The Atari 2600 conversion of the classic arcade game, Frogger, was programmed by Ed English and published by Parker Brothers in 1982.
Tag Archives: roads
Pepsiman, PlayStation
Now here’s a game that’ll make you laugh out loud… Pepsiman by Japanese developer Kindle Imagine Develop (aka KID). It was only ever released in Japan, although the game is entirely in English and features full motion video segments in English too.
Pepsiman was the Japanese Pepsi mascot who appeared in TV commercials for the famous soft drink manufacturer in the mid-to-late 1990s. He apparently became quite popular in Japan so naturally someone decided to make a video game based on him, and the resulting game is pretty funny. Pepsiman (the game) was apparently made on a low budget and sold for a low price when it came out, although I can’t find a reference to how much it sold for. If it was for the Japanese equivalent of less than ten pounds, then it was an okay purchase!
Out Run, Megadrive/Genesis
This 1991 Megadrive/Genesis conversion of the classic arcade race game, Out Run, was written by Sega’s AM2 development team – who made the original – and it is therefore very authentic and just as much fun as the arcade game.
Turbo Esprit, ZX Spectrum
Considered by those who know it as an early precursor to Grand Theft Auto, Mike Richardson‘s excellent Turbo Esprit is an action/driving game where the aim is to catch and arrest drugs smugglers by driving around a city and pinpointing them using a map. It was first published for the ZX Spectrum by Durell Software in 1986.
Road Rash 3, Megadrive/Genesis
The third Road Rash was released exclusively for the Sega Megadrive by Electronic Arts in 1995 and it carries on the fine tradition of “video game violence on a motorcycle for one or two players”.
Special Criminal Investigation, Arcade
Sometimes known simply as S.C.I. or Chase HQ 2: Special Criminal Investigation, this high octane driving sequel to Chase HQ is another fast-paced driving game with you playing a cop hot on the heels of some nasty criminals.
It was developed and manufactured by Taito and released into arcades in 1989, and – for my money – is one of the most exciting and heart-pumping 2D chase games ever made.
Out Run Europa, Commodore 64
Out Run Europa is an interesting game in that it was designed and written by British developer Probe Software in 1991. Sega simply provided a license and Probe made the game. And: this wasn’t a conversion of an arcade game – it was a spin-off from Out Run, produced only for home computers at the time.
Car Battler Joe, Game Boy Advance
Car Battler Joe is an interesting cross between a JRPG and a driving game. It was developed for the Game Boy Advance by Ancient and published in 2001.
In some respects the driving sections remind me of Tranz Am, but they’re much more varied and the car you drive is more dynamic than in Ultimate‘s classic driving game. In truth Car Battler Joe is probably more influenced by Origin‘s 1985 game Autoduel and Steve Jackson‘s post apocalyptic RPG, Cars Wars.
Lamborghini American Challenge, Amiga CD32
Published by Titus in 1994, Lamborghini American Challenge is a decent 2D racing game originally published on the Amiga under the title Crazy Cars III.
Black Thunder, Commodore 64
I’m not entirely sure what to make of Black Thunder. It is a remake of Tony Crowther‘s previous game, Suicide Express, with slightly different graphics and released a year later by a different publishing house (Quicksilva).
The King of Grabs 