Rush Rush Rally Reloaded (Special Edition) - Review
Wave Game Studios, Sega Dreamcast Game, 2022
Do you want to know a secret? While I own a multitude of older gaming consoles, I also purchased an Xbox Series X about a year ago. But I have a confession. While my big black Microsoft brick may be all modern and super powerful, I have actually spent significantly more time playing Robot Riot’s Gods remake on it than any current game. It might be able to throw a zillion polygons about in a millisecond, but as Shania Twain once said, “That don’t impress me much”. Give me good old fashioned arcade gameplay over high-end sound and graphics any day.
So at the Doncaster Gaming Market in February I was delighted to meet up with the guys from Wave Game Studios and chat about one of their Sega Dreamcast releases - Rush Rush Rally Reloaded; a top-down two-dimensional racing experience that brings the words, “old” and “school” very much to mind.
In the beginning…
Senile Team’s original Rush Rush Rally Racing was released in 2009, and is considered by some to be one of the greatest indie games for the Sega Dreamcast. This was followed in 2017 by Rush Rush Rally Reloaded, which features more tracks, additional game modes, enhanced graphics and sound, and the ability to register scores on online scoreboards. In 2022 the special edition was released which includes an audio disc featuring the original soundtrack.
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I am still blown away that new games are being produced for our beloved machines of yesteryear and, having missed this gem the first time around, I was excited to be giving it a look.
Ready to race
First impressions are good. The loading and menu screens are bright, clean and well laid out. There are plenty of gameplay options (more on that later) and I selected a one-player Grand Prix. You are offered a choice of five cars, each with different performance, with a simple display showing their acceleration, top speed and handling. I opted for one with better acceleration and handling to the detriment of speed, figuring that this would offer the novice player the best chance.
Crash and burn
Within a few moments I was looking down on a six car grid and the race was on. And within just a few more moments the other competitors had disappeared off screen into the distance, I had crashed more times than my first Vic-20, left the track and was clattering around in circles, unable to find my way back into the race. So I aborted, feeling somewhat frustrated. This wasn’t a good start. But was it me or the game? I remembered being told that it is quite tricky and, crucially, you have to learn the tracks.
Practice makes perfect
So I navigated back and selected the Time Attack mode. This time it was just me versus the track. I took things a little easier and I managed to complete a whole lap without getting lost. Woo-hoo – I was improving! After my first complete circuit a ghost car appeared and over the next 20 or so laps my times reduced and I began to feel more proficient.
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Armed with this preparation and a bucket full of renewed confidence I returned to the Grand Prix mode and this time I not only managed to stay on course, but I won my first race! Now, I have to be fair here, it would be easy to proclaim myself as some kind of elite gaming God, but in reality I was playing on the easiest of the four difficulty levels - there is plenty more challenge to be had as you improve. But it was already clear that this is a game where you have to put in the effort to reap the rewards.
Looking good baby
A top down view is used, very reminiscent of classic early arcade racers; it reminded me of the Commodore Amiga 1200 / CD32 game Roadkill (which is, incidentally, one of my all time favourite games - so it loses no marks for that!). Your view is quite zoomed-in though, leaving very little time to react as the track changes direction, hence the need to learn the tracks. It sounds good with a thumping soundtrack and some nice voice samples add to the experience. It runs quickly too - at 640 x 480 resolution and 60 fps even when playing in four player mode, making the racing fast, fluid and frantic. A big plus is that the car handling feels absolutely spot-on and the physics were pretty much perfect, allowing for some nicely controllable and very satisfying drifts around the corners.
Options options options…
The options are plentiful and varied. In particular I loved the easy reprogramming of the controls; I enabled the triggers to accelerate and brake - much as we are used to in more modern racing games. Little touches like this make such a difference.
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The game also really shines with a multitude of different play options available. As a single player you have the choice of the Grand Prix and Time Attack modes already mentioned, along with a Challenge mode where you play against a series of computer opponents and have to lead by a screen to score a point (think Micro Machines).
