Pitstop

• Illustration — Printed advertisement for the game. The Commodore 64 Home Companion noted that the game's pit stop feature "slows the action down, but it adds an element of strategy (Can I make it around again without blowing out that right-front tire?) to what would otherwise be just another eye-hand coordination game." Roy Wagner of Computer Gaming World felt that Pole Position was a superior racing game, and wrote that Pitstop "is the pits because that is where the race is won or lost." Computer Fun gave the game 2.5 out of 4 and wrote that "fantasy is a fragile thing and the reality of Pitstop is something less than harrowing, as the driver finds when he braces himself for an outrageous switchback only to find it as tame as a suburban boulevard. Disappointingly, the six 'unforgiving' tracks merely blend into a pureed sameness. Graphically, the cars are done in fine style but the trackside scenery consists of green flatlands and an occasional bush or sign. […] As for gameplay, Pitstop is at its best in the more difficult settings where things are a little more hectic and the side-to-side motion of the cars add challenge." Ted Salamone of Electronic Games reviewed the Commodore 64 version and wrote, "The engine rev sounds are realistic, the pit screen unforgettable, and the action absolutely hair-raising." Stephen Reed of Hi-Res wrote that Pitstop "does not have the extended playability or good graphics" of Pole Position. Reed called the game's pit stop concept a "unique feature", but wrote, "While this is an interesting aspect to the program, its attractiveness is short lived because the pits soon become an obstacle to racing." Shay Addams of Compute! praised the game's "exciting competition and action" and its pit stop feature, writing that the game "requires strategy and split-second decision-making that are missing in other racing games." Addams wrote that Pitstop was more enjoyable when playing with others, and noted that the game's graphics were not as detailed as Pole Position, but concluded, "Since veteran race car drivers agree that many professional races are won in the pits, not on the track, Pitstop has to be one of the most realistic and playable racing simulations available."