Continental Circus

For the album, see Continental Circus (album).
Continental Circus
Commodore 64 Cover
Developer(s)Taito
Publisher(s)Taito
Composer(s)Zuntata
Platform(s)Arcade (original)
Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, C64, MSX, ZX Spectrum
ReleaseArcade
Amiga[4]
Amstrad CPC[5]
Commodore 64[6]
MSX[7]
ZX Spectrum[8]
PS2, Xbox, PC
2005
Genre(s)Racing simulation
Mode(s)Single-player
Arcade systemTaito Z System[9]

Continental Circus is a racing simulation arcade game,[10] created and manufactured by Taito in 1987. In 1989, ports for the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MSX and ZX Spectrum were published by Virgin Games.

The arcade version of this game comes in both upright and sit-down models, both of which feature shutter-type 3D glasses hanging above the player's head. According to Computer and Video Games in 1988, it was "the world's first three dimensional racing simulation".[10] The home conversions of Continental Circus lack the full-on 3D and special glasses of the arcade version.

Circus is a common term for racing in France and Japan, likely stemming from the Latin term for a racecourse.

In 2005 the game was made available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC as part of Taito Legends.

  1. ^ "Continental Circuit". gamefaqs.com. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Continental Circus (Registration Number PA0000410002)". United States Copyright Office. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  3. ^ "The Arcade Flyer Archive". arcade-museum.com. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  4. ^ "Release Information for Amiga".
  5. ^ "Release Information for Amstrad CPC".
  6. ^ "Release Information for Commodore 64".
  7. ^ "Release Information for MSX".
  8. ^ "Release Information for Sinclair ZX Spectrum".
  9. ^ "Taito Z System [twin 68K with optional Z80]". GitHub. Archived from the original on 2015-11-05. Retrieved 2015-01-12.
  10. ^ a b "Continental Circus arcade game review". solvalou.com. Retrieved 18 May 2016.