Mach Rider
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| Mach Rider | |
| Developer | Nintendo R&D1 |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| System | Nintendo Entertainment System, Arcade, Virtual Console (Wii, 3DS, Wii U) |
| Release Date | Nintendo Entertainment System US October 18, 1985 JP November 21, 1985 EU March 18, 1987 Arcade US 1985 Wii Virtual Console EU May 25, 2007 AU May 25, 2007 US July 9, 2007 3DS Virtual Console JP July 17, 2013 US April 10, 2014 EU June 12, 2014 Wii U Virtual Console US May 1, 2014 EU August 7, 2014 JP October 1, 2014 |
| Rating | ESRB: E |
Mach Rider is a racing game that was released for the NES in 1985.
Story
The year is 2112 and Earth has been invaded by evil forces called Quadrunners. After having his village destroyed, Mach Rider gets on his modified motorcycle, searching for survivors and destroying any Quadruuner in his path.
Gameplay
In Mach Rider, the player must race along a course while avoiding obstacles and enemies. At the end of the round, the player is given points for the enemies and obstacles that the player has destroyed. If the player "blocks" an enemy by knocking it into an obstacle, they get extra points as well as replenishing their bullets.
Fighting Course is the main mode in which the player progresses until running out of lives. In Endurance Mode, the player must reach a certain distance within a certain time limit. Solo Course is the same as Endurance, but with no enemies. Design Mode allows players to design courses to play in another mode. In the original release, those custom courses could only be saved in Japan with the Famicom Data Recorder.
Legacy
Although it has not spawned any series of its own, it is seen as a predecessor of the F-Zero series, due to the elements of high-speed racing in a futuristic setting and the main character's resemblance to Captain Falcon.
Ports and Remakes
- In 1985, Mach Rider was ported to arcades as part of the Vs. series, which allowed for two-player competitions.
- Mach Rider was released for download over the Wii's Virtual Console in 2007, the 3DS Virtual Console in 2013/2014 and the Wii U Virtual Console in 2014. The Wii and Wii U releases releases allowed the player to save custom tracks to the system's memory in all regions, although this feature was not included in the 3DS version.
Other
- Music from Mach Rider has been included in the Super Smash Bros. series starting in Super Smash Bros. Melee. There was also a Mach Rider trophy in Melee and a sticker in Brawl.
- WarioWare: Twisted has a microgame based on Mach Rider.
- Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 8 have featured vehicles based on the bike from Mach Rider, respectively known as the Mach Bike and Sports Bike.