Pole Position 1982

Is it still worth playing?

A racing game developed and published by Namco for arcades in 1982, and released by Atari in North America, built on the company's earlier electro mechanical racing machines such as F-1. You drive a Formula One car at Fuji Speedway in a rear view with scaling sprites, and a cockpit cabinet had you sit behind a real wheel. A one lap time trial within a time limit sets your starting position among seven computer cars, and the race then has a set number of laps, with more time granted after each one. Puddles, collisions and fast curves make you lose control, and a billboard destroys your car. It was the first racing game with a track based on a real circuit and the first with a qualifying lap. It led to a sequel and a cartoon. One lap to qualify and one race against the clock still make the rules clear at a glance.