Sprint 2
| Sprint 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Kee Games |
| Publisher(s) | Kee Games |
| Designer(s) | Dennis Koble & Lyle Rains |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | One-player or Two-player game |
Sprint 2 is a two player overhead-view arcade racer released in 1976 by Kee Games,[1] a wholly owned subsidiary of Atari. It was the first auto racing arcade game with computer-controlled opposing drivers.[2]
Technology
Sprint 2 evolved from Gran Trak 10 and Gran Trak 20, but included a microprocessor (the 6502), a first for racing games. This allowed Sprint 2 to include two computer-controlled cars, better graphics, and more tracks. Unlike Gran Trak, this machine did not have brake pedals, but the players could still make their cars "fishtail" by turning their steering wheels abruptly.
Reception
Sprint 2 was the second highest-earning arcade video game of 1977 in the United States, below Sea Wolf.[3][4] It was also America's second highest-earning arcade video game of 1978, below Space Wars, along with Sprint 1 in third place.[5] Sprint 2 was later America's third highest-earning arcade video game of 1979, below Space Invaders and Atari Football.[6]
Legacy
Sprint 2 was the first in a long series of games, some of which bore its name into the 1980s.
- Sprint 4 and Sprint 8, a 4 player and 8 player version respectively, were released in 1977. Both were full color raster versions of the game.
- Sprint 1 was released in 1978. The "1" and "2" designations reflect the number of players, rather than indicating it was a prequel.
- Super Sprint, a 3 player version with updated graphics, was released by Atari Games in 1986.
- Championship Sprint, a 2 player version of Super Sprint, was released by Atari Games in 1986.
- Badlands, a 2 player post-apocalyptic setting update of Championship Sprint, was released in 1989.
Sprint 2 was one of the first Atari products to feature the now well-known "Atari arcade font" (first introduced in the Quiz Show).[7]
In 2016 a reverse engineered version to JavaScript became available.[8]
References
- ^ "Sprint 2 Killer List of Video Games Entry". Retrieved 2007-08-21.
- ^ "An Interview with Dan Van Elderen". Next Generation. No. 35. Imagine Media. November 1997. p. 81.
- ^ "Top Arcade Games". Play Meter. November 1977.
- ^ "Profit Chart". RePlay. November 1977.
- ^ "Video Games". RePlay. November 1978.
- ^ "Video Games". RePlay. November 1979.
- ^ "The 8-bit arcade font, deconstructed". Vox. YouTube. April 6, 2020.
- ^ Forty-Year-Old Arcade Game Reveals Secrets of Robot Path Planning on hackaday.com by Dan Maloney (April 28, 2016)
External links
- Commentary from GameSpy
- Commentary from Phosphor Dot Fossils
- Sprint 2 at the Killer List of Videogames
- Entry at the Arcade Flyer Archive
- Sprint 2[permanent dead link] at ArcadeStuff
- Sprint 2 at GameFAQs