Speed Freak

Speed Freak
Developer(s) Vectorbeam
Publisher(s) Vectorbeam
Designer(s) Larry Rosenthal
Platform(s) Arcade
Release March 1979[1]
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single-player
Cabinet Vertical
Arcade system Vectorbeam hardware
CPU CCPU
Sound Amplified mono (one channel)
Display Vector, monochrome

Speed Freak is a monochrome vector arcade game created by Vectorbeam in 1979. Along with Atari's Night Driver, it is one of the earliest first-person driving games and the first such game known to use vector graphics.[2]

Gameplay

The game is a behind-the-wheel driving simulation where the driver speeds down a winding computer generated road past other cars, hitchikers, trees, cows and cacti. Occasionally a plane will fly overhead towards the screen. One must avoid crashing into these objects and complete the race in the allotted time.[3] The player can crash as many times as he wants before the time runs out and players were treated to two different crash animations. The first was a simple cracked windshield effect, the second was a crash where the car explodes into car parts that fly through the air.[4]

References

Notes
  1. ↑ (Gaming History 2009)
  2. ↑ (Yu 2002)
  3. ↑ "1". Speed Freak Operating Manual. 1979. p. 2.
  4. ↑ "2". Speed Freak Operating Manual. 1979. p. 3.
Sources
  • "Speed Freak: The [Coin-Op] Arcade Video Game". Gaming History. 2009-08-28. Retrieved 2014-12-27.
  • Speed Freak: Operation and Maintenance Manual (PDF). Union City, CA: Vectorbeam. 1979.
  • Wolf, Mark J. P. (2008). The Video Game Explosion: A History from PONG to Playstation and Beyond. Westport, CT: Greenwood. ISBN 978-0-313-33868-7.
  • Yu, Andrea (2002-01-24). "Pedal To The Metal: From arcade classics' sparse graphics to today's lifelike games, racing titles have come a long way". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2014-12-27.
  • "Speed Freak (1978)". Killer List of Video Games (KLOV). 2014.
  • "Speed Freak Advertising Flyer". The Arcade Flyer Archive. 2003-05-07.
  • William Hunter (2007-09-25). "Speed Freak - Arcade (Vectorbeam 1977)". YouTube. - YouTube video of Speed Freak gameplay
  • MrF4brice (2010-05-01). "Vectorbeam Speed Freak arcade cabinet (1978)". YouTube. - YouTube video of a restored Vectorbeam Speed Freak cabinet being tested.
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