Wikipedia

Sega Rally Championship

For the 2007 game also known asSega Rally,seeSega Rally Revo.

Sega Rally Championshipis a 1995racing gamedeveloped and published bySega.[6]Originally released for arcades using theSega Model 2board, ports were published for theSega Saturnin 1995 andMicrosoft Windowsin 1997. TheSega Rally Championshipsimulates driving on different surfaces, with different friction properties, with the car's handling changing accordingly. As the first racing game to incorporate this feature,Sega Rally Championshipis considered to be one of the milestones in the evolution of the racing game genre.[7]It was also an earlyrallyracing game and featuredcooperative gameplayalongside the usual competitive multiplayer.

Sega Rally Championship
Arcade flyer
Developer(s)Sega AM3
Publisher(s)Sega
Director(s)Kenji Sasaki[4]
Producer(s)Tetsuya Mizuguchi
Programmer(s)Sohei Yamamoto
Artist(s)Kenji Sasaki
Composer(s)Takenobu Mitsuyoshi,Naofumi Hataya(Sega Saturn)
Platform(s)Arcade,Sega Saturn,Windows,N-Gage,Game Boy Advance,PlayStation 2[5]
Release
February 1995
  • Arcade
    Saturn
    • NA:November 15, 1995
    • JP:December 29, 1995
    • EU:January 24, 1996
    • JP:September 20, 1996(Plus)
    • NA:1998(NetLink Edition)
    Windows
    • JP:January 31, 1997
    • NA:February 19, 1997[2]
    Game Boy Advance
    • JP:December 19, 2002
    • NA:March 11, 2003[3]
    • EU:May 2, 2003
    N-Gage
    PlayStation 2
    (as part of Sega Rally 2006)
    • JP:January 12, 2006
    • KOR:March 30, 2006
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player,multiplayer
Arcade systemSega Model 2

The music for the arcade game was composed byTakenobu Mitsuyoshi,while the Saturn version's soundtrack consisted of a combination of newly composed music byNaofumi Hatayaand arrangements of the arcade originals arranged and produced by Takayuki Hijikata, previously released on the albumSega Rally Championship Ignition.The game spawned theSega Rallyseries, in addition to inspiringColin McRae Rally(1998) andInitial D Arcade Stage(2002).

Gameplay

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The player can enter a "World Championship" mode consisting of three stages: desert (which resembles African savanna), forest (which is based on Yosemite National Park) and mountain (which is in Corsica), where their finishing position at the end of one course is carried through to the starting position of the next course. In this mode, it is impossible to reach first-place position by the end of the first track; thus, the player must try to overtake as many opponent cars as possible on each track (while staying within the time limit), and gain the lead over several tracks. If, at the end of the third stage, the player is in first place, they will advance to the extra fourth stage called "Lakeside" (on theSaturnversion, this course may then be played intime attackand split-screen multiplayer modes).

Three cars are featured in the game;Didier Auriol'sthird generation Toyota Celica GT-FourandJuha Kankkunen'sLancia Delta HF Integralewhich are both available from the start, andSandro Munari'sLancia Stratos HFwhich is unlocked by finishing Lakeside in first place in the Saturn version of the game,[8]or by using an easter egg in the arcade version.[9]Players are given the option to drive each car in either manual or automatic transmission.[10]

The game supports up to four players using cabinets linked together.[11]

Development

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Twin version Japanese cabinet with 29 inch monitors

