Night Driver
Atari • 1976


Experience the thrill of high-speed pursuit in Night Driver, an early example of first-person driving gameplay released by Atari in 1976. Players take control of a lone vehicle navigating a winding highway, attempting to evade pursuing police cars while maintaining a safe speed. The objective is to outrun law enforcement and complete the course without crashing or exceeding the posted limits. Originally designed for upright cabinets, Night Driver was notably adapted by Atari to utilize surplus “Highway” sitdown arcade cabinets. These conversions were successful, with kits also produced to allow existing Highway cabinets in arcades to be retrofitted. The game’s unique configuration demonstrates an effort to maximize the use of available hardware and expand its reach within the arcade market. Night Driver offers a single-player experience focused on skillful driving and quick reflexes – a straightforward but engaging challenge for players seeking a taste of early arcade racing.
Details
- Manufacturer
- Atari
- Year
- 1976
- Players
- 1
- Genre
- Driving / 1st Person
- Display
- raster
- Emulation status
- imperfect
- MAME ID
- nitedrvr
Machine data derived from the MAME project.