WEC Le Mans 24 (v2.01)

Arcade Video game published 38 years ago:

WEC Le Mans 24 (c) 1986 Konami.

WEC Le Mans 24 is a sprite-scaling racing game based on the annual 'WEC Le Mans 24' race; a grueling event that, as its name suggests, takes place over a 24-hour period.

The width of Le Mans' track never varies and remains at a constant three lanes. The track itself is very challenging and contact with either a rival racer or one of the many track-side objects will often send the player's vehicle flying dramatically through the air, costing valuable seconds in time.

The car is equipped with both a high and low gear and each lap must be completed within a tight qualifying time or the race ends. The game's graphics and color palette change to reflect the different times of day over which the race takes place.

- TECHNICAL -

[Upright model]

Game ID : GX602

Main CPU : (2x) Motorola 68000 (@ 10 Mhz)
Sound CPU : Zilog Z80 (@ 3.579545 Mhz)
Sound Chips : Yamaha YM2151 (@ 3.579545 Mhz), Konami K007232 (@ 3.579545 Mhz)

Screen orientation : Horizontal
Video resolution : 320 x 224 pixels

Players : 1
Control : Steering wheel
Buttons : 3 (ACCELERATE, BRAKE, GEAR)

- TRIVIA -

WEC Le Mans 24 was released in November 1986.

WEC Le Mans 24 was developed by Technostar/Coreland and Alpha Denshi. The hardware was developed and sold by Konami. After developing this video game, 'Technostar' was bought out by Coreland.

Also released as :
"WEC Le Mans 24 [Mini Spin model]"
"WEC Le Mans 24 [Big Spin model]"

WEC Le Mans was released the same year as Sega's seminal "Out Run" and tends to be unfairly overlooked in the annuls of video game history. The sprite-scaling and use of color is superb with the game-play being tight and responsive - if a little on the difficult side. Le Mans asked rather more of the player than Out Run, adopting more of a 'simulation' approach to its game-play - but patient and skillful players found their efforts suitably rewarded.

Reflecting real-life motor-racing sponsorship, Le Man's racetrack is lined with billboards advertising recognized cigarette brands, such as 'Gitanes' and 'Lucky Strike'.

The game forbids the initials 'SEX' on the high score table. If you try, it gets changed to 'HHH'.

Apollon Music released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Original Sound of WEC Le Mans 24 - KHY-1018) in cassette format on August 21, 1987. Also released the soundtrack album in CD format (Original Sound of WEC Le Mans 24 - BY12-5028) on December 16, 1988.

- SERIES -

1. WEC Le Mans 24 (1986)
2. Racin' Force (1994)

- PORTS -

* COMPUTERS:
[EU] Amstrad CPC (1988)
[US] Commodore C64 [EU] (1988)
[EU] Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1988)
[EU] Commodore C64 (1990, "100% Dynamite")