While it seems primitive now, Test Drive does a decent job of simulating behind the wheel driving with shifting, all with a one button joystick. The in-car dashes of the various sports cars all vary, as do the engine sounds. The graphics are crisp and make good use of the Amiga palette.
I never had much luck outrunning the cops. Staying within the speed limit when the radar detector was "at full" seemed the way to go. Once you get the hang of driving it's pretty hard not to win—even if the game insults you during your pit stops at various Mom 'n Pop gas stations in between stages—so you'll be playing for score. Also, get used to the road, the mountain and the cliff, because that's pretty much all there is to see.
If you are an Amiga fan—or a fan of early pseudo 3D games in general—you'll probably enjoy wasting an afternoon with Test Drive like I did. Otherwise, your mileage may vary.
2011 ben langberg, all rights reserved.