Here comes another racing game! Does
this one have the horsepower to
outdistance the competition? Are the
physics 100% realistic? Is it fun? And
most importantly - Who is that beautiful
young woman in Namco's ad for Rage
Racer -and- is she in the game? Well,
buckle up as we speed down to the Finish
Line in search of the answers.
There are 13 cars in 4 different
performance classes: 1. Gnade (Germany)
- offers a balance between acceleration,
speed, and handling. 2. Lizard (U.S.) - a
stock car with the best acceleration in
straight-aways and on hills. 3. Age (France)
- a sports car that provides the best
handling on winding mountain roads. 4.
Assoluto (Italy) - a speed machine that
blows the competition away on the oval
track.
The races all start at the same location and
then branch off to four different tracks of
varying length. The shortest and fastest
track is the Extreme Oval which is 1.9
miles. The longest track is 4.13 miles. The
tracks offer different challenges such as
hairpin turns or steep grades. Each track
has unique geographical features such as
those found on the Greek coastline or on
the streets of San Francisco.
There are 2 racing options: Time Attack
and Grand Prix. Time Attack allows you to
practice without competition on the tracks
and race against the clock. Grand Prix
however, is what Rage Racer is all about.
To reach the Grand Prix race you must
successfully complete 5 levels. There are 3
races in the first level and then 4 races in
each of the following levels. Each level gets
progressively harder. You must finish in the
top three to advance to the next race. If
you do place in the top three, you earn a
Track Medallion and money. If you don't
place, you get 5 chances before it's "Game
Over". A Trophy is awarded after
completing each level. After completing the
Grand Prix race you can re-start at the first
level and race around the tracks in the
opposite direction.
The money you win can be used to tune up
your car or to buy a new car. It takes a lot
of bucks to buy a new car so you're better
off tuning up your existing car. A tune up
will upgrade your cars speed, handling and
performance.
You can choose between a manual or
automatic transmission in most cars. You
also have 5 tire selections available to suit
your style of driving and the current track.
The sweetest part of Rage Racer is the
ability to fully customize your cars
appearance. Go to the Paint Shop and
select the body and accent colors of your
choice. There are 324 possible color
combinations. Create your Team Name
and it appears on the windshield. Pick or
design your own original Team Logo.
There's unlimited fun designing that special
car just for you.
That beautiful (sigh) young woman in
Namco's Rage Racer ad is Reiko Nagase.
You'll see her in the opening animation and
at the start of each race. There's even a
logo of her lovely face you can place on
your car.
When you're ready to race you have a
choice of two driving views: behind the
wheel or an exterior view behind the car.
The behind the wheel view is one of the
best you'll find in any racing game. There's
even an incredible rear view mirror.
Driving displays include: tachometer,
speedometer, and gear position. Other
displays show lap times, your ranking and
current position.
There are 8 controller options for both the
standard controller and the neGcon
controller. The game auto-detects the
neGcon controller and has a screen to
adjust the amount of play and maximum
twist in the steering. If you don't own
Namco's neGcon controller you may want
to get one for Rage Racer as it makes
driving a pleasurable experience. Current
street price for the neGcon is $29.95 and
it's worth every penny.
The graphics are simply drop-dead
gorgeous starting with the opening
animation. Fantastic eye candy! You'll see
beautifully detailed buildings, tunnels and
mountains. Nice touches include: a
sidewalk cafe, a plane flying over the track,
the Goodyear blimp, a waterfall, and
reflecting pools of water. The sky changes
with the time of day. Ominous clouds will
have you looking for the wiper switch.
After you successfully complete a race
there's a Replay feature which allows you
to do some sight-seeing.
The sound effects are absolutely
top-notch. You can shift gears just by
listening to the sound of your engine as the
RPMs increase. When you drive through a
tunnel the roar of your engine reverberates
off the walls. These and other remarkable
sound effects contribute to an exciting
environment.
The soundtrack is your standard fare of
rocking race music. Nothing spectacular
here that would make you want to put a
quarter in the juke box to hear one of these
tunes. But there are 9 tracks and you can
select your favorite for racing.
Negatives: The physics are not 100%
realistic. It's a single player only game.
Your car doesn't take damage with parts
flying off and there's no crash and burn.
Get too close to the edge of the track and
you hit an invisible barrier. Other cars plow
into your rear and mysteriously jump in
front of you. The preceding do not take
away from the enjoyment of the game. But
- if these things are important to you, buy a
real racing car.
Gameplay can be summed up in three
words, "FUN FUN FUN". It's a sheer
delight to race around the tracks. The
frustration level is practically non-existent.
The more you play Rage Racer the better it
gets.
The Finish Line: And the winner
is.........Rage Racer! Great graphics,
sound, thrills, fun and addictive gameplay.
Great replay value. Absolutely the best
racing game available today. A classic
you'll want to add to your game collection.
Graphics: 9.5
Sound: 9.5
Soundtrack: 8
Replay Value: Great.
FINAL SCORE: 9.5
