Summary
Speed Race (1974): The Birth of Scrolling Racing Games
Released in 1974, Speed Race was a groundbreaking arcade racing game that introduced several innovations to the genre, including scrolling graphics and a realistic racing wheel controller. Developed by Nishikado, the same company that created Pong, Speed Race was a commercial success and spawned a series of sequels and imitators.
Gameplay
Speed Race is a top-down racing game where players control a car that races against other rival cars on a vertical scrolling track. The course width becomes wider or narrower as the player’s car moves up the road, adding an element of challenge and variety to the gameplay. The faster the player’s car drives, the more the score increases.
The game features two difficulty levels: “Beginner’s race” and “Advanced player’s race”. In Beginner’s race, the rival cars are slower and there are fewer of them on the track. In Advanced player’s race, the rival cars are faster and there are more of them on the track, making it more difficult to avoid collisions and stay ahead.
Speed Race can be played in either single-player or alternating two-player mode. In single-player mode, the player races against the computer. In two-player mode, each player takes turns trying to beat the other player’s score.
Controls
Speed Race was one of the first arcade games to feature a realistic racing wheel controller. The controller included an accelerator, gear shift, speedometer, and tachometer. The accelerator pedal controls the speed of the car, the gear shift changes gears, and the speedometer and tachometer display the car’s speed and engine RPM.
The racing wheel controller gave players a more immersive and realistic driving experience than the simple paddle controllers that were used in most other arcade games at the time.
Graphics and Sound
Speed Race’s graphics are simple but effective. The track is represented by a series of white lines on a black background, and the cars are represented by small rectangles. The game’s scrolling graphics create a sense of speed and movement, and the black-and-white color scheme gives the game a classic arcade aesthetic.
The game’s sound effects are also simple but effective. The sound of the car’s engine revving up, the screech of tires, and the crash of metal when the car collides with another car all add to the game’s atmosphere.
Legacy
Speed Race was a commercial success and spawned a series of sequels and imitators. The game’s scrolling graphics and realistic racing wheel controller were both major innovations that helped to define the racing game genre.
Speed Race is considered to be one of the most important arcade games of all time. It was one of the first games to use scrolling graphics, and it helped to popularize the racing game genre. The game’s influence can still be seen in modern racing games, which often feature scrolling graphics and realistic racing wheel controllers.
Conclusion
Speed Race is a classic arcade game that introduced several innovations to the racing game genre. Its scrolling graphics and realistic racing wheel controller gave players a more immersive and realistic driving experience than any other game at the time. Speed Race was a commercial success and spawned a series of sequels and imitators, and it is still considered to be one of the most important arcade games of all time.
Review Score
8.5/10
