1991 Mindscape
Platform: Amstrad CPC
Days of Thunder was based on the film starring Tom Cruise based around NASCAR racing in the USA. Mindscape got the rights to make a tie-in game and it was released on all the major platforms in the UK but not on the Amstrad.
Judging by the poor reception it got, it may not have seemed a bad thing. But in late 1991, early 1992, Elite Systems released their compilation Movie Premiere which featured Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, Gremlins 2, Back to the Future 2 and Days of Thunder.
Adverts for the compilation never mentioned any substitution for Days of Thunder on the CPC so it was assumed it was just completed but unreleased. It was reviewed in issue 79 of Amstrad Action where reviewer Adam Peters says “Days of Thunder is a dull racing game based on a dull film with Tom Cruise in it. It’s an American NASCAR thingy and it’s pretty slow.”
Due to the compilation review being a small part of a page with three other reviews, the only screen shot was for Turtles. However, I obtained the compilation myself and there is a large label covering the Days of Thunder box art saying that for this compilation, Days of Thunder was replaced by Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
So that raises the question – what DID Amstrad Action review? Did Adam Peters really PLAY Days of Thunder or did he just say something as a cover up? He did have to review 5 compilations for the article totally 20 games.
With thanks to Patrick Furlong for contributing this article.
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