GP Rider

GP Rider is a 1990 Master System motorcycle racing game that puts the player in the role of a road racer trying to fight their way through a series of grand prix races across several tracks of gradually increasing difficulty and demands on reflexes. Compared to the older Enduro Racer, GP Rider places much greater emphasis on a purely speed-based duel on circuits inspired by real motorcycle tracks, without the emphasis on terrain obstacles and natural elements that previously characterized the same studio's earlier title and its arcade original.

The game uses a behind-the-rider view and the pseudo-3D road technique that Sega used at the time across several of its arcade and console racing games with a similar focus on speed and fluidity. The player has to manage entering corners at the right speed, smart overtaking of rivals in tight spots on the track, and keeping the bike on the road even at high speeds, where a crash threatens along with the loss of precious seconds needed to move up the rider standings. Gradually unlocking further races and tracks motivates the player to progress through the series toward the final, considerably tougher circuits with more demanding, faster rivals on the track and a better machine.

GP Rider is among the lesser-known but technically solid titles of the Master System's late support period, when Sega's attention and much of the market was already shifting toward the newer 16-bit Mega Drive and its more ambitious, graphically advanced titles. Still, the game found its place among motorsport fans thanks to its brisk pace and a well-handled illusion of speed that 8-bit hardware of the time could barely present more convincingly, and it's still valued today as one of the last quality racing titles on this console and its European market, where the Master System held a strong position for a long time.

Why play it: For motorsport fans who'll appreciate the brisk pace and convincing illusion of speed even in the late stage of Master System support, when Sega's attention was already shifting toward the Mega Drive.