A top-down view, three cars on the track and you frantically turning the wheel so you don't slide out in a sharp corner. Super Sprint is a racing game that goes against the pseudo-3D trend of its time and bets on something completely different: a clear bird's-eye view and pure, instant fun. And that's exactly how it won players' hearts in the arcades.
The mechanic is brilliantly simple. You see the whole track at once, control a little car and try to complete as many laps as possible before your rivals. The routes are full of corners, junctions and obstacles, so it's not enough to floor the gas; you have to learn the ideal line and master the car's inertia. The game also let several people play at once, which made it a great social experience where emotions ran high.
What makes Super Sprint stand out is its pace and competitiveness. The races are short, intense and immediately understandable, so players came back again and again. Between individual runs you could upgrade your car and earn advantages, which gave you motivation to keep going and conquer ever more demanding tracks full of oil slicks and other traps.
Culturally, Super Sprint carries on the tradition of classic top-down racers and became one of the best-known representatives of this style in the arcades. It reminded us that not every racing game needs to imitate the cockpit view to be gripping; sometimes perfectly tuned gameplay and the chance to test your strength against friends at a single cabinet is enough.
Today Super Sprint is seen as a benchmark of bird's-eye arcade racing and as proof that a simple idea taken to perfection can last for decades. For lovers of local multiplayer it's an ageless gem.
Why play: For fast, addictive top-down races and terrific duels with friends at a single cabinet.
Game 70 of 258 for Arcade
