Ocean 1989
Genre: Sport, Action
Rating: 3/6
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Chase H.Q., which first got into the arcades in 1988, is a racing game with a twist. Instead of just using the basic 'driving faster than the opponents', it adds another goal: catching another vehicle. The simple background story tells us something about a 'futuristic' police department called 'Chase H.Q.'. The player sits around in his sports car all day until he gets a call from Nancy from the headquarters, telling him about an escaped criminal who has to be caught again.

Millenium 1991
Genre: Action
Rating: 4/6
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

James Pond is as fast as Sonic and as smart as Mario. But he's even more! He's a secret agent on a mission. The evil Dr Maybe captured all the penguins of the antarctic and all the christmas toys! James 'Robocod' Pond has to rescue the penguins and defeat Dr Maybe.

Gremlin 1990
Genre: Sport, Action
Rating: 2/6
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

This is the first part of a series many people consider as a classic. As you can see from my rating, I don't agree with that. To describe Lotus, just one word is needed: boring!
Nevertheless, its historical value is out of question! It's the ancestor of all the 'modern' action racers, e.g. the Need for Speed- or Screamer-games. And what's even more important (and interesting!) is the fact, that Lotus is almost identical to those newer ones!

Maelstrom / Rainbird 1990
Genre: Action, Strategy
Rating: 6/6
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

There are only very few games out there which actually deserve the over-used label 'epic'. Usually, games called 'epic' just go for broadness, i.e. they offer lots of stuff of the same kind. For example, such a game would have lots of levels, but all those levels require the same few activities and strategies.

Tengen / Mindscape 1992
Genre: Action
Rating: 3/6
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Paperboy... in the 1990s? Is it the long-awaited sequel taking the basic concept to new heights? In one word: no.

The player controls a paperboy (or, major new feature, a papergirl) on his/her round. Papers have to be thrown into subsribers' mailboxes (no stopping to stuff it in there) and new papers have to be picked up along the way, because why give the stupid paperboy enough papers for all subscribers if bundles of them are lying around on the street anyway? Which kind of defeats the whole premise, because why don't the subscribers just take their paper from those bundles?

Electronic Arts 1992
Genre: Sport, Action
Rating: 4/6
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Road Rash - one of the few signature games of the Sega Mega Drive (apart from Sonic, of course). The Amiga and the Mega Drive had quite a few things in common hardware-wise, so porting this successful hit was only a question of time. A year after the original release, it finally appeared.

California Dreams 1990
Genre: Sport, Action
Rating: 4/6
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

It's the early 60s. You're one of those 'cool rebels' who spend all day in their garage with your car. Tuning the motor, polishing it and in more intimate moments, probably even stroking it. However, what's the worth of a beautiful girlfriend which nobody else knows about? Exactly. That's why you're taking part in illegal road races.

Microstyle 1988
Genre: Sport, Simulation
Rating: 4/6
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Before he began to make "serious" racing sims like Formula 1 Grand Prix, Geoff Crammond created this Amiga classic. It is set in a fictional (or let's say I hope it is fictional) Stunt Car league. There are four divisions and the player of course starts in the fourth. In each division there are two courses on which all three drivers (of the division) have to race against each other in head-to-head duels. Points are awarded for the best lap and the winner. At the end of the season, the best driver of each division gets to the higher division, while the last one is relegated.

Magnetic Fields / Gremlin Graphics 1990
Genre: Sport, Action
Rating: 4/6
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Racing games weren't always in pseudo 3D. For instance, there were Sprint and Super Sprint (which was never ported to the Amiga, but that's a story for another day). Super Cars is a home-computer-original variant of the same idea, and quite a good one.

Domark 1989
Genre: Action
Rating: 3/6
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

My name is Bond - James Bond! This game is based on the movie starring Roger Moore. I suppose everyone has seen at least one James Bond movie, so I won't explain what that is...

Domark took the action parts of it and put them into levels which are only loosely connected with short text-based explanations about the story. Most levels are basically the same. You see your vehicle from top and have to reach the level's exit without being killed. These vehicles are either a Lotus Esprit (driving on the road or diving under water!) or a small motor boat. From time to time an enemy appears and you have to shoot him. If you don't have any missiles left, it doesn't matter too much - just let him drive in front of you and avoid his shots! Sometimes a big truck labelled 'Q' appears in front of you. Don't try to destroy or overtake it (like I did when I first played the game 10 years ago - It's your friend 'Q' who 'sells' you equipment for the 'Q'-coins you've selected before!