| 5th Gear | |
| Designer: | Jeroen Leijten |
| Developer: | Fantastic Four |
| Composer: | Jochen Hippel |
| Publisher: | Hewson Consultants |
| Released: | Amiga Atari ST Commodore 64 |
| Genre: | Driving game |
| Modes: | Single-player |
| Platforms: | Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64 |
5th Gear is a computer game for the Amiga, Atari ST and Commodore 64, released on the Rack-It budget label.[1] [2] [3] The original Commodore 64 version was programmed by Jeroen Leijten, with music by Theo and Renier Hongens.[4] It was largely inspired by previous arcade games Steer and Go and Spy Hunter.
The player controls a white car that travels up (and then down) a tricky landscape filled with water, bumps, trees, and enemy vehicles. Cash is earned by completing levels, with an initial $10,000 available. These funds are spent at garages to buy extra fuel, repair the car's armour, and put add-ons for the car. These include a turbo-jump (allowing the car to get airborne unassisted, rather than relying on jumps) and waterproofing.