Stunts (video game)

Short description: 1990 video game

Stunts

North American cover art

Developer(s)| Distinctive Software
Publisher(s)|

* NA: Broderbund
* EU: Mindscape
* JP: Electronic Arts Victor

Designer(s)| Stanley Chow
Brad Gour
Rob Martyn
Don Mattrick
Kevin P. Pickell
Programmer(s)| Kevin P. Pickell
Artist(s)| David Adams
Kevin P. Pickell
Mike S. Smith
Nicola Swaine
Composer(s)| Krisjan Hatlelid
Brian Plank
Michael J. Sokyrka
Platform(s)| MS-DOS, Amiga, NEC PC-9801, FM Towns
Release| October 1990: MS-DOS
1992: Amiga
1993: PC-98, FM Towns
Genre(s)| Racing
Mode(s)| Single-player

Stunts (also known as 4D Sports Driving) is a 3D racing video game developed by Distinctive Software and published by Broderbund in 1990. The game places emphasis on racing on stunt tracks and features a track editor. It is clearly influenced by the earlier arcade game Hard Drivin' and has many similar elements to the game Stunt Driver which was released the same year. The game is part of the 4D Sports series along with 4D Sports Tennis and 4D Sports Boxing.

## Contents

* 1 Gameplay
* 2 Release
* 3 Reception
* 4 See also
* 5 References
* 6 External links
* 7 Features
* 8 History
* 9 See also
* 10 References
* 11 External links

## Gameplay

The track editor

In Stunts, players race a lap around the circuit, with the aim of completing the lap as quickly as possible without crashing. These laps often feature special track areas such as loops, jumps (including over tall buildings), slalom roads and corkscrews. The game area is restricted by a large fixed size square area defined and surrounded by a fence in which the game is designed to prevent the player from leaving. Players can either race against the clock or choose between six different opponents; there is no support for real-time multiplayer. Stunts features 11 different drivable cars, with either automatic or manual transmission. Replays of races can be saved and reviewed. There are four camera views available during replay and actual driving, and the dashboard is an optional overlay on all views. It is also possible to continue the race from any point in the replay, but the time for that race will not be recorded. Another major feature of the game is the built-in track and terrain editor which allows the user to design arbitrary new tracks or modifications of existing tracks.[1]

The cars can drive on paved roads, gravel roads, icy/snow roads, and grass if driving off the track -- which all offer different levels of grip. The game has a relatively advanced pseudo-physics engine for its time which can simulate oversteer and understeer; the grip is also proportional to the banking of a curve. The game features a 3D engine with flat shading and no textures, it uses polygonal graphics for most objects, including trees and road signs, there are few sprites. The resolution is 320×200 with 256 colors. There is an option to select high and low detail. The game is written for DOS and executes in real mode.[2]

Stunts includes a form of copy protection. Each time after running the program, players must complete a specific phrase found in the game manual before being allowed to race. If the player fails to complete the phrase three times, the next race will still load, but approximately four seconds into the race, the player is informed that they did not deactivate the car's security system, the car crashes, and the player is returned to the main menu.

## Release

The game was originally made for the IBM PC compatibles and then ported for Amiga, FM Towns and NEC PC-9801.

The Mindscape release had the title changed to 4D Sports Driving, to make the game a part of their 4D Sports brand (the other games of the line were 4D Sports Boxing and 4D Sports Tennis). Some minor game engine differences exists between Stunts 1.1 version and 4D Sports Driving 1.1 version, like driving through tunnel roofs in Mindscape version, while the players may crash on the roof in Broderbund version.[3]

The Amiga version was published in 1992 by Mindscape under the name 4D Sports Driving (version 1.2). SFX and music are played with sampler instead of FM synthesis or PC speaker.

The PC-9801 version was titled 4D Driving (version 1.0) and was published by Electronic Arts Victor in 1993. Due to PC-9801 limitations, this version had the music synthesized and title and menu graphics changed from the previous platform's releases, although the gameplay remained mainly the same.[4]

FM Towns version is also named 4D Driving (version 1.0) and was also published by Electronic Arts Victor in 1993. Due to FM Towns capacities, music has been changed and improved, and new songs added. Title page and menu graphics are also modified, close to PC-9801 version but with better graphics. In FM Towns version, the opponent's photos has been changed, and Bernie Rubber character is replaced by Masahiko, a Japanese guy. His dedicated track remains the same as Bernie's track.

