Test Drive (1987) — SDL3

A faithful native port of Accolade / Distinctive Software's Test Drive (1987): the DOS release in EGA, CGA and Hercules, and the Amiga release. Not an emulator. The original game files are not included.

Features

• The DOS EGA, CGA and Hercules versions and the Amiga version, each its own executable.
• The original's 8 fps drawing speed while driving, so timing matches a 1987 PC.
• Driving keys read while held, not only through key repeat.
• Key bindings for the driving and game keys.
• Fixes to crashes and original bugs (see CHANGELOG.md; the Amiga bugs can be kept with --original-bugs).
• A launcher to pick the version, game folder, options and keys.

How to play (Windows)

1. Put your original DOS game files in a folder named Game, and/or the Amiga disk image (.adf) in a folder named Game Amiga.

2. Place the program files next to them:

   Test Drive\
   ├── Game\              <- DOS game files (TDEGA.EXE, TDCGA.EXE, CARS.TXT, SCORES, ...)
   ├── Game Amiga\        <- the Amiga disk image (.adf), or the files from it
   ├── Test Drive.exe     <- the launcher
   ├── tdport.exe, tdport-cga.exe, tdport-herc.exe, tdport-amiga.exe
   └── SDL3.dll and the other DLLs
   

3. Run Test Drive.exe, pick a version and options and press Play.

• The folder must be writable (high scores are saved in Game, and beside the Amiga disk image).
• If Windows says "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway.
• Alt+Enter: full screen.
• Launcher settings: %APPDATA%\Test Drive Launcher\settings.ini.

Requirements

• EGA: TDEGA.EXE and the *.PES archives. CGA and Hercules: TDCGA.EXE and the *.CMP archives. All three also need CARS.TXT, SCORES, TDSND.SND and the car *.BIN / *.SS files.
• Amiga: the disk image (.adf), or the files extracted from it (td, Cars/, Pics/, ...).
• To build: CMake 3.24+, C11, SDL 3; the launcher needs C++17 and wxWidgets 3.2.

Build

In Git Bash or an MSYS2 MinGW64 shell:

export PATH="/c/msys64/mingw64/bin:$PATH"
cmake -S tdport -B tdport/build -G Ninja -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=gcc -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
      -DTDPORT_CGA=ON -DTDPORT_HERCULES=ON -DTDPORT_AMIGA=ON -DTDPORT_LAUNCHER=ON
cmake --build tdport/build

• Without options only tdport.exe (EGA) is built. TDPORT_CGA, TDPORT_HERCULES, TDPORT_AMIGA and TDPORT_LAUNCHER add tdport-cga.exe, tdport-herc.exe, tdport-amiga.exe and Test Drive.exe.
• The MSYS2 SDL3.dll also needs libiconv-2.dll from C:\msys64\mingw64\bin; the build copies both.

Run

./tdport/build/tdport.exe --game-dir Game

Option	Meaning
--game-dir DIR	Game files folder (default Game; Amiga: Game Amiga, the .adf or a folder)
--scale N	Window size, × 320×240 (default 3)
--frame-rate FPS	Drawing speed while driving (default 8, 0 = unpaced). DOS only
--bios-keys	Driving keys only through key repeat, as the original. DOS only
--monitor COLOUR	Phosphor colour: green (default), amber or white. Hercules only
--original-bugs	Keep the original's bugs instead of the fixes. Amiga only
--keys NAME=CODE,...	Key bindings (the launcher's Game settings > Key Bindings)
--check	Check that the game executable loads, then exit

Controls

• Arrows / keypad: steer, gas, brake and shift through the gear gate.
• A / Z: shift up / down (DOS). Space: fire, held to shift with Up / Down (Amiga).
• P pause, D gear box always shown, O gate shifting with the joystick. Esc: leave.
• Ctrl-J joystick, Ctrl-K keyboard, Ctrl-Q / Ctrl-S sound off / on (DOS). M music, S sound effects (Amiga).
• A gamepad acts as the joystick (left stick or D-pad, A = fire).
• The launcher's Game settings > Key Bindings changes the driving and game keys.

Layout

• tdport/src/ — the DOS port (tdport/PORTING.md); tdport/src/amiga/ — the Amiga port.
• launcher/ — the launcher (launcher/README.md).
• port/, tools/, FORMATS.md — reverse-engineering specs, tools and file formats (port/amiga/README.md for the Amiga release).

License

MIT (LICENSE). The Amiga text uses the CC BY "Amiga Topaz" font by Patrick H. Lauke (licenses/amiga-topaz/). Test Drive is © Accolade; its files are not included.

Support

https://buymeacoffee.com/krzysztofkania