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Retro arcade racing fuels trio of hot new games

'Power Drive 2000' brings 1980s futurism from a 2010s perspective

Three games are poised to take on 1980s- and 90s-inspired arcade racing with renewed vigor, as "Power Drive 2000," "Slipstream" and "Drift Stage" look to classics like "OutRun," "Power Drift" and "Rad Racer" for authenticity and inspiration.

- Title: Power Drive 2000 -
Trailer: youtu.be/r1LU0NGCVHQ
Date: May 2016
Platforms: Mac, Windows, Linux, PlayStation 4

Megacom Games' "Power Drive 2000" is perhaps the most free in its interpretation of 80s style, imagining the millennial year as envisioned 20 years prior.

Shiny and well-textured roads, glossy vehicle exteriors, and period design motifs filtered through a mid-2010s perspective make for plenty of neon on show, in far higher fidelity than a Laser Disc could have ever dreamt of.

Its fictional supercar of choice, a Hyperdyne Motors Avenger 2000, doubles down on "Knight Rider" references with by accommodating an AI called CAT, and the game's OST pulls in synthwave talent like Vector Hold, Mega Drive, and NightStop.

Website: megacomgames.com

- Title: Slipstream -
Trailer: youtu.be/fMbYMTBU6Bg
Date: Q3 2015
Platforms: Mac, Windows, Linux

Then there's "Slipstream," whose revisitation of early 90s racing standards has been tracking towards a release sometime before the end of September 2015.

It pursues a 3D effect but using 2D graphics only, for genuine period feel, following the path laid out by the likes of "OutRun" and "Super Hang-On," with even "Sonic the Hedgehog" cited as an inspiration.
That means plenty of speed, and plenty of blue skies.

Just as in "OutRun," drivers choose from two branching roads after completing each stage, en route to their ultimate destination.

Website: ansdor.com/slipstream
Demo: ansdor.itch.io/slipstream-demo-2

- Title: Drift Stage -
Trailer: youtu.be/ESM4JkOXSis
Date: Late 2015
Platforms: Mac, Windows, Linux

Our third challenger, "Drift Stage," sports a riotous color palette somewhere between the neon burn of "Power Drive 2000" and happy joy of "Slipstream."

Taking influence from the mid 90s, when flat sprite graphics were being replaced by blocky 3D polygons, its references expand to "OutRun 2," "Ridge Racer," and "Daytona USA"; it's all about taking corners at high speed, with tires squealing and steering wheel jammed into an opposite lock.

The soundtrack, as revealed so far, leans into soaring guitar solos backed by sweeping synths, heavy drum patterns and racing ride cymbals.

Like "Power Drive 2000," there's been a successful Kickstarter bid and a user-voted space on Steam reserved for the well-anticipated game.

Website and demo: driftstagegame.com