Test Drive III: Time For Tea?
PH heads back to the dawn of driving simulations with an interactive TfT
The game we've chosen is Test Drive III: The Passion. Yes, The Passion. Test Drive was the first driving franchise, indeed it survived until impressively recently, and TD III was one of the very first games to launch with what teenagers at the time referred to in reverential tones as 'vector graphics' - i.e., polygons and a (very) vague representation of a three-dimensional world. Its big rival was Hard Drivin', which had better graphics but was far more boring. Prior to this, driving games had all been two dimensional 'scrollers' where you desperately tried to keep your car on a skinny track with a one-second horizon.
The game runs within an online DOS emulator that might well not like your machine - in our experience it's a bit hit and miss, and we couldn't get the sound to work. Which is why we've included this video so you can see what you've been missing. The game also features some very early copy protection, where a policeman asks you for a fact that was printed in the official handbook before allowing you to play the game. Don't worry if you've lost your Test Drive III documentation, it's been hacked so you just need to press one character and then press enter. You won't need a mouse - indeed, the game doesn't understand if you try to use one - navigate using the arrow keys, and driving is as simple as up for accelerate and then left and right.
Obviously the guys at Accolade were having some difficulties licensing cars, as choice is limited to a Lamborghini Diablo, Acura NSX, Dodge Stealth and two concepts, a Pininfarina Mythos and Chevrolet Cerv III. Test Drive II had a Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959! All cars seem to have a top speed of around 300mph, at which the whole game can be played; although you only have five lives to get to the end of the course. Oh, and the police will try and book you for speeding, which may or may not be the point of the game.
If you can spend more time driving than crashing then you're doing well. Tell us how you get on!
Watch the video here.
Play the game here.
And, for comparison purposes, here's Test Drive II (which was a scroller), and the far more advanced Test Drive 4 running on an original PlayStation.
[Source: Archive.org]
Head On
Pole Position
Monaco GP
Spy Hunter
Chase HQ
Hard Drivin'
OutRun
Daytona USA
Riiiiidge Racer!
Sega Rally
F355 Challenge
Crazy Taxi
All of the above and doubtless others I have forgotten gobbled up my (or more accurately on many occasions my parents) hard earned cash over the years.
The graphics might look crude in Test Drive but as I remember Night Driver back in the late '70's was just white vertical lines on a black background which marked the edges of a supposed road ahead of you. It was still a thrill to get some understanding of what it must be like to drive a real car. Turns out the real thing was actually a whole lot easier than trying to man handle a few sprites around an increasingly busy screen whilst being observed intently by your classroom peers. THE PRESSURE!
EDIT: Yep - pretty simple graphics for Night Driver - get a load of this kids!
Head On
Pole Position
Monaco GP
Spy Hunter
Chase HQ
Hard Drivin'
OutRun
Daytona USA
Riiiiidge Racer!
Sega Rally
F355 Challenge
Crazy Taxi
All of the above and doubtless others I have forgotten gobbled up my (or more accurately on many occasions my parents) hard earned cash over the years.
The graphics might look crude in Test Drive but as I remember Night Driver back in the late '70's was just white vertical lines on a black background which marked the edges of a supposed road ahead of you. It was still a thrill to get some understanding of what it must be like to drive a real car. Turns out the real thing was actually a whole lot easier than trying to man handle a few sprites around an increasingly busy screen whilst being observed intently by your classroom peers. THE PRESSURE!
The latest in the series, Test Drive Unlimited 2 (catchy title) is a great game, as long as you have a decent steering wheel.
Fond memories of Ayrton Senna Super Monaco GP 2 on the mega drive as well.
About the same time my mum bought my sister Space Ace for the Atari ST on her birthday...5 x 3.5 inch discs delivered in high quality full colour packaging, as well it should as it cost £45!!! You can imagine my mum's face when that very same afternoon my sister marched in to the kitchen to proudly announce she had finished it.
£45! Jesus.
Scroll to about a minute in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz21qKtqWj0
This was considered rather advanced for a Z80.
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