Final Lap

This article is about the video game. For the novel, see Final Lap (novel).

Final Lap
Arcade flyer
Developer(s)	Namco
Publisher(s)	JP: Namco NA: Atari Games
Composer(s)	Shinji Hosoe
Series	Final Lap
Platform(s)	Arcade, Family Computer
Release	JP: December 1987 NA: May 1988
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade system	Namco System 2

Final Lap is a racing video game developed by Namco and released in Japan in 1987. Atari Games published the game in the United States in 1988. It was the first game to run on Namco's then-new System 2 hardware and is a direct successor to Namco's Pole Position (1982) and Pole Position II (1983). A port for the Nintendo Famicom was developed by Arc System Works.

Final Lap was the first racing game to allow up to eight players to simultaneously race on the Suzuka Circuit, in a Formula One race. This was, at the time, considered a revolutionary feature and was implemented by linking together up to four two-player sitdown-style arcade cabinets. It was also arguably the first racing game to implement "rubber banding" to ensure that less talented players were never too far behind the leader. There was also a single-player mode, in which the player's score was based on how far the car traveled until time ran out or if the player completed four laps (on default settings; the arcade operator can set the lap number to be as low as three or as high as six).

Gameplay

The player preparing to turn a corner (arcade version)

The player pilots Formula One cars of the 1987 season and may choose between Williams-Honda, Lotus-Honda, McLaren-Porsche, or March-Cosworth. 1987 was also the first time a Formula One grand prix was held on the Suzuka track. The track is reproduced very similarly to even down to sponsor billboards to the original track but greatly shortened, as it takes less than forty seconds to complete one lap in the game.

Reception

Reception

Review scores

Publication	Score
AllGame
Commodore User	5/5

Sequels

Final Lap was followed by Final Lap 2 in 1990 which featured courses in Japan, the United States, Italy, and Monaco; Final Lap 3 in 1992, which featured courses in England, France, San Marino, and Spain; and Final Lap R in 1993, which featured courses in Belgium, Brazil, Germany, and Hungary.

There were also a number of spinoffs: the unusual racing-RPG Final Lap Twin released for the TurboGrafx-16 in 1989; and Final Lap 2000 and Final Lap Special, a pair of games released for the WonderSwan and WonderSwan Color respectively.

External links

• Final Lap at the Killer List of Videogames