Sega Rally Championshipwas directed by Kenji Sasaki, a formerNamcoemployee known for his work onRidge Racer.Seeking to develop a racing game that was distinct from the popular arcade titlesRidge RacerandDaytona USA,Sasaki chose therally racingsubgenre, which he felt was "taboo" in the Japanese gaming community: "We were after something in vogue in terms of motorsport racing and as we were keen on great engine sounds, cool cars and great sensations—the obvious choice was rally". While the game featured only three cars—theToyota Celica GT-Four,Lancia Delta Group A,and a hiddenLancia Stratos—it was distinguished by its "stylized handling" and sometuningoptions.[4]Asked why the developers chose to use the Celica and Delta, team manager Hiroto Kikuchi answered: "We felt that in the rally, we had to use real rally cars and the chosen vehicles were well known and looked good". Senior programmer Riyuchi Hattori added: "Originally there was talk of using another car fromToyota,but we couldn't find a good one. For example, theSuprawould have been just the same as the Celica and not much fun to use in the game, so we ended up with just the one. We also took note of the consumers' opinions, which confirmed that if another car was to be added it should be the Stratos ".[12]According to game designerTetsuya Mizuguchi,they had no experience in driving those cars, but after repeated requestsToyotaandFiatprovided feedback forgame testing.[4]Fiat also made agentlemen's agreementwith the developers allowing the use of official logos and such inSega Rally Championship;there was no formal sponsorship deal for the game.[13]Mizuguchi's car was used to produce the in-game sound of the Lancia Delta's engine. While developing the game's visual style, the development team spent three weeks driving from theWest Coast of the United StatestoMexico,taking photographs for use intexture mapping.At one point, Sasaki became deeply worried aboutRally's prospects for success, and even began to question why driving cars was considered "fun": "I drove up into the mountains with my own car. It was such an enjoyable and exhilarating experience... This was how the third mountain track in the game was conceived".[4]

The Sega Saturn version of the game had to be almost completely remade, only referencing the graphics of the arcade version, which required detailed planning.[4][14]Mizguchi recounted: "Our designers went back to the arcade version and worked out the locations, drew pictures and captured the atmosphere and the feeling of distance. Then there was about two weeks discussion on their work. During this time they worked on the car settings and we had Mr. Yoshio Fujimoto, winner in the Toyota Castrol car to advise it. Then Mr. Nakamura, Mr. Hattori, and Mr. Fujimoto went to the Asian Pacific Indonesian Rally for three days and studied the cars".[15]Aside from Mizuguchi producing both projects, the Saturn development team was completely different from the original arcade team.[16]Unlike other well-received arcade conversions for the Saturn such asVirtua Fighter 2andVirtua Cop,Sega Rally Championshipwas developed without using the Sega Graphics Library operating system, as it had not yet been completed when work on the game began.[14][17]For similar reasons, asplit screenwas used for multiplayer mode instead of the Saturn link cable; the developers also felt it was important that multiplayer be available to all owners of the Saturn game, not only those who had also purchased a link cable.[12][17]Finally, the arcade version ofRallywas designed to be controlled with a steering wheel, and the developers struggled to simulate its drifting techniques using the Saturn's controller.[4]The game also supports the Saturn Steering Wheel, though it lacks thehaptic feedbackof the arcade version's steering wheel.[13]

The Sega Saturn version was rushed to the North American market in order to take advantage of theChristmas shopping season.[17]By the time of its release in Japan and Europe, the development team had completed several additional graphical improvements, bug fixes, and front-end options.[17]A version was also released for theNetlinkthat allowed online play.[18][19]

Release

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In Japan, the Sega Saturn version of the game shared the full title of its arcade counterpart,Sega Rally Championship 1995,because it was released on December 29, 1995; the year was dropped from the title of the North American and European SegaSaturn version.[4]The European release was scheduled for December 1995, in time for the crucialChristmas shopping season,but it did not appear until the end of the following January.[20]

Reception and legacy

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Arcade

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Upon release, the game sold 12,000 arcade units.[43]In Japan,Game Machinelisted it on their April 1, 1995 issue as being the second most-successful dedicated arcade game of the month.[44]It went on to be the second highest-grossing dedicatedarcade game of 1995in Japan.[45]In the United States, it was one of the top six best-selling arcade games of 1995, receiving the Platinum Award from theAmerican Amusement Machine Association(AAMA).[46]

The arcade game was met with positive reviews from critics.Next Generationreviewed the arcade version of the game, stating that "Rally's downside is the car's indestructibility: no matter how much you slam into either opponents or banks, your racer [...] receives not a scratch, nor can you flip or leave the road [...] And some might say the control is a fault, too; our response? Keep practicing, buddy".[31]

Home conversions

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The Sega Saturn version would go on to sell 1.2 million copies.[43]In Japan,Sega Rally Championshiptopped the charts on release, coming in number 1 during Week 52 in 1995.[47]It was a major system-seller for the system in the United Kingdom, becoming the fastest selling CD game at the time.[48]

