Techno Drive

Minigames include drifting along corners, avoiding collision with other vehicles, and driving with a bowl of liquid attached to the rear of the car. The game was designed for the Namco System 12, an arcade board based on raw PlayStation hardware. The second in Namco's Almighty Human Project series of simulation games, which also include Gynotai and Photo Battle. Its futuristic aesthetic was designed by Minoru Sashida, who is known for his work on titles such as the Mr. Driller series and Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere. Critics praised Techno Drive for its unique gameplay structure and presentation, finding it a welcome change in pace from other arcade racers of the era.

• Title — Techno Drive • Border — yes • Developer — Namco • Publisher — Namco • Released — July 1, 1998 • Genre — Driving simulator • Artist — Minoru Sashida • Composer — Koji Nakagawa • Platform — Arcade • Modes — Single-player • Arcade System — Namco System 12

• Illustration — The player in one of the Steering Technique minigames. Techno Drive is a driving simulator video game. Its plot revolves around Japan's escalating traffic problems causing the country's roads to become paralyzed and deteriorating the driving ability of its population. The player is sent back to the past via a futuristic race car to rehabilitate drivers and prevent the problems of the future. The objective of the game is to control a car through a variety of racing-themed minigames under a limited amount of time. They are designed to test the player's skill and reaction time, judged by a letter grade from A− to E at the end. Minigames are split into three categories: Steering Technique, which only utilize the steering wheel; Footwork Technique, which use only the gas pedal and brake; and Practical Technique, which make use of all three. Objectives in these minigames differ for each one, including drifting around sharp corners, avoiding collision with other vehicles, driving with a bowl of liquid attached and avoiding any spills, dribbling a ball to the goal, and driving only when a large eyeball is closed. Only three minigames from each category can be played in a single game. Upon completion, the arcade cabinet prints out the player's results and letter grade.

Techno Drive is the second game in Namco's Almighty Human Project series, which also include the skeeball-esque Gynotai (1996) and action game Photo Battle (2003). It was designed by a small team of employees led by Minoru Sashida, a designer that was known for his work on redemption games and mechanical prize-winning machines; Sashida used the knowledge he gained from these while developing Techno Drive. Sashida worked primarily on the game's graphical interface, which features bold, fluorescent color choices and flat-shaded polygons. Techno Drive was designed to be vastly different and distinct from Namco's previous racing game offerings, such as Ridge Racer (1993), and appealing towards a wide player demographic. The upbeat soundtrack, which has been described as techno and electronica, was composed by Koji Nakagawa, who later went on to compose similar electronic music for Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere (1999). Techno Drive was demonstrated at the 1998 Amusement Operator's Union (AOU) tradeshow at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Tokyo, alongside games such as Ehrgeiz, Time Crisis II, and Panic Park. Its original concept attracted attention from publications. The game was published on July 1, 1998 in Japan.