I know I wrote a thread on this in the last year or so, but can't find it. Anyways, I admit this is sort of a rant, and am willing to entertain information to the contrary of my experience with this game:
Pole Position II
They really screwed the pooch. I mean, great graphics, cool counds, seemingly a killer update to the original, right? NA-H.
First off, they made the shift-stroke of the engine way too long. AND, it's affected way too much by cornering....or just anything that slows you down. It'd be one thing if the car had at least three gears - or even four - but with two??
Second, the puddles/slicks. It's like you hit molasses or something. If anything, you'd hydro-plane right over 'em, if they were any deep. Elsewise, they'd be nothing unless you hit one in a turn.
Next. Oh, cornering. Some of those corners are almost impossible to keep speed through. I not only downshift, but I let off the damn gas, and still sometimes I run over the line. I tried arguing with myself that perhaps it's just really tricky and requires a certain skill in shifting, pedaling, and turning. I wasn't buying it.
They did add some new tracks, and they're so difficult the above features aren't that obvious, at least at first. But the Fuji track they just ---fouled up beyond all recognition--- over because of them. The test track...mmmmm....it's easy enough that it mostly balances out. Well, except for the slicks. Those just demand a serious jackslap to the side of the programmers' noggins.