On a console dominated by the likes of Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing, "normal" racing games were almost an oddity. Why would any kid want to race cars without being able to throw items at their friends or speed over boost pads. My dad, however, was a big fan of "realistic" games. It was thanks to him that we ended up with Automobili Lamborghini. I didn't appreciate it much at the time, but man has this game grown on me since.
To be fair, it's not the most densely-packed game out there. With only 6 tracks and a handful of cars, first impressions weren't exactly glowing. What it lacks in content though, it makes up for with robust gameplay and design.
Each of the 6 track has a wonderful layout. There are simple, circular tracks with a few curves, but also some complicated ones with hills, tunnels, and alternate paths aplenty. The environments around them are also very nice. You got atmospheric cityscapes, rural countrysides, all rendered with remarkable detail. Buildings and foliage dot the landscapes, interspersed with uneven terrain and even mountains. Automobili Lamborghini is certainly a looker for the humble N64.
Gameplay does not lag behind either. You control your car with the analog stick, accelerate with A, and brake with B. Easy peasy stuff. The physics and responsiveness in turns takes some getting used to, but I soon found myself speeding along in total immersion.
Despite being "realistic" though, you needn't worry about crashing. Ramming into scenery or each other, even full-on hitting a wall, none of it will damage your car. Or you, for that matter. Little collisions just slow you down a touch and a total crash will only bring you to a full stop. If you get particularly stuck, the game will turn you back forward automatically.
There is a realistic element in the form of pit stops though. While you don't take actual damage, your tires wear down as you race and that causes you to lose grip. With fresh tires you can safely drive even on the grass. Try that with worn tires and your liable to spin out. You may also run out fuel entirely and come to a dead stop. You can drive into a pit though and play a quick mini-game to fix your car back up. It takes a few seconds, but at least you won't be parking your car into a mountainside anytime soon after.
There is a nice sense of speed to the driving. It feels reckless and exciting, but you retain enough control that it doesn't get overwhelming. I also really, really like that they give you color-coded warnings for upcoming turns. I get so focused on the driving that I can't pry away my eyes to scan the mini-map. So when a turn comes up and I see a green arrow, I know that I can probably take it well enough. A red or yellow arrow though, that might take some creative braking and turning.
Automobili Lamborghini also deserves praise for its AI. The other racers are tough opponents to beat, without them needing to rely on cheats. You'll notice that they accelerate faster than you at the start, but this equals out over time. There is no rubberbanding and they drive really well, while still making little mistakes from time to time. You can sometimes see them take a turn too quickly and hit a wall, or spin out on a tight turn. Mistakes you can capitalize on, but which don't feel faked. And the next time you jump into a pit or mess up, you can bet your ass they'll be catching back up.
Automobili Lamborghini has a few modes available to play through. You can take on singular races or go for a full championship, where the points of each race are added together at the end. There is also an arcade mode that plays like an old racing cabinet. You still race against other cars, but now also need to make it to checkpoints within a limited time to keep going. There are also settings to tweak like a difficulty level for the rival drivers or whether you want pit stops or not.
Despite these options and the solid design though, there's no denying that Automobili Lamborghini has a limited appeal. Racing through the same 6 tracks doesn't stay appealing for long even in different configurations. At the time it was a nice game to rent for that reason. You do a championship or some multiplayer over the weekend, then return it to the shop. Maybe to pick it up again a few weeks later when the urge strikes again. Rental stores may be long gone, but it's still a fun game to pick up from time to time. Since it's relatively cheap these days, it's well worth owning if you're an N64 collector.
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