Power Drift - Link Version (Japan, Rev A) - MAME machine

Arcade Video game published 36 years ago:

Power Drift © 1988 Sega.

Power Drift is a fast-moving lap-based racing game in which players choose to race on one of five different circuits, each made up of five stages. The game's tracks have a 'roller-coaster' feel to them, with steep climbs, sudden drops and tight chicanes. It's also possible to fall from many of the higher, raised sections of a track, sending the car crashing to the ground below and losing valuable seconds. Each race takes place over four laps and players must finish in 3rd place or better to progress to the next stage. Finishing lower than third place results in a 'game over' but players can insert more credits to continue from the current stage.

In addition to its twisting, abstract courses, Power Drift also features a tilting axis; as players steer left and right, the screen display mirrors the controller's movements and tilts on its axis (in a fashion similar to another Sega game, "After Burner"). The game's difficulty level is determined by the type of car the player chooses to race with. The RED car (with bigger wheels) sets the difficulty level at 'easy', the BLUE car at 'normal', the ORANGE car at 'hard' and GREY car at 'hardest'.

The game's five circuits are labelled from A to E, with each having its own visual theme (for example, circuit A is city-based, circuit B desert-based, circuit C beach-based etc.)

The circuits and their corresponding stages are:

• Course A - Springfield Ovalshape, Foofy Hilltop, Snowhill Drive, Octopus Oval, Curry De Parl
• Course B - Swingshot City, Phantom Riverbend, Octangular Ovalshape, Charlotte Beach, Highland Spheres
• Course C - Bum Beach, Jason Bendyline, Nighthawk City, Zanussi Island, Wasteman Freefall
• Course D - Mexico Colours, Oxygen Desert, Jamie Road, Monaco Da Farce, Blow Hairpin
• Course E - Aisthorpe Springrose Valley, Patterson Nightcity, Lydia Rightaway, Bungalow Ridgeway, Karen Longway

"Power Drift" features two hidden bonus courses. Finishing in first place on all tracks of courses B and D will allow players will get to race a special track using the bike from Sega's classic 1985 racer, "Hang-On". Finish first on all five tracks of any given group (A to E) and players will get to race a special track using the jet from "After Burner".

Each course has its own theme song, and they are as follows:
Course A - Side Street
Course B - Like the Wind
Course C - Silent Language
Course D - Adjustment Mind
Course E - Artistic Traps

TECHNICAL
[Sit-Down model]
Sega Y-Board hardware

Main CPU: (3x) 68000 (@ 12.5 Mhz)
Sound CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound Chips: Yamaha YM2151 (@ 4 Mhz), Sega (@ 4 Mhz)

Players: 1
Control: paddle
Buttons: 1

TRIVIA
Power Drift was released in August 1988.

Also released as "Power Drift [Deluxe Sit-Down model]".

Pony Canyon/Scitron released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Power Drift & Mega Drive: G.S.M. Sega 2 - D28B0010) on 08/12/1988.

TIPS AND TRICKS

• The game's difficulty level is determined by the type of car the player chooses to race with. The RED car (with bigger wheels) sets the difficulty level at 'easy', the BLUE car at 'normal', the ORANGE car at 'hard' and GRAY car at 'hardest'.
• Press the START button while playing for a rear view. One thing to note is that Power Drift's gear change (from low to high, such as at the start of a race or after a crash) should be implemented much quicker than in other arcade racers.
• Extra bonus stages:

Finishing in first place on all tracks of courses B and D will allow players will get to race a special track using the bike from Sega's classic 1985 racer, "Hang-On".
Finish first on all five tracks of any given group (A to E) and players will get to race a special track using the jet from "After Burner".

• If you enter SEX on the high-score table, you will see the message DANGER DANGER.

If you enter the following intial on the high-score table with Brake & Start Button pressed, you will see the following messages (select one of two messages with gear):
SEX: LAKE YOU ? ME TOO ! & MACHINE T.K.G.!!
KEY: I LOVE MAKIKO. & I LOVE CYNDI.
TKG: I LOVE RAY CHAN. & I LOVE RIE CHAN.
GAK: SAKICHI !! KITARO !! & I LOVE CHISAKI !
OKA: I AM TALLER THAN T.K.G. ! & KIM SAN ISSHOU TUITE IKIMASU.
REE: HALLO !! LETS FIND ANOTHER MESSAGES. & ARE YOU M2C2 MENBER?
NAK: NIGASITA SAKANA WA DECOI.
AKI: LUCY IS MINE! & EMILY IS MINE!
MAT: DO YOU KNOW ELEPHANT SMELL??
SAD: I LOVE KAYURI CHINA & NS400 IS FARSTEST BIKE IN THE WORLD.
HIR: MUSIC DESIGN BY HIRO. & SOUND DESIGN BY MY DESHI.

STAFF
Designed by: Yu Suzuki (YU.)
Musics: Hiroshi Miyauchi
Sounds: (DESHI)
Staff: (SAD), (KOM), (OTA), (REE), (MAT), (LCY)

PORTS

• CONSOLES:

[JP] NEC PC-Engine (Apr. 13, 1990) "Power Drift [Model AS02002]"
Sega CD: Unreleased prototype
[JP] Sega Saturn (Feb. 26, 1998) "Power Drift [Sega Ages] [Model GS-9181]"
[JP] Sega Dreamcast (Dec. 20, 2001) "Yu Suzuki Game Works Vol.1 [Model ASP001]"

• COMPUTERS:

Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1989)
Amstrad CPC (1989)
Commodore C64 (1989)
Commodore Amiga (1989)
Atari ST (1989)
PC [MS-DOS, 5.25"] (1989)

CONTRIBUTE
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