Kentucky Derby Championship Racing (Mobile)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Avery Score
• Reviewed on: 05/11/2005
• Originally published on GameSpot: Kentucky Derby Championship Racing (Mobile) Review

The horse-racing simulation market is fairly small in the US. Add to that a "mobile" designation, and you're catering to a miniscule demographic. Nonetheless, Kentucky Derby Championship Racing does an admirable job of simulating the nuances of horse jockeying. You'll have to contend with four persnickety horses, each with its own racing preferences. These up-and-comers belong to mysterious racing mogul Mr. Jones, who invites you to Arlington each month to run his steeds around the track. Unfortunately, Kentucky Derby doesn't let you try your hand at horse maintenance or breeding. It is, however, a good representation of the actual racing and the decision-making therein.

Races vary in length and therefore necessitate different strategies for budgeting stamina. Some horses preserve stamina better by staying in the middle of the pack for most of the race and then rushing forward in the last furlong or so. Other mounts prefer to maintain a leading position throughout, and they actually seem to get a stamina boost by doing so. Using the navigation pad, you can control your horse's position on the track, pull on or smack him with the reins, and administer blows with your riding crop. This gameplay system is realistic and satisfying.

On each race day, you're expected to accrue a certain number of derby points, which are awarded based on the race results. If you fail to meet the quota, you'll make Mr. Jones unhappy. It's never a good idea to disappoint Mr. Jones, because he holds the purse strings and is your only ticket to the Kentucky Derby. If you take heed of the race notes, which are supplied before each run, you shouldn't have any trouble performing up to par. You can track your performance and total earnings in the game's stat section. It's quite a long road to the Kentucky Derby, so you'll get a decent amount of play time from this title.

Kentucky Derby is visually passable on the Sanyo PM-8200, although it's difficult to identify your horse within the pack. Fortunately, a position meter shows you exactly where to look. Strangely enough, it sometimes looks like your horse is moving backward, which may be the result of a graphical glitch.

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