This site contains the source code for four different variants of the BBC Micro version of Revs:
- The original 1985 Acornsoft release
- The 1985 Revs 4 Tracks release
- The 1986 Superior Software release
- A new release that includes the Nürburgring track, backported from the Commodore 64 version of Revs+
See below for comprehensive details of the differences between the variants, along with links to the relevant bits of the source code.
All these differences are implemented within the source code using BeebAsm IF statements, which determine which variant is compiled. These IF statements check the values of the relevant source code variables (_ACORNSOFT, _4TRACKS, _SUPERIOR and _REVSPLUS), which are themselves set by parameters to the build command (such as variant=superior). See the associated repository for more about building different variants from the source.
To play Revs with an SSD disc image, load the disc image into drive 0 and press SHIFT-BREAK.
The official Acornsoft SNG43 release
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This variant was the first official release of Revs, as Acornsoft SNG43 for the disc version and SBG43 for the cassette version.
| Default build in repository | Yes |
| Product details | Acornsoft SNG43 |
| Date | Summer 1985 |
| Build command parameter | variant=acornsoft |
| Source code variable | _ACORNSOFT |
| Verification checksums (crc32) | See the GitHub repository |
| Download SSD disc image | SSD |
| Play this variant online | JSBeeb |
Revs 4 Tracks
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This variant includes the four extra tracks that were released as Acornsoft SNG44 for the disc version and SBG44 for the cassette version. The official release was an expansion disc that required the original version of Revs, but this variant bundles the two together.
| Default build in repository | No |
| Product details | Acornsoft SNG44 |
| Date | Christmas 1985 |
| Build command parameter | variant=4tracks |
| Source code variable | _4TRACKS |
| Verification checksums (crc32) | See the GitHub repository |
| Download SSD disc image | SSD |
| Play this variant online | JSBeeb |
It has the following features that differentiate it from the other variants:
- Includes four extra tracks: Brands Hatch, Donington Park, Oulton Park and Snetterton
Superior Software variant
-------------------------
The Superior Software variant includes all five tracks and the game in one package, updated for the BBC Master range of computers, and with the addition of computer assisted steering (CAS).
| Default build in repository | No |
| Product details | Superior Software release |
| Date | 1986 |
| Build command parameter | variant=superior |
| Source code variable | _SUPERIOR |
| Verification checksums (crc32) | See the GitHub repository |
| Download SSD disc image | SSD |
| Play this variant online | JSBeeb |
It has the following features that differentiate it from the other variants:
- Contains all five tracks on one disc
- Adds a new feature - computer assisted steering (CAS) - that helps guide you around corners, though without taking too much control
- There is a difference in the recording of player drift, which governs when the player loses traction when sliding sideways: in the Superior Software variant, drifting is ignored if it occurs in the first three segments of a track section, unlike in the original release where drifting can occur anywhere
- Adds support for digital joysticks, as found on the BBC Master Compact
Revs+
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This is a new variant of Revs, taking the Superior variant and adding the Nürburgring, backported from the Commodore 64 version of Revs+.
| Default build in repository | No |
| Product details | - |
| Date | July 2022 |
| Build command parameter | variant=revsplus |
| Source code variable | _REVSPLUS |
| Verification checksums (crc32) | See the GitHub repository |
| Download SSD disc image | SSD |
| Play this variant online | JSBeeb |
It has the following features that differentiate it from the other variants:
- Includes an additional track, the Nürburgring, backported from the Commodore 64 release of Revs+ to the BBC Micro