Grand National (computer game)
Encyclopedia
Grand National is a British
computer game that was published in 1985 for the ZX Spectrum
based on the horse race
of the same name. Similar in parts to games like Hyper Sports
and Daley Thompson's Decathlon
, the game had a novel twist of being able to bet on the outcome of a race also.
winning the race and also having a little bet
on the side.
Gameplay at times was tedious and tiring as players were also required to compete in the race by hammering keys alternatley and making the horse jump fences at regular intervals.
A summary of the player's position and leading horse number was also on screen, lap number and where the player was on the course.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
computer game that was published in 1985 for the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
based on the horse race
Grand National
The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...
of the same name. Similar in parts to games like Hyper Sports
Hyper Sports
Hyper Sports is a video game published in 1984. It is the sequel to Konami's Track & Field and features seven all-new Olympic events. Like its predecessor, Hyper Sports featured two run buttons and one action button per player....
and Daley Thompson's Decathlon
Daley Thompson's Decathlon
Daley Thompson's Decathlon is a computer game based on Konami's Track and Field, developed and released under license by Ocean Software in 1984...
, the game had a novel twist of being able to bet on the outcome of a race also.
Plot
The idea of the game is to race your chosen horse around the course of AintreeAintree Racecourse
Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England.It was served by Aintree Racecourse railway station until the station closed in the 1960s....
winning the race and also having a little bet
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
on the side.
Gameplay
Graphics
The games animation and graphics were excellent and featured a split screen. At the top of the screen was a side on view of the horse in any impending jumps. The bottom half of the screen showed an aerial view of the race and the course, how many horses retired, fell or still racing.A summary of the player's position and leading horse number was also on screen, lap number and where the player was on the course.