Heart Like a Wheel

About

Heart Like a Wheel is an unfinished racing prototype for the Atari 2600 based on the 1983 movie of the same name. You drive a car through basic tracks where you race against opponents in single player or multiplayer modes. The code exists but lacks polish, missing automatic race starts and a full level progression system. Programmer Jim Collas built this title while working for Micro Computer Technologies before 20th Century Fox pulled the plug due to the film's poor box office performance. What stands out is seeing a piece of history that never saw release. This game shows early mechanics from Jim Collas before he went on to lead Amiga. Since the project was cancelled, there are no community ratings or player statistics to reference. You get to play what remains of the core racing loop without the finishing touches like extra tracks or proper stage transitions. It is a rare look at a canceled project that sits somewhere between a playable demo and a full game.

Storyline

In 1956 Schenectady, New York, waitress Shirley Roque marries auto mechanic Jack Muldowney over the mild objections of her singer father Tex, who wants her to be self-sufficient rather than having to rely on a husband. Jack buys a gas station, Shirley becomes a housewife, and they have a son. For fun, Jack races his hot rod against others on deserted stretches of road late at night. One time, Shirley talks him into letting her drive. She wins and continues winning. A chance encounter with professional driver "Big Daddy" Don Garlits inspires her to look for sponsorship from one of the major car manufacturers, despite her husband's skepticism. As this is the late 1950s, a pretty housewife is not taken seriously, especially since there are no women professional drivers, but when she returns home, Jack tells her that he can build her a dragster.