Horse Racing (video game)

Horse Racing
Developer(s) Mattel
Publisher(s) Mattel
Designer(s) Chris Hawley
Engine Proprietary
Platform(s) Intellivision
Release date(s)
Genre(s) Sports/Racing/Thoroughbred horse racing/Gambling
Mode(s) Multiplayer

Horse Racing is an equestrian video game released by Mattel Electronics for its Intellivision video game console in 1980. Although primarily a sports video game, Horse Racing was actually assigned to the Gaming Network, due to its pari-mutuel betting for placing bets on the horses during the game; the game houses 8 virtual Thoroughbred race horses residing in the fictional Rainbow Thoroughbred Stables at a fictional western Kentucky race track called Plympton Downs (based loosely on long-time sportscaster/Intellivision sales personality George Plimpton). Each of the horses have differing racing abilities (front runner, pace keeper, come from behind, ...), and do vary from game time to game time (a horse with come from behind traits during one match may have front runner abilities during the next match). These horses are known by their colors (instead of their post position numbers—unlike in regular horse racing).

Gameplay

In Intellivision's original Horse Racing game, 6 players (bettors) begin each of the 10 races on the simulated match program by checking out the race program screen; 4 horses are entered for each race, with bettors starting out with a $750 simulated bankroll. For each of the 4 horses entered into a race, the odds—along with past performances—are listed (accessed by a side action button during placing bets). Each bettor then keys in his/her player number (from 1 to 6 on the keypad), enters a bet pay amount against his/her bankroll, then—places the bet (of a win or exacta only—by pressing [9] on the keypad) on his/her selection of horse(s). After all bets are made, a keypad press of [0] then [ENTER] starts the race.

The Call To The Post then plays. After a brief silence, the starting gate opens up, and 4 Thoroughbred horses run away from the gate. During the actual race, the disk/joystick is used to move a horse along, while the side action buttons perform either of 2 functions (top to coax a horse along, bottom to whip it). Each race takes place on any of 3 different types of track: dry, turf (grass), or muddy; additionally, the races run in length from 3 to 10 furlongs. After the horses cross the finish line, the results are shown on the tote board as colorful horse heads (reading from right to left in finishing order), along with the elapsed time of the race. The play screen then switches to the bet placing screen for the next race; after the full 10-race match program has run, a final GAME OVER screen shows up, with the bettors' final bankroll amounts.

The track is shown as a right side scrolling playscreen, with the track color changing according to what type of track each race is run (khaki for dry, pine green for turf, and brown for muddy). A simple 4-stall starting gate with the horses loaded therein is shown at the start of each race. The cheering crowd fanfare sound is played as the horses cross the finish line.

The Rainbow Thoroughbred Stables

The RTS is a fictional stable in where the race horses featured in the game are housed. Each horse has differing abilities and personalities. These are referred to by their colors (unlike in actual horse races where they would get entrant post position numbers in relation to the inner rail). These are assigned a button on the keypad as follows:

On the original prototype ROM, there was a BLACK horse called Black Maurauder; however, he got dropped from the original release of the game, and got replaced by Snowy Guy.

Production changes in relation to real Thoroughbred horse racing

In Intellivision's original game, the entrant field for each and every race always consists of 4 horses. The race track is shown as a straight right-facing side scroller, as seen from the grandstand. Each match program (full game session) consists of 10 races of 4 horses each. The betting options are restricted to win and exacta bets. During the race, the motion for each race horse as directed by the disk/joystick: up to stay along the rail, down to move away from the rail, left to hold back, and right to sprint ahead. While the horses are running, either top action button coaxes a horse along, while either bottom action button whips it.

Each race is of a varying distance—anywhere from 3 to 10 furlongs are available. The turns on the track are imaginary (they do not show up on screen)—the only way to determine a turn on this race track is to see how the horses move through a turn (they tend to slightly slow down through a turn). The rail has furlong markers that sound when the horses run past them. The finish line is indicated by a broken white line running across the race track lane, with a taller black post on the rail—which is where the scrolling stops. The horses run past the finish line, then run off screen. The tote board (on the infield) then shows the finishing time and the finishing order (reading from right to left in colorful horse heads).

Ports

Intellivision's original Horse Racing game was released in 1980 by Mattel Electronics as part of the Gaming Network (despite being a sports racing video game), hence its green box. This game was also released by Sears for their Intellivision private-label clone, the Super Video Arcade. It was also featured on the Intellivision Lives! game collection on CD for personal computers and modern video game consoles. Intellivision's Horse Racing became available for play on Microsoft's Game Room service for its Xbox 360 console, and for Games For Windows Live.

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