Similar Games: Pole Position (Atari Video Computer System), Street Racer (Atari Video Computer System), Race (Atari Video Computer System)
Game Description
Obviously patterned after Race, Indy 4 and Sprint 2, all of which hit the arcades in 1976, Indy 500 is one of the better of the nine Atari VCS launch titles. Viewed from an overhead perspective, the game features 14 variations composed of four types of races: Race Car, Crash n' Score, Tag and Ice Race. Depending on mode selected, players race on an assortment of tracks, attempt to crash into a white square as many times as possible, or purposely run into or avoid the opponent's car. The game includes (and requires) special paddle driving controllers, which are precise and can be rotated continuously in either direction. Characterized by sharp twists and turns, highly competitive two-player action and simple, but effective graphics and sound effects, Indy 500 belongs in every VCS owner's collection.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Roots & Influences
This game looks and plays a lot like Sprint 2, which hit the arcades in 1976.
Indy 500 is a video game developed by Atari for its Video Computer System (later known as the Atari 2600). The game was one of the nine launch titles offered when the Atari 2600 went on sale October 1977. Sears Telegames later released Indy 500 as Race; no changes were made to the gameplay. Indy 500 was based on the earlier 8-player arcade game Indy 800.
This video car racing game — ostensibly named after the Indianapolis 500 — offered a number of games (listed below).
Included with each game was a set of two driving controllers, which were identical in appearance to the paddle controller except they could rotate continuously.
Standardized racing games: Players could opt to race against the clock or complete 25 laps around the course the soonest. A number of courses were featured (either dry or "ice-covered").
Crash and Score: Players competed — either against each other or a computer opponent — to crash into a white square randomly placed on the track. The square was moved whenever one player crashed into it.
Tag: Each player controlled a car. One was blinking and had to avoid being struck by the other car (which was "it").
Ice Race: Standardized racing, but with a race course that was supposed to be covered in ice, and thus behaved as if it were slippery.
Options
Each game allowed the player to determine the following:
Whether the game had a time limit or continued until a certain score was reached.
The number of players (one or two). In one-player games, the player competed against a computer opponent.
