Club Drive

Club Drive is a racing video game developed and published by Atari Corporation exclusively for the Atari Jaguar on November 28, 1994 and later in Japan by Mumin Corporation on March 24, 1995.[1][2][3]

Not to be confused with Driveclub.
Club Drive
Cover art in all regions by Ken Saunders
Developer(s)Atari Corporation
Publisher(s)
  • NA/EU: Atari Corporation
  • JP: Mumin Corporation
Producer(s)Craig Suko
James Hampton
Programmer(s)Eric Ginner
Eric Smith
Todd Powers
Artist(s)B.J. West
Ed Pearson
Jeffrey Gatrall
Composer(s)James Grunke
Jerry Gerber
Michael Stevens
R. Wiley Evans
Platform(s)Atari Jaguar
Release
  • NA: 28 November 1994
  • EU: 28 November 1994
  • JP: 24 March 1995
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer (up to two players)

The game is set in the titular amusement park of the same name in the year 2098, where driving became legalized after being deemed illegal for safety reasons years prior due to the invention of indestructible vehicles, which allowed the ban to be lifted. Being one of the first titles announced for the Jaguar before it was officially launched to the public in November 1993,[4][5][6][7] Club Drive was developed by most of the same personnel at Atari Corp. who worked on Alien vs Predator by Rebellion Developments, which was released a month prior.[8][9]

Club Drive received mixed to negative reception when it was released. As of April 1, 1995, the game has sold nearly 14.000 copies though it is unknown how many were sold in total during its lifetime.[10]

Gameplay
Top: Collect mode gameplay.
Bottom: Race mode gameplay.
At the bottom of the screen, the interface displays timer, directional arrow, map, and number of laps/powerballs collected.

Club Drive is a semi-open three-dimensional racing game set in a futuristic theme park consisting of four different race tracks that vary in shape and thematic to race across depending on the selected game mode,[11] featuring flat-shaded polygonal environments with very minimal texture mapping, with a hidden fifth track that is only unlocked by entering a cheat code. Players can choose between any of the three main game modes available for either one or two players, each one with their own ruleset that can be modified and any of the six colors for their car at the main menu screen, while other gameplay setting are available on the options screen.[11] High-scores, records and setting changes by the players are kept on the cartridge's internal EEPROM.

There are multiple game modes to choose from for either one or two players:[11] Collect is a mode in which involves players capturing power balls that are randomly scattered on the playfield. Racing, as the name implies, is race mode where players must finish a number of laps on the tracks that players are on.[11] Tag, as the name also implies, is a playground-style mode where players are chasing each other in an attempt to "tag" or touch the rival before the time expires in order to win.[11] Each of the selectable tracks across the three game modes also have secret passageways that teleports the player into bizarre locations.

During gameplay, players can choose between six different camera view by pressing their respective number on the keypad, while pressing either * or # changes the music.[11] A unique feature of the game is the ability to rewind at one point in time on the track by pressing Option, allowing players to undo their mistakes or exit from the hidden areas of the track.[11]

Synopsis

More than 50 years ago, driving was outlawed for safety concerns and became illegal to do so until Dr. Lawrence Phosphorus, who through his research involving safety and smart materials, created fail-safe mathematic algorithms that could be applied in the creation of indestructible driving vehicles and as a result, the ban was lifted in the year 2098 and the Club Drive theme park was inaugurated to the public after driving activities were once again legalized.[8][11]

Development and release

Club Drive was one of the first titles to be announced for the then-upcoming Atari Jaguar and it was developed by most of the same Atari personnel that were previously involved with Rebellion's Alien vs Predator for the Jaguar, which was released a month prior.[4][5][7][8] The game was first showcased in a playable state at SCES '94.[12] A 1993 promotional recording sent by Atari to video game retail stores features the game in a much earlier state.[13] GamePro magazine and other video game dedicated outlets reported that Club Drive would feature multiplayer support via the Jaguar Voice Modem by Phylon, Inc.[14][15] However, the JVM itself was never completed or released, thus the game was released with the online support omitted, though the feature was available to play during focus group sessions hosted at Viveros and Associates Inc. prior to release on September 1994.[16] The game also runs at a 640x480 resolution.[17] During a presentation at the London Planetarium, the game was showcased to the video game press and the audience laughed to the point that then-Atari UK marketing manager Darryl Still was infuriated due to the reaction from attendees.[18] B.J. West, who is more well known for the unreleased Atari Jaguar CD title Black ICE\White Noise and his work as a graphic artist in The Sims, worked as an artist for the dashboard of the cars.[19]

Club Drive was released in November 1994 for Atari's Christmas campaign, alongside Doom, Checkered Flag, and Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.[1] It was also released in Japan by Mumin Corporation on March 24, 1995,[3] where it came bundled with an exclusive Japanese manual for the region.

