Slipstream (950515 HISPANIC) - MAME machine

Arcade Video game published 29 years ago:

Slipstream © 1995 Capcom.

Slipstream is a sprite-based Formula One racing game featuring four different race tracks; Germany, Japan, Australia and the obligatory Monaco.

players can chose to race in any one of eight different F-1 racing cars, with each offering different levels of handling, acceleration, speed and grip. The game also offers three different play modes; Time Trial (raced over a single course), World Championship (raced over all four courses) and Time Trial (also raced over all four courses).

Each car has a basic high and low gear. Also, as the player races the course, a 'Turbo' meter builds up. The Turbo will occasionally kick in and give the player's car a temporary speed boost. Rival cars are also able to turbo-boost.

TECHNICAL
Runs on the Sega "System 32" hardware.

Players: 1
Control: paddle
Buttons: 1

TRIVIA
Released as a prototype in April 1995. Slipstream is one of the rarest Capcom arcade games around, due to the fact that only 150 units were ever made. It didn't sell well and as a result never made it beyond the prototype stage.

The reasons for its lack of success was obvious; it was dated before it was even released. Its adequate but unremarkable use of sprite-scaling, as well as its basic gameplay mechanic, were more suited to the arcade scene of the late eighties than the mid nineties, and had it been released five or 6 years earlier, the story may well have been different. To put its shortcomings into perspective, Namco's superb 'Ridge Racer' had been released 2 years earlier, and by 1995, racing games and the technology they were utilizing far outstripped Capcom's meagre offering.

Capcom decided to license the System 32 hardware from Sega for this game. This is the only known non-Sega game to use this hardware.

CONTRIBUTE
Edit this entry: https://www.arcade-history.com/?&page=detail&id=2473&o=2