From 2be43cc479dfd4cfb621f14381330c708291e324 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Christian Cleberg Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2024 19:46:20 -0500 Subject: conversion from Zola to Weblorg --- content/blog/2020-12-28-neon-drive.org | 84 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 84 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/blog/2020-12-28-neon-drive.org (limited to 'content/blog/2020-12-28-neon-drive.org') diff --git a/content/blog/2020-12-28-neon-drive.org b/content/blog/2020-12-28-neon-drive.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ccfffa4 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/blog/2020-12-28-neon-drive.org @@ -0,0 +1,84 @@ +#+date: <2020-12-28> +#+title: Neon Drive: A Nostalgic 80s Arcade Racing Game +#+description: + + +* Game Description + +[[https://store.steampowered.com/app/433910/Neon_Drive/][Neon Drive]] +presents itself as a simple arcade-style game inspired by the arcade +race games of the 1980s, yet it has managed to take up hours of my life +without much effort. The game description, directly from the Steam page, +is intriguing enough to entice anyone who's been looking for a good +arcade racing game: + +#+begin_quote +Neon Drive is a slick retro-futuristic arcade game that will make your +brain melt. You've been warned. From beautiful cityscapes and ocean +roads to exploding enemy spaceships, Neon Drive has it all. +#+end_quote + +* Gameplay + +The game holds true to the +[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrofuturism][retro-futurism]] style, +including chrome female robots, pixelated arcade machines, and +[[https://teddit.net/r/outrun/][outrun]] aesthetics. + +Each level of the game is shown as a separate arcade machine. Each +arcade machine lets you play on Normal, Hard, Insane, Practice, and Free +Run. To beat each arcade, you must reach the end of the level without +crashing your car into the various obstacles on the course. Basic levels +let you move left or right to avoid blocks in the road. Later levels put +you through other tests, such as dodging traffic or blasting asteroids. + +The game uses synthwave music to keep you on track to make the correct +moves by timing the beats of the songs to the correct moves on the +screen. It reminds me of the early Guitar Hero games, as well as mobile +apps like VOEZ - repetition and staying on-beat is the only way to win. + +* In-Game Screenshots + +Taking a look at the main menu, you can see that Neon Drive plays into +every stereotype you can think of around retro-futuristic, synthwave +arcades (in a good way). + +Once you get into the first level, we see that the choice of car fits +right in with the stereotypical cars of the 80s, like the +[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMC_DeLorean][DeLorean]] or the +[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_F40][Ferrari F40]]. Each new +level comes with new color schemes and cars, so you should never get +tired of the aesthetic. + +Personally, I love the orange and blue colors used in level 2: + +If you're the competitive type and getting 100% on all arcade machines +isn't enough, there are leaderboards for the regular part of the game, +and the endurance game mode. + +* Other Suggestions + +Neon Drive sits nicely within the well-founded cult genre of Outrun. +Other games that I've enjoyed in this same spectrum are: + +- [[https://store.steampowered.com/app/233270/Far_Cry_3__Blood_Dragon/][Far + Cry 3: Blood Dragon]] +- [[https://store.steampowered.com/app/1239690/Retrowave/][Retrowave]] +- [[https://store.steampowered.com/app/732810/Slipstream/][Slipstream]] + +Although these games aren't necessarily in the same genre, they do have +aspects that place them close enough to interest gamers that enjoyed +Neon Drive: + +- [[https://store.steampowered.com/app/311800/Black_Ice/][Black Ice]] +- [[https://store.steampowered.com/app/746850/Cloudpunk/][Cloudpunk]] +- [[https://store.steampowered.com/app/1222680/Need_for_Speed_Heat/][Need + for Speed: Heat]] +- [[https://store.steampowered.com/app/1019310/VirtuaVerse/][VirtuaVerse]] + +Of course, if all you really care about is the arcade aspect of these +games, you can check out the +[[https://store.steampowered.com/app/400020/Atari_Vault/][Atari Vault]] +or any of the other classic games sold on Steam by companies like Namco, +Atari. For something like Nintendo, you'd have to settle for buying used +classic consoles or delve into the world of emulation. -- cgit v1.2.3-70-g09d2