The Duel: Test Drive II

Accolade

Company type	Video game publisher
Industry	Video games
Products	Test Drive series

The Duel: Test Drive II is a 1989 racing video game created by Distinctive Software and released by Accolade for multiple platforms such as Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple IIGS, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, MSX, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST, Sega Genesis, and the SNES.

Gameplay

Expanding on the original Test Drive, The Duel focuses on navigating high-performance sports cars along dangerous highways while avoiding traffic and police chases. Unlike its predecessor’s single timed run, this installment introduces diverse environments and allows players to compete either against the clock or a computer-controlled rival.

Players select their vehicle and difficulty setting, which influences whether the transmission is automatic or manual; these options differ depending on the platform. Each level begins with the player’s car (and opponent’s, if applicable) positioned on highways ranging from two to four lanes that include features such as curves, bridges, cliffs, tunnels, and regular traffic. Police vehicles patrol all courses.

The main goal is to reach the gas station located at the end of each route as quickly as possible. Refueling at the gas station is optional but essential to prevent running out of fuel, which results in losing a life. Players start with five lives, losing one whenever they crash; successfully finishing a level without crashing or depleting fuel grants an extra life. Collisions with other vehicles, roadside obstacles, or driving off cliffs add thirty seconds to the elapsed time. Extended driving off-road on flat terrain causes vehicle damage, and over-revving in manual transmission can lead to engine failure. Crashing into police cars causes an immediate game over.

Police officers pursue players who exceed speed limits; if caught, players must pull over and receive a ticket that increases elapsed time but does not cost a life. Slowing down before encountering police can help avoid being chased, assisted by an in-game radar detector included in every vehicle.

Vehicles

In the original Test Drive II computer versions, players can select from two cars (three in the 1992 console editions), each detailed with specifications such as maximum speed, torque, and acceleration. The available vehicles are a Porsche 959 and a Ferrari F40, while the Lamborghini Diablo is exclusive to console releases.

Computer versions

Computer editions feature a single course titled "Master Scenery," which consists of segments set in desert, mountainous, or grassy landscapes.

Console versions

Console editions provide four distinct courses of varying lengths and difficulty levels, each located on public highways across different regions of the continental United States:

• "Desert Blast (Easy)" – situated in the US Southwest.
• "City Bound (Medium)" – presumably set in the US Midwest, showcasing views of Mount Rushmore.
• "East Coast (Hard)" – located in the eastern U.S., concluding near the New England coastline.
• "West Coast (Hardest)" – the longest and most difficult route set along the US West Coast, featuring landmarks like the Seattle skyline and Space Needle.

Victory is achieved by successfully evading law enforcement; upon completion, an animation shows a female officer and player character exchanging smiles. Nevertheless, due to the necessity of maintaining high speeds to avoid capture, being apprehended is almost unavoidable, ending with an arrest sequence.

Development, release, and legal dispute

Distinctive Software was responsible for creating software libraries used in Test Drive II, which resulted in a legal conflict with the game's publisher, Accolade, concerning the ownership of the source code. Distinctive maintained that their code handled standard functions not protected by Accolade's copyright. Ultimately, the court sided with Distinctive, permitting them to repurpose these libraries for the MS-DOS adaptation of Out Run. As a result, Accolade gained the rights to produce Test Drive titles without access to the original source code.

Accolade issued two expansion data disks for versions beyond consoles:

• The Supercars disk introduced five high-performance vehicles: Lotus Turbo Esprit, Ferrari Testarossa, Ruf Twin Turbo, Lamborghini Countach, and Corvette ZR1.
• The Muscle Cars disk included five classic 1960s muscle cars: 1963 Corvette Stingray, 1969 Camaro ZL-1 COPO, 1968 Mustang Shelby GT500, 1967 Pontiac GTO, and 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona. Notably, police vehicle options were not modified, limiting players' chances to evade law enforcement.

Two additional "scenery disks" expanded the gameplay by adding new racing routes:

• California Challenge offered seven stages along a southbound path through California.
• European Challenge featured six stages spanning various European nations: the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Spain.

Reception

According to Computer Gaming World, enthusiasts of the original Test Drive would likely enjoy this sequel; however, those unhappy with the earlier game's steering mechanics might want to avoid it. Compute! commended the title's realism, especially when played using a joystick, but noted challenges with its installation process. The SNES edition earned an 85% rating from Super Gamer magazine, which praised its authentic depiction of four American highways complete with police presence, tunnels, and oncoming traffic.

The game sold approximately 250,000 copies.