Power Drift (パワードリフト, Pawā Dorifuto) is a kart racing game released in arcades by Sega in 1988. It uses better technology than Sega's earlier games, such as Hang-On (1985) and Out Run (1986). In Power Drift, the entire world and track are made up of sprites. The improved hardware of the Sega Y Board allows individual sprites and the background to be rotated and scaled, creating more lively visuals.
Designed and directed by Yu Suzuki, the game was very successful when it was released. It was later released on home computers in Europe by Activision in 1989. A version for the PC Engine was published in Japan by Asmik Ace in 1990. The game was not available on Sega consoles until the Sega Ages release for the Sega Saturn in 1998.
Gameplay
The goal is to complete each race in third place or higher to move to the next stage. Players may continue racing if they finish in fourth place or lower before the game ends, but their score will not increase if they continue.
The tracks have a roller coaster-like design, with steep hills and drops. Players can "fall" off higher parts of the track. To create this experience, the sit-down cabinet is placed on a raised hydraulic platform that moves and shakes strongly. Each of the five circuits, labeled A through E, has a unique theme. For example, Circuit A includes city settings, Circuit B features deserts, and Circuit C has beaches. Each course includes four laps.
Every track has a specific name. Course A includes Springfield Ovalshape, Foofy Hilltop, Snowhill Drive, Octopus Oval, and Curry De Parl. Course B includes Swingshot City, Phantom Riverbend, Octangular Ovalshape, Charlotte Beach, and Highland Spheres. Course C includes Bum Beach, Jason Bendyline, Nighthawk City, Zanussi Island, and Wasteman Freefall. Course D includes Mexico Colours, Oxygen Desert, Jamie Road, Monaco Da Farce, and Blow Hairpin. Course E includes Aisthorpe Springrose Valley, Patterson Nightcity, Lydia Rightaway, Bungalow Ridgeway, and Karen Longway.
If players win all five tracks (shown by five gold trophies on the display behind the course letter), an "Extra Stage" is unlocked. In this stage, players use a car from other Sega games. Courses A, C, and E let players race with the F-14 Tomcat fighter jet from After Burner II. Courses B and D allow players to race with the motorcycle from Super Hang-On. During a race, players can press the start button to view a rear view of the track.
Ports
Power Drift was released on several home computers, including the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MSX, Amiga, Atari ST, MS-DOS, and ZX Spectrum, by Activision in 1989. These versions do not include the tilting movement found in the original arcade game. A version for the PC Engine was created by Copya Systems and released only in Japan by Asmik Ace Entertainment on April 13, 1990.
A version for the Sega Mega Drive was planned but never made available. A 32X version was being developed by Sega but was not released. Dempa also worked on a Sega CD version, which was not sold to the public.
Sega later released Power Drift for the Sega Saturn as part of the Sega Ages collection in Japan on February 26, 1998. The game was also included in Yu Suzuki Game Works Vol. 1 for the Dreamcast on December 1, 2001.
Power Drift was also part of the Nintendo 3DS collection called Sega 3D Reprint Archives, which was released on April 26, 2016.
Reception
In Japan, Game Machine listed Power Drift in their 1988 issue as the second most successful upright arcade machine of the month. It later became the fourth highest-selling arcade game in Japan during 1989. The ZX Spectrum version of the game pushed the long-standing RoboCop off the top of the UK sales charts in 1989.
When Power Drift was released in 1988, it received praise from critics. Sinclair User magazine gave it a perfect score of 10 out of 10, comparing it to Sega’s popular 1986 arcade game Out Run and calling it a major technical achievement. The magazine also highlighted the game’s impressive graphics and exciting gameplay. Andy Smith from Advanced Computer Entertainment described it as an exciting and fast-paced racing game set in a futuristic car that combines the best features of Out Run and Buggy Boy (1985) to create a great driving experience.
GameFan magazine reviewed the PC Engine version of the game and gave it a score of 172 out of 200.
Sinclair User magazine awarded the arcade version of Power Drift the title of "Racing Game of 1988." They called it "without doubt, the single most spectacular game ever to arrive in an arcade," praising its fast speed and the way the track moves up, down, and side to side during the race. They described the experience as "fab."
Guinness World Records recognized Power Drift as the "First kart racing videogame" because it was released before Super Mario Kart in 1992.