Final Lap

Last updated
Final Lap
Final Lap arcade flyer.jpg
Arcade flyer
Developer(s) Namco
Arc System Works (FC)
Publisher(s)
Composer(s) Shinji Hosoe
SeriesFinal Lap
Platform(s) Arcade
Family Computer
Release
  • JP: September 1987
  • EU: February 1988 [1]
  • NA: May 1988
Genre(s) Racing simulation [1]
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade system Namco System 2

Final Lap [lower-alpha 1] is a 1987 racing simulation video game developed and published by Namco. [1] Atari Games published the game in the United States in 1988. It was the first game to run on Namco's then-new System 2 hardware and is a direct successor to Namco's Pole Position (1982) and Pole Position II (1983). It was ported to the Famicom by Arc System Works, making it Arc System Works' debut game.

Contents

Final Lap was the first racing game to allow up to eight players to simultaneously race on the Suzuka Circuit in a Formula One race. This was, at the time, considered a revolutionary feature, and was implemented by linking together up to four two-player sitdown-style arcade cabinets. There was also a single-player mode, in which the player's score was based on how far the car traveled until time ran out or if the player completed four laps. It was a major commercial success in Japan, becoming the third highest-grossing arcade game of 1988, the highest-grossing dedicated arcade game of 1989, and second highest dedicated arcade game of 1990.

Gameplay

Preparing to turn a corner (arcade) FinalLap.png
Preparing to turn a corner (arcade)

The player drives Formula One cars of the 1987 season and may choose between Williams-Honda, Lotus-Honda, McLaren-Porsche, or March-Cosworth. 1987 was the first year a Formula One grand prix was held on the Suzuka Circuit, the main track in the game. The track layout is reproduced accurately, going so far as to include sponsor billboards. However, the length is greatly shortened, and it takes less than forty seconds to complete one lap in the game.

The Famicom version is mostly unrelated to the original arcade game, including more tracks and somewhat simpler game play. The Famicom version features both a single-player and two-player split screen mode. The game uses an upgrade system, rather than different cars. The game will slowly increase the computer controlled car's difficulty, requiring you to continuously upgrade your car in order to keep up. The upgrades consist of engine upgrades, brake upgrades, tire upgrades, and extra boost. The game was released in Japan on August 12, 1988. [2]

Reception

Final Lap was a major commercial success in Japan, where it remained one of the most-popular and profitable arcade games, being towards the top of arcade earnings charts for three consecutive years. [6] [7] [8] It was Japan's third highest-grossing arcade game of 1988 (below After Burner and Operation Wolf ), [9] and went on to become Japan's highest-grossing dedicated arcade game of 1989. [10] It was later Japan's second highest-grossing dedicated arcade game of 1990 (below Super Monaco GP ). [11]

The game received positive reviews from critics. Clare Edgeley of Computer and Video Games called it "a first class racing sim" that is "tremendously addictive" especially in multiplayer mode and a "definitive must" for all racing drivers. [1]

Legacy

Final Lap was followed by Final Lap 2 in 1990 which featured courses in Japan, the United States, Italy, and Monaco; Final Lap 3 in 1992, which featured courses in England, France, San Marino, and Spain; and Final Lap R in 1993, which featured courses in Belgium, Brazil, Germany, and Hungary.

There were also a number of spin-offs: the unusual racing-RPG Final Lap Twin released for the TurboGrafx-16 in 1989; and Final Lap 2000 and Final Lap Special, a pair of games released for the WonderSwan and WonderSwan Color respectively.

Notes

  1. Japanese: ファイナルラップ, Hepburn: Fainaru Rappu

Related Research Articles

<i>Super Sprint</i> 1986 video game

Super Sprint is a racing video game released by Atari Games and Midway Games in 1986. Up to three players drive Formula One-like cars on a circuit that is viewed from above. The game is a successor to Gran Trak 10 and the Sprint series, which were black-and-white games from the 1970s. A sequel, Championship Sprint, was released later in the same year.

