CarVup
| Industry | Video game development |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | CarVup |
CarVup is a platform game created and released by Core Design in 1990. It draws inspiration from the 1985 arcade title City Connection by Jaleco and was made available on the Amiga and Atari ST systems.
Gameplay
The player takes control of Arnie, a stylized cartoon car, navigating various platforms while evading adversaries. When the timer for a level runs out, a demon-like entity named Turbo emerges and chases the player for 15 seconds, posing a risk of losing a life.
Echoing the mechanics of City Connection, the objective involves driving over all platforms to modify them—for example, in construction-themed stages, running over girders repairs rivet holes. Once every platform is covered, a helicopter arrives to transport the player to the following level. Every third stage culminates with Arnie rescuing an animal companion before moving on to a new thematic environment.
Level themes encompass construction zones, Halloween settings, gardens, among others.
Development
Work on the Amiga and Atari ST editions commenced in May 1990, with both versions launching in November of the same year. The main character, originally named Carl, was renamed Arnie. Designer and programmer Robert Toon explained that choosing a car as the protagonist made sense due to its continuous motion—"it has no brakes"—which suited the gameplay flow.
The visual approach was influenced by vibrant platformers such as Rainbow Islands and Rod Land. Graphic artist Terry Lloyd aimed to achieve a cartoonish aesthetic without oversimplifying details. Toon sought to deliver an experience reminiscent of arcade or console titles.
Artwork was primarily produced using OCP Art Studio on the Atari ST; larger images like the title screen were created with DEGAS Elite. Due to memory limitations, animation frames and Arnie’s facial expressions were kept minimal to maintain a distinctive small sprite. Parallax scrolling effects appeared solely in the Amiga version.
Reception
The One gave the Atari ST edition of CarVup a rating of 90%, commending its arcade-style presentation featuring "cute" visuals and "tremendously fun" gameplay. The publication highlighted the thoughtfully designed levels and intelligent enemy behavior that fostered skillful play, alongside "wonderfully colourful" graphics and upbeat music.