Death Race (1990 video game)
| Death Race | |
|---|---|
 Cover art | |
| Publisher(s) | American Game Cartridges[1] |
| Programmer(s) |
James M. Ferguson[2] Keith Rupp John Dunn Donald Forbes Scott Schryver |
| Composer(s) |
David Wood Donald Forbes |
| Platform(s) | NES |
| Release date(s) |
‹See Tfd›
|
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) |
Single-player, two player; Four difficulty levels |
Death Race is a vehicular combat video game developed by American Game Cartridges for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), and published in 1990. It is a remake of a 1976 video game of the same name.
Death Race is one of three games that American Game Cartridges published for the NES. The others are Shockwave and a conversion of the 1986 light gun arcade game Chiller. They released all their titles in 1990.
During the days of the Australian-based company Home Entertainment Suppliers, Death Race was only available to those who belonged to their "HES Game Club.[3]"
Gameplay
The game is set in eight American cities, which the player visits in succession: San Diego, California, Phoenix, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Houston, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana: Chicago, Illinois; Raleigh, North Carolina; and New York, New York. Considered to be the "spiritual predecessor" of the Grand Theft Auto series, this video game features most of the features found in all Grand Theft Auto games.[4] They can run over pedestrians with their vehicle, go on missions that are rewarding, and read dialogue in the game that is not considered appropriate for younger children.[4]
In each city, the player drives an armored sports car equipped with surface-to-air missiles and rapid-fire guns. Player performance is measured by the number of kills. The player may use money earned in the game to upgrade the car's engine, tires, chassis, guns, and missiles. Level completion requires capturing anywhere from one to four flags and then passing through the exit. The game has four difficulty levels: Rookie, Amateur, Professional, and World Class. To complete the game, the player must play through all cities twice at the "World Class" difficulty setting.
Compared to the original arcade release, the city has an enhanced appearance and the tombstones that can block the player's path has been replaced by enemies on helicopters.[5]
References
- ↑ Profile of Death Race at NesCartDB
- ↑ Project leader of Death Race at NES Warp Zone
- ↑ Death Race and the HES at NES World
- 1 2 Comparing Death Race to Grand Theft Auto at Nintendo Player
- ↑ Comparisons to the original arcade version at Giant Bomb