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SEGA RALLY 2
Copyright © Sega Enterprises, Ltd., 1998, 1999
Sega Dreamcast (1 GD-ROM)
3D Rally Racing
1-2 Players
VGA Box compatible
Racing Wheel compatible
HDR-0010
¥5800
Available now in Japan
Where to buy
FAQ
—by Geir Friestad
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Ever since Sega somewhat successfully elbowed their way onto the console
scene with their Genesis/Megadrive console, the company's main strength in
the business wars has been their ability to offer console translations of
their vast and hugely popular line-up of arcade titles. And if the
Dreamcast's current software library is anything to judge by, Sega has
shown little interest in changing this trend. Indeed, with the introduction
of the new Naomi architecture—basically Dreamcast-hardware with more
RAM shoved into it—Sega appears to want to tie homes and arcades even
closer together. With the technological gap between these two theaters
closing, there's potential for virtually perfect home translations.
SEGA RALLY II was last year's Model 3-based update of Sega's original and
much-loved rally racing title. It was scheduled to be one of the Dreamcast
launch titles, but a simply dreadful Tokyo Game Show preview of the game
caused it to be delayed. Rumors indicate that all of the code was scrapped
and the project was passed on to AM team members, who were basically told
to slap the game together in less than two months. Whether or not this is
true is not really relevant—the end result is a fine, if flawed game
that could have (and should have) gone through a bit more fine-tuning
before being let loose on the public.
The game initially looks very promising. It boasts a total of seventeen
tracks with different weather effects, nineteen cars, and a healthy
selection of modes. You can drive in arcade mode, ten-year championship,
time attack, two-player split-screen, and network play. The network play
mode allows a total of four people to race against each other, but this
requires dialing (long distance!) to Sega's server in Japan. So far, so
good—remember, this version was meant to be played in Japan. However,
the game's other limitations and problems soon become apparent.
The graphics are the first indication of the game's rushed production. They
are by no means bad, indeed they are for the most part impressive and
rather detailed; with lots of interesting scenery and environmental
effects. However, the Windows CE-based engine all too obviously struggles
to keep things running smoothly when the screen is filling up with all
these same gorgeous details. This results in wildly varying frame rates,
occasional slowdown, and a decidedly unpleasant amount of pop-up and fog.
At times this can inadvertently make the game harder to play.
SEGA RALLY II's other problem is its overall feel—the way the cars
handle. It's hard to pinpoint exactly why, but the game acts more like a PC
racer than a console racer. The cars have a "floaty" feel to them; they
seem too light, and don't feel particularly connected to the mud, snow, and
gravel they're sliding on at high speed. This was, if memory serves this
reviewer right, not the case in the original arcade version...
Having heaped so much scorn upon the game, it's time to draw some attention
to its better qualities:
The fair number of tracks are for the most part well designed in terms of
both aesthetics and the challenges they pose. The muddy levels in
particular distinguished themselves in this reviewer's eyes, and SEGA RALLY
II also offers some impressive weather effects. The rain is especially
wonderful; not only does it look realistic, it's also incredibly
disorienting and makes it a hell of a lot more difficult to run the tracks,
just as it would in real life.
Taking a cue from such seminal racing classics as GRAN TURISMO and COLIN
McRAE RALLY, SEGA RALLY II offers you the chance to customize your vehicle
between tracks. You can change tires, brakes, gear ratios, transmission,
suspension, and so on. This is perhaps a bit superfluous, given the game's
obvious leanings toward fun arcade-racing rather than realistic racing, but
it doesn't hurt to include it since you don't have to mess around with it
unless you want to.
Is SEGA RALLY II worth getting? It depends. If you want a Dreamcast racing
title, the choice is easy; SEGA RALLY II is the only one so far. If you're
looking for a light and fun rally racing experience, SEGA RALLY II will
also probably fit your bill. But if you're looking for a more serious rally
racing experience, you're likely to be disappointed by this game. In that
case, a better choice would be Codemasters' excellent and far more
realistic PSX/PC-game COLIN McRAE RALLY.
Rating: 7.5/10 |
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