Auto Racing
Platform: Intellivision
Region: USA
Media: Cartridge
Controller: INTV
Genre: Racing 
Gametype: Licensed
Release Year: 1979
Developer: APh Technological Consulting
Publisher: Mattel Electronics
Players: 1 or 2 VS
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Auto Racing is one or two player racing game that puts you behind the wheel of one of five cars, each with different specialties. You can race on five different fairly large courses. In a one player game you're racing the clock to finish five laps as quickly as possible. In a two player game, you can race a friend and gain points for either your opponent crashing, or if one is leading far enough to reach the edge of the screen.


DEVELOPMENT HISTORY:

There were two versions of Auto Racing released due to a running change made during manufacturing. In the original version, steering is realistic -- it is oriented to the car. For example, if your car is moving downward on-screen and you want to turn right (that is, toward the left of the screen), you press right on the hand controller disc. Mattel received complaints about how difficult this was (even the instruction book warns that it takes some getting used to), so a running change was ordered to make steering intuitive -- to orient it to the screen. In the above example, to turn toward the left of the screen, you press left on the hand controller disc, even though the car is actually making a right. 

Both versions had their advocates -- intuitive steering being easier to play; realistic steering being a better simulation of driving. One programmer likened it to the difference between driving an automatic and driving a stick. Unfortunately, there's no way to tell which version is which from the package; you either have to check the instruction book, or just plug in the cartridge and play.


FUN FACT:

The five courses are mapped on a globe; you can drive off one, through the trees, and onto another, or onto the hidden drag strip. Drive off at the right place and the trees are spaced so that, without touching the hand controller, your car will circle the globe forever (well, until the screen-saver times out).

 
http://www.mobygames.com/game/intellivision/auto-racing
http://www.intellivisiongames.com/bluesky/games/credits/sports.html#auto