Indianapolis 500: The Simulation
Indianapolis 500: The Simulation is a 1989 computer game. It was hailed as the first step of differentiating racing games from the arcade realm and into racing simulation. It was developed by the Papyrus Design Group, consisting of David Kaemmer and Omar Khudari, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It first released for DOS and later for the Amiga in 1990.
Indianapolis 500: The Simulation attempts to be a full simulation of the Indianapolis 500 race, with 33 cars and appropriate Indy car "feel". While racing, it only offers a first-person perspective, but the game offers a replay mode as well. Indy 500 offers the ability to realistically set up the car, and any changes made to the car directly affect how it handles.
The field is represented as realistic and the qualifying order stays true to the 1989 Indianapolis 500 starting grid.
80Wit Score
Details
DeveloperPapyrus Design Group
PublisherElectronic Arts
ReleasedDecember 31, 1989
StatusReleased
Genres
Platforms
Modes
SeriesIndianapolis
Wit-Index Intelligence
Community Score
Highly Recommended80/100
About This Game
Players prepare for the legendary Indianapolis 500 through practice sessions where vehicle configurations can be fine-tuned and tested without consequences, then face a qualifying round that determines their grid position based on the average of four timed laps. The simulation offers three distinct racecars—a yellow Penske-Chevrolet, a red Lola-Buick, and a blue March-Cosworth—each with different performance characteristics, though skilled setup adjustments can make any competitive. While practice sessions protect the player's vehicle from damage, collisions with other cars leave debris on the track, and qualifying rounds introduce the risk of actual vehicle wear. The player's car carries the fixed number 17, and extensive tuning options accessible through function keys allow drivers to optimize their machine before taking on the demanding circuit.