Enduro Racer (Sega Master System/Mark 3) Review

"Enduro Racer" is an arcade cult-classic from Sega originally introduced in 1985, which put the player in the role of an off-road motorcyclist amidst a variety of rough and tough terrains.

It consisted of a unique “handlebar”-style controller along with an accelerator, meant to simulate the controls of an off-road dirt bike, which the player could pull back in order to perform a wheelie.

The game was a modest success both commercially and critically, and was eventually ported to the major home computers of the era – the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and Atari ST (a Commodore Amiga version was apparently planned but never materialised) … and the Sega Master System (also known in Japan as the Sega Mark 3).

This review will cover the Master System version.

Disclaimer:

There are two (2) versions of this game for the Master System: the original Japanese version and a severely reduced version meant for the international market.

For the purpose of this review, I will be covering the Japanese version as it is the most complete edition of the game and has all the missing content cut out from the Western release (both versions are completely in English). I will be playing the game utilising my custom-made 2-button arcade stick.

The Game

When the game boots up, an image of a motorcycle appears followed by the simplistic title screen seen above. The two timers indicate the player’s best time for each of the game’s “rounds”. This game is divided into 20 stages (10 in the Western release), subdivided into 2 rounds of 10 stages each (1 round only in the Western version).

The player uses the joystick or Sega control pad to steer the bike - Left and Right go left and right, and Button 1 (which also doubles as a Start button on the SMS controller) is used to brake, while Button 2 accelerates.

A cheat can be enabled by pushing Up, Down, Left and Right (in that order) on the joystick/Sega control pad on this screen, and a number on the right-hand side will appear.

Push Up and Down to select the stage on which to start the game and push Button 1 to confirm. For this article, I will play the game from beginning to end, from Stage 1 to 20.

Unlike its arcade counterpart (which served as the basis for the home computer conversions), this version of Enduro Racer is unique in multiple ways. To begin with, as seen from the screenshot above, it has an isometric perspective as opposed to the arcade and home computer versions’ 3rd-person view.

This alone changes the gameplay significantly, as the player can now predict what is coming ahead of them much more easily. The game now includes a damage indicator, represented by the letter D in the lower right-hand corner of the screen (above the speed limit) and shown as a percentage. The player would do well to keep this as low as possible, for when the damage indicator is full, the countdown timer in the upper left-hand corner of the screen will begin to decrease twice as fast.

The game’s stages consist of a variety of geographical locations and backdrops inspired by real-life locales such as the Everglades, Middle East, Alps and even a futuristic-looking motorway which one could expect to find in China or Japan.

Each stage has its own pitfalls and perils to persevere with and they all contain ramps and jumps, which the player can choose to either avoid or tackle. If they choose the latter option, then they MUST learn to master a “Super Jump” skill.

This works by pushing Down on the joystick when the player’s bike is ascending a ramp, and when the bike is at its airborne peak, the player must quickly push Up on the joystick before their descent begins. If done correctly, then the player is rewarded with a speed boost and a smooth landing, otherwise they will lose some speed, costing them precious time. This trick can be used multiple times with consecutive ramps, which are more commonplace in the later levels.

Shop System

Another mechanic unique to this version is the in-game shop/store, which allows the player to purchase powerups for their bike using points collected by overtaking opponents during a level.

When a level is completed, the player’s progress is shown as in the screenshot above, consisting of their lap time (the time taken to beat the current level), the amount of opponents overtaken and their total time and score.

As seen in the screenshot above, the player can tune up their bike by choosing the powerups available. Each powerup will last for the duration of the following stage and will be lost when the player either completes the stage or crashes.

Multiple powerups can be equipped simultaneously if the player has enough points. Here is what each powerup does:

• Accelerator allows for a faster and smoother take-off when the stage begins
• Handle allows for more precise turns on narrow roads and tight quarters
• Tire improves traction on rougher terrain
• Engine increases the bike’s maximum speed from 200 to 263 km/h
• Suspension grants the player a softer landing from jumps and ramps
• Item selects a random item that repairs the bike by varying degrees, depending on the item in question (only a single item can be purchased per tune-up)

Each purchased powerup will be marked by an asterisk *. In the Japanese version, there are approximately 10 items which the player can choose from the game’s invisible lottery, such as Sellotape (repairs approximately 2% damage), a first-aid kit (repairs approximately 20%) a tire (repairs approximately 30%), all the way to the most coveted item, which is a key (repairs the damage completely, bringing the damage counter back down to 0). In the English/Western version, the only available items are the first-aid kit and the tire.

The cost for each powerup is doubled in the 2nd round of the game, but the player will be faced with more opponents to overtake for each stage in order to compensate for this increase.