Reception
Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Next Generation[20]
AllGame[21]
Atari Gaming Headquarters2 / 10[22]
Computer and Video Games72 / 100[23]
Digital Press5 / 10[24]
GameFan193 / 300[25]
GamePro12.5 / 20[26]
Jaguar15%[27]
Joypad50%[28]
MAN!AC39%[29]
Mega Fun20%[30]
Player One20%[31]
Play Time20%[32]
Super Game Power3.5 / 5.0[33]
4.2 / 5.0[34]
ST-Computer60%[35]
Ultimate Future Games49%[36]
Video Games35%[37]
VideoGames3 / 10[38]

Quick-Draw McGraw of GamePro described the game as "unusual experience" compared to other contemporary racing simulators, but criticized it for repetitive gameplay and "unfulfilled potential".[26] Digital Press gave a 5 out of 10 score, criticizing the graphics but having mixed opinions on the gameplay.[24] ST-Computer gave it 60%, criticizing the visuals but stated that playing the game is still fun.[35] Three reviewers in GameFan gave scores of 69, 60, and 64, with high scores for originality but low scores for music.[25] Brazilian magazine SuperGamePower gave the game 3.5 out of 5.[33] Next Generation was outright critical as they rated the game with only one star. They criticized it for its many flaws and described it as to be "avoided at all costs".[20]

Legacy

In 1996, the game's trademark was abandoned.[39][40]

A spiritual sequel to the game, titled Automaniacs, was in development by Visual Dimensions 3D for the Jaguar and was originally announced by members of the development team at JagFest '97, a small festival dedicated to the system in Chicago on August 1997, but it was never released for unknown reasons.[41][42][43]

In 1997 Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked it number 6 on their "Top 10 Worst Games of All Time".[44] Electronic Gaming Monthly's Seanbaby placed it as number 2 in his "20 worst games of all time" feature.[45]

The current speedrun record of the game is 10:05 minutes, which was established by video gamer PeteDorr at SGDQ (Summer Games Done Quick) in June 2018.[46]

gollark: Intermediate Frequency Coltrans G.
gollark: There's a thing called etckeeper which does that for just /etc.
gollark: ... probably not very?
gollark: ™
gollark: Well, yes, it's worse.

