A nice simulation of the 12th Paris Dakar endurance race
Released in 1990, this game does a lot of justice to the actual routes, conditions and types of vehicles that were enlisted in the Paris Dakar race of 1990. Thus, you will get to race from within the cockpit of a vehicle and see nice recreations (as realistic as they could have been made in 1990!) of Tripoli, Tumu, N'Djamena, Kayes and, finally, Dakar. A lot of detail has been poured into the simulation and, for a game this old, the term sim really does it justice. This is not a pedal-to-the-metal racer, you have to dose your speed according to the situation, according to the way the tracks and the off-road portions are laid on front of you. As such, you'd be amazed how hard the race is, and you'd be happy if you manage to complete a race from the first few tries. Sure, it would have been nice if some of the geography of the land was conveyed better. You may find yourself trapped in sand, with just a small sign that the particular portion cannot be hovered over, or you may find yourself with a punctured tire, without any real idea of why that happened. But, overall, as I said, for a game this old, to have anything to do with simulation is a win, and I do recommend it entirely. Alternatively, download the 1988 Paris-Dakar racer, much less graphically endowed but playable and fun still.
