Safari Race is a racing video game developed and published by Sega in 1984 for the SG-1000 console. Players take control of a Lancia Stratos HF, navigating through the African savanna, avoiding wild animals, and competing against other racers, all while managing fuel consumption and a strict time limit. The game combines elements of arcade racing with light strategic resource management, offering a distinctive experience for its time.
Safari Race (Sega SG-1000)
The game stands out for featuring licensed vehicles, which was unusual in 1984. The player drives a Lancia Stratos HF, while opponents appear as Audi Quattro vehicles. This use of real-world cars hints at Sega's later embrace of licensed vehicles in games like Sega Rally Championship. The visual representation of the vehicles and opponents was considered detailed for the SG-1000 hardware, showcasing Sega’s ambition to push the limits of the platform.
Gameplay involves navigating a road littered with challenges, including encounters with animals such as lions, elephants, and rhinos. Players must stop at blue fuel stations strategically placed along the route to avoid running out of gas. The controls are unconventional, requiring the player to push the joystick upward to accelerate and downward to maintain speed, which could confuse new players but added a layer of depth to the racing mechanics.
The graphics, while basic, are effective in conveying the setting, with one-color animals and obstacles moving in predetermined patterns. The music loops continuously and speeds up with the vehicle's acceleration, adding a sense of urgency but sometimes veering into unintentional comedic territory. Despite these limitations, Safari Race remains a challenging game due to its high difficulty curve, making it an engaging experience for retro gaming enthusiasts.
Critics of the time noted that Safari Race was an innovative mix of arcade racing and obstacle avoidance but cited its steep difficulty and learning curve as potential barriers for casual players. Nevertheless, it remains a notable entry in the SG-1000 library for its unique theme, emphasis on licensed vehicles, and its role as a precursor to Sega's later racing games. The game's mix of strategy, action, and unpredictability makes it a memorable, if niche, title from the early days of console gaming.
More details about this game can be found on
MobyGames.com.
Find digital download of this game on
GOG
or
Steam.
Videogame Console:
This version of Safari Race was designed for the Sega SG-1000, which was first 8-bit Sega video game console manufactured
in the years 1983 - 1985. It was launched on the same day as much more successful NES console and with exceptions, it was sold only in Japan.
The unit price of SG-1000 was 15,000 yen, the same price as for NES. Console was not very successful and after 2 years was withdrawn from the market.
More information about Sega SG-1000 can be found
here.
Recommended Game Controllers:
You can control this game easily by using the keyboard of your PC (see the table next to the game). However, for maximum gaming enjoyment, we strongly recommend using a USB gamepad that you simply plug into the USB port of your computer. If you do not have a gamepad, buy a suitable USB controller on Amazon or AliExpress or in some in some of your favorite online stores.
Available online emulators:
2 different online emulators are available for Safari Race. These emulators differ not only in the technology they use to emulate old games, but also in support of various game controllers, multiplayer mode, mobile phone touchscreen, emulation speed, absence or presence of embedded ads and in many other parameters. For
maximum gaming enjoyment, it's important to choose the right emulator, because on each PC and in different Internet browsers, the individual emulators behave differently. The basic
features of each emulator available for this game Safari Race are summarized in the following table:
If you like Safari Race you'll probably like also some of the similar games in the overview below. The games you see here
are selected based on title similarity, game genre, and keywords. However, the list is generated automatically and can therefore be very 'subjective'
especially for some specific games. To find a particular game, please use our search form.
This website is NOT sponsored or endorsed by Nintendo, Atari, Sega or by any other video games company.
RetroGames.cz makes no claim to the intellectual property contained in the individual games.
Text content of RetroGames.cz
is available under the
Creative Commons 3.0 License. You can copy it freely, but indicate the origin and keep the license.
This version of Safari Race was designed for the Sega SG-1000, which was first 8-bit Sega video game console manufactured
in the years 1983 - 1985. It was launched on the same day as much more successful NES console and with exceptions, it was sold only in Japan.
The unit price of SG-1000 was 15,000 yen, the same price as for NES. Console was not very successful and after 2 years was withdrawn from the market.
More information about Sega SG-1000 can be found