The Saturn version was met with almost universally positive reviews.Next Generationpraised the Saturn version's "down-and-dirty feel", "truly phenomenal high-speed visuals", and "quick, responsive control".[49]The magazine cited the game's physics and handling as "nothing short of remarkable".[32]Game Informer's Reiner and Andy gaveSega Rally Championshipscores of 8/10 and 8.5/10, making note of technical improvements over the Saturn version of Sega'sDaytona USA,which Andy nonetheless felt was the better game.Game Informer's Paul was more effusive, rating the Saturn port 9.25/10 for its "far better racing feel" and superior graphics toDaytona.[27]Sega Saturn Magazinepraised the difficulty of unlocking the secret course and secret car, and remarking that "whilst there's enough drag, slide action and difficulty wrestling with the controls to convince you the programmers know what it's like to drive a rally car, there's never so much realism that you'd have to know how to drive one yourself to play the game".[38]Later,Sega Saturn Magazinewould rank the game as the second best game on the platform, saying "two years on its release and Sega Rally is still the best racer on a console bar none".[50]

Both of the sports reviewers forElectronic Gaming Monthlygave the Saturn version an 8.5 out of 10, saying it "has all of the action and adventure of its arcade cousin. If you were disappointed withDaytona,you won't be with Sega Rally ".[25]Bruised Lee ofGamePropraised the additional features of the Saturn version and technical improvements overDaytona USA,but criticized that the sounds, while identical to the arcade version, are unexciting compared to other racing games. He said that the power-slide technique can be initially frustrating but once mastered is "effective and fun".[51]Maximumdecreed the conversion to be "every bit as good as anyone could have ever hoped", stating that aside from theframe ratebeing reduced to 30 frames per second, it is essentially identical to the arcade version. They also complimented the inclusion of a two-player mode, numerous options, and secret modes.[35]

The Windows version was less well received. Critics generally commented that the fun gameplay is still wholly intact, but that the conversion lacks many features standard to PC racing games[22][30][33]and suffers from mediocreframe ratesexcept when playing in low-resolution mode, in which case it instead suffers from having lower detail and more pixelation than the Saturn version.[30][33]Mark Clarkson ofComputer Gaming Worldfound the biggest problem was that, being a port of an arcade game, it lacks the longevity expected of a PC game, though he judged it to be fun while it lasted.[22]Next Generationconcluded that those looking specifically to playSega Rally Championshipon PC would find the version sufficient, but that there were better PC racers available.[33]GameSpot's Stephen Poole opined that the content of the game was "just not enough".[30]

Accolades

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In 1996,Next Generationlisted it as number 57 on their "Top 100 Games of All Time", citing the "heavier", more realistic feel of the car when compared to other racing games, and the generally realistic controls.[52]In 1996,GamesMasterranked the game number 1 on their "The GamesMaster Saturn Top 10".[53]In the same issue, they also rated the game 24th in its "Top 100 Games of All Time".[54]In 1999,Next GenerationlistedSega Rallyas number 19 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that, "one of the best Model 2 games,Sega Rallyis some of the best fun you can have in a car without having to pretend that you've run out of gas ".[55]Sega Rally Championshipwas named the best racing game of all time byRetro Gamermagazine, which ranked it at the top of its "Top 25 Racing Games Ever" list.[42]InGuinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2009the Saturn version of the game made it to 44th position in the list of the Top 50 Console Games, due to its "distinct handling style and superb track design".[56]IGN staff writer Levi Buchanan rankedSega Rally Championship6th in his list of the top 10 Sega Saturn games, saying: "Yes, the Dreamcast version is much better andthe current-gen sequel... is stunning, but this Saturn arcade port was one of the top reasons to stick by SEGA as it flailed through the 32-bit days ".[57]Some publications and fan-voted lists have considered it to be one of the best games of all time, includingNext Generationin 1996,[58]orElectronic Gaming Monthlyin 1997,[59]Computer and Video Gamesin 2000,[60]Edgein 2007,[61]andNowGamerin 2010.[62]In 2024, The Guardian would rankSega Rally Championshipas the 3rd best Sega arcade game.[63]

Impact

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The game spawned theSega Rallyseries, and later followed spiritually byInitial D Arcade Stagefrom the same company, based on theInitial Dcomics and featuring base models of certain rally cars.

