Release Date: 1983
Publisher: Activision
Controller: Joystick
Players: 1
Genre: Racing
Alternate Title: N/A
Model #: AX-026
Rarity: 2
Programmer: Larry Miller
Get behind the wheel of a souped up race car and compete in an all day race against several hundred other drivers. If you do well enough on day one, you are rewarded with another full day of racing, only this time your rivals are more aggressive and there are an extra hundred or so for you to pass. This loop continues until you aren’t able to pass enough cars, or you pass out from the exhausting of racing for days on end.
The full day of racing adds some incredible depth to the gameplay, as both the lighting and weather conditions impact your ability to weave in and out of traffic. The sun starts off nice and bright, but slowly sets before vanishing completely. Once the sun is gone you are only left with the other racer’s tail lights to let you know where you need to be on the road. There are two weather events that make the race more challenging. The snow impairs your ability to maneuver your car, making it seem like you are driving a mini-van rather than a high performance race car. The midnight fog however is a bigger issue, as it cuts down your visibility to virtually nothing, giving you almost no time to react to the traffic ahead of you.
During the race if you rear end another vehicle your car will slowly glide to the shoulder, giving your opponents an opportunity to pass you. Even on the first level, each crash will cost you about four to five spots in the rankings. On later levels a crash or two can completely wipe out the gains you have made up to that point.
In addition to the number of days you have raced, the game also keep up with your mileage. The miles you travel doesn’t play into the Activision Patch challenge though, as all you have to do is reach day 5 in order to claim it.
Enduro is an incredibly solid racing title filled with challenge, tight controls, and a constantly changing racing environment. If you are a racing game fan you should definitely check it out, as it still holds up today.
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