Victory

A map screen (as seen in the screenshot above) appears when the player either completes the current round or runs out of time, and will show their progress for that session, starting from the starting point marked with an S. If the goal (marked with a G) is reached, then the player is greeted with a victory screen, and depending on whether they have beaten the 1st or 2nd round (Japanese version only – the Western one only has a single round), an ending sequence.

The above screen appears when the player has completed either round in the game (only in the Japanese version), presenting them with their new record for that round. If the player has completed the 2nd round, then an ending text scroll is displayed after their prize, stating:

“Enduro” is a symbolic journey through life via the media of a race. The results are insignificant and what really counts is competing. Of particular importance are the lessons to be learned concerning one’s self from the various encounters you experience along the way. There is no victor or loser in this test of endurance. The only thing that really matters is that you make a commitment to begin the long and trying trek. This game is then dedicated to all of the “life riders” who have started out on the solitary trip to find their own individual limits. Last, but not least, may we sincerely congratulate you on a perfect run.

Presentation

The presentation in this game goes above and beyond what one would expect from a supposed arcade conversion and even a game for the Sega Master System/Mark 3 console. Rather than trying to emulate the arcade experience, Sega instead decided to make something completely original and unique to the Master System while retaining the arcade version’s sense of action and urgency – the little extra touches done to the title screen, the victory screen and the map screen all make this game stand out amidst its home computer counterparts.

Graphics (Detail, Colour)

Unsurprisingly, for a game on the Master System done by Sega themselves (the home computer versions were outsourced to various 3rd-party companies depending on the port), the graphics look vibrant, colourful and cartoony thanks to the console’s vivid colour palette, and each sprite is detailed at a very high resolution – it is easy to identify what each object on the screen is supposed to represent and the clarity of the sprites and backgrounds, along with the level of attention to detail done for each stage, makes this game a visual treat.

Sound (SFX, Music)

This is one of the game’s few weaknesses, as the SMS’s sound chip is not known for its amazing fidelity, especially when compared to something along the lines of the SID chip in the Commodore 64 computer (there is an add-on that can improve the console’s sound quality with an FM sound chip, similar to the one used in the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, but this add-on was only available in Japan for the Mark 3, and only a handful of games supported it). The sound effects are rudimentary, while the music will get on the player’s nerves VERY quickly.

The game only has two (2) in-game tunes, the first of which will be seared into the player’s eardrums, and the only way to hear the second melody is to start the next level with a powerup equipped (if the player crashes in mid-stage and loses their powerup, then the first melody will play AGAIN). The music restarts with each crash but thankfully not when the game is paused and unpaused. The music played during the title screen is a faithful 8-bit recreation of the Enduro Racer arcade theme tune, while the victory theme played when the player completes a round (or the game) gives a sense of triumph and accomplishment.

Controls

The controls are tight, responsive and just the right amount of sensitivity – games on this console are noted for either being too stiff or too slippery with their controls (Wonder Boy 3: The Dragon’s Trap is an example of the former, while Star Wars is an example of the latter), causing the player to declare their lack of culpability when a life is lost or when a mistake is made. In this game, however, there is no such excuse (save for the gratuitous opponents in later levels, who will try to block the player’s path) – if the player screws up, then it’s their own fault.

The “Super Jump” trick is a bit difficult to learn, but it is essential to clearing the game with minimal damage and time lost – it is a skill the player MUST master.

Gameplay (Difficulty, Fun-to-Frustration Ratio)

The gameplay is the jewel in the crown for Enduro Racer, triumphing head over heels above the home computer ports and even the original arcade version, which is a rare feat in and of itself.

Instead of making a quick port with just the bare basics involved, Sega went above and beyond the call of duty and fleshed out the gameplay while adding new mechanics and elements that benefit the game and the player, breathing new life into what would have otherwise been a stale genre.

This game hits the right balance of frustrating and fun, and can be picked up and played by both novices and experts alike.

Overall

Enduro Racer on the Sega Master System/Mark 3 is a game which transcends its arcade genesis and becomes something greater than the sum of its parts with its fully fleshed-out gameplay, powerup system and even to a certain extent, its basic AI – the opponents’ vehicles seem to follow the player’s bike and will occasionally try to block their path.

The Japanese version is the one to get, as it contains all 20 stages, both rounds, all powerups and the little extra touches of presentation such as a complete title screen, in-game map and the victory screens, which are sadly absent from the Western release (which is half the size of the Japanese version and was a point of contention on its original release, as it was a full-price game with the content and feel of a budget game).

Thankfully, the Sega Master System/Mark 3 is region-free, so there is really nothing stopping the player from getting the Japanese version for their US or European console (except for maybe the price).

This reviewer's best times were 8:01.95 for Round 1 and 7:07.77 for Round 2.

Final Score: 5 out of 5.

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