In 2010,CodemasterscitedSega Rally Championshipas a strong influence on their firstColin McRae Rallygame (1998). According to Guy Wilday, producer of the first fourColin McRae Rallygames, the "basic premise for the game was based around"Sega Rally's car handling which "remains excellent to this day and it’s still an arcade machine I enjoy playing".[64]

References

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  1. ^Sega Arcade History.Famitsu DC(in Japanese).Enterbrain.2002. p. 135.
  2. ^"PC GAMERS BUCKLE UP AND BRACE THEMSELVES FOR THE ULTIMATE OFF-ROAD ARCADE RACING GAME".Sega Central.Sega of America. February 19, 1997. Archived fromthe originalon February 2, 1998.RetrievedDecember 14,2020.
  3. ^"Sega Rally Skidding Onto Store Shelves - News".Nintendo World Report.Retrieved2023-03-16.
  4. ^abcdefg"The Making Of:Sega Rally Championship 1995".Edge.2009-10-02. Archived fromthe originalon November 29, 2014.Retrieved2014-11-14.
  5. ^"Sega Rally Championship".18 March 2023.
  6. ^Sega Arcade Developers
  7. ^abGuinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2009,page 103.
  8. ^"Exclusive!! Blue Stratos".Sega Saturn Magazine.No. 3. January 1996. p. 42.
  9. ^[1]The Definitive Guide to Sega Rally Championship Arcade
  10. ^"Hot at the Arcades".GamePro.No. 79.IDG.April 1995. p. 18.
  11. ^"AM3".Next Generation.No. 4. April 1995. pp. 70–71.
  12. ^ab"AM3: The Director's Cut!".Sega Saturn Magazine.No. 4. February 1996. pp. 44–45.
  13. ^ab"Sega Rally Short Stories".Maximum: The Video Game Magazine.No. 1. October 1995. p. 137.
  14. ^ab"AM3 Speak!".Sega Saturn Magazine.No. 3. January 1996. p. 43.
  15. ^"AM3 Interview: The CS Conversion Team Exposed to Maximum Shock!".Maximum: The Video Game Magazine.No. 2. November 1995. p. 40.
  16. ^"AM3".Next Generation.No. 13. January 1996. pp. 121–4.
  17. ^abcd"Sega Rally: AM3's Awesome Arcade Racer Is Superlative on Sega Saturn!!".Maximum: The Video Game Magazine.No. 3. January 1996. pp. 6–13.
  18. ^Scary Larry (August 1997). "NetLink: The Saturn Savior?".GamePro.No. 107.IDG.p. 22.
  19. ^Itsstillthinking (9 March 2017).Sega Saturn Netlink Games With Voip 2017, Sega Rally and Daytona USA Netlink Editions.Archived fromthe originalon February 16, 2020 – via YouTube.
  20. ^"Tonight We're Going to Party like it's 1996!".Sega Saturn Magazine.No. 16. February 1997. p. 10.
  21. ^"Sega Rally Championship on Metacritic".Metacritic.
  22. ^abcClarkson, Mark (June 1997)."Gentlemen, Star Your Engines".Computer Gaming World.No. 155.Ziff Davis.p. 122.
  23. ^Consoles +,issue 50, pages 98-101
  24. ^"Computer and Video Games - Issue 171 (1996-02)(EMAP Images)(GB)".February 1996.
  25. ^ab"Box Score: Sega Rally Championship".Electronic Gaming Monthly.No. 78. Sendai Publishing. January 1996. p. 188.
  26. ^GameFan,volume 4, issue 1 (January 1996), pages 18 & 62-63
  27. ^abReiner, Andrew; et al. (January 1996)."Easy Left, Baby".Game Informer.Archived fromthe originalon November 20, 1997.Retrieved2014-07-15.
  28. ^GamesMaster,episode 91 (series 5, episode 11), November 30, 1995
  29. ^GamesMaster,issue 38 (January 1996), pages 54-55
  30. ^abcdPoole, Stephen (March 27, 1997)."Sega Rally Championship Review".GameSpot.Retrieved30 September2018.
  31. ^ab"Finals".Next Generation.No. 8.Imagine Media.August 1995. p. 80.
  32. ^ab"Top Gear".Next Generation.Vol. 2, no. 14. Imagine Media. February 1996. p. 160.
  33. ^abcd"Finals: Sega Rally".Next Generation.No. 30. June 1997. p. 130.
  34. ^Player One,issue 60(January 1996), pages 107-110
  35. ^ab"Maximum Reviews: Sega Rally".Maximum: The Video Game Magazine.No. 3. 1996. p. 142.
  36. ^"Die Hits de Leser"[The Reader Hits](PDF).Sega Magazin(in German). No. 28 (März 1996). 14 February 1996. p. 21.
  37. ^Sega Power,issue 75 (February 1996)
