Super Skidmarks is a racing video game developed by Acid Software and released in 1995. The game is the sequel to Skidmarks and as such was also termed Skidmarks 2 and Super Skidmarks 2 by commentators. The game features “minimally realistic” action viewed from an isometric perspective as well as novelty vehicles such as wheeled cows and caravans. Various methods such as joypad adapters and link systems are employed to allow multiple players to compete, up to a maximum of 8. The game was critically acclaimed and a best-seller in the UK. Several upgrades to the Amiga

Amiga

The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...

 original were released as well as conversions for the Amiga CD32

Amiga CD32

The Amiga CD32, styled "CD32" , was the first 32-bit CD-ROM based video game console released in western Europe, Australia, Canada and Brazil. It was first announced at the Science Museum in London, United Kingdom on 16 July 1993, and was released in September of the same year...

 and Sega

Sega

, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...

 Mega Drive, the latter published by Codemasters

Codemasters

The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...

.

Development

Super Skidmarks was developed by New Zealand based Acid Software, predominantly designed and written by Chris Blackbourn. The game is the sequel to Skidmarks and was originally intended as an expanded version containing new tracks and a track editor before being developed into a full sequel (though the final game featured no track editor). The first game suffered problems with disk accessing and crashes which were fixed for Super Skidmarks, partly through the ability to install the game on a hard drive. The game includes twice the number of tracks as in the original as well as an increased number of vehicles and competitions and a more difficult single-player mode. The artificial intelligence was made to be more intelligent and realistic. Skidmarks has a two-player split screen mode while the sequel allows a three-way split screen or four players to play using a whole screen in a mode inspired by Micro Machines

Micro Machines (video games)

Micro Machines is a series of computer and video games featuring toy cars, developed by Codemasters and published on several platforms Micro Machines is a series of computer and video games featuring toy cars, developed by Codemasters and published on several platforms Micro Machines is a series of...

. Players can use multiple joysticks rather than share a keyboard. Another additional feature is the ability to attach a caravan to the player's vehicle, dramatically affecting the handling. A Mega Drive conversion was published by Codemasters.

Reception

Amiga Power

Amiga Power

Amiga Power was a monthly magazine about Amiga computer games. It was published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and ran for 65 issues, from May 1991 to September 1996....

said that the widescreen link mode, which allows up to 8 players simultaneously, “elevates the game to near divine status” though pointed out that only a small minority of players who owned two A1200s could experience the feature and gave the A1200 version a higher score. Amiga Computing

Amiga Computing

Amiga Computing was a monthly computer magazine of a serious nature, published by Europress and IDG in both the UK and USA. A total of 117 issues came out. The games section was called Gamer, although later Amiga Action was incorporated into the magazine and became the games section.- External...

praised the variety of humorous vehicles such as cows, caravans, Volkswagen

Volkswagen

Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...

s and Mini

Mini

The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...

s. The magazine wrote that the graphics were simple but enjoyable, but felt the menus could have benefited from a more functional user-interface. It concluded: “This is one of the most playable and fun race-em-ups around with the vast amount of new features added it’s certainly worth a look”. Amiga Format

Amiga Format

Amiga Format was a British computer magazine for Amiga computers, published by Future Publishing. The magazine lasted 136 issues from 1989 to 2000. The magazine was formed when, in the wake of selling ACE to EMAP, Future split the dual-format title ST/Amiga Format into two separate publications...

called the game “nigh on perfect” and “a completely social sport” which “couldn’t be realised through any medium other than a computer”. It felt the game was best when played by multiple people and said: “Do yourself a favour, buy this game”. CU Amiga called the wheeled cows “tremendous fun” but complained of a difficult learning curve. On balance the magazine felt Super Skidmarks was “one of the best games I’ve ever played, certainly the best so far this year”. ACAR

Acar

Acar is a type of pickling made in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. It is made from different vegetables such as yardlong beans, carrots and cabbage which are pickled in vinegar and dried chillies. The vegetables are then tossed in ground peanuts....

said: “Super Skidmarks is where it’s at in fun to play, thoroughly unrealistic race games. Brilliant fun.” The game was a best-seller in the UK.