Wikipedia

Power Drift

Power Drift(パワードリフト,Pawā Dorifuto)is akart racing gamereleased inarcadesbySegain 1988. More technologically advanced than Sega's earlier 2.5D racing games, likeHang-On(1985) andOut Run(1986), inPower Driftthe entire world and track consist ofsprites.The upgraded hardware of theSega Y Boardallows individual sprites and the background to be rotated–even while being scaled–making the visuals more dynamic.[7]

Power Drift
Japanese arcade flyer
Developer(s)Sega AM2(arcade)
Activision(home computers)
Copya Systems(PCE)
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Yu Suzuki[5]
Producer(s)Yu Suzuki
Designer(s)Yu Suzuki[6]
Composer(s)Hiroshi Kawaguchi
Platform(s)Arcade,Amiga,Amstrad CPC,Atari ST,Commodore 64,Dreamcast,MS-DOS,MSX,PC Engine,Saturn,ZX Spectrum,Nintendo 3DS
Release
July 5, 1988
  • Arcade
    Amiga, C64, CPC, DOS, MSX, ST, ZX
    PC Engine
    • JP:April 13, 1990
    Saturn
Genre(s)Kart racing
Mode(s)Single-player
Arcade systemSega Y Board[7]

Designed and directed byYu Suzuki,the game was a critical and commercial success upon release in arcades. It was subsequently ported to varioushome computersin Europe byActivisionin 1989, followed by aPC Engineport published in Japan byAsmik Acein 1990. It was not released onSega consolesuntil theSega Agesrelease for theSega Saturnin 1998.

Gameplay

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Arcade screenshot

The objective is to finish each race in third place or better in order to advance to the next stage.[8]Players have the option ofcontinuingif they finish the race in fourth place or lower before the game is over, but the player's score will not increase upon continuing the game.

The tracks have aroller coasterfeel to them, with many steep climbs and falls, as well as the ability to "fall" off higher levels. To add to this feeling, the sit-down cabinet was built atop a raised hydraulic platform, and the machine would tilt and shake quite violently. Each circuit, labeled from "A" to "E" has a certain theme to it (for example, circuit A has cities, circuit B has deserts, circuit C has beaches, etc.) in a series of five tracks. There are also four laps for each course.

All the tracks on each course have names as well. Course A is Springfield Ovalshape, Foofy Hilltop, Snowhill Drive, Octopus Oval and Curry De Parl. Course B is Swingshot City, Phantom Riverbend, Octangular Ovalshape, Charlotte Beach and Highland Spheres. Course C is Bum Beach, Jason Bendyline, Nighthawk City, Zanussi Island and Wasteman Freefall. Course D is Mexico Colours, Oxygen Desert, Jamie Road, Monaco Da Farce and Blow Hairpin. Course E is Aisthorpe Springrose Valley, Patterson Nightcity, Lydia Rightaway, Bungalow Ridgeway and Karen Longway.

If players place first on all five tracks (which is indicated by all five gold trophies on the number of wins display behind the course letter), an "Extra Stage" is unlocked, where the assigned car is a vehicle from otherSegagames. Courses A, C and E allow players to race with theF-14 Tomcatfighter jet fromAfter Burner IIin the Extra Stage, while courses B and D have an option to race the motorcycle fromSuper Hang-On.Players also can press the start button while in a race to see a rear view.

Ports

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Power Driftwas later ported to theAmstrad CPC,Commodore 64,MSX,Amiga,Atari ST,MS-DOSandZX Spectrumhome computers byActivisionand released in 1989. The home computer ports lack the tilting action seen in the original arcade version. APC Engineversion was developed by Copya Systems and published exclusively in Japan byAsmik Ace Entertainmenton April 13, 1990.

ASega Mega Driveversion was planned but never released.[9]A32Xport was in development by Sega, but not published.[10]Dempa was working on aSega CDconversion that also did not reach store shelves.[10]

Sega later includedPower Driftin theSega Saturncompilation seriesSega Agesreleased on February 26, 1998 and inYu Suzuki Game Works Vol. 1for theDreamcaston December 1, 2001.

