Three of my most vivid automotive memories didn't happen behind the wheel of a car. They took place behind a keyboard. Playing computer games when I was too young and too poor to have a car of my own was my gateway into auto enthusiasm.
My oldest recollection of virtual driving was in the original Test Drive on my Amiga 500 computer sometime during the mid-90s.
Test Drive put you behind the wheel of a select range of sports cars like a Ferrari Testarossa, Lamborghini Countach, or Porsche Turbo (my favourite). The challenge was to take these rides for a blast up a clunkily-rendered mountain road, dodging other vehicles and outrunning cops. The road was the same pattern every time due to the technical limitations of the day. That meant it was possible to memorize the timing of corners and hazards.
I played the hell out of Test Drive. Again and again I drove those pixelated roads until one night I came home very late after drinking a large quantity of beer.
Inspired to see how impaired my driving was, I decided to fire up Test Drive. With the Porsche selected, I took to the mountain road for what was to be the last time. That night something clicked and I was unstoppable. I achieved some Zen state of game, joystick and fuzzy brain to do a run that earned more than double the points of my previous best score. That mountain climbed I never touched the game again.
My other two computer-driving memories both include my younger brother, Laurence, who himself has grown into a car buff (his first car was a classic Mini).
Formula One Grand Prix was a game we both took seriously. This racer must have been advanced for the time as it included a form a local multiplayer. If two of you wanted to compete in the same race, the game would let one player drive, then after a couple of laps would switch over to the other player. It was a tag-team Grand Prix.
The wrinkle was that your car was controlled by the game's basic autopilot when it wasn't your turn. This made you a prime target for the other player to sideswipe during a passing maneuver, sending your car spinning off the track.
This lead to some extremely heated races and some severely bruised biceps as we punched each other in real-world retaliation for virtual transgressions.
My final memory is the opposite of our serious F1 exploits. It involved Need For Speed 2 and some crazy hidden vehicles.
Need for Speed had it's roster of serious sports cars, including the Ferrari F50 and its ilk. But somehow I discovered that the game supported secret codes that could unlock other unofficial vehicles.
That led my brother and I to have some intense split-screen, low-speed, races between school buses, or semi tractor-trailers. But by far our favourite thing to drive was a log. A solid wooden log. It's complete lack of wheels, engine or controls didn't stop it from being a hilarious 'vehicle' to whip around in. I lost many of these races to Laurence because I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe.
With few exceptions most modern driving games seem very earnest. It feels as if current players have gained much in graphics, artificial intelligence and realistic physics in their games, but have lost out on pure unbridled fun.
If any future Need for Speed game has the courage to bring back the racing log, I'll sing its praises from the rooftops.
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Instagram
Add us to your circles
Sign up for our weekly newsletter