World Driver Championship

World Driver Championship is an automobile racing video game. It was developed by Boss Game Studios and published for the Nintendo 64 by Midway Games. It is notable for having especially high quality graphics.

Not to be confused with World Drivers' Championship.
World Driver Championship
North American box art
Developer(s)Boss Game Studios
Publisher(s)Midway
Producer(s)Kevin Potter
Designer(s)Brian McNeely
Programmer(s)Brian Fehdrau
Rob Povey
Artist(s)Todd Keller
Martin Sawkins
Composer(s)Zack Ohren
Platform(s)Nintendo 64
Release
  • NA: June 15, 1999[1]
  • EU: November 1999
Genre(s)Racing game
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Gameplay

World Driver Championship is a racing game that features ten locations. Most locations feature six tracks (marked "A", "B", and "C"), three of which are in reverse (marked "R" next to "A", "B", and "C"). The exception is Black Forest, which has only four tracks, two of them being in reverse. These are the ten locations: Hawaii, USA; Les Gets, France; Las Vegas, USA; Auckland, New Zealand; Lisbon, Portugal; Rome, Italy; Sydney, Australia; Zurich, Switzerland; Kyoto, Japan; and the Black Forest in Germany.

Development

The game was showcased at E3 1999.[2] One of the last racing simulations to be released for Nintendo 64, this graphically intensive title uses custom microcode optimization and high polygon count modelling. The development team was able to optimize the usage of the various processors within the N64 to allow a great draw distance (reducing the need for fog or pop-up), highly detailed texturing and models, Doppler effect MP3 audio, and advanced lighting and fog effects for realistic weather conditions. Increasingly prevalent toward the latter years of the N64's commercial lifetime, the game has a high resolution 640x480 mode that does not require the add-on N64 RAM Expansion Pak. Additionally, unlike many other games of its type on the platform, the game runs high resolution at a smooth pace.

The soundtrack, consisting of original rock and heavy metal tunes, was composed by musician Zack Ohren.

Reception

Although World Driver Championship received generally positive reviews from critics,[3] it suffered from intense competition at the time. While the game was an improvement in nearly every way compared to Boss's similar earlier effort, Top Gear Rally, it was up against the impressive new Gran Turismo series and other new racers. Complaints included a somewhat unconvincing driving physics model, non-licensed cars, and poor sound effects and music quality. The dislike for the physics model often stems from the beginning cars being difficult to drive and offering a "sloppy" feeling of control. Next Generation praised the game, stating that "Arcade racing fans may find it too tough, but this is a must-buy for anyone who wants a realistic GT racing game."[10]

References
  1. "World Driver: Championship Ships [date mislabeled "April 27, 2000"]". GameSpot. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
  2. "Midway is "Ready 2 Rumble" At E3 With Its Knock-Out Product Lineup". Business Wire. May 13, 1999. Archived from the original on June 6, 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2021 – via The Free Dictionary.
  3. "World Driver Championship". Metacritic. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  4. McCall, Scott. "World Driver: Championship". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  5. "World Driver Championship". Edge. No. 74. Future Publishing. August 1999. p. 88.
  6. "World Driver Championship". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 120. Ziff Davis. July 1999. p. 127.
  7. Mac Donald, Ryan (April 28, 2000). "World Driver Championship Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 12, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  8. Schneider, Peer (June 16, 1999). "World Driver Championship Review". IGN. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  9. Bickham, Jes (September 1999). "World Driver Championship". N64 Magazine. No. 32. Future Publishing. pp. 56–61.
  10. Erickson, Daniel (September 1999). "World Driver Championship". Next Generation. Vol. 2, no. 1. Imagine Media. p. 85.
  11. "World Driver: Championship". Nintendo Power. No. 122. Nintendo of America. July 1999. p. 112.
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