Test Drive
1987
- racing
- simulator
- arcade
- action
- non-fiction
- single player
The story
After you choose a car, you have to drive as fast as possible without crash and without getting caught by the cops. You are equipped with the radar detector so you are informed about the approaching trouble.
What it’s like
Chunky CGA and EGA palettes give way to flat, sun-washed highway scenes, with a dashboard view that rattles and shudders as the speedometer climbs. The original 1987 release is spare and blocky, its roads drawn in plain bands of colour under a hard daylight sky, while the cars are rendered as chunky sprites with licensed badges and names. Sound is minimal: engine drone that rises and dips with throttle, tyre squeal on corners, and a radar-detector beep that cuts through the hum. The vibe is breezy and mildly tense, the kind of warm-afternoon restlessness that suits a short session between other things, or a nostalgic evening with an old machine. Pacing is quick and repetitive, built on brief runs where each drive is a few tense minutes. Intensity is low: crashes and police pursuits are present but cartoonish, with no gore and no real menace. It fits anyone curious about the roots of driving games, retro-computing fans, and players who want a light, unfussy thrill without violence or story weight.
More games like Test Drive
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Test Driveand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
