MotoRace USA
Arcade flyer
Developer(s)Irem
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Arcade, NES, SG-1000
Release
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Two players alternating turns

MotoRace USA (also known as Traverse USA, in Japan as Zippy Race,[lower-alpha 1] and in Spain as Mototour) is a racing video game developed and released in arcades by Irem in 1983. In North America, it was released by Williams Electronics. Cabinet art was done by Larry Day and Bruce Schafernak of Advertising Posters in Chicago. The player controls a racer who must travel on a motorcycle from Los Angeles to New York City.

Gameplay

Arcade screenshot

Every level has two parts:

  1. The first part uses an overhead point of view, in which overtaken cars cause the player's rank to increment by 1 per car. The current rank is shown in the bottom right hand corner of the game screen during each stage.
  2. The second part uses a third-person point of view, in which the player must try not to crash into the opposite cars while a background relative to the city they're traveling to is shown (i.e.: if the player is reaching Las Vegas, then a few casinos can be seen in the background). Oncoming cars passed do not increase the player's rank.

There are five different stages that the player encounters on their way to the final destination (NY) before the game starts back at stage one as outlined below. These stages alternate from tarmac on stages one, three and five, to unsealed (dirt) roads on stages two and four. On the tarmac stages bonus fuel can be picked up by running over the gas can icon. There is also a "wheelie" section which when run over causes the rider's bike to do a wheelstand and gain bonus points. On the dirt road stages both fuel and points can be gained by running over the gas cans or the score amounts indicated on the playfield. On the dirt road stage there are several log bridges that cross water and a "jump" section on some bridges - riding over the jump icon results in a score bonus. On all stages there are puddles of water which, if ridden through, render the bike unable to steer for a short period of time and a tire squealing sound is played briefly.

Crashing into cars, road edges, bushes/trees, rocks or missing a bridge and riding into the water on a dirt road stage results in the motorcycle stopping and restarting; costing the player an amount of fuel. Running out of fuel prevents the motorcycle from going any further and causes the game to be over, but in the arcade version, the player can continue by inserting more coins (if necessary) and pressing START. Crashing can also result (especially in later levels) in being overtaken by cars which decreases the player's rank.

As the player reaches each city the rank achieved results in a bonus amount being added to the score and extra fuel added to the player's total. The higher the position achieved, the more points and fuel is awarded.

When the player reaches NY, a sign saying "Viva NY" is shown while the Statue of Liberty waves its hand and "The Star-Spangled Banner" is played. After this, the game restarts with the player's score intact but the difficulty increases and the player has a higher capacity motorcycle (with correspondingly faster top speed).[5]

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed MotoRace USA in their July 1983 issues as being the most successful new table arcade unit of the month.[6][7]

Legacy

An updated version of the game has been announced for release exclusively for the Intellivision Amico.[8]

See also

  • Racing Damashii, motorcycle racing game from Irem for the Game Boy, released in 1991 exclusively in Japan

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: ジッピーレース, Hepburn: Jippī Rēsu

References

  1. ↑ "Video Game Flyers: Mototour, Comercial Electronica (Spain)". The Arcade Flyer Archive. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  2. ↑ "MotoRace U S A. (Registration Number PA0000188002)". United States Copyright Office. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  3. ↑ "Manufacturers Equipment" (PDF). Cash Box. February 2, 1985. p. 42.
  4. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (13 October 2006). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) [Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005)] (in Japanese). Japan: Amusement News Agency. p. 120. ISBN 978-4990251215.
  5. ↑ "8 paid iPhone apps you can download for free on September 19th". 2019-09-19.
  6. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型新製品 (New Videos-Table Type)" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 215. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 July 1983. p. 29.
  7. ↑ "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 216. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 July 1983. p. 37.
  8. ↑ "Intellivision® Reveals Initial Details For The Upcoming Amico™ Home Video Game Console!". PR Newswire (Press release). Retrieved October 13, 2020.
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