<i>Hot Chase</i> 1988 video game

Hot Chase is an arcade game released in 1988 by Konami. In the game, players drive a white Porsche 959 out of an enemy country to the Border crossing of a friendly one. The car has a bomb attached to it that explodes in a set time. If the bomb explodes, players must restart. There are many obstacles along the way, including railroad crossings, military checkpoints, helicopters that shoot at the car and other cars. The gameplay is said to be similar to Chase H.Q..

<i>Ridge Racer 2</i> 1994 racing video game

Ridge Racer 2 is an arcade racing game that was released by Namco in 1994 for their System 22 hardware. Despite its name, Ridge Racer 2 is more of an updated version of Ridge Racer, than an actual sequel.

<i>Hot Rod</i> (video game) 1988 video game

Hot Rod is a top-down arcade racing game developed by Sega. Released for arcades in 1988 in Japan and released worldwide in 1989, the game was available in a four-player cocktail-style arcade cabinet, as well as a three-player upright cabinet. Home computer ports were published by Activision in 1990 for the Amiga, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and Atari ST.

<i>Pole Position II</i> 1983 video game

Pole Position II is the sequel to racing simulation game Pole Position, released by Namco for arcades in 1983. As with its predecessor, Namco licensed this game to Atari, Inc. for US manufacture and distribution. Atari Corporation released a port as the pack-in game for its Atari 7800 ProSystem console launch in 1986. Pole Position arcade machines can be converted to Pole Position II by swapping several chips.

<i>Final Lap 2</i> 1990 Namco racing video game

Final Lap 2 is an racing simulation game released by Namco for arcades in 1990. It is the arcade sequel to Final Lap and runs on Namco System 2 hardware.

<i>Final Lap 3</i> 1992 video game

Final Lap 3, as the name suggests, is the third title in the Final Lap series, released worldwide by Namco in 1992; like its precursors, it runs on Namco System 2 hardware, and allows up to eight players to play simultaneously when four two-player cabinets are linked together.

<i>Dirt Fox</i> 1989 video game

Dirt Fox is a racing arcade game, which had been released by Namco in 1989 only in Japan; it runs on Namco System 2 hardware, and allows up to four players to play simultaneously, when four cabinets are linked together they can allow up to eight players to play simultaneously, when four two-player cabinets are linked together.

<i>Hard Drivin</i> 1989 arcade game

Hard Drivin' is a driving simulation video game developed by Atari Games in 1989. It invites players to test drive a sports car on courses that emphasize stunts and speed. The game features one of the first 3D polygon driving environments via a simulator cabinet with a force feedback steering wheel and a custom rendering architecture.

<i>GP Rider</i> 1990 video game

GP Rider is a motorcycle racing game developed and manufactured by Sega, released in as an arcade video game in Japan, North America and Europe. It came in a two-player motion simulator cabinet and a standard upright cabinet. It was ported to the Master System in 1993 and then Game Gear in 1994.

<i>Big Run</i> (video game) 1989 video game

Big Run is a rally racing arcade video game released by Jaleco in 1989. Rendered in 3D, the game is the first to be set in the Paris-Dakar rally raid which the player drives a Porsche 959, resembling that of the 1986 winner. Opponents in the game resemble Peugeot 205 T16s, which went on to win in the 1987 Paris-Dakar rally, with Mitsubishi Pajeros also appearing occasionally.

<i>Buggy Boy</i> 1985 video game

Buggy Boy, known as Speed Buggy in North America, is an off-road racing game developed by Tatsumi and released for arcades in 1985. The cockpit version of the arcade cabinet has a panoramic three-screen display, a feature previously employed in TX-1, but with Buggy Boy having a larger cabinet. An upright, single-screen cabinet was released in 1986 under the name Buggy Boy Junior.

<i>Konami GT</i> 1980s video game

Konami GT, originally known as Konami RF2 - Red Fighter, is a 1985 racing video game developed and released by Konami, using their GX400 arcade architecture. The player drives a sports car which must reach various checkpoints without running out of fuel. A turbo mode increases the car's speed but uses more fuel and puts the player at a higher risk of hitting an obstacle. Fuel power-ups can be found on the road which the player must pick up to make it to the final checkpoint.