  38. ^abAutomatic, Rad (January 1996). "Review: Sega Rally".Sega Saturn Magazine.No. 3 (published 15 December 1995). pp. 78–79.
  39. ^GameFan,volume 4, issue 1 (January 1996), pages 104-106
  40. ^Gamest,The Best Game 2: Gamest Mook Vol. 112,pages 6-26
  41. ^"GamePro - Issue 106 Volume 09 Number 07 (1997-07)(IDG Publishing)(US)".July 1997.
  42. ^ab"Top 25 Racing Games... Ever! Part 2".Retro Gamer.21 September 2009. pp. 5–6. Archived fromthe originalon 2014-02-01.Retrieved2014-01-18.The Saturn version of Sega Rally was truly astounding, a real showcase of the brilliance of the machine. The peerless arcade port would encapsulate everything that was wonderful about the arcade game. The tense two-player dashes, the racing refinement by you as a player to unlock the Stratos and to continually return to it so you could shave a few more seconds off your best time – because you always knew it was possible. Sega has always proven to be the flag bearer of videogame exhilaration – something that is so governing in the racing genre – and Sega Rally is perhaps the finest testament to that notion.
  43. ^abSheffield, Brandon (February 8, 2008)."DICE: Mizuguchi Talks Artistry and Commerce in Concert".Gamasutra.Archivedfrom the original on February 9, 2008.Retrieved19 August2017.
  44. ^"Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - hoàn thành phẩm tịch イプ の TVゲーム cơ (Dedicated Videos)".Game Machine(in Japanese). No. 492.Amusement Press, Inc.1 April 1995. p. 25.
  45. ^""Virtua Fighter 2" and "Virtua Cop" Top Videos "(PDF).Game Machine(in Japanese). No. 511.Amusement Press, Inc.1 February 1996. p. 22.
  46. ^"Coin Machine: Six Receive ACME Awards For Product Excellence".Cash Box.6 April 1996. p. 26.
  47. ^Game Data Library - 1995 Weekly
  48. ^"Sega go to the Top of the Charts!".Sega Saturn Magazine.No. 5. March 1996. p. 6.
  49. ^"Sega Rally Championship".Next Generation.Vol. 2, no. 13. Imagine Media. January 1996. p. 178.
  50. ^Automatic, Rad (February 1998). "Review: Sega Rally".Sega Saturn Magazine.No. 28 (published January 1998). p. 64.
  51. ^"ProReview: Sega Rally Championship".GamePro.No. 89.IDG.February 1996. p. 58.
  52. ^"Top 100 Games of All Time".Next Generation.No. 21. September 1996. p. 51.
  53. ^"The GamesMaster Saturn Top 10"(PDF).GamesMaster(44): 76. July 1996.
  54. ^"Top 100 Games of All Time"(PDF).GamesMaster(44): 77. July 1996.
  55. ^"Top 50 Games of All Time".Next Generation.No. 50. February 1999. p. 78.
  56. ^Howard, Rick (2009).Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2009.Guinness World Records Limited. p. 188.ISBN978-1-904994-44-2.
  57. ^Buchanan, Levi (2008-07-29)."Top 10 SEGA Saturn Games".IGN.Retrieved2013-04-03.
  58. ^Top 100 Games of All Time,Next Generation,1996
  59. ^"EGM Top 100 Best Games of All Time".Electronic Gaming Monthly.No. 100. November 1997. p. 108.Retrieved2011-06-01.
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  61. ^Edge's Top 100 Games of All Time,Edge,2007
  62. ^"100 Greatest Retro Games".NowGamer.April 12, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon November 6, 2015.
  63. ^Stuart, Keith (2024-01-12)."The 15 greatest Sega arcade games – ranked".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved2024-02-06.
  64. ^Edge Staff (February 5, 2010)."The Making Of: Colin McRae Rally".Edge.Archived fromthe originalon 3 April 2013.The basic premise for the game was based around the car handling in Sega Rally ", confirms Guy Wilday, producer of the first four CMR games:" Everyone who played it loved the way the cars behaved on the different surfaces, especially the fact that you could slide the car realistically on the loose gravel. The car handling remains excellent to this day and it's still an arcade machine I enjoy playing, given the chance.
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