Super Sprint is a 1986 racing video game created and released by Atari Games for arcade machines. Up to three players control cars similar to those in Formula One racing on a circuit seen from above. The game follows Gran Trak 10 and the Sprint series, which were first made by Atari, Inc. in the 1970s. In 1986, the game was changed and released again as Championship Sprint with new tracks. This version was made available on the Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum in 1987. The 1990 game Badlands added car battles to racing gameplay similar to Super Sprint.

Gameplay

Up to three players race at the same time on a circuit against computer-controlled opponents. The circuits are seen from above. They always fit on the screen, so the game does not scroll. After completing three laps, the winner moves to the next circuit. There are eight circuits in total, but the game ends only when the player reaches race 85, where a bonus Super Speedway circuit is played. As the player progresses to higher levels, more obstacles appear on the track, such as oil puddles and small tornadoes. If the car touches these obstacles, the player loses control for a short time. Crashing into a wall at high speed or falling from a bridge destroys the car, but a helicopter will appear to replace it.

The car can be customized by collecting wrenches found on the track. The player can trade three wrenches for improvements, such as better traction, faster acceleration, or a higher top speed.

Ports

In 1987, the game Super Sprint was released on the Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum by a British company called Electric Dreams Software. In 1989, a version of the game that was not officially approved by the original publisher was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System by Tengen, which was part of Atari. This version was later made officially approved for the Japanese market in 1991 by a Japanese company named Altron. In 1988, the game was also released on the Atari 2600 under the name Sprint Master.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine named Super Sprint as the second most successful upright/cockpit arcade machine in August 1986. During the second half of 1986, it was Japan's eighth most successful upright/cockpit arcade game, and the ninth most successful upright/cockpit game of the entire year. In 1987, it became Japan's tenth most successful upright/cockpit arcade game.

In 1996, Next Generation magazine ranked the arcade version of the game number 59 on their list of the "Top 100 Games of All Time." They noted that the game's handling, where the car does not turn as expected, is not realistic but creates a sense of urgency during play.

Legacy

In 1986, Championship Sprint was released. It is very similar to Super Sprint but has different tracks and uses a standard two-player cabinet instead of Super Sprint's wide three-player cabinet. The game was made available on the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and Commodore 64.

Badlands is a post-apocalyptic version of Super Sprint. It was released in arcades by Atari Games in 1990 and includes weapons for the vehicles.

A Game Boy Advance version of the game was released in 2005 along with Spy Hunter in a dual-game pack.

Super Sprint is part of the compilation Midway Arcade Treasures, which includes the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Windows versions. Its sequel, Championship Sprint, was included in Midway Arcade Treasures 2 for the same systems and as a downloadable game for the PlayStation 3. Both games are also part of the 2012 compilation Midway Arcade Origins for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

In 2016, Super Sprint was made available again in the Lego Dimensions Midway Arcade Level Pack.