Overview
An Avatar dies a gruesome death. Doritos Crash Course is a free sidescrolling platformer advergame developed by Wanako for the Xbox 360 (via Xbox Live Arcade). It was released alongside Harms Way on December 8, 2010 as part of Doritos's "Unlock Xbox" promotion.
In similar vein to Japanese-style "obstacle course" game shows (such as the Japanese Sasuke and the American Wipeout), players must run through colorful obstacle courses (using their Avatars) scattered with soft obstacles (such as pitfalls over water, swinging "hammers", swingable ropes, climbable chains, trampolines, fans, seesaws, conveyor belts, "crushing" ceilings, and water balloon launchers).
As finalists in the 2010 Unlock Xbox promotion, both Doritos Crash Course and Harms Way were subjected to gamer voting through December 26, 2010 on the Xbox Dashboard (in which the contestant that submitted the winning game idea receives $50,000 as a "consulting fee"). Due to the popularity of both games, both Jill Robertson (who submitted the idea for Doritos Crash Course) and Justin Carpenter (who submitted the idea for Harms Way) won the prize.
The game later received paid downloadable content in the form of a level pack. Released on January 2, 2013 for 160 msp ($2), the City Lights DLC includes ten new levels (five in Las Vegas and five in London), an easier version of the five Japan levels, and three new achievements (for 100 gamerscore). The game (along with the expansion) was later released for the PC (via Windows 8 and Windows RT devices) as Doritos Crash Course GO on April 11, 2013 for $1.49.
The game's sequel, Doritos Crash Course 2, was released on May 8, 2013 for the Xbox 360 (via Xbox Live Arcade). Also a free downloadable product, the sequel introduces microtransactions, power-ups, and exotic themed places (such as ancient Egypt and a tropical jungle).
Gameplay
Doritos Crash Course consists of fifteen levels, spread evenly across three circuits (USA, Europe, and Japan), that can be played in singleplayer or multiplayer (via split-screen or Xbox Live). Players control their avatars as they attempt to run through each obstacle course in a time faster than their previous times, the medal times, and their friends' times.
One of many obstacle courses. Each obstacle course comes with various obstacles that hinder the players' progress. If a player falls between the gaps, gets hit by a hammer, or gets crushed by a ceiling, they reset back to their previous checkpoint. Players can also reset back to the checkpoint by pressing the Y button and reset the entire level by pressing the Back button. Players who reset to the same checkpoint at least five times can press the Right Bumper to skip to the next checkpoint (at the cost of nullifying that run's time).
In order to get faster times, players need to utilize speed through each course. Holding down either Trigger will cause the avatar to run faster. However, constantly running for too long will give a warning (with an audio cue and a controller rumble). Further running causes the avatar to trip and fall, costing valuable time. Players can also slide down ramps (by pressing down on the analog stick or d-pad) to move faster. Jumping while sliding down ramps will give a boost to that jump.
Circuits
| USA | Level | Gold Medal Time |
|---|
| Level 1: | Safety First | 00:45.00 |
| Level 2: | Learning the Ropes | 01:05.00 |
| Level 3: | Jungle Gym Hijinx | 01:15.00 |
| Level 4: | On the Rebound | 01:25.00 |
| Level 5: | Nothing but Air | 01:20.00 |
| Europe | Level | Gold Medal Time |
|---|
| Level 1: | Slip Slide Ride | 01:30.00 |
| Level 2: | Conveyance | 01:20.00 |
| Level 3: | Elevation | 01:25.00 |
| Level 4: | Shaky Footing | 01:20.00 |
| Level 5: | Swingin in the Rain | 01:55.00 |
| Japan | Level | Gold Medal Time |
|---|
| Level 1: | Rebounding Again | 01:20.00 |
| Level 2: | Domou Arigatou | 01:15.00 |
| Level 3: | Peak Performance | 01:45.00 |
| Level 4: | Muzukashii Wheel | 01:45.00 |
| Level 5: | Get Carter | 01:35.00 |
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