Software:Turbo Esprit

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Short description: 1986 video game
For the car, see Lotus Esprit. For the game Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge and its sequels, see Lotus (video game series).
Turbo Esprit
ZX Spectrum cover art
Developer(s)Mike Richardson
Publisher(s)Durell Software
Platform(s)ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64
Release1986
Genre(s)Driving, vehicular combat
Mode(s)Single-player

Turbo Esprit is a 1986 video game published by Durell Software in 1986 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC. The game was very detailed and advanced for its time, featuring car indicator lights, pedestrians, traffic lights, and a view of the car's interior controls. Turbo Esprit was the first free-roaming driving game,[1] and has been cited as a major influence on the later Grand Theft Auto series.[2][3][4]

Gameplay

The object of the game is to prevent a gang of drug smugglers completing a delivery of heroin, by tracking down their cars and destroying them, or ramming them into submission. The player takes the role of a special agent driving the titular Lotus Esprit car, which had been used in a James Bond film a few years previously. The player must travel around one of four available cities looking for the criminals. Messages from HQ will flash up periodically giving the location of a target armoured car, which may then be tracked on the map. A courier car would then attempt to rendezvous with the armoured car to transfer the heroin, and the armoured car would then flee the city. Other courier cars would act as decoys.

Players could elect to wait until the drug transfer was complete before intercepting the armoured car, or instead attempt to find the one genuine courier car in order to prevent the transfer from taking place.

Once a drug dealer's car is found it can either be followed, destroyed with the Esprit's built-in machine gun, or repeatedly rammed until it surrenders. Different cars may need to be dealt with in different ways; for example armoured cars must be rammed as shooting has no effect, whereas randomly occurring "hit cars" are the only other vehicles that can match the Esprit for speed, so ramming them is more difficult. Following a drug dealer's car too closely may arouse suspicion and cause them to abort their mission.

Points are scored by apprehending the criminals. Additional points are awarded if they are captured alive (by disabling their car rather than destroying it), and if the heroin transfer has taken place (as there is now greater evidence of their crime).

Penalties are incurred for hitting scenery or other cars, and the player's car is likely to explode if it crashes into anything while travelling fast. As in real life, speeding greatly increases risk.[5]

Environment

Traffic stops at the lights (Amstrad CPC version).

The game features four free-roaming cities (Wellington, Gamesborough, Minster and Romford) through which the player may drive as they see fit.[6] Each city features a grid plan of roads, and each is progressively more difficult; the first city contains many three lane roads making speeding and dodging traffic easy, whereas the later ones have more two-lane and one-way roads.

The cities contain many computer-controlled cars, all of which obey basic traffic laws, such as keeping below a set speed limit, stopping at the working traffic lights, moving out of the way of obstacles such as roadworks, and attempting to avoid head-on collisions with the player. They will also stop at zebra crossings to allow waiting pedestrians to cross the road. Contact with or destruction of these cars results in score penalties.

The player's car can also run out of fuel, and so the player must stop at petrol stations to refill.

The Spanish version claims it to be set in the city of Manhattan,[7] despite the fact that no changes were made to the game itself, which retains its British-style road markings and driving on the left.

Development

According to author Mike Richardson, Turbo Esprit took 10 months to develop, the longest time he ever spent on a single game.[8] It was developed with the cooperation of Lotus Cars Ltd., who provided "technical assistance".[9][10]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Crash88%[12]
CVG29/40[11]
Sinclair UserStarStarStarStarStar[13]
Your Sinclair9/10[14]
Your ComputerStarStarStar[15]
Awards
PublicationAward
CrashCrash Smash
Sinclair UserSU Classic
Your SinclairMegagame

Turbo Esprit was generally well received by the gaming press, gaining positive reviews from most major gaming magazines. Sinclair User called it "one of the best games ever released",[16] and it has since been described as "pioneering"[3] and "one of the Spectrum's best original games".[8] The Spectrum version was voted number 64 in the Your Sinclair Readers' Top 100 Games of All Time.[17] Retro Gamer magazine said of the game: "It was way ahead of its time and it could be argued that what you are looking at here is the genesis of the Grand Theft Auto series", and that it "sealed Durell's reputation as a purveyor of quality software".[2]

The game reached number eight in the Gallup All-Formats charts and number one in the ZX Spectrum chart, replacing Movie.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "First open-world driving videogame". http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-driving-game-to-feature-an-open-world-environment. Retrieved 24 June 2018. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Retrorevival: Turbo Esprit, Retro Gamer issue 20, page 48. Imagine Publishing, 2006.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe, BBC Television, 2009. "Grand Theft Auto ... directly inspired by the pioneering Spectrum game Turbo Esprit"
  4. ↑ The making of... Turbo Esprit, Retro Gamer issue 36, page 84-87. Imagine Publishing, 2007.
  5. ↑ Turbo Esprit review, CRASH, issue 28, pages 114–115. Newsfield Publications Ltd, 1986.
  6. ↑ Turbo Esprit review, Your Sinclair, issue 6, pages 20–21. Dennis Publishing, 1986.
  7. ↑ Turbo Esprit review, Microhobby (Spain), issue 76, page 15. April 1986.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Discovering Durell, Retro Gamer, issue 11, page 92. Live Publishing, 2003.
  9. ↑ Turbo Esprit press advertisement , 1986, at World of Spectrum.
  10. ↑ Mason, Graeme (30 August 2020). "The making of Turbo Esprit, the Spectrum game set in Romford that predated GTA". https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-08-30-the-zx-spectrum-game-set-in-romford-that-predated-gta?fbclid=IwAR16C7MRJuGN4tfcxl0omi2bJ_HcsMCNxP095761VcZpjpaPaUPFEZKzxkM. 
  11. ↑ "World of Spectrum – Magazines". http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=C+VG/Issue055/Pages/CVG05500027.jpg. 
  12. ↑ "Crash". http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=Crash/Issue28/Pages/Crash2800115.jpg. 
  13. ↑ "Sinclair User". http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=SinclairUser/Issue050/Pages/SinclairUser05000032.jpg. 
  14. ↑ "Archived copy". http://www.ysrnry.co.uk/articles/turboesprit.htm. 
  15. ↑ "Your Computer". http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=YourComputer/Issue8605/Pages/YourComputer860500047.jpg. 
  16. ↑ Turbo Esprit budget re-release review, Sinclair User, issue 86, page 56. EMAP, May 1989.
  17. ↑ "Readers' Top 100 Games of All Time". Your Sinclair. September 1993. 
  18. ↑ "Charts". Popular Computing Weekly (Sunshine Publications) (13): 35. 27 March 1986. https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=2901&page=35. Retrieved 5 May 2023. 

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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