''Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing'' is a

racing In sports, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific g ...

video game released by

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for the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...

in 1990. It is an adaptation of the 1989 Japanese-market Famicom game , with the most notable changes being the addition of Unser as an in-game coach, the number of laps, sound and interface design. Therefore, the game remains based on the Formula 1 World Championship, despite Unser having never competed in it. This game features a season mode and two time trial modes. In season mode the player uses either Al Unser Jr. or a make-their-own-driver. Versions released outside North America were simply titled ''Turbo Racing'' with all references to Al Unser Jr removed, due to the relative obscurity of CART and Al Unser Jr outside of North America.

Gameplay

The game is a racing video game. The player directs the car using the

D-pad The D-pad (short for directional pad) is a compact input method developed for video games, designed to translate thumb movement into directional control through a flat, cross-shaped surface that rests on four internal switches. Each switch corres ...

, accelerating with A and braking with B. The gauges,

speed In kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a non-negative scalar quantity. Intro ...

, and several other things can be seen at the bottom of the screen. Turbo boosts can be used by the player when necessary, but must be refuelled when empty. Hazards such as signposts and other cars must be avoided. Qualifying is held prior to each race, but is difficult because only one lap is given. Due to the limitations of the NES, curves appear to come out of nowhere, making turning unusually difficult.

Modes

World Championship Season

Players choosing the World Championship Season can either race as Al Unser, Jr., or start their own team. Playing as Unser, Jr. gives the player the best car possible and the best chance to win immediately. If a players choose to start their own team, they would have to spend a season climbing up the rankings, improving the car. Players run a full 16-race schedule, with several races varying in distance. If a player drives as Unser, Jr., he takes his likeness, and drives the blue and white

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. If a player starts his or her own team, a name is entered, and personalized team colours are chosen. Unser, Jr.'s car is maxed out for set-up points, and a new entry starts with minimal set-up points. The remainder of the championship season is filled with fictional drivers, bringing the total to 26 cars per race. At each race, the player has the chance to receive advice about the course from Al Unser, Jr., and set up the car to qualify. Unlimited practice is also allowed prior to qualifying. During qualifying, a player must complete one lap as fast as possible to determine the starting position on the grid. If a player qualifies fastest, he will start on the pole position. If a player retires from qualifying, he will start last (26th). The player is allowed one last opportunity to set up the car for the race, and choose the music to be played during the race. The race begins from a standing start, and runs a specific number of laps. For each race, points towards the championship are awarded to the top six finishers (9-6-4-3-2-1), consistent with the points system utilized in Formula One at the time. The top six finishers also receive a certain number of set-up points to improve the car. At the end of the season, the driver with the most points wins the World Championship. During each race, the player must avoid accidents such as running into other cars and hitting signposts. Accidents can harm engines or blow tires, which can be repaired by pitting. While pitting, the race is halted so as not to put the player at a disadvantage due to each race's unusually short length (about three to five laps). The game uses a turbo boost system, which, when depleted, must be refilled before it causes engine damage.

Time trial mode

The game features two

time trial In many racing sports, an sportsperson, athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial (TT) against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athle ...

modes, "A" (with computer opponents) and "B" (without computer opponents). Players can choose any of the sixteen tracks, and number of laps (1-9). The gameplay is the same as that of the World Championship season. The fastest lap would be recorded for each session. As many as four players can run the time trial, one at a time, and the best laps are recorded for comparison.

Circuits

''Turbo Racing'' features a 16-race Formula One schedule, loosely resembling that of

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. Several of the tracks were not accurately depicted, and some were replaced. The sequence did not follow that of the Formula One schedule. The tracks are as follows: * The Austria circuit in the game is based on

Zeltweg Zeltweg () is a town in Styria, Austria. It is located in the Aichfeld basin of the Mur River in Upper Styria. Larger municipalities in the vicinity are Judenburg, Knittelfeld and Fohnsdorf. History Some farms were recorded at Zeltweg in the Du ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. Austria was no longer on the Formula One schedule at the time the game was released. The

Imola Imola (; or ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, located on the river Santerno, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The city is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical region Romagna ...

circuit in

San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two European microstates, microsta ...

, which was part of the schedule prior to and at the time the game was released, was absent from the game. * The USA circuit is based on the

Long Beach Grand Prix The Grand Prix of Long Beach (known as Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach since 2019 for naming rights reasons) is an IndyCar Series race held on a street circuit in Downtown Long Beach, downtown Long Beach, California. It was the premier race on the ...

street circuit. The circuit was part of the Formula One schedule from 1976 to 1983, but used a slightly different layout at the time. Starting in 1984, and at the time the game was released, the Long Beach circuit was part of the

CART A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by draught animals such as horses, donkeys, mules and oxen, or even smaller animals such as goats or large dogs. A handcart ...

series. The layout in the game depicts the circuit's configuration at that period. In his career, Unser, Jr. was successful and won six times on the course, which is speculation on why the track was included in the game. The United States Grand Prix was held at

Phoenix Street Circuit The Formula One United States Grand Prix was held on the Phoenix street circuit in Phoenix, Arizona, between 1989 and 1991. It was held in downtown by the Phoenix Civic Plaza and the America West Arena, prior to the introduction of the state's ...

the year of the game's release. * The Mexico circuit used in the game was based on an old layout of

Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a motorsport race track in Mexico City, Mexico, named after the racing drivers Ricardo Rodríguez (1942–1962) and Pedro Rodríguez (1940–1971). The circuit got its current name in 1979 after Ricardo ...

, which was no longer in use at the time the game was released. * All the tracks in the game measured approximately 3.3 miles, and the fastest lap possible on any and all tracks was 52.6 seconds. In reality, all of the circuits widely vary in distance and lap time.

References

''Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing''
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