Reviews

Elite were no strangers to license deals when it came to marketing their products, but this was a rather different game to their usual fare.

Horse racing isn't the sort of thing that normally translates too well into computer games, and most attempts inevitably turn to the subject of simulating how punters can lose their money to the bookies. However, in a rather refreshing move, we're given a go at actually running the race here.

The controls are fairly complicated; you've got to keep up a suitable pace - not too fast as your horse will tire, nor too slow or you'll be left behind - as well as time your jumps over the fences and control your position on the track as you move up through the field.

Whilst not exactly stunning in any particular fashion, it's a curiously addictive game that there's still nothing quite like. All in all this is well worth an outside bet.

Quite a nice enough game but suffers from very complicated gameplay which I found very frustrating. But I suppose that's the whole point of a realistic feel. It's quite clever that way but too complex to give it a higher mark.

This is a very interesting game from Elite, containing a double genre in it. First, a gambling/strategy game and second, a sport game.

You have an amount of money to spend, betting on your fave horse. Then, you choose a horse to play the race itself in a vertical scroll controlling the levels of the speed & energy bars. The upper-right part of the screen includes a side view of your horse, useful when you have to jump over the hedges. A general view of the track complete a very good appearance of the screen. Good graphics.

This double feature of the game makes it interesting and unexpectedly addictive.

This game scores too high in WOS and I wonder why . . .

Grand National is a correct video-game but it doesn´t deserve such a high score in my opinon .

Monochrome graphics and a cenital view of the race are the main features here . . . the fences are hard to negotiate ! !

Not bad , only average . . . 3 // 5 .

1985 Elite Software (UK)
by Andy Williams and Paul Holmes

Grand National, unlike the 1983 release with the same name, mixes gambling with arcade racing. Here like with the earlier gambling games, you can still bet on your favorite horses, but now the interesting part is that you have the option of racing yourself.
The action bit is quite interesting and appealing because it requires strategy, making you manage how fast you should go in each stage of the race. Too fast and you will wear out your horse, too slow and you will never win. The jumping requires accuracy and it will ruin your race if you fall.
Overall Grand National is a very addictive game due to its action, strategy and gambling elements all well combined with a nice presentation and well very executed.