Rad Racer - NES

Rad Racer, originally released in Japan as Highway Star[a], is a racing game developed and published by Square for the Family Computer in 1987. In this game, players drive a Ferrari 328 or a generic Formula One racing machine through a race course. The game was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America and Europe months after its debut on Family Computer. The title became well known for being one of two titles from Square that made use of stereoscopic 3D, which was made possible by wearing a pair of anaglyph glasses.

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The game was originally conceived by Square president Masafumi Miyamoto as an opportunity for developer Nasir Gebelli to demonstrate his 3D programming skills. The games 3D mode was primarily developed by Gebelli and often hand drawn by him. Techniques to simulate three dimensional roads were later used in Final Fantasy III.

The game sold half a million copies and is considered one of the best racing games on the NES, but was also criticized as being derivative of other racing games from the period. Many comparisons to arcade game Out Run, were made, though critics cited some differences including a greater sense of speed in Rad Racer. The game appeared in the 1989 film The Wizard, and was one of three games to feature a special competition course in the 1990 Nintendo World Championship.

Gameplay is sprite-based and the player controls the car from a behind the vehicle perspective.[3] Players can choose between two types of car to race; either a 328 Twin Turbo or an F1 machine, and then tries to complete eight driving stages.[4][5] Competitors vehicles get faster as the levels progress, and include VB Bugs to Ferrari Testarossas.[5] Players can accelerate their car up to 255 km/h as well as break and steer to attempt to pass their opponents and not be knocked off the road.[5] Hitting any obstacles or other cars can cause the players vehicle to flip and crash.[6] Players also choose between several songs, simulating a cars radio. [6] Levels vary in location from Los Angeles, San Francisco, as well as the Greek Parthenon.[6] Players have a simulated dashboard that indicates how far through the race they have gone, and a small checkered flag indicates when they have completed the race.[7] The players vehicle coasts as it decelerates for five to ten seconds upon reaching races end, and then points are calculated to see how long the player has successfully driven.[7]

Rad Racer players can activate a 3D mode during play by pressing the "Select" button and wearing 3D glasses.[3] Players could also use the Power Glove to control their vehicle.[8] The game was also compatible with the Famicom 3D, an accessory to the original Famicom released on in Japan that utilized LCD "shutter glasses" to simulate 3D.[9]