Test Drive

Released in 1987 by Accolade and developed by Distinctive Software, Test Drive marked the beginning of a long-running franchise that would shape the landscape of racing video games. At the time, racing titles often focused on strictly track-based action, but Test Drive broke fresh ground by offering a scenic, high-speed route along a perilous mountain highway. Players had the chance to take the wheel of some of the era’s most desirable supercars, including the Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari Testarossa, making the experience feel aspirational and immersive for car enthusiasts.

Gameplay was straightforward but gripping: you selected a car, pulled out of a cliff-side parking lot, and attempted to make it to a series of gas stations before running out of time. The twist came from evasive maneuvers around regular traffic and the constant threat of police radar, shocking the player with oncoming tickets if caught speeding. Unlike its contemporaries, Test Drive provided a cockpit view replicating the dashboard of each car model, which was a standout feature in an era of basic sprite graphics. The digitized engine sounds were also ahead of their time, adding to the sense of speed and tension.

Visually, Test Drive was bound by the constraints of late 1980s computing, but what it achieved was striking. The sense of depth and speed as the highway wound across cliffs and tunnels was thrilling. While the windowed view was small and the roadside scenery repetitive, details like rear-view mirrors to spot pursuing police cars added to the simulation feel. Although later PC and Amiga ports improved fidelity, even the original versions on less powerful machines made an impression with their smooth scrolling and atmospheric presentation.

Despite the game's innovations, there were some rough edges. Controls could feel sluggish or imprecise, a byproduct of both hardware limitations and early attempts at realistic car physics. Crashes invariably led to frustrating delays, and the AI of police cruisers was more arbitrary than tactical. The game’s replayability suffered somewhat once the novelty of each car wore off, as the single stretch of highway had little variation. Nonetheless, for its time, Test Drive offered a sense of high-speed danger and automotive glamour unmatched by rival games.

Test Drive can also be credited for laying the groundwork for open-road and exotic car racing games. It embraced a fantasy embraced by enthusiasts—running from the law in rare supercars along forbidden roads. This DNA can be traced directly to beloved franchises like Need for Speed, which built on Test Drive’s legacy with larger budgets and technology. The accessibility, evocative subject matter, and then-advanced sense of realism provided a template that countless games would riff on in the following decades.

Test Drive’s importance extends beyond its mechanics; it remains a cultural touchstone that captured the dreams of automotive fans at a time when access to high-end cars or even accurate in-game counterparts was rare. The series would later expand into new directions, enjoy technological leaps, and compete with other racing heavyweights, but it all started on that narrow, sun-splashed mountain road. For both nostalgic gamers and newcomers interested in the history of racing games, Test Drive is still worth revisiting as a charming, ambitious milestone in driving game history.