Pitstop from Activision, released in 1983, combined classic wheel-to-wheel racing with the original element of pit stops, where the player has to have worn tires replaced and fuel topped up, otherwise risking a blowout or running out of fuel mid-track and losing valuable time. The player has to control not only the car itself on the top-down circuit, but also a short pit-stop minigame, where fast and precise paddle presses decide how many precious seconds the player loses in the pits before heading back onto the track. Damage to the car also accumulates over the course of the race, so ignoring the state of the tires for too long inevitably takes its toll sooner or later and forces the player to gradually slow down.
This dual perspective – classic driving on the track alternating with a tense pit stop – was a refreshing idea at the time of release, pushing the racing genre closer to a simulation of real motorsport without sacrificing accessibility for home players. The graphics, with colorful cars and a smoothly scrolling track, were among the best the Atari 2600 offered at the time, and the game also supported two players competing against each other on split circuits. The music was minimalist, but this made the engine and collision sound effects during a tire blowout stand out all the more, immediately alerting the player to the need to head into the pits.
Pitstop became one of Activision's respected racing titles for this console, and a year later got a sequel, Pitstop II, which expanded the concept further with a split screen and two players racing on the same track at the same time. Today the game feels like a remarkably well thought-out compromise between arcade pacing and the need to manage the state of the car and its tires, which sets it apart from many simpler racing games of the same era and still makes it playable for today's player with a taste for retro classics and tactical racing.
Why play it: Thanks to its clever combination of arcade pace and tactical tire and car management, Pitstop remains a playable piece of retro classic even for today's players with a taste for racing titles.
Game 58 of 69 for Atari 2600
