| Sega Rally Championship | |
|---|---|
 Arcade flyer | |
| Developer | Sega AM3 |
| Publisher | Sega |
| Director | Kenji Sasaki[4] |
| Producer | Tetsuya Mizuguchi |
| Programmer | Sohei Yamamoto |
| Artist | Kenji Sasaki |
| Composers | Takenobu Mitsuyoshi Naofumi Hataya (Sega Saturn) |
| Series | Sega Rally |
| Platforms | Arcade Sega Saturn Windows N-Gage Game Boy Advance PlayStation 2[5] |
| Release | February 1995 |
| Genre | Racing |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
| Arcade system | Sega Model 2 |
Sega Rally Championship is a 1995racing game developed and published bySega.[6] Originally released for arcades using theSega Model 2 board, ports were published for theSega Saturn in 1995 andMicrosoft Windows in 1997. It is arally racing game that simulates driving on different surfaces with varying friction, with the car's handling changing accordingly. As the first racing game to incorporate this feature,Sega Rally Championship is considered to be a milestone in the evolution of the racing game genre.[7] The game features bothcooperative and competitive multiplayer. An enhanced version was released for the Saturn in 1998, supporting analog controls with the Saturn 3D Pad and online play via theSega Net Link.
Sega Rally Championship received critical acclaim, with praise for its gameplay and controls, and it is considered one of thegreatest video games of all time. The Saturn version was lauded for its accuracy to the arcade version; later ports were less well-received. The game spawned theSega Rally series, and was followed by several ports and sequels on subsequent platforms.
_gameplay.png)
InSega Rally Championship, players can enter a "World Championship" mode consisting of three stages: desert, forest and mountain. The player's finishing position at the end of one stage is carried through to the starting position of the next stage. In this mode, it is impossible to reach first place by the end of the first stage; 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 the player is in first place at the end of the third stage, they will advance to the extra fourth stage called "Lakeside" (on the Saturn version, this course may then be played intime attack and split-screen multiplayer modes).
Three cars are featured in the game;Didier Auriol'sthird generation Toyota Celica GT-Four andJuha Kankkunen'sLancia Delta HF Integrale which are both available from the start, andSandro Munari'sLancia Stratos HF which is unlocked by finishing Lakeside in first place in the Saturn version,[8] or by using an easter egg in the arcade version.[9] Players may drive each car in either manual or automatic transmission.[10]
The arcade version of the game supports up to four players using cabinets linked together,[11] while the Saturn version supports two-playersplitscreen multiplayer.[12]
Sega Rally Championship was directed by Kenji Sasaki, a formerNamco employee known for his work onRidge Racer (1993). Seeking to develop a racing game that was distinct from popular arcade titles includingRidge Racer andDaytona USA (1994), Sasaki chose therally racing subgenre, 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 sometuning options.[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, theSupra would 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".[13] According to game designerTetsuya Mizuguchi, they had no experience in driving those cars, but after repeated requestsToyota andFiat provided feedback forgame testing.[4] Fiat also made agentlemen's agreement with the developers allowing the use of official logos and such inSega Rally Championship; there was no formal sponsorship deal for the game.[14] 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 States toMexico, 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] Sasaki further stated that, originally, the game was in the style of the movieThe Cannonball Run, and the forest stage was based onRedwood National Park, but the release ofCruis'n USA (1994) byMidway Games caused them to change direction as well as redesign the forest to be based onYosemite National Park to avoid similarities.[15][16]
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][17] 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".[18] Aside from Mizuguchi producing both projects, the Saturn development team was completely different from the original arcade team.[19] Unlike other well-received arcade conversions for the Saturn such asVirtua Fighter 2 andVirtua Cop,Sega Rally Championship was developed without using the Sega Graphics Library operating system, as it had not yet been completed when work on the game began.[17][20] For similar reasons, asplit screen was 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.[13][20] As the arcade version ofRally was designed to be controlled with a steering wheel, 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 feedback of the arcade version's steering wheel.[14]
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 Hataya and arrangements of the arcade originals arranged and produced by Takayuki Hijikata, previously released on the albumSega Rally Championship Ignition.
