- Release Date: 1995
- Genre: Sports
- Style: Skiing
- Similar Games: Snowboard Kids (Nintendo 64), Alpine Racer 2 (Arcade), Hang On (Arcade), 720° (Nintendo Entertainment System), Rapid River (Arcade), Surf Planet (Arcade), Skate or Die (Nintendo Entertainment System), Snowboard Kids 2 (Nintendo 64), Skate or Die (Commodore 64/128), 1080° Snowboarding (Nintendo 64)
Game Description
Featuring a uniquely realistic control system complete with workable skis and a set of poles, Alpine Racer lets players race downhill on three different beautifully rendered courses, each with its own character and style. Speed races involve taking on three computer-controlled skiers while in-the-gate competitions pit players against a single virtual opponent. As with so many racers, players are given a finite amount of time to reach various checkpoints in order to keep playing. The ski poles don't move, but the simulation, aided by 3D polygonal graphics, solid physics, stereo sound and a 50-inch screen, is extremely effective nonetheless. Alpine Racer stands out from the pack, but only 2,000 or so of the cabinets were produced, making it a hard to find.~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Roots & Influences
Alpine Racer was probably the result of several factors: there were few skiing video games available; the success of extreme sports games like Skate or Die and California Games opened the door for a winter event-based game; and interactive control schemes, like those found in Hang On and other racing games, had become easier to design and build.~ Anthony Baize, All Game Guide
Review: Overall
Realistic graphics, sounds, and controls put video gamers in a truly interactive situation, making Alpine Racer one of the best skiing simulations ever developed. To be any more realistic, the game would have to launch small ice particles from the screen. So until developers introduce such technology into arcades, Alpine Racer is your best bet for realistic snow skiing.Alpine Racer's visual presentation is stunning. The artists have rendered all three courses beautifully, giving each course its own character and style. Whether racing in the straight downhill or in the slalom-style gate race, you are constantly barraged with terrific graphics. From the snow to the trees to the billboards, this game looks great. Alpine Racer has one of the best graphics packages of any 1995
The sound is also spectacular. From the "shush" of the skis in wet snow to the "whoosh" of solid objects cutting through air, Alpine Racer delivers a realistic soundscape. While most (if not all) of the sounds are computer-generated, they are so close to the real thing, you would swear the effects are actual recorded samples from different ski slopes around the world.
Even when taking Alpine Racer's audiovisual package into account, you still have no idea how great the game is until you step into the skis. If there is one selling point that will turn you from an Alpine Racer fan into an Alpine Racer addict, it has to be the control scheme. While the skis are a little shorter than regulation (to fit into the console), and the poles probably don't move to avoid lawsuits from gamers constantly falling, Alpine Racer's controls are nothing short of spectacular. When you work the skis, your body gets tense, your hands tighten on the pole grips, and actually sweat. The controls absorb you so much, you feel wind on your face.
Namco did not produce many Alpine Racer consoles, so if you are lucky enough to find one in an
~ Anthony Baize, All Game Guide
Review: Enjoyment
The skiing control scheme makes this game amazing. Stepping onto the skis puts you into a different realm.~ Anthony Baize, All Game Guide
Review: Graphics
This game sports superb graphics with very few glitches.~ Anthony Baize, All Game Guide
Review: Sound
Alpine Racer's sound is incredible.~ Anthony Baize, All Game Guide
Review: Replay Value
With only three course, {*Alpine Racer} can become tedious after several sessions.~ Anthony Baize, All Game Guide
Review: Documentation
N/A~ Anthony Baize, All Game Guide
