Atari, the branded cryptocurrency and speaker hat maker, will release a new version of the company’s classic racing game, Night Driver, more than 40 years after the original hit arcades. The new game, simply titled Night Driver, is coming to Android and iOS devices.
The new Night Driver is currently available in Canada via the Apple App Store and Google Play as a free-to-play download. A release date outside of the Canadian soft launch has not been announced.
According to a release, the new Night Driver ”offers a range of different slick and powerful vehicles that players can race down the illuminated highway in an exhilarating wild ride under the night sky.” Atari promises performance upgrades and cosmetic customization for your car, as well as “breathtaking locations” and a 360-degree showroom.
Night Driver’s teaser trailer promises ‘80s-infused style, with neon grids and highly polished race cars. The first screenshots of the game show a fairly familiar-looking mobile racing game, in which every race is set at night or dusk.
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The new Night Driver was developed by Brighton, U.K.-based Gameaholic.
The original game first hit arcades in 1976. By today’s standards, it’s incredibly simple; the first-person racing game uses a series of white rectangles on a black background to convey a sense of movement on twisting and turning roads. The arcade version used a translucent overlay of a car hood over the monitor to give Night Driver players a visual representation of their car.
Night Driver was ported to the Atari 2600 in 1978 and, thanks to its multiple colors and sprites, was visually superior to its arcade counterpart.
