Video Game / Power Drift

Power Drift is an arcade kart racing game released in 1988, developed by Sega AM2. The goal is as simple as a racing game can get: The game has multiple tracks to race and you, as a participant among 12 drivers, must finish each race in third place or better in order to proceed to the next stage. What really defined the game was its excessive use of sprite-scaling to create a faux-3D environment, even compared to other Sega racers like OutRun. With lots of steep climbs and falls and a bunch of road logs basically flying everywhere, the game had a strong "roller coaster" feel to it, and the challenge mainly came from keeping your kart on the track without falling.

The game was initially ported to PC Engine by Copya Systems and published only in Japan by Asmik Ace Entertainment. Activision handle the computer ports and released them in Europe, including Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, MS-DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, MSX, and ZX Spectrum. Years later, a more accurate port was created on Sega Saturn as Sega Ages Power Drift, and another one on Dreamcast included in Yu Suzuki Game Works Vol. 1. A Nintendo 3DS version was released in 2014 as a part of M2's Sega 3D Classics Collection.

In November 2nd, 2016, M2 unveiled a standalone 3DS version of ''Power Drift'', which expands their 3DS port with new tracks, musics, and characters from Sega games.

Power Drift contains examples of:

• American Kirby Is Hardcore: The Japanese cover features cartoonish characters in a roller-coaster track (see the page image) while the Euro-American cover drivers look a lot tougher◊ and drive through a horribly dangerous track.
• The Cameo:
  • If you finish all tracks in first place, the extra stage will begin, with your character transformed into the rider from Super Hang-On or F-14XX from After Burner II.
  • M2's standlone 3DS release features numerous guest characters from Sega games, including...
    • Harrier and Binsbein from Space Harrier
    • Unnamed beast warrior from Altered Beast (1988)
    • Flagman from OutRun
    • Joe Musashi from Shinobi (based on his appearance in Shinobi III)
    • Dralinflore from Fantasy Zone
    • Axel, Blaze and Adam from Streets of Rage
    • Mr. Hang-On from Super Hang-On
    • Galaxy Lady from Galaxy Force
    • Alex Kidd from Alex Kidd
• Death Is a Slap on the Wrist: even if you fall from a 100-metre high suspension bridge (full of sharp turns, no less) you respawn just from where you fell without consequences.
• Epic Race
• Ironic Name: There's no drifts in Power Drift. Just a lot of steering and sharp turns.
• I Shall Taunt You: Get past any opponent, and the player character will jeer at them.
• Large-Ham Announcer: "You're one smart dude!"
• Product Placement: A number of billboard ads presented in urban-themed tracks are based on real-life brands, such as Coca-cola drinks and (now defunct) Chicago radio station WLAK 94.
• Updated Re-release: M2's 3DS re-release not only comes with widescreen and 3D view mode, but it adds tons of characters and music from various Sega games.