Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Neighbours places you squarely behind Scott Robinson’s skateboard wheels, or alternately in the go-kart or lawnmower of various Ramsay Street residents. The core mechanic revolves around guiding your chosen vehicle through forced-perspective courses by threading gates, avoiding hazards, and managing speed versus control. Each race pitches you against between one and four fellow characters, from Charlene Ramsay’s go-kart to Matt Robinson’s motorcycle, ensuring a varied lineup of driving styles.

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The game unfolds across eight courses, each faithfully recreating points of interest from the soap’s fictional town of Erinsborough. Whether you’re weaving around bollards on Lassiter’s Complex or dodging kangaroos near Anson’s Corner, the pacing remains brisk. You’ll select from three distinct “boards” – each a trade-off between top speed and manoeuvrability – which introduces an element of strategy. Choosing the high-speed board may let you blast ahead on straights but makes hairpin turns treacherous, whereas the more nimble board keeps you glued to the racing line.

What sets Neighbours apart is its hazard system. From Bouncer the dog charging across the track to grotty old Mrs. Mangel stepping out in front of you, contact with obstacles not only costs precious seconds but also chips away at your in-game popularity meter. The fading Neighbours logo along the screen’s bottom is an inventive visual cue—running over scattered litter restores your popularity, encouraging risky detours to extend your stay at the front of the pack. This light resource management layer complements the core racing action, adding tension to every lap.

Replay value comes from mastering each character’s handling quirks and experimenting with the three boards on all courses. Once you learn optimal racing lines, hazards become less intimidating, and shaving off split seconds feels gratifying. While the overall design is simple by modern standards, the blend of character-driven racing and hazard navigation keeps each of the eight events fresh.

Graphics

For an 8-bit era title, Neighbours delivers charming, if modest, visuals that capture the essence of Ramsay Street and its landmarks. The forced-perspective tracks convey depth by scaling sprites as they approach, lending a pseudo-3D feel to the races. While colors are limited, each course boasts a distinctive palette—lush greens at Erinsborough High School, sandy tones at Anson’s Corner—that helps differentiate environments.

Character sprites are recognisable, if pixelated: Scott’s skateboard, Charlene’s go-kart silhouette, and Henry’s lawnmower form are distinct enough to be identified at a glance. Animation frames for skidding around turns or bouncing off hazards are simple but effective, communicating momentum and impact. On platforms like the Spectrum, flicker can occur when multiple sprites converge, but it rarely hampers visibility.

Background details—like the Lassiter’s bar windows or school hallways—are minimalistic but evocative. The game occasionally drops in crowd sprites cheering you on or animals darting across the track, reinforcing the Australian setting. While you wouldn’t mistake Neighbours for a cutting-edge racer even in its day, its visual style complements the soap-opera franchise without feeling tacked-on.

Performance is solid across different hardware, with consistent frame rates and snappy control response. The trade-off between speed and turning is reflected visually as boards with higher top speeds appear sleeker but wobble more in tight corners, reinforcing the gameplay mechanic through graphics. Overall, the aesthetic choices enhance the game’s lighthearted tone.

Story

Unlike narrative-driven titles, Neighbours leans into its soap-opera roots by featuring well-known Ramsay Street residents rather than weaving a new plot. Your goal is simply to out-race your neighbours across iconic local landmarks—a premise that slots seamlessly into the show’s everyday drama. While there’s no overarching storyline or character progression, the setup taps into fans’ existing familiarity with the cast.

The absence of cutscenes or dialogue between races may disappoint those seeking a deeper narrative, but it keeps the focus squarely on the racing. Brief splash screens introduce each character and their chosen vehicle, reminding players of the inter-character rivalries and camaraderie that defined the TV series. In this sense, the game succeeds more as fan service than as a storytelling vehicle.

For fans of the show, spotting familiar settings and encountering characters like Mike Young adds a layer of charm. There’s a playful nod to everyday soap moments—dodging Mrs. Mangel’s lawnmower or startling an emu—that ties the racing to the drama’s quirky humour. It doesn’t reinvent video game narratives, but it provides a fun, lighthearted context for each race.

Ultimately, the story is as minimal or as rich as you want it to be. If you’re seeking a deep plot, Neighbours may feel thin; but if you’re drawn by the novelty of racing through your favourite show’s world, the premise provides enough framework to keep you invested.

Overall Experience

Neighbours offers a unique twist on the kart-racing formula by transplanting the action into a soap-opera setting. Its straightforward controls and hazard-laden courses make for accessible yet engaging gameplay. While it won’t compete with more advanced racers in terms of depth, it shines as a fun, nostalgia-infused diversion for fans of the series or 8-bit racing enthusiasts.

The balance between speed and manoeuvrability, coupled with light resource management via the popularity meter, gives the gameplay an extra layer of strategy. Players who appreciate mastering the nuances of each board and each course will find plenty of replay value. Meanwhile, casual gamers can simply pick a character, roll the dice on hazards, and enjoy short, satisfying races.

Graphically, Neighbours leans into its limitations with charm, and its faithful representation of Ramsay Street locations will resonate with show devotees. The lack of a deeper campaign or storyline may deter those seeking narrative depth, but the game’s focus on pick-up-and-play fun ensures it remains approachable to newcomers.

In conclusion, if you’re in the market for a light, character-driven racing title with a strong dose of soap-operatic flair, Neighbours is worth a spin. It may not redefine the genre, but its quirky hazards, familiar faces, and nostalgic settings combine for an entertaining ride through the heart of Erinsborough.

Retro Replay Score

5.8/10