In 1983, the game industry was still young, and all things were possible. You could make a game based on a movie called Heart Like a Wheel, and it didn't seem weird at all!
Heart Like a Wheel is a biopic based on the life of drag racing driver Shirley Muldowney, so it should come as no surprise that the game is a drag racing simulation. Perhaps you were expecting a Donkey Kong-like game where you collect hearts? You're a weird person, reader, but alas, it is not.
Heart, which was set to be published by Fox Video Games, was never released, nor was it finished. The prototype was shrouded in mystery, as no company name appeared in-game. Only the name "Universal" appeared on the EPROM board. Was this a lost game from the makers of Mr. Do!?
No. Programmer Jim Collas contacted AtariProtos and confirmed the identity of the game. Collas was at developer McT at the time, as he worked his way through college. He would go on to have a long career in tech.
While Kee Games' Drag Race and Activision's Dragster, two drag racing games that preceded Heart, have a side view, Heart notably has a behind-the-vehicle view. It brings to mind later Japanese drag racing games like the Zero4 Champ series.
Since Heart was not finished, the controls and settings are rather wonky, but the game is playable. You can read more about all that in the AtariProtos article.
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