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Lotus (computer games)
Encyclopedia
The Lotus series consists of three racing computer games
based around the Lotus
brand, released between 1990
and 1992
on various formats.. Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge, Lotus Turbo Challenge 2, and Lotus III: The Ultimate Challenge were developed by Magnetic Fields
and published by Gremlin Graphics
, gaining favourable reviews upon release.
version being the most technically advanced. The game allowed the player to race a Lotus Esprit Turbo SE car through several (32 in the Amiga version) circuit race tracks
of varying scenery. Two player simultaneous play (with split screen) was also provided, and a choice of audio tracks to accompany races.
Each track is lap-based and consists of turns of varying degrees, as well as hills and hollows which slow down or speed up the car passing through them. Each turn is indicated by a chain of road-side signs, and the difficulty of the turn is reflected by the number and density of these signs - a feature common to all titles in the Lotus series.
While racing, the players must manage their fuel supply, occasionally visiting the pit stop
for refuelling. Also apart from overtaking the other cars, the racers must avoid various hazards and obstacles. These are dependent on the scenery the track is located in, and include slippery road on the winter courses, road blocks, slippery puddles and wooden logs.
The tracks are split into three race series, with different difficulty levels. In each race the player or players compete against 20 opponents. The goal is to finish each race on the highest possible position; if the player finishes a race within the first 10 places they qualify for the next race and receive points towards a final position on the high-score table. The names of the computer-controlled drivers are puns on the names of real-life racers of the time ("Ayrton Sendup
", "Nijel Mainsail
" and "Alain Phosphate
" for example).
Unusually, the player's starting position in each race is the exact opposite of the position reached at the end of the previous one. This gives weaker players a chance to improve by starting in a higher position.
When racing in the one-player mode, the bottom half of the screen is unused and features a static image of the Esprit Turbo. In the two-player mode one half is used by each player. The two-player feature operates similarly to the one-player mode, except that only one player needs to reach 10th place to qualify both players for the next race.
Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge was well received by the gaming press, which praised its feeling of speed, technical quality and two-player gameplay. The game in all its versions was rated around 80-90%. It was the only title in the series that was released for an 8-bit platform - the later ones were 16-bit only.
), with the player required to complete each course within a specified time to qualify for the next one.
In addition to the Esprit Turbo SE, Lotus Turbo Challenge 2 also featured the Lotus Elan SE, hence 'Esprit' being dropped from the title. There was no choice of car however; it varied depending on the scenery of the level (the hard-top Esprit was used for the snow and thunderstorm levels, for example, while the Elan SE appeared in the desert and forest levels).
In an improvement over its predecessor, Lotus 2's single-player mode used all of the game screen instead of half, and opponent cars appeared in a variety of colors (opponent cars in the original game were all white). However, music was absent from racing altogether; the player instead hears the car's engine sound.
Lotus 2 was developed for the Amiga
and then converted for the other platforms. It was considered as a technically most impressing game in its own genre. The Mega Drive port lacked the smoothly running graphics of the original version.
Barry Leitch
's intro music for Lotus 2 is often found on playlists of retro computer music webradio stations
; it contains a sampled voice at around the 12-second mark (played through the left channel only) which says "you will not copy this game" . The sample is played very quietly during the first few bars, and can be easily accessed in any MOD tracker program. The hi-hat and voice sample at the very beginning of the main theme is taken from Yello's
Oh Yeah, a song that became famous as the theme for another sports car (a Ferrari 250 GT California) in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off
.
Lotus 2 used a password system to access different races (once the player qualified for a particular race, the password was revealed); the password DUX accessed a hidden game, and the password TURPENTINE removed the race time limits. The Mega Drive version also contained a hidden Centipede
-like game called Pod, which can be accessed by entering the player's name as POD PLEASE.
There is a touch of humour on level six (the motorway level) of the Amiga version: if the player manages to successfully drive under the trailer of one of the lorries that cross the road, the in-game announcer shouts "Yeehaa!" This sound was used as a taunt on the Mega Drive port.
's soundtrack to Lotus III spawned many modern remixes). Lotus III also added a third car - a concept
Lotus M200 automobile - and allowed the player to choose which one to race with. The game recycled most of the graphics from Lotus 2, but added a number of new sceneries.
The Mega Drive version bears the name Lotus II: RECS (referring to the game's new course creation feature), while the DOS
port released in 1993
was simply called Lotus: The Ultimate Challenge due to being the only Lotus game on that platform. The DOS version features the Lotus Esprit S4 instead of the Esprit Turbo SE. Apart from the slightly different car's graphics, the difference in gameplay is minimal, if any. The DOS version was released again in 1996
, this time on a CD-ROM.
The RECS system allowed players to quickly create a unique track without having to use a course editor; however, it sacrificed the facility of precisely positioning turns or obstacles. The RECS system was later reused in another Magnetic Fields' game, International Rally Championship
.
Lotus III was not as well-received as Lotus 2, due to its slower running speed (although this time the Mega Drive port was faster) and relative lack of innovation. Many found the lap-based races against the clock to be comparatively boring.who?
