Head On (video game)
| Head On | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Sega |
| Publisher(s) | Sega/Gremlin |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Genre(s) | Driving, Maze |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
| Cabinet | Upright |
| Arcade system | Sega VIC Dual |
| CPU | Zilog Z80 clocked at 1.93356 MHz |
| Sound | Amplified Mono (one channel) |
| Display | Raster, 256 × 224, horizontal orientation |
Head On is an arcade game released in 1979 by Sega. Cars continuously drive forward through rectangular channels in a simple maze. At the four cardinal directions are gaps where a car can change lanes. The goal is to collect dots in the maze while avoiding collisions with the computer-controlled car that is also collecting dots. It's the first maze game where the goal is to eat dots, and Head On is considered a precursor to Namco's 1980 hit Pac-Man.[1]
Head On proved a popular concept to clone for home systems. Clones include Car Wars for the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A, Killer Car for Spectravideo, Car Chase for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Dodge 'Em for the Atari 2600, Dodge Racer for the Atari 8-bit family, and Tunnels of Fahad for the TRS-80. Konami's Fast Lane arcade game, released in 1987, is Head On with improved graphics and some additional features.
A very similar sequel was released the same year as the original: Head On 2. It was licensed to Nintendo and released as Head On N.[2][3]
Ports
Head On was ported to the Commodore 64 in 1982, as well as the Commodore VIC-20, Apple II, and Nintendo Game Boy. The Game Boy port is by Tecmo. Head On later appeared in the Sega Saturn collection Sega Memorial Selection Vol.1 and in the PlayStation 2 collection Sega Ages Vol. 23. A mobile phone exclusive version titled Sonic's Head On was released exclusively in Japan in 2000.
References
- ↑ Forgotten Gems of the Maze Chase Genre, The Next Level
- ↑ Gorges, Florent (2010). The History of Nintendo, Pix'n Love Publishing
- ↑ "Forgottendo: 10 Nintendo Games You've Probably Never Heard Of". USgamer.net. Retrieved 2016-02-14.