One thing that Stunt Car Racer was most successful at, which makes it stand out like a diamond in comparison to its contemporaries like Outrun, Test Drive and Supercars, was recreating the sensation of speed. Unlike something like Chase HQ, where you could visibly see the sprites and obstacles drift past the display, Stunt Car Racer made you feel like you were going fast. The car would shake, the track would shake - the whole screen would shake. Speed was your friend, but it was also your enemy, as your vehicle came apart at the seams and you overshot the jump, slipped off the banked corner or careered across the track.
Hammer the turbo at the wrong time, and the track will be a distant memory. Because of these mechanics, Stunt Car Racer didn't need a timer to tell you how much time was going here, or some invented gimmick to convince you that the track was nipping by you. Compare it with something like the Lotus series – Stunt Car Racer still feels fast, Lotus crawls by like one of those cell phone games so prevalent at the moment. It is the sensation of speed, and thus excitement that sets Stunt Car Racer apart.
Of course, in the context of today’s games like Gran Turismo, equipped with enough depth to keep you playing throughout the year, there’s a danger that Stunt Car Racer might look like a desktop
toy more than an involving racing game. 8 tracks, races lasting three minutes or less, four ‘divisions’ (groups of two opponents) make for limited options. You’ll spend most of your time beating yourself, and it lacks the comprehensiveness of Crammond’s other games.
But, if we are looking for sheer excellence in mechanical design, a true sense of motion and above all, a fun rollercoaster (and several tracks are pretty similar rollercoaster) of a racing game, look no further than this true classic.