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The game comes alive when your friends join you though. You have another version of the Challenge mode, using the same basis but now named Get Ahead to differentiate from the player versus CPU version. Up to four players can enjoy split screen racing in Versus mode and Item mode sees the track littered with collectables - including guns, oil slicks, invisibility and different speed boosts. Imagine a slightly more dialled back 2D version of Mario Kart (no turtles on show here!) and you won’t be far away.
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There is even an option to use game generated codes to log your high scores and lap times on an online scoreboard. Little touches again you see? Things like this may seem small, but cumulatively they lift a game into the next league.
In the pits
Negatives? Well, I have to be fair and say that while very slick, the 2D approach leaves it feeling perhaps more like a 32 bit offering than a Dreamcast game. This doesn’t bother me at all, as I love the classic arcade type gameplay, but those expecting some 3D spectacularness (Ed. – “Have you just made up a word?!”) to rival Crazy Taxi or Daytona USA are perhaps going to be a little disappointed.
The chequered flag
But here’s the key. If you set your bar a little lower, this is actually a fabulous game. It doesn’t try to be something that it’s not; it is offering straightforward old-fashioned top-down arcade racing fun. A simple concept, but executed quite brilliantly. With tremendous playability, plenty of game modes, loads of tracks, extensive options and four difficulty settings, this will keep you smiling for ages.
Now where did I put that winner’s champagne?
Graphics - 80%
Very old school (not meant as a criticism) but clear and easy to see what you are doing. There are some lovely touches including skid marks and puffs of tyre smoke when you drift.
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​Sounds - 83%
A great soundtrack and good in-game sounds and voice samples, all adjustable via the comprehensive options menu.
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​Grab-Factor - 85%
Very easy to understand but racing is initially very tough - each track presents a steep learning curve. A good challenge though.
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​Playability - 94%
Tremendously playable and lots of fun. Simple, easy to manage controls, a great selection of challenging tracks and a plethora of different play modes and options offers real longevity too.
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Verdict - 86%
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More information at: wavegamestudios.com/games/rush-rush-rally-reloaded
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AG 10/04/2023
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Featured in Pixel Addict magazine, issue 12.
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© Words and pictures copyright grapeswriting.com
Child’s Play
What do the current generation think about the games of yesteryear?
Anyone my age or thereabouts will have particularly fond memories of the period 1978 – 1982, when video gaming exploded and took over the world. A succession of fabulous titles were released, many of which are still revered and played today; ultimately earning this period the title: The Golden Age of Video Games.
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But I wondered - how good they are really? Do they genuinely deserve to still be regarded as classics, or is it a case of them having little competition at the time mixed with a giant sized dollop of nostalgia?
I decided to conduct a small experiment. I would spend an afternoon with two children, only familiar with modern gaming. We would play a number of classic arcade games and I would ask them what they thought of them.
Now unfortunately, although I have two offspring, they are both grown up with families and jobs to get in the way. But, rather conveniently, a friend has two children - Freddie and Vicky, aged 13 and 12, so without further ado I kidnapped them and the plan was on!
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Cream of the crop
Now I am biased here. I want my era to do well, so naturally I am going to give it half a chance by picking premium titles. For the experiment, I selected Space Invaders, Asteroids, Scramble, Defender, Pac Man, Dig Dug, Donkey Kong, and Lady Bug. But before we played I wanted to find out a bit about my guinea pigs’ gaming background…
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Freddie’s current gaming platforms were the Xbox One S and Nintendo Switch, whereas Vicky gamed on an Xbox One S and an iPad. Freddie’s favourite games are Forza Horizon 5 and Rocket League while Vicky liked to spend her time playing Minecraft and Human Fall Flat. Neither declared much experience of classic video games although both had played a few before, including Pac Man and Tetris.
Game one – Space Invaders
Space Invaders seemed a natural place to start (to me it is the Daddy of the golden age), so I booted it up to get the ball rolling. Both seemed pretty engaged. Vicky worked out early on that taking out the ends was a good tactic whereas Freddie was a bit more random with his approach.
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Both had heard of the game before and had played it once or twice in an arcade. Freddie found it, “a little frustrating when you got hit” whereas Vicky thought that it was, “really good”, and enjoyed, “that boost of confidence when you hit the space ship at the top!” Both found the game to be quite difficult, with the difficulty increasing rapidly even on the first level, but regardless both said they would play it again.