, the three games were released for Amiga CD32
in one package, as The Classic Lotus Trilogy.
Racing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
based around the Lotus
Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics...
brand, released between 1990
1990 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Bonk's Adventure is released for NEC's TurboGrafx-16 and is the first US appearance of Bonk, the mascot of the TurboGrafx-16.*February 12 — Nintendo releases the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3 in North America...
and 1992
1992 in video gaming
-Events:-Notable releases:* Gremlin Graphics releases Zool, Amiga's answer to Mario and Sonic. It goes on to become the best selling Commodore Amiga game, boosting the already popular computer to be the leading gaming machine in Europe....
on various formats.. Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge, Lotus Turbo Challenge 2, and Lotus III: The Ultimate Challenge were developed by Magnetic Fields
Magnetic Fields (computer game developer)
Magnetic Fields was a British game development company founded by Shaun Southern and Andrew Morris in February 1982. The company was originally named "Mr Chip Software" but renamed "Magnetic Fields Ltd." usually simply referred to as "Magnetic Fields", in 1988...
and published by Gremlin Graphics
Gremlin Interactive
Gremlin Interactive was a British software house based in Sheffield and working mostly in the home computer market.- History :...
, gaining favourable reviews upon release.
Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge
The first game in the series was released in 1990 for most popular contemporary 8-bit and 16-bit computer systems, the AmigaAmiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
version being the most technically advanced. The game allowed the player to race a Lotus Esprit Turbo SE car through several (32 in the Amiga version) circuit race tracks
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
of varying scenery. Two player simultaneous play (with split screen) was also provided, and a choice of audio tracks to accompany races.
Each track is lap-based and consists of turns of varying degrees, as well as hills and hollows which slow down or speed up the car passing through them. Each turn is indicated by a chain of road-side signs, and the difficulty of the turn is reflected by the number and density of these signs - a feature common to all titles in the Lotus series.
While racing, the players must manage their fuel supply, occasionally visiting the pit stop
Pit stop
In motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tires, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, or any combination of the above...
for refuelling. Also apart from overtaking the other cars, the racers must avoid various hazards and obstacles. These are dependent on the scenery the track is located in, and include slippery road on the winter courses, road blocks, slippery puddles and wooden logs.
The tracks are split into three race series, with different difficulty levels. In each race the player or players compete against 20 opponents. The goal is to finish each race on the highest possible position; if the player finishes a race within the first 10 places they qualify for the next race and receive points towards a final position on the high-score table. The names of the computer-controlled drivers are puns on the names of real-life racers of the time ("Ayrton Sendup
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time...
", "Nijel Mainsail
Nigel Mansell
Nigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series...
" and "Alain Phosphate
Alain Prost
Alain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE, Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur is a French racing driver. A four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion, Prost has won more titles than any driver except for Juan Manuel Fangio , and Michael Schumacher . From 1987 until 2001 Prost held the record for most Grand Prix...
" for example).
Unusually, the player's starting position in each race is the exact opposite of the position reached at the end of the previous one. This gives weaker players a chance to improve by starting in a higher position.
When racing in the one-player mode, the bottom half of the screen is unused and features a static image of the Esprit Turbo. In the two-player mode one half is used by each player. The two-player feature operates similarly to the one-player mode, except that only one player needs to reach 10th place to qualify both players for the next race.
Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge was well received by the gaming press, which praised its feeling of speed, technical quality and two-player gameplay. The game in all its versions was rated around 80-90%. It was the only title in the series that was released for an 8-bit platform - the later ones were 16-bit only.
Lotus Turbo Challenge 2
The second Lotus game shifted focus to arcade-oriented gameplay. Being the first of the series released for a game console (for Sega Mega Drive under the title Lotus Turbo Challenge), the fuel limit and difficulty levels were dropped, and the lap-based levels were replaced with course-based time trials, (not unlike arcade games such as Out RunOut Run
is an arcade game released by Sega in 1986. It was designed by Yu Suzuki and Sega-AM2. The game was a critical and commercial success. It is notable for its innovative hardware , pioneering graphics and music, a choice in both soundtrack and route, and its strong theme of luxury and relaxation...
), with the player required to complete each course within a specified time to qualify for the next one.
In addition to the Esprit Turbo SE, Lotus Turbo Challenge 2 also featured the Lotus Elan SE, hence 'Esprit' being dropped from the title. There was no choice of car however; it varied depending on the scenery of the level (the hard-top Esprit was used for the snow and thunderstorm levels, for example, while the Elan SE appeared in the desert and forest levels).
In an improvement over its predecessor, Lotus 2's single-player mode used all of the game screen instead of half, and opponent cars appeared in a variety of colors (opponent cars in the original game were all white). However, music was absent from racing altogether; the player instead hears the car's engine sound.
Lotus 2 was developed for the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
and then converted for the other platforms. It was considered as a technically most impressing game in its own genre. The Mega Drive port lacked the smoothly running graphics of the original version.
