Enduro Racer

Enduro Racer (エンデューロレーサー) is an arcade game from Sega. It was released in 1986 with either a stand up cabinet with handlebars or a full-sized dirt bike on the cabinet itself. Many people see it as essentially the dirt version of Hang-On, as it uses a similar engine and PCB.

For the Atari 2600 game, see Enduro (video game).

Enduro Racer
Developer(s)Sega
Publisher(s)Sega
Designer(s)Yu Suzuki
Composer(s)Hiroshi Kawaguchi
David Whittaker (C64)
Platform(s)Arcade, Master System, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST, Thomson
ReleaseArcade
1986
Master System
1987
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player
Arcade systemSega Space Harrier

The game was released for the Master System in 1987, the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 both in 1988, Amstrad CPC and Atari ST in 1989.

Gameplay
Screenshot

Enduro Racer is a motorcycle racing game based on the sport of Enduro. The player rides a dirt bike through seven stages, which have elevation changes and turns, and must avoid other riders as well as logs and boulders. Controls for the game are based on a motorcycle's handlebars, with a throttle and brake control. Players can pull up the handlebars on the cabinet to perform a wheelie. Jumping over logs is also possible, but players have to land with the wheelie technique or risk crashing. During the race, players are competing against a timer. Though the timer stops when the player has crashed, restarting is slow and consumes time.[1]

Development

Prior to the development of Enduro Racer, Sega game developer Yu Suzuki created Hang-On, his second game with the company. After deciding to make a motorcycle racing game, he had to decide on a style of racing for the game. Suzuki himself was a fan of dirt bikes, along with motocross and Enduro.[2] However, Sega's market research concluded that road-based GP 500 racing was more popular worldwide, so it was selected for use for Hang-On.[3] Enduro Racer became Suzuki's opportunity to develop a dirt bike game.[4]

Enduro Racer was ported to numerous systems, including the Master System,[5] Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and Atari ST. Activision handled the computer ports.[6][7] The Commodore 64 port possesses four levels, with the third and fourth being more difficult versions of the first and second,[8] while the ZX Spectrum version has five tracks and two-player multiplayer.[7]

Reception and legacy

In Japan, Game Machine listed Enduro Racer on their August 15, 1986 issue as being the most-successful upright arcade unit of the year.[9] In the February 1987 issue of Computer and Video Games, a reviewer praised the game as "brilliant" and called it a different game from Hang-On.[10]

The ZX Spectrum version of the game went to number 2 in the UK sales charts, behind BMX Simulator.[11] In 1993, the Spectrum port and was voted number 50 in the Your Sinclair Official Top 100 Games of All Time.[12] A reviewer for Computer and Video Games praised the Spectrum port for being as close to an accurate arcade version as the Spectrum hardware can handle, with smooth graphics.[7] John Gilbert of Sinclair User also gave high praise to the Spectrum version, stating that the conversion "puts other top software houses to shame".[13]

Writing for Commodore User, reviewer Ferdy Hamilton was disappointed in the Commodore 64's release, citing the "blob-like sprites", jerking controls, and that the conversion could have been better than that for the ZX Spectrum, which he called "unfaultable".[6] Three reviewers for Zzap!64 were highly critical of the Commodore 64 port, slamming the game's poor features with one reviewer stating, "It doesn't look, sound, or play anything like the original - in fact, it doesn't play at all well full stop."[8] A reviewer for ACE stated that the Atari ST version is a good conversion of the original but that the replacement of the bike noises with music might disappoint some.[14]

It was re-released for the Wii's Virtual Console in North America on December 15, 2008[15] and in Europe on January 9, 2009.

References
  1. Edgeley, Clare (February 1987). "Arcade Action". Computer and Video Games. No. 64. p. 116.
  2. Horowitz, Ken (2018). The Sega Arcade Revolution: A History in 62 Games. McFarland & Company. pp. 92–97. ISBN 9781476631967.
  3. Robinson, Martin (March 22, 2015). "Out Ran: Meeting Yu Suzuki, Sega's original outsider". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on December 20, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  4. Kalata, Kurt. "Hardcore Gaming 101: Enduro Racer". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
  5. "Hardcore Gaming 101: Enduro Racer". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  6. Hamilton, Ferdy (June 1987). "Enduro Racer". Commodore User. No. 45. p. 17.
  7. "C+VG Reviews: Enduro Racer". Computer and Video Games. No. 67. May 1987. pp. 14–15.
  8. "Enduro Racer". Zzap!64. No. 27. July 1987. p. 86.
  9. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - アップライト, コックピット型TVゲーム機 (Upright/Cockpit Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 290. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 August 1986. p. 21.
  10. "Enduro Racer". Computer and Video Games. No. 64. February 1987. p. 113.
  11. "The YS Rock'n'Roll Years - Issue 20". The Your Sinclair Rock 'n' Roll Years. Archived from the original on 2014-06-17. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
  12. "Top 100 Games of All Time". Your Sinclair. September 1993.
  13. Gilbert, John (March 1987). "Enduro Racer". Sinclair User. No. 60. pp. 24–25.
  14. "Screen Test Updates". ACE. No. 6. March 1988. p. 60.
  15. "Two WiiWare Games and One Virtual Console Game Added to Wii Shop Channel". Nintendo of America. 2008-12-15. Archived from the original on 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
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