Power Driftwas also included as one of the seven games on theNintendo 3DScollectionSega 3D Reprint Archives,which was released on April 26, 2016.

Reception

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In Japan,Game MachinelistedPower Drifton their 1988 issue as being the second most-successful upright arcade unit of the month.[12]It went on to be the fourth highest-grossingarcade game of 1989in Japan.[13]The ZX Spectrum port knocked the long-standingRoboCopfrom the top of the UK sales charts in 1989.[14]

The arcade game received positive reviews from critics upon release in 1988.Sinclair Usermagazine rated it 10 out of 10, comparing it favorably with Sega's earlier arcade hitOut Run(1986) and stating it was technically "a breakthrough", while praising the "breathtaking" graphics and "heartstopping" gameplay.[3]Andy Smith ofAdvanced Computer Entertainmentsaid it was an "exciting" and "thrilling high speed" racing game in "a futuristic car cum-Go-Kart" that "combines all that was best" inOut RunandBuggy Boy(1985) to come up "with a terrific driving game that looks set to be a winner".[15]

GameFanmagazine reviewed the PC Engine version, scoring it 172 out of 200.[16]

Sinclair Usergave the arcade version ofPower Driftthe "Racing Game of 1988"award. They said it was," without doubt, the single most spectacular game ever to arrive in an arcade ". They explained," the blinding speed of the game and the astonishing way that the track zooms up and down, side to side as you participate in the race of a lifetime can be described in no lesser term than fab ".[17]

Guinness World RecordsgavePower Driftthe award for "First kart racing videogame" as it predatedSuper Mario Kart(1992).[18]

References

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  1. ^Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006).アーケードTVゲームリスト quốc nội • hải ngoại biên (1971–2005)[Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971–2005)] (in Japanese). Japan: Amusement News Agency. p. 131.ISBN978-4990251215.
  2. ^"Power Drift (Registration Number PA0000378803)".United States Copyright Office.Retrieved11 July2021.
  3. ^ab"Coin Ops: Power Drift Special".Sinclair User.No. 79 (October 1988). 18 September 1988. pp. 82–3.
  4. ^"SEGA AGES/パワードリフト".Sega.Archived fromthe originalon July 10, 2001.Retrieved2015-05-30.
  5. ^"Chu thức hội xã Ys Net".Archived fromthe originalon 2015-06-27.Retrieved2015-06-24.
  6. ^"Power Drift, Arcade Video game by SEGA Enterprises (1988)".
  7. ^ab"Sega Y Board".System 16.
  8. ^Kalata, Kurt (August 8, 2017)."Power Drift".Hardcore Gaming 101.Retrieved2020-12-09.
  9. ^"Tân tác".Beep! MegaDrive[ja](in Japanese). No. 2.SoftBank Creative.September 1989. p. 72.
  10. ^abKuboki, Kei (March 1995). "Special K's Japan Now - Special K's last-minute info".GameFan.Vol. 3, no. 3. DieHard Gamers Club. p. 114.
  11. ^Game review, Amstrad Action magazine,Future Publishing,issue 51, December 1989
  12. ^"Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - アップライト, コックピット hình TVゲーム cơ (Upright/Cockpit Videos)".Game Machine(in Japanese). No. 340.Amusement Press, Inc.15 September 1988. p. 21.
  13. ^"Đệ ３ hồi ゲーメスト đại thưởng 〜 インカム bộ môn ベスト10"[3rd Gamest Awards – Income Category: Best 10].Gamest(in Japanese). Vol. 41 (February 1990). December 27, 1989. pp. 49–79 (79).alternate url
  14. ^"Archived copy".Archived fromthe originalon 2016-05-11.Retrieved2016-05-18.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ^Smith, Andy (November 1988)."Arcades".Advanced Computer Entertainment.No. 14. pp. 84–5.
  16. ^Halverson, Dave (Skid);Brody (December 1992)."Viewpoint".GameFan.Vol. 1, no. 2. pp. 8–9.
  17. ^"Coin-Ops: SU Awards '88".Sinclair User.No. 82 (January 1989). 18 December 1988. pp. 98–9.
  18. ^"First kart racing videogame".Guinness World Records.Retrieved12 July2021.
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