## Reception

In 1994, PC Gamer US named Stunts the 22nd best computer game ever. The editors wrote that the sense of speed, and the degree of control the players have over their vehicle, make this a must for every gamer.[5]

## See also

* Hard Drivin' (1989)
* Stunt Car Racer (1989)
* Stunt Driver (1990)

## References

1. ↑ 4D Sports Stunt Driving Review at Gamershell.com
2. ↑ STUNTS from Broderbund / 4D SPORTS DRIVING from Mindscape by David Leadbetter for Game Bytes Magazine. 1994.
3. ↑ Stunts (4D Sports Driving). Retrogamer Magazine issue 55 pp. 82-85 (Imagine Publishing)
4. ↑ "PC 98: 4d Driving (intro) on YouTube". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_V4PD614j0. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
5. ↑ Staff (August 1994). "PC Gamer Top 40: The Best Games of All Time". PC Gamer US (3): 32–42.

## External links

* MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

## Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

## History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

## See also

* IGDB - game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/.
2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/.
3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1.
4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521.
8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media.
9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned.
10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner.
11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames.
12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games.
13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/.
14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/.
15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/.
16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/.
17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames.
18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628.

| Wikidata has the property:

* NO LABEL (P1933) (see uses)

|

## External links

* No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

* v
* t
* e

Atari

Corporations|

| Primary|

* Atari, Inc. (1972–1992)
* Atari Corporation (1984–1996)
* Atari SA, Atari, Inc. (2003–present)

|

Subsidiaries and
spin-offs|

* Atari Games
* Atari Interactive
* AtariAge
* Chuck E. Cheese (1977–1978)
* Cyan Engineering
* Digital Eclipse
* Kee Games
* MobyGames
* Nightdive Studios
* Tengen

Arcades games
and amusements|

* Anti-Aircraft
* Asteroids
* Asteroids Deluxe
* Atari Basketball
* Atari Football
* Avalanche
* Battlezone
* Black Widow
* Breakout
* Canyon Bomber
* Centipede
* Cloak & Dagger
* Crash 'N Score
* Crystal Castles
* Destroyer
* Dominos
* Fire Truck
* Firefox
* Food Fight
* Gotcha
* Gran Trak 10
* Gran Trak 20
* Gravitar
* Hi-way
* I, Robot
* Indy 4
* Indy 800
* Jet Fighter
* LeMans
* Liberator
* Lunar Lander
* Major Havoc
* Millipede
* Missile Command
* Night Driver
* Outlaw
* Pin-Pong
* Pong
* Pong Doubles
* Pursuit
* Quadrapong
* Quantum
* Quiz Show
* Qwak!
* Rebound
* Red Baron
* Return of the Jedi
* Shark Jaws
* Sky Diver
* Space Duel
* Space Race
* Sprint 1
* Sprint 2
* Sprint 4
* Sprint 8
* Star Wars
* Starship 1
* Steeplechase
* Stunt Cycle
* Super Breakout
* Super Bug
* Super Pong
* Tank
* Tank 8
* Tempest
* Tournament Table
* Triple Hunt
* Ultra Tank
* Video Pinball
* Warlords

| Prototypes|

* Tank II

|

Software and utilities|

* Atari BASIC
* Atari Calculator
* Atari DOS

Video game
consoles|

* Home Pong
* Stunt Cycle
* Atari Video Music
* Video Pinball
* 2600
* 2800
* 5200
* 7800
* XEGS
* Lynx
* Jaguar
* CD
* VCS (2021)
* 2600+

| Prototypes|

* Game Brain
* Cosmos
* 2700
* Atari Mindlink
* Panther
* Sierra

|

Personal
computers|

* Atari 8-bit computers
* Atari ST
* MEGA STE
* TT030
* Transputer Workstation
* Falcon

| Portables|

* STacy
* ST Book
* Portfolio

|

Prototypes|

* Sierra

Peripherals|

| Printers|

* 825 80-Column Printer
* 1020 Color Printer

|

Gaming devices|

* CX40 joystick
* Atari joystick port
* XG-1 light gun

Other|

* Atari Democrat
* Atari Flashback
* Intellivision
* Sears

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MobyGames. Read more

|

* Stunts can be played for free in the browser at the Internet Archive
* The Stunts Racing Portal
* Stunts GameBytes review
* StuntsTools from dstien
* Report about the Stunts community from April 2017
* Ultimate Stunts \- a remake of Stunts

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stunts (video game). Read more

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Stunts_(video_game)&oldid=696835"
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template