Mach Rider
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NINTENDO NES
Game Title:Mach Rider
System:Nintendo NES
Players:1 Player
Genre:Driving
Developer(s):Nintendo
Release Date(s):1985 - US/JAP
1987 - EU |
Mach Rider is a futuristic driving game created by Nintendo. It was first released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America and later in Europe in 1987.
Mach Rider takes place in the year 2112, and planet Earth has been invaded by evil forces driving vehicles known as Quadrunners. You take control of Mach Rider, who travels from sector to sector on a unique motorcycle, searching for survivors and destroying all enemies in his path.
The game's controls are somewhat more complex than other games at its time. The left and right directions on the Control Pad steer Mach Rider and the A button accelerates. The B button fires Mach Rider's machine gun which can be used to destroy enemies and obstacles on the road. The up and down buttons are used to change gears. Mach Rider's bike has four gears and travels at an super-sonic speed when in top gear. In each round, points can be scored by destroying enemies and certain obstacles using your machine gun. The number of points scored for destroying enemies and obstacles are determined by the power of the enemy destroyed and the type of obstacle destroyed. If you block an enemy by knocking it into a hazard on the track, you obtain more points, and this also replenishes Mach's bullets. The game is split into four modes: Fighting Course, Endurance Course, Solo Course, and Design. There's no multiplayer to speak of, but that's not a huge surprise considering that it was an NES launch title. Fighting Course: is the campaign mode, consisting of 20 sectors. You choose between two different tracks in each sector, adding a rudimentary level of non-linearity to the experience. All you have to do is make it to the finish line to proceed to the next stage, avoiding obstacles like oil slicks and tacks on the road. As the name of the Fighting Course mode implies, you also fight off opposing cars who can ram you to death with a single hit from behind. Endurance Course: Mach Rider's time trial mode, is a much more welcoming introduction to the game. The same obstacles and opponents from Fighting Course are there, but you have unlimited lives, all you have to do is travel a certain distance within a given time limit. Solo Course: is exactly the same as Endurance Course, except there are no other vehicles on the road to contend with. It's the easiest mode in the game, but it's also fairly boring, so you'll quickly want to graduate to Endurance Course. Design mode: is a curious affair. You're presented with a blank map of the course, with 40 different track tiles of all sorts of twists and turns that you can place wherever you want. Control is a bit awkward at first: to select which tile you're placing you have to hold down B and then choose it with the D-pad. Then you let go of B, move around the map with the D-pad, and press A to place the tile. It's cumbersome, but there aren't many alternatives for operating such a complex level editor with the NES controller's scant number of buttons. After you design a course you can use it to play any of the game's three other modes. And the Verdict is...
Mach Rider is an overlooked gem from the NES launch library. The game's flagship Fighting Course is too hellishly difficult for all except the most experienced arcade racing fans, but the more approachable Endurance Course makes up for it. The custom course design mode is a huge selling point of the game. It's not an all-time classic, but Mach Rider stands the test of time better than most other home console racing games from the 1980's. Great game. |