Auto Racing (video game)
Encyclopedia
Auto Racing is a video game released by Mattel
for its Intellivision
video game system in 1979. Auto Racing pits two players against each other (or a single player against the clock) using a top-down perspective on one of five different race courses.
racing vehicles, each with a different set of capabilities. Players cannot select the same cars, however two of the cars are identical in specifications, allowing for two-player matches for drivers of equal skills. The cars will accelerate to their top speeds automatically, with the player in control of steering and braking.
The courses are shown from a top-down perspective, and there are no computer-controlled cars on the track. Each course has a number of invisible checkpoints. During the race, if a player crashes into an obstacle along the course, or if one player's lead over their opponent pushes the opponent off the screen, the cars will be reset at the last checkpoint passed. In a single-player game, the player must complete five laps of the course as quickly as possible. In a two-player game, players score two points whenever their opponent crashes, or one point when they take a significant lead over their opponent; the game ends when one player scores 50 points.
Game Room
service for its Xbox 360
console and for Games for Windows Live.
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
for its Intellivision
Intellivision
The Intellivision is a video game console released by Mattel in 1979. Development of the console began in 1978, less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. The word intellivision is a portmanteau of "intelligent television"...
video game system in 1979. Auto Racing pits two players against each other (or a single player against the clock) using a top-down perspective on one of five different race courses.
Gameplay
In Auto Racing, players begin by selecting one of the five numbered courses, with the higher numbers representing increased difficulty. Players can also allow the computer to randomly choose from the first four courses. Next, players select from one of five Formula OneFormula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing vehicles, each with a different set of capabilities. Players cannot select the same cars, however two of the cars are identical in specifications, allowing for two-player matches for drivers of equal skills. The cars will accelerate to their top speeds automatically, with the player in control of steering and braking.
The courses are shown from a top-down perspective, and there are no computer-controlled cars on the track. Each course has a number of invisible checkpoints. During the race, if a player crashes into an obstacle along the course, or if one player's lead over their opponent pushes the opponent off the screen, the cars will be reset at the last checkpoint passed. In a single-player game, the player must complete five laps of the course as quickly as possible. In a two-player game, players score two points whenever their opponent crashes, or one point when they take a significant lead over their opponent; the game ends when one player scores 50 points.
Production changes
In its initial release, Auto Racing used a "realistic" steering mechanic, whereby players pushed the left and right sides of the controller in order to turn the car to the left or to the right. Due to the top-down nature of the game, there were points where this convention would confuse players. After receiving a number of complaints, Mattel revised the game after release to an "intuitive" mechanic, where players pushed the controller in the direction they wanted the car to go; for example, the player would push the controller to the right if they wanted the car to turn towards the right side of the screen when, from the car's perspective, it would be making a left turn. However, no reference was made on the game's packaging to indicate which steering mechanic that particular cartridge used.Ports
Auto Racing was released under the same name by Sears for its private-label version of the Intellivision console, the "Super Video Arcade." The game was also released as part of the Intellivision Lives! collection for personal computers. In July 2010, Auto Racing was made available on Microsoft'sMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Game Room
Game Room
Game Room is a gaming service for the Xbox 360 video game system, Microsoft Windows PCs, and Windows Phone 7. Launched on March 24, 2010, Game Room lets players download classic video games and compete against each other for high scores...
service for its Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
console and for Games for Windows Live.
External links
- Auto Racing at GameFAQs