Game two - Asteroids
I was a little nervous about this one as the rotate / thrust ship control is an acquired skill and not easy for first-time players. However both seemed to enjoy this one, clearing the first screen within just a couple of turns. This time, neither had played the game before nor had even heard of it.
Freddie was particularly enthusiastic though, saying that he found it a lot of fun and that he would play it again. Vicky found it, “fun but irritating, because sometimes you would spawn and get an asteroid in your face!” Nevertheless she enjoyed it and said that she would also play it again.
Game three - Scramble
Again - neither had heard about the game before. This one surprised me as both got the hang of playing and in particular flying low to dispatch rows of targets very quickly. Freddie really enjoyed it but Vicky found it frustrating trying to aim the bombs.​
Freddie recorded the highest score of the session but it was Vicky that made it into stage 2! They both said that they would play it again.
Game four - Defender
I was in two minds about including Defender, as while it is undoubtedly a standout title of the era, it is also brutally hard!
Neither had heard about the game before but both enjoyed playing. They each commented on the difficulty level though. Freddie found the game, “quite hard but enjoyable”. Vicky found controlling the ship at speed particularly tricky, stated that it was, “good, but irritating… but still quite fun”.
Game five - Dig Dug
I’m glad that I included this title as it was a clear winner. Both took to the game instantly (Ed. – “Perhaps because of its co-starring role in season two of Stranger Things?!”) and more goes were had than on any other title. In fact when the testing day ended, it was booted up again for another go and I was being asked how they can play it at home!
Neither had heard about the game or played it before. Both were enthusiastic about it, Freddie declared it to be one of his favourites. Vicky said that it was, “really good and a lot of fun”, adding that she, “loved the little characters and the music”. When asked if they would play it again Freddie said that he would while Vicky gave an unequivocal, “definitely!”.
Game six - Ms Pac Man
Both had heard about the game, and Vicky had played Ms Pac Man while Freddie had played the original Pac Man.
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Freddie struggled with this one, finding it, “quite difficult” and did not enjoy it so much. This may have been the result of using an original Xbox controller which was perhaps a bit clunky and less than accurate. However, Vicky found it, “really enjoyable”. She said that she would play it again, whereas Freddie wasn’t so sure that he would!
Game seven – Donkey Kong
Next up was Mario’s debut and one of the first ever platform games: Donkey Kong. Both had heard about the game before but neither had played it.
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This was one of the harder games we took on with neither making it past the first screen. Freddie enjoyed this one despite finding it quite tough, but said he would definitely play it again. Vicky found it “very enjoyable” but also “quite irritating”. That said, she found it “more enjoyable than irritating” and said she would play it again!
Game eight – Lady Bug
The final game of the day was Lady Bug. This was a last minute inclusion but I’m glad I did as they both thoroughly enjoyed this one. There was shrieking as they desperately tried to avoid colliding with an insect and Freddie said that the game raised his heart rate!
Neither had heard of it before but both enjoyed playing. Freddie said it was “very stressful”. Vicky said it was, “difficult but really good”. Both declared the game to be one of their favourites.
Summary
Both Freddie and Vicky expressed pleasant surprise at the games they had played. Freddie had been expecting really simple monotone games like Pong, whereas Vicky was surprised how far graphics have developed in the past 40 years. Freddie’s favourites were Scramble, Asteroids and Dig Dug whereas Vicky enjoyed Dig Dug and Lady Bug the most. Vicky found that it was very different just playing for a high score and said that she does enjoy the progression and achievements offered by modern games.
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But perhaps most tellingly, both had enjoyed themselves sufficiently to say that they would definitely play classic games again if they had the means to.
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So it is official. Following a highly controlled experiment under strict scientific conditions (Ed. – “Are you sure?!”), I can report that even today, and pitted against the best that modern gaming has to offer, classic video games really are still a lot of fun.
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But let’s face it – we knew that already didn’t we..?
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AG 18/03/2023
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Featured in Pixel Addict magazine, issue 11.
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© Words and pictures copyright grapeswriting.com
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