Gallop Racer 2006 review

Tecmo's latest niche-racer makes for one very confusing day at the races

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Extensively detailed simulation

  • +

    Tons of horses to choose and breed

  • +

    The music's pretty good

Cons

  • -

    Obtuse menus

  • -

    unexplained stats

  • -

    This game is in dire need of tutorials

  • -

    Only for the hardest of the hardcore

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

The basics of racing a car are simple enough: hit the gas and go. But racing horses? Far more complex than any machine. Handling a horse demands skill, finesse and even intimate knowledge of its personality quirks. This and many other previously unconsidered realties become apparent upon sampling Gallop Racer 2006, the latest in Tecmo's long-running series of horse-racing simulations. Gallop Racer's attention to detail is meticulous, so much so that it becomes difficult for an outsider to crack its shell and find the enjoyment that (you'd hope) lies inside.

The confusion begins when trying to figure out the basics of its main "career" mode, Theme Park. Choosing a horse and a series of races to run involves wading through multiple confusing screens filled with mysterious, unexplained statistical readouts that are only partially deciphered in the game's 50-page instruction manual. It's an overwhelming start, and you'll probably want to stop there. (Breeding new horses, at least, is fairly straightforward, and eliminates the enforced waiting periods from previous installments.)

Once you actually stumble into a race, the second big learning curve begins. As a jockey, you don't so much control your horse as keep it comfortable, in good spirits and in the general position you want it to maintain. Do this consistently and you might just win. Different horses have vastly different preferences; some may like to hang in the back of the pack until a final sprint, while others need to be up front the entire race. The only way to influence your ride is by pulling the reins to suggest a speed burst or by smacking it with your whip to supply a little extra motivation. Unfortunately, there's no tutorial to help get you up to speed on these unusual gameplay mechanics. Be prepared to spend a lot of your time early on staring at competing equine's asses, wondering why your mount can't or won'tmove his own more quickly.

There isn't much to discover beyond the Theme Park mode; a "free" mode lets you run single, random races while "simulation" mode lets you create custom horses, cups and so on. Clearly, these are secondary attractions, much like the rough, 2001-era graphics. On the other hand, the eclectic, easy-going soundtrack is actually pretty enjoyable, unless you only likedeath metal.

More info

GenreStrategy
DescriptionGallop Racer 2006 is overwhelmingly confusing and surprisingly difficult: it's a nasty combo. If you're looking for a horse raising and racing sim, though, have at it.
Platform"PS2"
US censor rating"Everyone"
UK censor rating""
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
More
CATEGORIES
Latest in Strategy
Kingmakers
Kingmakers is a strategy game about taking on medieval armies with a gun, but its devs thought the giant mech was too much
Dwarf Fortress
Dwarf Fortress devs "apologize for destroying your food-based economies" after nerfing meal prices: "Didn't realize so many of you were living that way"
Screenshots of Civilization 7 for review
"Everybody's in competition with Civ": Lead Civilization 5 composer has been in the "volatile" gaming industry for over 20 years and thinks new IP is only getting harder to make
How to heal units in Civilization 7
How to heal units in Civ 7
Civilization 7 diplomacy
How Civ 7 diplomacy works using Influence
How to trade in Civilization 7
How to trade in Civ 7 and set up trade routes
Latest in Reviews
Talisman 5th Edition game components
Talisman 5th Edition review: "The characterful imperfections of the original game remain clear to see "
WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 review: "A colossal package even if you never go anywhere near Virtual Currency"
Altered: Trial by Frost booster box and packs on a playmat
Altered: Trial by Frost review - "Satisfying enough to offer highly varied gameplay"
Boro and Alta sit on a bench together in Wanderstop
Wanderstop review: "Exalting the transformative power of tea"
The pump header of the NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB showing a 35 degree cpu
NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB review: "Has some solid design points that make installation a lot easier"
Logitech G Pro X TKL Rapid gaming keyboard on a wooden desk with blue lighting
Logitech G Pro X TKL Rapid review: "one of the best value Hall effect gaming keyboards out there"