Enduro (video game)
Enduro | |
---|---|
Racing | |
Mode(s) | Single-player[2] |
Enduro is a
Miller previously wrote games for Apple computers and the Atari 2600, such as
Enduro was released for the Atari 2600 in May 1983 and later ported to the
Gameplay
Enduro consists of maneuvering a
As the time in the game passes, visibility changes as well. When it is night in the game the player can only see the oncoming cars' taillights. As the days progress, cars will become more difficult to avoid as well. Weather and time of day are factors in how to play. During the day the player may drive through an icy patch on the road which would limit control of the vehicle, or a patch of fog may reduce visibility.[3]
If a player succeeds in racing five days or more, an on-screen racing trophy pops up. At the time of release, if the player sent a photograph of this achievement to Activision, they received a patch declaring them an "Activision Roadbuster".[3]
Production
Prior to designing Enduro, Miller had previously developed games for Apple computers as well as Spider Fighter for the Atari 2600 while working for Activision.[4][5] On speaking of the difference between the two, he focused on the Atari 2600 as he said that his games are "very fast-action [...] I couldn't do that for Apple because the action is severely limited. You can get more detail on the screen, but not the really fast action."[5]
Miller described his game design progress as having a game brewing in his mind until he started to think how the game should look and what is available on the machine before developing an outline. This is followed by about a month of getting the nuts and bolts of writing computer code. Miller was influenced to make Enduro as he does a lot of driving in California through fog, sunny weather snow and ice and wanted to make what he described as a "realistic driving game."[4]
Enduro was developed on entirely on an Apple Computer and coded entirely in Assembly language in about three months with 100-hour weeks. The game has a four-kilobyte ROM chip.[4] Miller said there were very serious limitations he could have in graphics which led to a lot of trade-offs. He opted to put in imagery he believed would be most pleasing such as the road curving, mountains in the distance. Miller said "it was extremely difficult to put those in and it just wasn't possible to put anything else in."[4]
The game was later ported the ZX Spectrum by James Software.[6]
Release
Enduro was released in May 1983 for the Atari 2600.[7] In June 1983, it was the top selling video game of the month by June 1983.[8] By August 1983, it was the 10th highest selling video game of the month.[9]
Enduro has been re-released in various compilation packs, including the Atari 2600 Action Pack 2 for IBM-compatible PCs, and Activision Anthology (2002).[10][11] Enduro is also included as secret game within Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020).[12]
In 1983, Activision ran the "Enduro Race-For-Riches Sweepstakes". The grand prize was a
Reception
From contemporary reviews, an anonymous reviewer in The Video Game Update described it as an "extremely impressive auto racing game. It's one of those rare games that elicited comments from our staff like "Wow-this is incredible!"[14]
The review complimented it's addicting gameplay and that "the game was "far superior to existing race games for the 2600 because it makes you part of the action."
Enduro received the award for "1984 Best Sports Videogame" at the 5th annual
From retrospective reviews, Brett Weiss in his book Classic Home Video Games 1972-1984 complimented the game, describing it as remarkable racing game, noting it's variety, suspense and graphic sophistication. Weiss found it superior games like Pole Position noting it was more involved and atmospheric, noting the day to night scenes in the game.[1] In their list of the top 25 Atari 2600 games, Stuart Hunt and Darran Jones listed Enduro in at their 21st spot in Retro Gamer. The writers found the graphics and average, but that it was the entertaining gameplay that made Activision racer so special. and that the game is "arguably the 2600's best racer."[18]
Legacy
In 1985 Activision released The Great American Cross-Country Road Race, a home computer game that is based on the design of Enduro, but with enhanced visuals, audio, and some additional gameplay elements.[19]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Weiss 2007, p. 57.
- ^ a b c Hochberg & Schmittberger 1983.
- ^ a b c Enduro Instruction Booklet. Activision. 1983. AX-026-03.
- ^ a b c d Jon 1983.
- ^ a b Bechtold 1983, p. 7.
- ^ a b Crash 1984.
- ^ The Video Game Update includes Computer Entertainer 1983a.
- ^ The Video Game Update includes Computer Entertainer 1983.
- ^ The Video Game Update includes Computer Entertainer 1983b.
- ^ Dimension 3 1995.
- ^ Harris 2003.
- ^ Park 2020.
- ^ Enduro Race-For-Riches Sweepstakes ad
- ^ a b The Video Game Update 1983.
- ^ a b c Blanchet 1983, p. 52.
- ^ Kunkel & Katz 1984, p. 42.
- ^ "Complete Games Guide" (PDF). Computer and Video Games (Complete Guide to Consoles): 46–77. 16 October 1989.
- ^ Jones & Hunt, p. 21.
- ^ DeMeo, Alex (1995), "Great American Cross-Country Road Race (GAME10.HLP)", Activision's Commodore 64 15 Pack (Online help), Activision, Game History,
The code and drivers [parts of the program for the game] from Enduro that displayed the road and fed cars to pass were used as the engine for Great American Road Race. But when you moved to more powerful systems like the Atari 400 or 800, or the Commodore 64, more was expected of the game, so the whole design, graphics, sound, and so on, were all redone for the new platforms. We added elements too, like the dashboard and the police.
Sources
- "Enduro". Crash. November 1984. p. 54.
- "If it Works the First Time...". Dimension 3. Vol. 1, no. 3. Dimension Publishing, Inc. August 1995. pp. 26–27.
- "Critically Speaking...Atari 2600-Compatible". The Video Game Update. Vol. 2, no. 1. April 1983.
- Bechtold, Alan R. (August 1983). "An Interview with Activision's Larry Miller". The Logical Gamer. Vol. 2, no. 1.
- Jon (April 1983). "Enduro from The Driver's Seat". The Video Game Update. Vol. 2, no. 1.
- Blanchet, Michael (June 1983). "Enduro: On the Road Again". Electronic Fun with Computers & Games. Vol. 1, no. 8. p. 52.
- Harris, Craig (December 11, 2003). "Activision Anthology". IGN. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- Hochberg, Burt; Schmittberger, R. Wayne (October 1983). "The Best New Games". Games. Vol. 7, no. 44. p. 50.
- Jones, Darran; Hunt, Stuart. "Top 25 Atari 2600 Games". Retro Gamer. No. 46.
- ISSN 0147-8907.
- Park, Morgan (November 13, 2020). "I Can't Stop Playing Pitfall in Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War". PC Gamer. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- Weiss, Brett (2007). Classic Home Video Games 1972-1984. ISBN 978-0-7864-3226-4.
- "Video Take-Out's Top 10". The Video Game Update includes Computer Entertainer. Vol. 2, no. 5. August 1983b.
- "Video Take-Out's Top 10". The Video Game Update includes Computer Entertainer. Vol. 2, no. 3. June 1983.
- "Availability Update". The Video Game Update includes Computer Entertainer. Vol. 2, no. 3. June 1983a.