The 3D graphics are nothing to write home about, but they do add an enjoyable twist to the game. The real treasure of this game, however, is the way damage is expressed. If you stray off the road, cracks appear in the windshield. Do it again, and more cracks appear. If the windshield breaks, you lose. I found the level of realism an innovative way to keep track of damage, far more interesting than a simple health bar.

I had only two gripes with “Rally Champion 9.7” - its size and its speed. I runs at 1.5-2 frames per second, since it needs to update the track, draw it, and render the dashboard. However, I felt this was not unreasonable given the level of detail. Even the steering wheel turns when you steer! My second problem was with the size. Weighing in at around 11K, the bulk of the size comes from the numerous picture variables necessary to achieve the graphics at the speed this game runs. Filling up nearly half the average calculator's memory, it's large, but well worth it.