"Gravity Defyin'"

Welcome to the Burnout series' daddy folks.

For years this arcade game has been a resident at a local seafood restaurant where it sits beside the Flintsones egg machine and the plush toy machine. I first played Race Drivin at this particular restaurant years ago when we would have our little league banquet held there at the place. I must say I wasted a lot of quarters on this game back then because it is a very innovative game for its time.

Please note I said for its time.

Today playing this game is horrificly terrible and I wonder just what kind physics this thing employs. The setting is supposedly a futuristic time with cars that make annoying buzzing and screeching sounds. There are four tracks to choose from and a choice of three cars to pick from all with the same design but in different colors of green, red, and yellow. The roads are very hard to stay on, but this is where the innovation comes in to play. I say Race Drivin' is the daddy of the Burnout series because crashing is the most enjoyable aspect of this game. The rest is reaching checkpoints in the sky (sometimes they are in the sky) and racing under time limits. You will race in only the dashboard view of the car with your unneeded instruments moving around and when you crash your windshield will crack. An instant replay will show your car's wreck from an aerial view which was the most intriguing thing I found about this game when I played it as a kid. It's hard to go back and say this would be an exciting reason to play this game when you have been spoiled on racing games that have perfected the car wreck and replays. However I do remember enjoying this aspect of the game, especially when the control is very difficult to maneuver with.

The arcade game features a steering wheel and pedals and the gameplay of this game gets quite interesting from there. Once you've picked out your ride then it's off to the races. The graphics aren't bad at all for the game's age. Although some aspects of the graphics can be qutie odd. Oddly shaped animals will make residence in the middle of the road and you will end up running over them and crashing while still trying to figure out what it was. The car outruns the road and landscape at times, but it is no joke that the road will all of a sudden start going straight up and into a loop. The road looks like any typical road you would drive on so it comes as a surprise that somewhere in the near future they would be able to make loops out of tar and gravel roads. Other times it will appear as if you are riding out into the sky.

There is not much to say about the sound or replayability of Race Drivin' because it is very likely you will not find this game around. It does exist on consoles under the Midway Classics and plenty of Youtubes show what the game is like. Of course if you are bored and happen to work where I do then it's always worth the few quarters to waste some time on the clock.

Final Recommendation 5/10

Race Drivin' is playable, but there is no reason for me to suggest you go out and find this game. Some racing fans may be tempted to find this game for nostalgia or time challenge attempts, but beyond that I don't recommend it.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 05/05/08

Game Release: Race Drivin' (US, 1990)