References
  1. "Atari unleashes an array of Jaguar game titles; the 64-bit Jaguar boasts the release of four new titles". TheFreeLibrary.com. Business Wire. November 28, 1994. Retrieved 2018-09-04.
  2. Castle, Justin (July 21, 2018). "Historical Atari Jaguar UK Magazine Advert/Reviews Collection" (PDF). Issuu. p. 340. Retrieved 2018-09-04.
  3. "JAGUAR Soft > 1994-1995". GAME Data Room (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2018-08-25. Retrieved 2018-09-04.
  4. "Jaguar's Domain". GameFan. Vol. 1 no. 11. Shinno Media. October 1993. pp. 130–133.
  5. Jockey, The Desk (October 1993). "The Cutting Edge - Jaguar Software Showcase". GamePro. No. 51. IDG. p. 19. Archived from the original on 2018-09-02. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  6. "ATARI SHIPS JAGUAR FOR NEW YORK AND SAN FRANCISCO MARKETS; WORLD'S FIRST 64-BIT INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM AVAILABLE". TheFreeLibrary.com. PR Newswire. November 23, 1993. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
  7. Kunkel, Bill (November 1993). "The Jaguar: Hands On - Atari Prepares to Show Its Claws". Electronic Games. No. 48. Decker Publications. pp. 44–45.
  8. "Club Drive (Game) - Trivia". Giant Bomb. Archived from the original on 2018-09-25. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  9. "ALIEN VS. PREDATOR COMES ALIVE ON 64-BIT ATARI JAGUAR; VIDEO GAME MAGAZINE REVIEWERS RAVING ABOUT JAGUAR'S "BEST GAME TO DATE"". Nine Lives. October 3, 1994. Archived from the original on 2018-07-25. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
  10. "Atari Jaguar Lifetime Sales". Beta Phase Games. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
  11. Club Drive game manual (Atari Jaguar, US)
  12. Gavet, Nicolas (September 1994). "Jaguar - Atari - Le Jaguar, La Preuve Par 64". Consoles + (in French). No. 35. M.E.R.7. pp. 86–87. Archived from the original on 2018-08-18. Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  13. Retro Game Champion (June 6, 2018). Atari Jaguar: 1993 Graphics (Retro Video Game Tech Demo). YouTube. Retrieved 2019-10-09.
  14. "News - New technology unveiled at CES '94". Atari ST User. No. 104. Europress. September 1994. p. 7.
  15. "ProNews: Jaguar, Phone Home". GamePro. No. 63. IDG. October 1994. p. 178. Archived from the original on 2018-06-19. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
  16. "Atari Explorer Online - Volume 3, Issue 11". atarihq.com. September 12, 1994. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
  17. LaMancha, Manny (July 1994). "PreView - Jaguar Special Previews - Club Drive". GamePro. No. 60. IDG. p. 113.
  18. Rose, Paul (May 18, 2017). "The Fall Of Atari: Eyewitness Account - by Mr Biffo". Digitiser 2000. Archived from the original on 2018-10-16. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
  19. Sillifant, Ross (2017). "B.J. West interview". ataricompendium.com. Archived from the original on 2018-06-26. Retrieved 2018-09-27.
  20. "Finals - Wreckage - Club Drive". Next Generation. No. 2. Imagine Media. February 1995. p. 92.
  21. Scoleri III, Joseph. "Club Drive - Overview". AllGame. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 2018-09-24.
  22. Iida, Keith. "AGH Jaguar Review: CLUB DRIVE". atarihq.com. Archived from the original on 2015-08-02. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
  23. Automatic, Rad (December 1994). "CVG Review - Club Drive". Computer and Video Games. No. 157. Future Publishing. pp. 48–49. Archived from the original on 2018-09-25. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
  24. Villapando, Edward (September 1995). "Random Reviews Lite - Club Drive". Digital Press - The Bio-Degradable Source For Videogamers. No. 27. Joe Santulli. pp. 14–15.
  25. "Viewpoint - Club Drive". GameFan. Vol. 2 no. 12. Shinno Media. December 1994. p. 28.
  26. McGaw, Quick-Draw (February 1995). "ProReview: Club Drive". GamePro. No. 67. IDG. p. 104. Archived from the original on 2018-08-22. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  27. Jaeckel, Daniel (May 1995). "Jaguar - Test Zum Spiel Club Drive". Jaguar (in German). No. 3. Falke Verlag. p. 26.
  28. Nini, Nourdine (December 1994). "Jaguar - Club Drive - J'ai Cru Void Un Gros Chat !". Joypad (in French). No. 37. Yellow Media. p. 118. Archived from the original on 2018-09-25. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  29. Gaksch, Martin (January 1995). "Spiele-Tests - Jaguar - Club Drive". MAN!AC (in German). No. 15. Cybermedia. p. 86.
  30. Weidner, Martin (January 1995). "Test Jaguar - Club Drive". Mega Fun (in German). No. 28. CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. p. 110. Archived from the original on 2018-08-17. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  31. De Steene, Julien Van (January 1995). "Vite Vu - Jaguar - Club Drive". Player One (in French). No. 49. Média Système Édition. p. 112.
  32. Girlich, Stephan (March 1995). "Jaguar Reviews - Club Drive". Play Time (in German). No. 45. CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. p. 116. Archived from the original on 2018-08-17. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  33. "Jaguar - Club Drive". Super Game Power (in Portuguese). No. 5. Nova Cultural. August 1994. p. 48.
  34. "Atari Jaguar - Club Drive - Viaje por quatro mundos acelerando com Club Drive". Super Game Power (in Portuguese). No. 15A. Nova Cultural. June 1995. p. 5.
  35. R, F (February 1995). "Jaguar: Club Drive". ST-Computer (in German). No. 106. falkemedia. p. 93.
  36. "Ultimate Review Sector - Club Drive - Full Throttle". Ultimate Future Games. No. 2. Future Publishing. January 1995. p. 83. Archived from the original on 2018-08-17. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  37. Schaedle, Wolfgang (January 1995). "Atari Jaguar - Reviews - Club Drive". Video Games (in German). No. 38. Future-Verlag. p. 89. Archived from the original on 2018-09-25. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  38. "Capsule Reviews - Jaguar - Club Drive". VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine. No. 72. L.F.P., Inc. January 1995. p. 84.
  39. Anderson, Barbara (May 1, 1996). "CLUB DRIVE - Trademark Details". justia.com. Archived from the original on 2018-09-26. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
  40. Anderson, Barbara (May 1, 1996). "CLUB DRIVE Trademark Information". trademarkia.com. Archived from the original on 2018-09-27. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
  41. Manne, Kevin (August 1997). "JagFest '97 Pictures". jagfest.atari.org. Archived from the original on 2018-01-25. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
  42. "Automaniacs Preview". Jaguar Front Page News. Archived from the original on 7 July 2001. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
  43. Reutter, Hans (July 23, 2000). "Unreleased Or Unfinished Jaguar Games - Automaniacs". cyberroach.com. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
  44. "The Top 10 Worst Games of All Time". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 100. Ziff Davis. November 1997. p. 107. Note: Contrary to the title, the intro to the article explicitly states that the list covers console video games only, meaning PC games and arcade games were not eligible.
  45. P. Reiley, Sean. "Seanbaby's EGM's Crapstravaganza - #2: Club Drive (Jaguar)". Seanbaby.com. Archived from the original on 2006-08-26. Retrieved 2018-09-24.
  46. "GDQ VODs - Club Drive Speedruns". gdqvods.com. Archived from the original on 2018-09-27. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
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