Barry Leitch
Barry Leitch
Barry Leitch is a video game music composer, responsible for the music in a large number of games spanning multiple consoles and personal computers. Most notable is his work from the Lotus Turbo Challenge, Top Gear, and Rush video game series....
's intro music for Lotus 2 is often found on playlists of retro computer music webradio stations
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
; it contains a sampled voice at around the 12-second mark (played through the left channel only) which says "you will not copy this game" . The sample is played very quietly during the first few bars, and can be easily accessed in any MOD tracker program. The hi-hat and voice sample at the very beginning of the main theme is taken from Yello's
Yello
Yello is a Swiss electronica band consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank. They are probably best known for their singles "The Race" and "Oh Yeah", which feature a mix of electronic music and manipulated vocals, as does most of their music....
Oh Yeah, a song that became famous as the theme for another sports car (a Ferrari 250 GT California) in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American teen coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes.The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller , who decides to skip school and spend the day in downtown Chicago...
.
Lotus 2 used a password system to access different races (once the player qualified for a particular race, the password was revealed); the password DUX accessed a hidden game, and the password TURPENTINE removed the race time limits. The Mega Drive version also contained a hidden Centipede
Centipede (video game)
Centipede is a vertically-oriented shoot 'em up arcade game produced by Atari, Inc. in 1980. The game was designed by Ed Logg along with Dona Bailey, one of the few female game programmers in the industry at this time. It was also the first arcade coin-operated game to have a significant female...
-like game called Pod, which can be accessed by entering the player's name as POD PLEASE.
There is a touch of humour on level six (the motorway level) of the Amiga version: if the player manages to successfully drive under the trailer of one of the lorries that cross the road, the in-game announcer shouts "Yeehaa!" This sound was used as a taunt on the Mega Drive port.
Lotus III: The Ultimate Challenge
The third game in the series combined the gameplay aspects of its predecessors, allowing players to choose between racing opponents of Lotus Turbo Challenge or the arcade-like time trials of Lotus 2. The two-player option was retained and the music selection feature returns (Patrick PhelanPatrick Phelan (composer)
Patrick "Pat" Phelan , is a respected veteran video game audio composer, manager, and producer.-Background:At the age of 11, Phelan's parents presented him with a Commodore VIC-20. He learnt how to programme and began to write games...
's soundtrack to Lotus III spawned many modern remixes). Lotus III also added a third car - a concept
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
Lotus M200 automobile - and allowed the player to choose which one to race with. The game recycled most of the graphics from Lotus 2, but added a number of new sceneries.
The Mega Drive version bears the name Lotus II: RECS (referring to the game's new course creation feature), while the DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
port released in 1993
1993 in video gaming
-Events:*March — In Sweden, the Swedish video game magazine Super PLAY starts. The original name is Super Power.*Midway Games embroiled in controversy for its game Mortal Kombat from 1992 when the game is launched for video game consoles in 1993....
was simply called Lotus: The Ultimate Challenge due to being the only Lotus game on that platform. The DOS version features the Lotus Esprit S4 instead of the Esprit Turbo SE. Apart from the slightly different car's graphics, the difference in gameplay is minimal, if any. The DOS version was released again in 1996
1996 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*January 29 — Duke Nukem 3D, successor to the simple side-scrolling originals, and a genre-redefining title for first person shooters....
, this time on a CD-ROM.
RECS
The single most innovative feature of Lotus III is the Racing Environment Construction Set (RECS) course creation system. The system allows users to create a race track by defining various basic parameters, such as amount and difficulty of turns and hills, amount of obstacles, type of scenery or difficulty of opponents. The created track can then be raced by one or both players. The course can also be written in form of a letter-and-digit code and later reused; these can be raced individually or in a series of up to nine user-created tracks.The RECS system allowed players to quickly create a unique track without having to use a course editor; however, it sacrificed the facility of precisely positioning turns or obstacles. The RECS system was later reused in another Magnetic Fields' game, International Rally Championship
International Rally Championship
International Rally Championship is a rally computer game which is part of the Rally Championship series. The game was released for Windows in 30 June 1997. It is developed by Magnetic Fields and published by Europress. Several different front covers were released for the game...
.
Lotus III was not as well-received as Lotus 2, due to its slower running speed (although this time the Mega Drive port was faster) and relative lack of innovation. Many found the lap-based races against the clock to be comparatively boring.who?
Lotus Trilogy
In 19941994 in video gaming
-Events:*Nintendo calls this year "1994: The Year of the Cartridge".*Nintendo Australia Pty. Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of Nintendo Co., Ltd is established and opened by Hiroshi Yamauchi and effectively ends Mattel Australia's distribution of Nintendo's products throughout Australia.*"Project...
, the three games were released for Amiga CD32
Amiga CD32
The Amiga CD32, styled "CD32" , was the first 32-bit CD-ROM based video game console released in western Europe, Australia, Canada and Brazil. It was first announced at the Science Museum in London, United Kingdom on 16 July 1993, and was released in September of the same year...
in one package, as The Classic Lotus Trilogy.