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Turbo

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Turbo (ターボ) is a 1981 arcade game developed by Sega. It is a racing game where the player drives a formula 1 car down a long road while avoiding other cars and obstacles. Turbo is often considered the first racing game to introduce a third-person perspective to the genre, something that is lar...

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Developer
Sega Enterprises

Released on
1981

Size
1 Player

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Racing

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Turbo (ターボ) is a 1981 arcade game developed by Sega. It is a racing game where the player drives a formula 1 car down a long road while avoiding other cars and obstacles.

Turbo is often considered the first racing game to introduce a third-person perspective to the genre, something that is largely taken for granted now. A third-person perspective had earlier been achieved by Sega’s Fonz in 1976, and a first-person perspective by Atari’s Night Driver the same year, but the weak technology of the era meant that Fonz was monochrome and Night Driver could only produce white squares on a black background (hence the word “Night”).

Turbo was revolutionary in that it could display colourful, detailed backgrounds, with sprite scaling, which gave the impression that the car was moving forwards. What is also notable is that Turbo offers changes of scenery, so the player can drive through cities, along the coast, through tunnels and through snow. Turbo would go on to inspire Namco’s successful Pole Position arcade title, which in turn would help to popularise the genre. Pole Position is arguably a less advanced game, in terms of scale, as the scenery does not change.

The gameplay is similar to Sega’s earlier arcade title, Monaco GP. Like Monaco GP, its arcade cabinet displays the player’s score and speed on separate LED displays, meaning that when the game is emulated, extra considerations must be taken. In MAME for example, there is an option to display these values on the left hand side of the main screen, but this would not have been present on real hardware.

It’s you and several other cars racing through a variety of landscapes in Turbo. From the starting line onward, you need to maneuver around and pass various cars in your way while racing towards the finish line. Some of the landscapes you’ll travel through include city streets, long roads in the country, seaside highways and dark tunnels.

Turbo

Overview & History

Released by Sega in 1981 and designed by visionary developer Tak Boruta, Turbo stands as a monumental milestone in the evolution of racing games. As one of the earliest third-person, behind-the-car perspective arcade racers, it broke new ground by utilizing sprite-scaling technology to create a convincing illusion of depth and speed long before 3D polygons became the industry standard. Originally launched in both standard upright and immersive sit-down cabinet formats featuring force-feedback steering wheels, Turbo placed players behind the wheel of a high-performance red sports car. The overarching narrative is pure 1980s arcade adrenaline: you are a street racer racing against the clock and rival drivers across diverse environments—from sun-baked coastal highways to bustling city streets, snowy mountain passes, and hazardous night drives illuminated by oncoming headlights. Surviving each grueling leg required dodging reckless traffic and avoiding oil slicks while managing treacherous weather conditions and sudden road curvature changes.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Gameplay in Turbo is structured around a time-trial format where players must reach specific checkpoints before the countdown timer hits zero. The game introduces dynamic weather and lighting shifts, forcing drivers to adapt instantly to slippery rain-slicked roads or blinding tunnels. Combat and survival mechanics are equally engaging; players can aggressively ram rival AI vehicles off the road to earn bonus points, but must carefully avoid crashing into ambulances and slow-moving sedans that instantly cripple speed. The difficulty ramps up progressively across distinct stages, testing the player's reflexes as the landscape scrolls at breakneck speeds. The audio design complements the high-octane action with synthesized engine roars and a catchy looping chiptune soundtrack that accelerates alongside your vehicle.