Automobili Lamborghini

This article is about the 1997 video game. For the car brand, see Lamborghini.
Automobili Lamborghini

North American Nintendo 64 cover art
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
  • JP Taito
  • NA Titus Software
  • EU Titus Software
Platform(s) Nintendo 64
Release date(s)
  • JP May 29, 1998
  • NA November 30, 1997
  • EU December 1, 1997
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer

Automobili Lamborghini is a 1997 racing video game developed and published by Titus Software for the Nintendo 64. It is a successor to their earlier Lamborghini American Challenge.

In 1998, an improved version titled Super Speed Race 64 (スーパースピードレース64) was released in Japan only. This version was distributed by Taito, presented as a successor to their Speed Race series from the late 1970s and early 1980s. Improvements include a new difficulty level, the ability to freely customize controls, the introduction of weather, actual pictures of various models of Lamborghini with their names displayed before the demo screen, and other minor changes.

Gameplay

A screenshot of Automobili Lamborghini gameplay on Nintendo 64.

Automobili Lamborghini is an arcade-style racing game similar to the Ridge Racer or Need for Speed (early) series. There are 4 modes of play: Arcade, Championship, Single Race, and Time Trials. Arcade and Championship consist of a series of races and is where the game's various cars can be unlocked; Single Race is a practice mode in normal racing conditions (configurable), while Time Trials is a single player race against the player's best times.

To challenge these modes, the game features eight vehicles that resemble actual supercars: the two default cars, representing the Lamborghini Diablo and the Lamborghini Countach; and six unlockable cars won by beating the six configurations of championships, representing the Porsche 959, the Ferrari F50, the Ferrari Testarossa, the Dodge Viper, the McLaren F1, and the Bugatti EB110.

In what could be considered a landmark, Automobili Lamborghini was one of the first console games to allow both four player and AI opponents simultaneously.

Reception

IGN gave Automobili Lamborghini a rating of 7.0 out of 10 overall, despite criticism about the choice of music and the graphics being "devoid of roadside detail".[1] Victor Lucas of The Electric Playground gave the game a 7 out of 10 and said it "ends up only inspiring yawns." Lucas praised the game's graphics, but criticized its "relatively paper thin gameplay," its bland colors, and the "intolerably stupid" A.I. of the computer-controlled racing opponents. Lucas also felt that the game should have included more cars and tracks, and criticized the game's "very thin" sound effects: "These are sports cars of magnitude. The hums, whines and purrs of these particular 'mobiles should not be taken lightly. However, there are times when it sounds like this is a race of turbo-charged hand blenders."[2]

References

  1. IGN Reviews: Automobili Lamborghini
  2. Lucas, Victor (January 7, 1998). "Automobili Lamborghini review". The Electric Playground. Archived from the original on January 22, 1998.

External links

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