Revs is a 1984 Formula Three

Formula Three

Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...

 simulation written initially for the BBC Micro

BBC Micro

The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...

 by Geoff Crammond

Geoff Crammond

Geoff Crammond is a computer game designer and programmer who specialises in motor racing games. A former defense industry systems engineer, he claims to have had little interest in motor racing before programming his first racing game back in 1984, but he holds a physics degree, which may explain...

 and published by Acornsoft

Acornsoft

Acornsoft was the software arm of Acorn Computers Ltd, and a major publisher of software for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. As well as games, they also produced a large number of educational titles, extra computer languages and business and utility packages - these included ROM-based word...

 that is notable for its realistic simulation of the sport and as a precursor to its author's later work on Formula One Grand Prix

Formula One Grand Prix (Geoff Crammond)

Formula One Grand Prix is a racing simulator released in 1992 by MicroProse for the Atari ST, Amiga and PC created by game designer Geoff Crammond...

 and its sequels.

Gameplay

Unlike most contemporaneous racing games, Revs features selection of aerodynamic settings by the player and a full 3D environment with polygon-based graphics. The player is allowed to drive the wrong way around the track or even away from it completely. Unusual for the time, the track and terrain are not planar, but undulations in the ground are reproduced. The game was noted for its use of the BBC's hardware in achieving its display: such was the difficulty in squeezing the game into the BBC's limited memory, part of the game code actually occupies part of the screen memory. Whilst this would ordinarily be distractingly visible, timer-based manipulation of the BBC's display palette has the effect of turning all the 'code pixels' blue, thus hiding it in the game's sky.

The game features advanced AI for control of the opponents' cars, which are driven by individual characters with humorous names. Johnny Turbo and Max Throttle are usually the fastest opponents, whereas Miles Behind is usually the slowest.

Tracks

The BBC Micro

BBC Micro

The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...

 version release features Silverstone

Silverstone Circuit

Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...

 as its one track. There is also an expansion pack, Revs 4 Tracks (released in 1985), which adds Brands Hatch

Brands Hatch

Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...

, Donington Park

Donington Park

Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...

, Oulton Park

Oulton Park

Oulton Park Circuit is a motor racing track in the small village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington with a nearby rail connection along the Mid-Cheshire Line. It occupies much of the area which was...

 and Snetterton

Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit

Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Norfolk, England. Owned by MotorSport Vision, it is situated on the A11 road some 20 km north-east of the town of Thetford and 30 km south-west of the city of Norwich...

 to make a total of five.

Opponents

The full grid comprises...

• "Mad" Max Throttle
• Gary Clipper
• Desmond Dash
• Johnny Turbo
• Percy Veer
• Davey Rocket
• Gloria Slap
• Wilma Cargo
• Sid Spoiler
• Harry Fume
• Hugh Jengine
• Dan Dipstick
• Willy Swerve
• Billy Bumper
• Roland Slide
• Rick Shaw
• Miles Behind
• Slim Chance
• Peter Out
• Dummy Driver (only visible in the game's disassembly - this driver spot was replaced with the user's driver name and appears to have been present to make up the standard driver roster to the full 20 drivers)

Reception

The game was favourably received by the press for its relative realism. Acorn's marketing for the game included racing sponsorship, with driver David Hunt

David Hunt (racer)

David Hunt , is former British racing driver and younger brother of 1976 Formula One world champion James Hunt....

 being sponsored in the 1984 British Formula Three Championship

British Formula Three Championship

The British Formula Three Championship is an international motor racing series that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is...

 Acorn Computer European Trophy.

Enhanced release

An enhanced edition of the BBC version was later released by Superior Software

Superior Software

Superior Software is a video game publisher. It was established in 1982 by Richard Hanson and John Dyson, two graduates of the University of Leeds, England...

/Acornsoft

Acornsoft

Acornsoft was the software arm of Acorn Computers Ltd, and a major publisher of software for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. As well as games, they also produced a large number of educational titles, extra computer languages and business and utility packages - these included ROM-based word...

 which included all 5 tracks. The enhanced edition also included a 'steering assist' driving aid.

Ports

Revs was later ported to the Commodore 64

Commodore 64

The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...

, with the standard game providing the Silverstone

Silverstone Circuit

Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...

 and Brands Hatch

Brands Hatch

Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...

 tracks. The '4 Tracks' pack for the Commodore (released under the title Revs +) included the Nürburgring

Nürburgring

The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...

, Oulton Park, Snetterton and Donington Park circuits.

External links

• Revs at Everything2
• The