The Sega Saturn version was rushed to the North American market in order to take advantage of the Christmas shopping season.[20] 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.[20] A version was also released that allowed online play via theSega Net Link.[21][22]
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 versions.[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.[23]
| Aggregator | Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcade | GBA | PC | Saturn | |
| Metacritic | 59/100[24] | |||
| Publication | Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcade | GBA | PC | Saturn | |
| Computer Gaming World |   [25] | |||
| Consoles + | 96%[26] | |||
| Computer and Video Games | 95%[27] | |||
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 17/20[28] | |||
| Game Informer | 8.5/10[30] | |||
| GameFan | 288/300[29] | |||
| GamesMaster | 95%[31][32] | |||
| GameSpot | 5.6/10[33] | |||
| Next Generation | [34] | [36] | [35] | |
| Player One | 98%[37] | |||
| Maximum | [12] | |||
| Sega Magazin | 95%[38] | |||
| Sega Power | 97%[39] | |||
| Sega Saturn Magazine | 97%[40] | |||
| Publication | Award |
|---|---|
| GameFan Megawards (1995) | Racing Game of the Year[41] |
| Gamest Awards (1995) | 8th Best Action, 9th Best Graphics[42] |
| GamePro Readers' Choice Awards (1996) | 6th Best Racing Game[43] |
| Retro Gamer (2009) | Top Racing Game Ever[44] |
| Guinness World Records (2009) | 44th Top Console Game[7] |
Upon release, the game sold 12,000 arcade units.[45] In Japan,Game Machine listedSega Rally Championship as the second most successful dedicated arcade game of March 1995.[46] It went on to be the second highest-grossing dedicatedarcade game of 1995 in Japan.[47] In the United States, it was one of the top six best-selling arcade games of 1995, receiving a Platinum Award from theAmerican Amusement Machine Association (AAMA).[48] Although the game was not as popular asDaytona USA in the United States, it was more popular in Europe.[49]
The arcade game was met with positive reviews from critics.Next Generation reviewed 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".[34]
The Sega Saturn version would go on to sell 1.2 million copies.[45] In Japan,Sega Rally Championship topped the charts on release, coming in number 1 during Week 52 in 1995.[50] It was a major system-seller for the system in the United Kingdom, becoming the fastest selling CD game at the time.[51]
The Saturn version was met with almost universally positive reviews.Next Generation praised the Saturn version's "down-and-dirty feel", "truly phenomenal high-speed visuals", and "quick, responsive control".[52] The magazine cited the game's physics and handling as "nothing short of remarkable".[35]Game Informer's Reiner and Andy gaveSega Rally Championship scores 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.[30]Sega Saturn Magazine praised 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".[40] Later,Sega Saturn Magazine would 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".[53]
Both of the sports reviewers forElectronic Gaming Monthly gave 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".[28] Bruised Lee ofGamePro praised 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".[54]Maximum decreed the conversion to be "every bit as good as anyone could have ever hoped", stating that aside from theframe rate being 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.[12]
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[25][33][36] and suffers from mediocreframe rates except when playing in low-resolution mode, in which case it instead suffers from having lower detail and more pixelation than the Saturn version.[33][36] Mark Clarkson ofComputer Gaming World found 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.[25]Next Generation concluded that those looking specifically to playSega Rally Championship on PC would find the version sufficient, but that there were better PC racers available.[36]GameSpot's Stephen Poole opined that the content of the game was "just not enough".[33]
In 1996,Next Generation listed 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.[55] In 1996,GamesMaster ranked the game number 1 on their "TheGamesMaster Saturn Top 10".[56] In the same issue, they also rated the game 24th in its "Top 100 Games of All Time".[57] In 1999,Next Generation listedSega Rally as number 19 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that, "one of the best Model 2 games,Sega Rally is some of the best fun you can have in a car without having to pretend that you've run out of gas".[58]Sega Rally Championship was named the best racing game of all time byRetro Gamer magazine, which ranked it at the top of its "Top 25 Racing Games Ever" list.[44] InGuinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2009 the 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".[59]IGN staff writer Levi Buchanan rankedSega Rally Championship 6th 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".[60] Some publications and fan-voted lists have considered it to be one of the best games of all time, includingNext Generation in 1996,[61] orElectronic Gaming Monthly in 1997,[62]Computer and Video Games in 2000,[63]Edge in 2007,[64] andNowGamer in 2010.[65] In 2024,The Guardian would rankSega Rally Championship as the 3rd best Sega arcade game.[66]
The game spawned theSega Rally series, and later followed spiritually byInitial D Arcade Stage from the same company, based on theInitial D comics and featuring base models of certain rally cars.
In 2010,Codemasters citedSega Rally Championship as a strong influence on their firstColin McRae Rally game (1998). According to Guy Wilday, producer of the first fourColin McRae Rally games, 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".[67]
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.
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.
