, we’d advise most players to keep the fire going until the game’s price inevitably drops during the eShop sale, and then by all means give it a go. It’s still a fascinating experience, albeit a brief one.
Until then, we think it’s really just a must for those of you reading this book who really We Wearing Pinchcliffe PJs, your finger hovers over the eShop’s ‘buy’ button as your partner stands menacingly in front of you with a fancy new car-shaped door, leaving you just not brave enough to do so. show another purchase. Um… it’s still fun, mind.
Inference
Pinchcliffe Grand Prix is a point and click adventure racing game with a lovely art style. Still, it’s pretty light on content, and for its price, it’s only really necessary for fans of the original 1975 movie. However, if that price is to drop in the future, it’s certainly worth it. Definitely worth a try if you want to play something calmer and more pleasant than your typical racer.
