Badlands (1989 video game)

Badlands is a 1989 arcade video game published by Atari Games. It was ported by Domark under the Tengen label to the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. The game is a re-themed version of Atari's previous racing games Super Sprint and Championship Sprint with the addition of vehicular combat. Badlands is set in the aftermath of a nuclear war and races around abandoned wastelands with many hazards. Three gun-equipped cars race around a track to win prizes.

This article is about the 1989 Atari video game. For the Konami laserdisc video game, see Badlands (1984 video game). For the 2013 video game, see Badland (video game).
Badlands
Developer(s)Atari Games
Teque (ports)
Publisher(s)Atari Games
Domark (ports)
Designer(s)Kelly Turner
Programmer(s)Kelly Turner
Norm Avellar
Artist(s)Kris Moser
Sam Comstock
Bridget Erdmann
Composer(s)John Paul
Brad Fuller
Matt Furniss (ports)
Platform(s)Arcade, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum
Release
Genre(s)Racing, vehicular combat

Gameplay
Arcade screenshot

Badlands pits three cars against each other in a three lap race around a small, single-screen circuit. Bonuses are present in the form of wrenches which can be traded for goods such as extra speed, extra acceleration or better tires.

Unlike the Sprint games, Badlands expands upon the formula, taking place in a post-apocalyptic environment and equipping each of the players with cannons. In reality, the cannons do little except to slow cars down by repeatedly shooting at them, but the shop between levels offers the possibility of arming the car with missiles which will destroy the target car, placing it at a severe disadvantage as a replacement is brought onto the track, taking a few seconds.

The tracks also featured a number of new obstacles, including mines and retractable barricades.

Reception

Response to the Spectrum version was mixed. Your Sinclair and CRASH awarded average marks, both claiming in reviews of the original and rerelease that the title's contemporary Super Off-Road was superior. Sinclair User expressed more enthusiasm for the game, but made the same comparison to Super Off-Road.

Reviews

Legacy

The game was re-released in 2005 as part of Midway Arcade Treasures 3 for the PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox. It was also re-released in 2006 as part of Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition for Microsoft Windows.

References
  1. "Badlands (Registration Number PA0000518937)". United States Copyright Office. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  2. Openshaw, Mary (March 1990). "ATEI '90: major international show rings in new year with good spread of new products". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 6. pp. 126–32.
  3. "CVG Magazine Issue 108". November 1990.
  4. "CVG Magazine Issue 100". March 1990.
  5. "ACE Magazine Issue 41". February 1991.
  6. Commodore Format, issue 3, 1990
  7. "ST Format (Issue 18) - January - 1991: Atari magazine scans, PDF".
  8. "Sinclair User Magazine Issue 099". May 1990.
  9. All Game review
  10. "Badlands (Atari Games Corporation)". 14 March 2020.
  11. Commodore Format, issue 25, 1992
  12. "CPC Attack Magazine Issue 06".
  13. "Your Sinclair Magazine Issue 60". December 1990.
  14. Computer and Video Games January 1991
  15. "Kultboy.com - DIE Kult-Seite über die alten Spiele-Magazine und Retro-Games!". www.kultboy.com. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  16. "Kultpower Archiv: Komplettscan Powerplay 4/1990".
  17. "Commodore User Magazine Issue 77". February 1990.
  18. "MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat".
  19. "Zzap! 64 Issue 068 (HQ)".
  20. Computer and Video Games February 1991
  21. Amiga Power, issue 1, 1991
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