Retro Review: Enduro Racer

Enduro Racer

Platform: Arcade & Sega Master System

Released: 1986 & 1987

Developer: Sega

Publisher: Sega

I’m sorry to say that this is a slightly shorter review than normal due to my time constraints, but please check out my gameplay video below of both the arcade and Sega Master System versions of Enduro Racer. In short, this is a racing game from Sega who created some absolutely stunning arcade games including Outrun and Hang On. It’s not my favourite racing game from Sega but it is well worth checking out.

Please also listen to the first episode of The ABC of Gaming where Adam, Ben and I chat about our memories of Kung Fu Master and Enduro Racer.

Graphics: The arcade version has the classic Sega style that made games like Outrun and Space Harrier so iconic.  I really appreciate that the Sega Master System went for an isometric style rather than just a shoddy port of the arcade version. 6

Sound: Decent sound but nothing particularly memorable. The Sega Master System version does a good job of trying to replicate the arcade sound. 6

Playability: Both versions are still fun albeit there isn’t much to them and won’t keep you entertained for very long. 6

Re-playability: I enjoyed my time with Enduro Racer but I doubt I’ll be replaying them anytime soon. 5

Overall: Enduro Racer is from the golden age of Sega arcade games including Outrun, Hang On, Space Harrier and Afterburner.  It is still fun but I think it will be overlooked for the aforementioned games. Kudos to the developers for changing the Sega Master System version and making it feel completely different rather than putting out a crappy version of the arcade.  6