When I played Night Driver as a child, I was impressed by the illusion of speed and movement. I still am, especially considering this is an earlier Atari title. It is also a port of an arcade title.
Roadside posts, or lines or whatever, scroll smoothly, granting the effect of forward movement. The nighttime setting adds another unique layer.
The scenery consists of trees and houses, and very blocky car monsters. Hey, this is an early title, and it shows in the graphics. Your own car is a good example of this, and it's as basic as it gets.
The graphics don't matter much here, because the gimmick and gameplay carry the game. To be honest, I was never very good at this, and haven't improved. With practice, though, I think anyone could get pretty good. It's all in the power of the paddle!
The car has no brakes, but letting off the gas slows it, which is helpful around tight turns. Apparently, the course is the same in all but the random variations, which means with enough practice, you could memorize this thing. I'll bet some people can whiz through it.
Final Night Driver Review:
If you're interested in a bit of early Atari programming wizardry, and you like racing games, give Night Driver a chance. I can't recommend Night Driver for just anyone, however, because there are more engaging racers on the 2600, such as Enduro.
I recommend Night Driver for Atari Nerds and Collectors.
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