<i>Monaco GP</i> (video game) 1979 video game

Monaco GP is an arcade racing game released by Sega in November 1979 in Japan, and January 1980 worldwide. An upgraded version, Pro Monaco GP, was released later in 1980. One of the last Sega games to use TTL chips instead of a microprocessor CPU, the game has players race against a clock and pass rival racers while attempting to earn points driving through five areas.

<i>WEC Le Mans</i> 1986 video game

WEC Le Mans, known as WEC Le Mans 24 in Japan, is a racing simulation video game released in arcades by Konami in 1986. It was the first racing video game to depict the 24 Hours of Le Mans World Endurance Championship (WEC). The Lap of Le Mans is split up into three sections, during which the time of day changes from day to dusk, dusk to night, and night to dawn.

<i>Racing Hero</i> 1989 video game

Racing Hero is a 1989 arcade racing game from Sega which runs on the Sega X Board hardware. In Racing Hero, the player takes part in an international race aboard a motorcycle and races against time and other vehicles. It draws much inspiration from Sega's successful Hang-On and Out Run series.

<i>Drivers Eyes</i> 1991 video game

Driver's Eyes is a 1991 3D driving simulation arcade game developed and published in Japan by Namco. The game has a pseudo-panoramic view using three CRT screens; the player would sit in a then-realistic Formula One car cockpit with LCD instruments. The game would start with the player selecting either "easy drive" or "technical drive". Once the selection was made the screen would show a 3D model of a Formula One car with a V8 engine being placed into the engine bay and then the body work gliding down. As that happened the camera view would change and reveal a sign saying "BRAKES ON". When the sign lifted the race would start.

<i>Winning Run</i> 1988 video game

Winning Run is a first-person arcade racing simulation game developed and published by Namco in late December 1988 in Japan, before releasing internationally the following year. The player pilots a Formula One racer, with the objective being to complete each race in first place, all while avoiding opponents and other obstacles, such as flood-hit tunnels, pits and steep chambers. It was the very first game to run on the Namco System 21 arcade hardware, capable of 3D shaded polygons.

<i>Gun Buster</i> (arcade game) 1992 video game

Gun Buster, also known as Gunbuster (ガンバスター) and released in North America as Operation Gunbuster, is a first-person shooter video game developed by Taito and released for arcades in 1992. In contrast to on-rail light gun shooters at the time, this was one of the first arcade games to feature free-roaming FPS gameplay, the same year Wolfenstein 3D was released on personal computers.

<i>F1 Exhaust Note</i> 1991 video game

F1 Exhaust Note is a two-player racing game released for arcades in 1991, modeled on Formula One racing. The game has a standard dual racing cabinet setup. Each player station has a 25-inch monitor, steering controls, shift controls, pedals, and a decorative seat. The sound originates from the back of the seat giving the player surround sound effect. The game ran on the Sega System 32 arcade hardware.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Arcade Action". Computer and Video Games . No. 77 (March 1988). February 1988. pp. 90–3.
  2. "Final Lap International Releases". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  3. Cook, Brad (1998). "Final Lap - Review". Allgame . Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  4. "Coin Ops". Sinclair User . No. 75 (June 1988). 18 May 1988. pp. 82–3.
  5. Kelly, Nick (May 1988). "Arcades: Final Lap". Commodore User. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  6. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - アップライト, コックピット型TVゲーム機 (Upright/Cockpit Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 325. Amusement Press. 1 February 1988. p. 23.
  7. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - アップライト, コックピット型TVゲーム機 (Upright/Cockpit Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 360. Amusement Press. July 15, 1989. p. 23.
  8. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - アップライト, コックピット型TVゲーム機 (Upright/Cockpit Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 368. Amusement Press. November 15, 1989. p. 23.
  9. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: '88 / "Game of the Year '88" By Game Machine" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 348. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 January 1989. pp. 10–1, 26.
  10. "Videos of The Year; "Tetris", "Chase H.Q."" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 372. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 January 1990. p. 26.
  11. ""Tetris" Has Still Earned More Than "Final Fight"" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 396. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 February 1991. p. 22.