Overview

Released in 1980 by Atari, Inc., Night Driver is one of the pioneering driving video games. As an early attempt to simulate the experience of night driving, the game puts players behind the wheel, navigating a road that is illuminated only by the car’s headlights.

Gameplay

The player controls a vehicle through a track at night. The objective is to maneuver as far as possible while avoiding obstacles. The game’s graphics are simplistic; the road and obstacles are rendered as basic lines and shapes, representing the view seen through the car’s headlights. The game utilizes a time limit to challenge players to cover as much distance as possible before running out of time.

Significance

At the time of its release, the game’s visual and design approach was considered innovative. Notably, Night Driver is often remembered for its unique perspective and contribution to the driving game genre. It was one of the earliest games to depict a first-person perspective, engaging players with a more immersive experience than the typical bird’s-eye or third-person views of its time.

Curiosities

Night Driver was originally released as an arcade game. Due to the technology of the period, the home version on Atari consoles had a different graphical representation. Interestingly, unlike most games that typically featured a racetrack during the day, this game stood out by incorporating the night setting to increase difficulty and set a different mood for its players.