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TD Overdrive: The Brotherhood of Speed

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TD Overdrive: The Brotherhood of Speed
European Xbox cover art
Developer(s)Pitbull Syndicate
Publisher(s)Infogrames[a]
SeriesTest Drive
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Xbox, Windows
Release
  • PlayStation 2
    • NA: 28 May 2002
    • AU: 28 June 2002
    • EU: 5 July 2002
  • Xbox
    • NA: 11 June 2002
    • EU: 5 July 2002
    • AU: 12 July 2002
  • Windows
    • NA: 10 December 2002
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

TD Overdrive: The Brotherhood of Speed (released in North America as Test Drive) is a racing video game developed by Pitbull Syndicate and published by Infogrames for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Windows.

Gameplay

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Like its previous incarnations, TD Overdrive focuses on illegal street racing, dodging traffic, and evading the police. It also features real-life locations for its tracks: San Francisco, Tokyo, London, and Monte Carlo. A fully playable version of Pong is included in the loading screens.[1] Cars from General Motors make a return after being absent from Test Drive 6. The returning cars may be the same models, though they belong to the same generation and could represent different model years.

This was the first entry in the franchise to feature a story mode in addition to the arcade mode. Players assume the role of Dennis Black, a San Franciscan street racer. Black races in an exclusive street racing club on behalf of another driver named Donald Clark, who was injured during a race against Vasily Raskolnikov, one of the club's most feared drivers. As Black's victories accumulate, he hears rumors from other drivers that Clark is using him to defeat Raskolnikov and win his prized Dodge Viper. After Black wins against Raskolnikov, the rumors are proven true when Clark admits to having used him solely to obtain the Viper. Black then challenges Clark for everything he has gained over his career, including the Viper. After a series of races across all four cities, Black wins, and Clark surrenders the Viper.

Development

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The game was initially announced on 16 March 2001, with a planned release in the fall for the PlayStation 2.[2][3] On 24 April, Infogrames announced that the title would also be released on the Xbox, featuring graphical enhancements over the PS2 version.[4]

Both versions were showcased publicly at E3 2001 and during Infogrames' "Gamer's Day" event on August 8.[5] In August, the game's release date was postponed to the first quarter of 2002.[6]

On September 11, 2001, Infogrames announced that the game would be titled Test Drive Underground, with a planned release in March 2002 for the PlayStation 2.[7] However, the title soon reverted to its original name, and the planned release was missed again. The game was later announced for release under the company's revived Atari brand and went gold in May 2002.[8] The game was released for PlayStation 2 in North America on May 28, 2002, in Australia on June 28,[9] and in the United Kingdom on July 5.[10] It was also released for the Xbox in North America on June 11, 2002,[11] in the United Kingdom on July 5, and in Australia on July 12.[12] A port for Windows was released exclusively in North America on December 10, 2002.[13]

Reception

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Test Drive received "mixed or average reviews" on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[36][37][38]

Notes

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  1. ^ Released under the Atari brand name

References

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  1. ^ a b Helgeson, Matt (July 2002). "Test Drive (Xbox)". Game Informer. No. 111. FuncoLand. p. 88. Archived from the original on 19 November 2005. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  2. ^ "Test Drive Renaissance". 16 March 2001. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  3. ^ "GDC 2001: Test Drive in Motion". 24 March 2001. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  4. ^ "First look: Test Drive Xbox". Archived from the original on 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  5. ^ "Infogrames Gamer's Day". 7 August 2001. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Test Drive Works with Logitech Steering Wheel". 30 August 2001. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  7. ^ "BECOME THE BEST STREET RACER IN THE WORLD WITH TEST DRIVE UNDERGROUND". corporate.infogrames.com. Archived from the original on 25 October 2003. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  8. ^ "Test Drive: Hands-On Redux". 14 May 2002. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  9. ^ "Test Drive: Overdrive". Game Nation. Archived from the original on 26 June 2002. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Coming Soon". EB Games. Archived from the original on 25 May 2002. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Test Drive". IGN. Archived from the original on 5 August 2004. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Test Drive: Overdrive". Atari Australia. Archived from the original on 2 September 2004. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Test Drive". EB Games. Archived from the original on 8 December 2002. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  14. ^ Marriott, Scott Alan. "Test Drive (PS2) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  15. ^ Marriott, Scott Alan. "Test Drive (Xbox) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  16. ^ EGM staff (July 2002). "Test Drive (PS2)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 156. Ziff Davis. p. 120.
  17. ^ EGM staff (August 2002). "Test Drive". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 157. Ziff Davis. p. 130.
  18. ^ "Test Drive (PS2)". Game Informer. No. 111. FuncoLand. July 2002. p. 80.
  19. ^ Dan Elektro (6 June 2002). "Test Drive Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on 12 February 2005. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  20. ^ The Man in Black (12 June 2002). "Test Drive Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on 4 February 2005. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  21. ^ White, A.A. (June 2002). "Test Drive Review (PS2)". Game Revolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  22. ^ White, A.A. (July 2002). "Test Drive Review (Xbox)". Game Revolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 15 February 2004. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  23. ^ Goble, Gord (17 January 2003). "Test Drive Review (PC) [date mislabeled as "January 21, 2003"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  24. ^ Rivers, Trevor (6 June 2002). "Test Drive Review (PS2) [Incomplete]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  25. ^ Rivers, Trevor (6 June 2002). "Test Drive Xbox Review [date mislabeled as "May 17, 2006"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 24 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  26. ^ Suciu, Peter (9 June 2002). "Test Drive (PS2)". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on 12 December 2004. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  27. ^ Pavlacka, Adam (15 June 2002). "Test Drive (Xbox)". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on 12 January 2005. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  28. ^ Bedigian, Louis (10 June 2002). "Test Drive - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 29 January 2007. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  29. ^ Lafferty, Michael (25 June 2002). "Test Drive - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 19 October 2006. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  30. ^ Dunham, Jeremy (3 June 2002). "Test Drive (PS2)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  31. ^ Boulding, Aaron (11 June 2002). "Test Drive (Xbox)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  32. ^ "Test Drive". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Ziff Davis. July 2002. p. 100.
  33. ^ "Test Drive". Official Xbox Magazine. Future US. August 2002. p. 82.
  34. ^ Mahood, Andy (April 2003). "Test Drive". PC Gamer. Vol. 10, no. 4. Future US. p. 95. Archived from the original on 15 March 2006. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  35. ^ Boyce, Ryan (31 May 2002). "Test Drive (PS2)". Maxim. Biglari Holdings. Archived from the original on 6 June 2002. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  36. ^ a b "Test Drive for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  37. ^ a b "Test Drive for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 12 December 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  38. ^ a b "Test Drive for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
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