Circus Maximus

Reviewed by:
Alex Porter

Thousands of years before NASCAR was a gleam in some grease monkey’s eye, the unwashed masses thirsted for blood on this Roman racetrack. And as the first example of old-school horsepower being harnessed for a chariot-racing game, Circus Maximus was worth the two-millennium wait. Besides having a great name (OK, we’re biased), CM earns laurels for putting players in simultaneous control of a driver and a passenger who can use a whip or a sword to turn opponents into Caesar salad. And when two players share a chariot in raucous multiplayer matches, you’ll hardly notice the average graphics. Regardless, this innovative title still gets a thumbs-up—especially if it makes redundant auto racing sequels ancient history.