BLOOD ON THE ASPHALT! The Thrill Drive Trilogy! Konami's Hidden Gem Arcade Racing Series of Horrors

[@sunderark]

I also like how Thrill Drive 2's reaction to you wiping the fuck out and causing a huge pileup is "You lack manners".

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I will remember that if I ever get into an accident...walk up to the offending car..."sir, you lack manners"

[@TheCarzAll]

"You do not deserve a license"

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

A real strong consequence lol

[@BigEOT3]

What I find interesting about these games is that they were the inspiration for the Burnout franchise. I miss Burnout.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I mean Burnout was inspired by the best

[@beat-man5167]

The ui font (impact font and the position makers over opponents), the mundane car selection, the scary music that happens after many crashes, and the damage costs showing after crashes, and the TURN SIGNALS. It was like having a home port of Thrill Drive. Kinda miss the vibe Burnout 1 had.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes the original went the hardest before it pivoted.

[@LoganTheDevilMayCryFan]

@@VideoGameEsoterica and starting with the 3rd game, Burnout went for a vehicular combat tone. At least that pretty much changes up the gameplay so it could avoid confusion with Thrill Drive. Of course, the shift to vehicular combat was very well received

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I wonder why they kept changing. Even TD 3 goes way lighter on the crashes

[@RaisinBran0291]

Wow! That comparison with footage from Burnout 1. Amazing to see how they really wore their inspiration on their sleeves.

[@szuzin]

Man, Thrill Drive is a true unsung classic series. Thanks so much for making this video, it’s fascinating seeing the games (2 especially) in motion

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Happy to do it. I now have all three original boards in my collection too :)

[@szuzin]

Ooh, congratulations!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Thanks! Took three years of searching to snag all three

[@guillermotl7529]

Konami must Should remastering the TD2. 😢

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I wish

[@ad6350]

Remembering when I went to the movie theater with my father as a child (in France), every time we played this game before the movie. I was sitting on my father's lap who managed pedals while I managed the steering wheel (I was too short at this time). We never completed a single stage...and I am sad there is no more arcade in cinema now, I could take my revenge haha!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha good memory. You do deserve your revenge!

[@hk20000]

Thrill drive 3 took a completely different direction from the first 2 because it turned into a motion rig, I remember the days when I played this game in Hong Kong the seat belts are real (hence the seat belt warning lamp in the dash) and you get thrown around at every turn, and of course the whole thing vibrates when you crash, that's why it doesn't let you wipe out as often as you did in 1 and 2. Most likely too much wear and tear on the motion motors when you paid the equivalent of a US quarter for the experience.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes it’s still a fun game but too far of a departure from 1 and 2

[@Reaperman4711]

I'll give it a try, I liked those early burnouts a ton, and yes, I see a lot of it in there. Initial reaction is that visually it comes off a bit plain next to their gti club series. 3rd game seems to help considerably with that.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s not so much plain as it’s more realistic and less video game vibes

[@takke9830]

I dunno if I remember this wrong or not but this feels incredibly nostalgic and it feels like I played that before!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It got wide release so maybe you did!

[@takke9830]

@@VideoGameEsoterica that‘d be awesome tho! It‘s such a weird eerie game that also just has a super cool vibe to it! I remember going over that grass texture before. And the intro also feels very nostalgic. I do think that the music back in the day wasn‘t that loud cause it was at a restaurant entrance so i guess it didn‘t spook us as much as intended. We just found the deaths funny for being so over the top. But i do also remember not being able to run over other ppl on the streets walking around. Just you dying in a crash.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I love the vibe. Arcade racing horror

[@Leedleleedle101]

I actually read something (and I hate to say this) on a japanese twitter for thrill drive 4 that said roughly that it dissapeared during location testing, reading the comments for existing videos show that most people hated it (yeah I know) and there’s the fact that it is so hard to find anything for it to this day it actually adds up pretty well to it being lost during location testing (sadly)

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

That won’t stop me from looking :) but I don’t expect to succeed

[@St_Rizla]

2 is my favourite too, I wish it was available through emulation

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes sadly viper emulation is not a thing yet. Hopefully one day

[@srvuk]

Thrill drive is an apt name. Looking at the first 2, in comparison with Burnout, they are more harem scarem, where as the speed is toned down in Burnout just enough to enable you to catch a breath every few seconds. So you can have the best of two worlds. The third game clearly showed a more awkward handling with the gameplay mechanics, so perhaps using it on a python 2 board will enable the same smoother gameplay of the first 2. In the first game I got the impression that the only way that you can crash is to hot a truck, whereas hitting other cars seemed to result in very little actual performance drops or damage. I loved the option to change the weather conditions, although I feel sure that there is fog and rain in the USA too lol

[@makenoodle]

Thank you!! I loved this amazing game. Miss playing it 😢I don’t think I ever played that 3rd one.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Def play 3. Easy to do now :)

[@RetroRacing]

Game that inspire burnout and I like this game much

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The entire trilogy is just A+ perfect fun

[@RetroRacing]

​@@VideoGameEsotericaonly playing first series yeah this game fun Ever heard of gti club ?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yep. I have some videos up on it

[@RetroRacing]

@@VideoGameEsoterica nice I wait it

[@LoganTheDevilMayCryFan]

The game that would inspire the Burnout series

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Burnout devs knew where the goods were!

[@LoganTheDevilMayCryFan]

@@VideoGameEsoterica yep. Burnout and Cruis'n are always my favorite racing series.

