Play Turbo Racing Online

Summary

Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing, known overseas simply as Turbo Racing, strips away the CART‑specific branding that made the North American version feel like a personal coaching session with the real driver. The change reflects how little the American open‑wheel star was known outside the U.S., but the core game remains identical.
The NES title lets you steer with the D‑pad, accelerate with A and brake with B while a row of gauges at the bottom tracks speed, turbo charge and fuel. Turbo boosts give a burst of speed but must be refilled before they fry the engine, and any collision with signposts or rival cars can damage tires or the motor, forcing a pit stop that pauses the race. Curves appear abruptly—a limitation of the console’s graphics—but the single‑lap qualifying keeps the tension high.
In World Championship Season you can either don the blue‑and‑white Valvoline Lola‑Chevrolet as Al Unser Jr. or create a custom driver and team for a full 16‑race schedule. Points follow a 9‑6‑4‑3‑2‑1 system, and you earn extra set‑up points by tweaking your car. Unser’s in‑game advice is optional, practice is unlimited, and you can even pick the background music. Accidents that damage the engine or tires are repaired in the pits, which temporarily halts the action.
Two time‑trial modes round out the experience: Mode A pits you against computer opponents, while Mode B is a solo run. Both let you choose any of the sixteen Formula One‑style circuits—Brazil, Spain, Hungary, Austria, West Germany, Monaco, Mexico, Canada, France, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (Long Beach)—and set the lap count from one to nine, with up to four players recording their best times. Each track is roughly 3.3 miles long, and the quickest lap clocks in at 52.6 seconds.
Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game a mixed reception, with scores ranging from 4/10 to 7/10, noting its solid racing mechanics but also its steep learning curve and graphical quirks.