Stock Car (video game)

Stock Car is an overhead-view racing video game written by A. W. Halse and published in the UK by Micro Power.[1][2] It was released in 1984 for the BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, and Commodore 64 computers.[1][2][3] Although the cassette inlay gives the release date as 1984, some sources state the release date as 1983, and the game is also known as Stock Car Racer.[4][5]

Stock Car
Acorn Electron cassette cover
Developer(s)A. W. Halse
Publisher(s)Micro Power
Platform(s)Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Commodore 64
Release1984
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, two-player

Stock Car is similar to Atari, Inc.'s Sprint 2 arcade game (1976) and Indy 500 for the Atari VCS (1977).

Gameplay
In-game screenshot (Acorn Electron)

The game provides a top-down view of one of six user-selectable racing tracks. One or two human players in red cars compete against yellow computer-controlled cars. Oil slicks can be added which cause the cars to veer off-course, making the game more challenging. The amount of skidding can also be selected by the player. A race consists of anything between 1 and 40 laps.[1]

Players can steer their car left and right, but unlike most racing games, there are no keys for directly braking or accelerating. Instead, the player drives by selecting one of four gears (or neutral) and the car will accelerate according to the currently selected gear.[6]

Reception

Tom Bowker describes the game as "primitive", but he "loved it deeply".[6]

The game was reviewed in the August 1984 edition of Acorn User (Issue 25) [7] [8] and later briefly mentioned in issue 4.03 of Electron User as part of the ten-game Micro Power Magic[9] compilation, where it was described as "very realistic". [10]

Legacy

Another game, Grand Prix by S. Merrigan on the Triple Deckers volume 1 compilation was described by Dave Reeder as "a very poor copy of Stock Car".[11]

References
  1. "Stock Car - cimweb.co.uk ( The complete text from inside the tape cover )". Micro Power. 1984. Retrieved 2010-10-08. Stock Car is a car racing game for one or two players with a choice of 6 different circuits to race around
  2. "8-BIT SOFTWARE: STOCK CAR". www.8bs.com. Retrieved 2010-10-08. Standalone Release(s)  : 1984: STOCK CAR, Micro Power, £6.95
  3. Lemon, Kim. "Stock Car Micro Power". www.lemon64.com. Retrieved 2010-10-08. Genre: Racing, Overhead Players: 1 or 2, Simultaneous
  4. "Stock Car Racer for BBC Micro". www.gamefaqs.com. Retrieved 2010-10-08. Stock Car Racer is a Racing game, developed and published by Micro Power, which was released in Europe in 1983.
  5. "Stock Car Racer for BBC Micro". GameSpot. Retrieved 2010-10-09. Stock Car Racer Tech Info
  6. Bowker, Tom (2010-08-17). "The stuff racing dreams are made of". onlineracedriver.com. Retrieved 2010-10-08. To drive the car you didn't have an 'accelerate' and 'brake' but instead a choice of four gears which gradually increased and decreased your speed.
  7. "Acorn User - August 1984". The Centre for Computing History. Retrieved 2010-10-08. Games Stock Car from Micropower Airline from CES
  8. "Acorn User Archives: Issue 25 : August 1984". Acorn User. Retrieved 2010-10-08. Stock Car from Micropower, Airline from CES
  9. "Micro Power Magic". The Centre for Computing History. Retrieved 2010-10-08. This exhibit has a reference ID of CH5416.
  10. Riddell, James. "Best Compilation Bargain". Electron User (Issue 4.03). Retrieved 2010-10-08. Power your car round a choice of six circuits, dodge the computer controlled cars and oil slicks.
  11. Reeder, Dave. "Triple Deckers". A&B Computing Volume 5 No. 03. Retrieved 2010-10-08. Volume 1 contains a very poor copy of STOCK CAR by S. Merrigan called GRAND PRIZ
  • Stock Car at Gamebase 64
  • Video of the game on the Acorn Electron
  • Video of the game on the BBC Micro
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