Turbo Kart Racer

Turbo Kart Racer is a top-down kart racing game with multidirectional scrolling, published by Players Software in 1990-1991 . You race against two computer-controlled drone karts, completing four laps on each track to progress . The game features a limited turbo boost for extra speed. Collisions with opponents or track edges cause damage; if your kart is destroyed, you must quickly reposition on a safe section . Various symbols appear on track: wrenches allow purchase of upgrades (extra speed, acceleration), while other icons repair damage or replenish turbo . A grey drone kart carries spanners; colliding with it lets you steal them . The winner of each race also takes any spanners the loser collected . Two control methods are selectable: Arcade (kart follows joystick direction directly) or Simulator (joystick steers left/right, fire accelerates) .

Commodore 64

Released in 1991, coded by Paul Black with music by Howie Davies . The C64 version features three karts on track simultaneously . Split-screen mode is implemented even in single-player (alternating between your kart and computer views), while two-player simultaneous mode splits the screen horizontally . Due to the split-screen, each player sees their own viewpoint . Later tracks remove directional arrows from the road and add walls that open and close . Pop-up posts can instantly destroy your kart . Available on tape at £2.99 . Zzap!64 magazine praised the presentation and two-player mode, noting that while controls are tricky initially, persistence reveals a surprisingly playable budget racer . A later unreleased version called Retro Torque (featuring motorcycles instead of karts) was planned as a Commodore Force cover tape but never published .