Night Driver has always been one of my favorite games on the Atari 2600. I even use NightDriver2600 as my gamer tag. Here is an article I wrote about the classic game. I even discovered that there is a mobile remake of Night Driver in the works while researching for this article.
Night Driver is a classic game for the Atari 2600. It was ported from an earlier arcade game and still has fans around the world. It is a classic game with a cult following that will remain well-loved for years to come. Night Driver was the first “first person” racing video game.
Night Driver: An Atari 2600 Classic
Night Driver was an arcade game made in 1976 that was later ported to Atari 2600 two years later. Versions of Night Driver for Commodore 64 and the Apple II also exist. The Atari 2600 version is the most well-known today. The gameplay of Night Driver is exactly what the name implies: driving a car at night. In the Atari 2600 version, you must dodge cars and avoid hitting the edges of the road, least you be assaulted with bright flashing colors on the screen and explosion noises to simulate a crash. The original arcade version does not feature other cars to avoid, but you still must be careful not to collide with the edge of the road, or you will see a crash simulated by flashing white light on the screen.
Night Driver is notable for being the first “first person” racing game. It is also commonly believed to be one of the first ever published video games to display real-time first-person graphics.
To describe Night Driver as a racing game may be a misnomer, however. You are not actually racing anyone in this game. You are simply driving… at night. Hence the name Night Driver.
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