[@wheany]

The thing that makes the first game unique to me is that you can die in it. I guess the explicit graphics, as goofy as they are, are not 100% required, but the way the mood changes in the first 2 games is imo essential to what makes the game unique. You can drive fast in other games, even in traffic, but the 2 games actually make you mortal. Even the 3rd game waters it down and makes it just a "go fast" game.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes they tamed the game down from part 2 on

[@Demonizer68]

I remember playing Thrill Drive and Thrill Drive here in Australia, but that was at lest 20 years ago. Still argue that the music and tone in the first Thrill Drive was a lot more sinister. Thrill Drive 2 felt a bit lacking, still a fun game however. Thrill Drive 3 looks like it was trying to copy Burnout too much and forgot what it was supposed to be.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The first game was the most horror filled of the series. It’s funny 3 was trying to be a little Burnout when the original Burnout was trying to be a Thrill Drive (devs that made Burnout apparently had a Thrill Drive cab in their offices)

[@sid666kurt]

They had 2 thrill drive 2 cabinets at Adores Shibuya in 2018 or 2019. I haven't been back since then so idk if they.r still there

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I hope they still do. I love knowing they are out there

[@angelo95234]

Thrill Drive Series Needs to be Remake on Nintendo Switch Because of Mario VS Donkey Kong!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Lol interesting logic

[@sunderark]

My experience with American roads are less-filled with blinding sunsets and more-filled with blinding bug splatter.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Less bugs now. Global warming. The era of bugs all over the windshield is gone

[@sunderark]

@@VideoGameEsoterica ugh. Just goes to show how long its been since I was on US roads. That's so depressing.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Weird from an environmental standpoint. Easier driving though

[@apexaustriae9973]

Burnout 1 also got the idea for River City from this game. 😂

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Lotta inspiration from all over the place

[@KevinAbillGaming]

And Interstate/Rush Hour track, the hills and crests are taken from the USA course of Thrill Drive 1.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Interesting. I’ll have to look at that

[@METR0lD]

I actually have been in two bad car crashes in real life. One where I was a passenger, where my friend was driving and the accident was his fault. And the other one where I was driving and the accident was the other driver's fault. That second one was brutal because I just bought my new car less than two weeks before that, and it only had 400 miles on it. Over $10,000 in damages and they wouldn't replace the car!! 🙃

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Oof. Well glad you were ok in the end! Did you lose score or is that just a game thing

[@METR0lD]

I did not lose score! It wasn't my fault! There is the whole driver license point system though, so there really is a "score" like system in real life. Lose 12 points over a 12 month period, and you lose your license!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

We have no points in IL. Well we technically do but I’ve never heard of anyone actually getting any. Lawless driving in Chicago

[@AlemannoDigitale]

What a mess…I love it!!!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Glad you like it!

[@arjondangcalan9086]

Do you have the download links to the pcsx2 and the download game for thrill drive 1&2?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I can’t post links like that here

[@arjondangcalan9086]

@@VideoGameEsoterica where is the best place to send it then?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Join my discord, hit me up on Twitter, etc

[@arjondangcalan9086]

Send the link on your discord please. Thank you

[@h3xx3duk]

The lack of Ridge Racer love hurts my retro soul. Not a fan? Great video, will have to check this out one day!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Stop looking over my shoulder. I was just doing VO on a Ridge Racer video Wednesday

[@h3xx3duk]

Oh can't wait!@@VideoGameEsoterica

[@Charlie-Cat.]

Hmmm. Interesting game VGE. I don't believe I played this before bro. Hmmm. Maybe I did. ?_? Anthony..

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s a classic that so few people actually seem to have played

[@PopeTheRevXXVIII]

I look up MAME compatibility as soon as you said it's compatible 😂😂😂

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

First one at least :)

[@PopeTheRevXXVIII]

Any time I can add Konami 3D I will

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Now if we could just get Viper emulation

[@PopeTheRevXXVIII]

Yes I tried adding something forget what and MAME asked for the Viper bios. Nope *Deletes rom*

[@fv_ys_]

- Crazy Sreets - Location testing in July 2006 was disappointing so development was stopped in Japan. Who took over I do not know. The game was not released in Japan.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Some cabs are probably still out there somewhere

[@groove66]

FATALITY jeez that made mortal kombat shudder

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s way more “oh crap that could happen to me” vs “well I don’t think anyone is gonna uppercut me into a spike pit” lol

[@bloodedge1528]

The *RECKLESS* Driving Simulator.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Would be funny if there was a mode that removed the timer and just rewarded you for safely arriving at the end

[@angelo95234]

3 or More Accidents in Thrill Drive 2 Makes me a Yandere Creepy. If you crash many times. The Music gets Darker. And Yandere-Chan is VERY SCARY

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I like how the more crashes the more dramatic the music

[@AfterBurnerTeirusu]

It's a Volvo V70. :)

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I want one haha. Vintage boxy Volvo

[@AlexRoseGames]

do any mister core developers own these boards?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I don’t believe so . Even TD 1 is a beast of a board hardware wise

[@johnsundberg7697]

Where’s the link mang? You said you would post!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

What link? I’ve been a minute since I made this

[@johnsundberg7697]

you said it right there 1:47

[@fujinrajin9897]

i look from a long time if theyr is a way to emulat this.... but the game is realy bad emulat... lag a lot freeze and crash ... but maybe i miss something ? Anyone know if we can emulat this game good ?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Not yet. Still WIP

[@Incrediblepaul-pz5xw]

¿He asked me if there is thrill drive for psp?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

There is not