2015/2/17: Odyssey 2: Death Race
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2015/2/17: Odyssey 2: Death Race
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2015/2/17: Odyssey 2: Death Race
Thanks for the review of the Odyssey homebrew Dave.
Its a fair grade and review. You sure do get stuck a lot in those crosses, and its fun to hunt down 'gremlins' when they come out of the safe zone and you zig zag at them!
The review would benefit by a mention of the 1975 Roger Corman movie, Death Race 2000 (starring David "Kwai Chang" Carradine and with Sylvester Stallone in a small role). Its sort of a Mad Max style movie where racers in some dystopia really do run down people for points. The game (like the Jaws game of the time) is trying to piggy back on the movie, so some outrage against 'gremlins' and the war on pedestrians is understandable because it was intended (or at least glued on after the fact). Call'em gremlins, but if you prick them, do they not bleed?
Its more from the movie than the arcade game (which I never played back in the day) that I got a copy. I agree there should be more gameplay here. For a simple one button joystick game, I felt like even it was not being used. I don't mind that I have to pull back for reverse, even if I'm reversing up...I can figure that out, but I should be able to press my red action button and shoot the other car! Or drop a mine (or in the case of the movie, a boobie trapped babydoll, cause its that kind of movie). Or have the equivalent of the UFO in asteroids, maybe a helicopter...something to build in a food chain where you are both predator and prey.
Glad I got a copy though.
EDIT: For those interested in the original arcade game, check out this blog
http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2012/12/death-race.html
The game is the successor to "Destruction Derby" where the two cars tried to bang each other up, and the last one driveable was the winner. Merging the two games would be a neat variation.
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2015/2/17: Odyssey 2: Death Race
I think that this is a fairly accurate conversion, except that the arcade game was actually in black & white rather than color! The game play is pretty close: if you look at Youtube you can find a video or two of the original arcade game in action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFSkL3W9yRg
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2015/2/17: Odyssey 2: Death Race
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2015/2/17: Odyssey 2: Death Race
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2015/2/17: Odyssey 2: Death Race
Wow, maybe this game really DOES make people violent!
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2015/2/17: Odyssey 2: Death Race
I like the free range driving aspect. Just getting in a vehicle and driving around wasting imaginary gasoline. Not racing to a finish line is always nice.