- July 27, 2022
- Insane Code
- 1h median play time
80's OVERDRIVE
In my nostalgic-filled mind, this game looks like how I wish to remember ‘80s racers.
Platforms
About
80's OVERDRIVE is a single player arcade racing game. It was developed by Insane Code and was released on July 27, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.
"80's Overdrive" is a 2D pixel art racing game that brings you back to the era of 8 and 16-bit consoles. Compete in career mode to unlock new races, cars, and upgrades, or challenge yourself in time attack mode. With a track editor, 6 retro supercars, 8 visual themes, and 18 synth/retrowave music scores, this game is packed with retro, handcrafted pixel-perfect joy.











- The game features beautiful pixel art graphics and a vibrant retro aesthetic that captures the essence of 80s arcade racers.
- The soundtrack is enjoyable, with a selection of catchy synthwave tracks that enhance the nostalgic experience.
- Gameplay is fun and engaging, especially for fans of classic racing games, with various modes and a solid upgrade system for cars.
- The collision detection is poor, often leading to frustrating crashes that feel unfair and can derail a race.
- The game can become repetitive due to a lack of track variety and the scaling difficulty of opponents, making it feel grindy.
- Some mechanics, such as the police AI and traffic behavior, can be annoying and detract from the overall racing experience.
- music190 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
The music in the game has received a mixed response, with many praising its vibrant synthwave soundtrack and retro charm, which enhances the overall experience. While some players find the music to be the standout feature, others criticize it for being inconsistent or forgettable, with a limited tracklist of 18 songs. Overall, the soundtrack is generally regarded as enjoyable, contributing positively to the game's aesthetic, though it may not resonate with everyone.
“The game is chock-full of retro charm, featuring a fantastic selection of classic cars, a killer synthwave soundtrack, and an authentic pixel art style that oozes '80s cool.”
“Gods, this is some of the best music I've ever heard in a video game.”
“Great retro racer with an absolutely amazing soundtrack.”
“The song that plays every time you go to the stage select screen gets incredibly annoying though.”
“The music is period appropriate, but uninspired and forgettable.”
“Sounds are cheap and awful, mix is abysmal (my own engine is almost inaudible) and the music is this disgusting 'let's desperately try to sound like the 80s, even though they're long gone and we were never part of them' bullshit, that can't make its mind up between wanting to sound like C64 chip tunes and boring mainstream 80s synth pop.”
80's Overdrive Review
80’s Overdrive may be wonderfully presented, but its problem is that price-wise it’s sandwiched between two similar games that are better. Sega Ages Out Run is cheaper and its tight controls remain impeccable today, while Horizon Chase Turbo may be double the price but is significantly superior in almost every notable way, including control, amount of content and sense of speed. If you absolutely need another ‘80s style racing game then this will keep you entertained for a few hours, but there are better alternatives.
60%80’s Overdrive
80's Overdrive asserts that Out Run's combination of breakneck racing and frantic traffic negotiation will fit neatly inside the progression-focused model of a modern game. It doesn't, and 80's Overdrive almost runs out of gas before it reaches a comfortable destination. All the lavish neon and thumping synthwave in the world can't help 80's Overdrive make twenty minutes last six hours.
60%80's Overdrive (3DS eShop) Review
Your mileage may vary.
65%
Games Like 80's OVERDRIVE
Frequently Asked Questions
80's OVERDRIVE is a arcade racing game.
80's OVERDRIVE is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox One and others.
On average players spend around 1 hours playing 80's OVERDRIVE.
80's OVERDRIVE was released on July 27, 2022.
80's OVERDRIVE was developed by Insane Code.
80's OVERDRIVE has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its grinding.
80's OVERDRIVE is a single player game.
Similar games include Hotshot Racing, Horizon Chase Turbo, Slipstream, Need for Speed Unbound, Retrowave and others.





