Developer.....AM R&D DEPT. #3 Publisher.....Sega Players.......1 or 2 Difficulty....Easy/Medium
Sega Rally Championship is one of those magical experiences that only comes once in a while. The PlayStation had Ridge Racer, so Sega tried to beat that with Daytona. Okay, it was fun, but the graphics were quite rough, and the 2-player mode had been lost in the translation. Sega then decided that 'enough was enough' and produced this baby.
When you first play it, the differences between this and the arcade are quite evident. A lower resolution (slightly less evident on the excellent PAL conversion), some missing features (like a rear-view mirror, which may have been quite useful) and less colour. The music and effects have been changed too. However, play the game, and you'll notice why this game is so good. Both cars are there, with the added feature of tuned cars, and there is a really good split-screen 2-player mode. The graphics are still quite excellent - sure, there is some pop-up, but that cannot be helped. After all, the arcade uses 100,000 more texture-mapped polygons per second so this is like squeezing a melon through a keyhole. However, the graphics are exceptionally swift (especially when using the in-car view, so using the behind-car view may help the slower (more geriatric?) players out there). The frame rate is exceptionally good - NTSC rate is 30 frames a second (PAL is 25) - it never slows down, and everything is very detailed. The sound is great - plenty of realistic fx, and the music is really good, helping to maintain the mood. All one player modes are there, with the addition of the practice mode, where you race one opponent and get experience of the track, and the time attack mode, where the player can practice alone and check out the split times for each section of the track and learn how to shave time off in true F1 fashion. You also have the opportunity to race a ghost of your own car (seven settings, from 0 (solid) to 6 (rapid-flashing)).
The 2-player mode is really great, and with two experts at the controls the races are sure to be mind-blowing. You can give your opponent a head start, or even give the loser a speed boost.
All four tracks are here too, and while some people may have gnashed their teeth and wailed at the lack of tracks, it is worth noting that mastering all of the tracks and getting the fastest possible times is a real challenge (just try to go round the Lakeside course without crashing or sliding!), not to mention fun, and don't forget the mirror mode! You can even view a replay of your races from any one of eight angles (in-car, behind, TV shots, in front, above-and-in front (helicopter view), left, right or above-and-behind) and you can even zoom in to the action on the TV shots view! For enhanced 2-player action, there are tuned car functions to play with, allowing the player(s) to create a custom car with its own specific gearbox, suspension settings and even the engine noise, making for better two player games. There are plenty of other options, notably BGM volume, stereo or monaural and BGM selection, as well as sound tests, control modes, opponent ratings and steering sensitivity.
This is truly the best racing game on the Saturn, and possibly the most playable racing game ever made. Sure, buying a steering wheel for more control would be a good idea, but in that case, buy two. Trust me, this game is worth every penny. Simply brilliant. The odd thing is, since its release there had been attempts to better this game (Daytona CCE, Sega Manx TT SuperBike and Sega Touring Car Championship) but they all missed the mark, which is kind-of strange and a little disturbing.
Graphics: 94% Audio: 91% Originality: 43% Lastability: 93% Gameplay: 94%
Overall: 94%
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