EPYX's Pitstop

Where Winning is the Pits.

From the April 1984 issue of Creative Computing magazine

The Company

For information about EPYX, check out my previous coverage of one of their products: Crush, Crumble, & Chomp!.

I also found a documentary about the company on YouTube.

The Game

Pitstop was released by EPYX in 1983 for a bunch of 8-bit systems, including Commodore 64, ColecoVision, and Coleco Adam. According to Wikipedia, “Pitstop is played from a semi-first-person perspective, placing the player in a bird's-eye perspective slightly behind a race car. The game features three difficulty modes and three gameplay modes: Single, Mini-Circuit, and Grand Circuit…Pitstop implements pit stops, a concept not featured in many other contemporary racing video games. Color-based damage is shown on the player's car whenever it hits another vehicle or a wall on the track, both of which wear out the tires. The player also has a fuel meter that gradually depletes during each race… Unlike other racing video games, the pit crew is fully controlled by the player, who must refuel the vehicle and replace its worn-out tires.”

Ted Salamone covered Pistop for Electronic Games magazine in September of 1984. Here is his summary:

“This driving contest has a few new curves — hairpin and switchback, to name two.

Actually, the main difference between this gas-guzzler and other races is the need for cars to pull into the pits to refuel and replace worn tires. Collisions with other cars, usually two onscreen per time, and track edges, as well as miles run, reduce the amount of tread. Color-coded slicks indicate status.

Armchair Andrettis have to individually control the pit crew in a race against time as the other cars whizz relentlessly by in the background.

For up to four players, this six-track, three-difficulty-level contest is an enduring challenge. The engine rev sounds are realistic, the pit screen unforgettable, and the action absolutely hair-raising.”

Interestingly, it looks like EPYX hired an outside company to create Pitstop, instead of creating it in-house. Michael Katz, the president and CEO of EPYX stated this in a 1983 interview with Video Games magazine. “Or we work with outside groups like Bob Ogden who had Action Graphics in Chicago. He did Pit Stop. We give them the concept and if they're excited about it they will do it and execute it and do a finished game. So Bob Ogden did it not only for the Atari, but for the Commodore, and Coleco Adam.” (The February 1986 issue of Commodore User also referred to Bob Ogden as the creator of Pitstop.)

I found a review of Pitstop from across the pond (the Pacific, not the Atlantic). Steven Darnold wrote this review for the November 1984 issue of New Zealand Bits and Bytes magazine. (The spelling in this review is as it was printed.)

“Car race games are popular on microcomputers. Most brands have at least one such game available; the C64 has several. In recent issues of Bits & Bytes. I have reviewed Motor Mania and Pole Position. This month, I'm taking a look at Pit Stop.

Initially Pit Stop is a bit of a disappointment. The racetrack graphics and sound are pretty ordinary and compare unfavourably with the high standard set by Pole Position. Even Motor Mania has a more interesting racetrack.

But Pit Stop is more than just a racetrack game. It introduces a whole new dimension by focussing on the pitstop. You don't just drive the car round and round the track; you also have to change the lyres and top up the petrol tank.

The pit stop part of the game is very nicely done. As your car leaves the racetrack, the perspective changes to a close up view of the pit. Your car is surrounded by four men whom you manoeuvre around the car by using the joystick. If you are running short of fuel, you manoeuvre the man holding the petrol hose so that the nozzle goes into the car's tank. If one of your tyres is dangerously worn, you manoeuvre one of the men to remove it and replace it. You'll have to hurry, though, because every second counts.

The pit stop makes the game quite interesting. Since you are striving to finish the race in the least possible time, you can't afford to make pit stops too often. Even when you've got a badly worn tyre on a neatly empty petrol tank, there's a big incentive to squeeze in an extra lap before stopping. If you are too careful, you will get a low score. If you are too optimistic, you will run out of petrol or blow a tyre. This dilemma adds spice to the game.

Overall, Pit Stop is an interesting game which requires more thinking than either Pole Position or Motor Mania. Nevertheless, the superior graphics and sound of Pole Position maintains its number one position among car race games.”

The December 1983 issue of Computer Entertainer reviewed Pitstop (I couldn’t find the author.)

“We've seen several racing games for various systems and found the racing portion of this one nothing special. It is a very typical racing game as far as the feel of the driving, avoiding other cars and the sides, etc. Graphically, the tracks are rather ordinary (no change of scenery, etc). Racing enthusiasts will enjoy the ability to race on various tracks, however. The feature which sets Pitstop apart from the competition is the action in the pit. Graphically, the detail on this screen is very good and some skill and practice will be needed to get through this segment quickly. For those who love driving games, this one is worth taking a look at because of the added dimension of the pitstop. We also feel that having the various race courses and circuit options give the game additional depth. If you already own a driving game which you are happy with, you may want to pass on this one; if not, take a look first to get a feel if this one will hold your interest over long periods of time.”

Have you ever played any EPYX games? Do you know anything about its history? Tell us about it in the comments below.