36 replies to this topic

[Reaperman]

One area that my Genesis collection is lacking is in racing games. I have so many awesome racers on SNES/sfc, but far fewer on this side of the house. Anybody have any good suggestions for me? I lean away from racing with weapons/combat.

Genesis racers I've enjoyed:
Virtua Racing
Lotus II RECS
Micro Machines
Micro Machines turbo tournament 96 (seems to run too fast on NTSC)

[AtariLeaf]

If you're opposed to the ones with combat, you're missing out on Road Rash which is one of the best Genesis series of games period.

I would recommend Outrun, excellent port of the arcade game and Super Hang On is good too.

Also Championship ProAm which is basically the same as the NES RC Proam but if you like the MicroMachines games its a good one as well as Rock N Roll Racing although it can be pricey.

[Reaperman]

Sounds good, RC Pro Am and Hang On are on order, and can't wait to give them a shot. I'll probably go for an outrun sometime in here too, but I haven't decided which one. (turbo maybe?)

road rash 2&3 are in my collection already, but it's really not my thing--the riding mechanics just aren't rewarding enough, and the whole art style puts me off.

Anybody imported F-1 Circus MD or F-1 Grand Prix? Which is better, or easier to get into?
What I'd really like is an overhead rally game, but I don't think this system has any.

Edited by Reaperman, Sun Dec 18, 2011 2:24 PM.

[Rex Dart]

Power Drive?

[Austin]

In terms of OutRun, just go for the original OutRun. OutRun 2019 is also a lot of fun, and cheap, too. OutRunners.. not so much, pass on that one unless you get it really cheap (too bad, because the arcade version rules).

Top Gear 2 is one to try if you like Lotus II.

[Curious Sofa]

It's weapon heavy, which I realize you said you don't like, but my favorite video game of all time may be Rock n' Roll Racing. For the midi soundtrack if nothing else. It's an early game by Blizzard (of W.O.W., Starcraft, Diablo fame) and I love it to pieces.

[Reaperman]

Rex Dart, on Sun Dec 18, 2011 5:38 PM, said:

Power Drive?

Freaking awesome. For some reason, despite my owning Power Drive on Jag, I had not considered this a possibility on the system. (one of the few jag games I find merit in) Sega version looks euro-only, but there's a good chance it runs at the right speed on NTSC--otherwise, I'm playing on nomad so modding isn't out of the question.

Looks like the cost on that game is going to make me wait a few days until the fallout from today's buying spree blows over, though. 10 genesis games split between two retailers.

Edited by Reaperman, Sun Dec 18, 2011 11:21 PM.

[Cafeman]

My all-time favorite Genesis racer is Super Monaco GP. (not the sequel although it is good too).

SMGP is an F1-style racer. If memory serves, there are like 16 courses. You'll have to write lengthy passwords to save your place. But it's worth the fun and rewarding feeling you get when playing the championship, selecting rivals, losing then memorizing the curves and trying again for a win.

And Super Hang On is really fun too. Arcade-style racing.

Edited by Cafeman, Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:55 AM.

[Chris Leach]

Rock n Roll Racing is always a cult classic!
Crank it loud!

[Reaperman]

Cafeman, on Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:54 AM, said:

My all-time favorite Genesis racer is Super Monaco GP. (not the sequel although it is good too).

I'm actually surprised that I didn't own either of these, and won a small lot with the first one last night. The second one looks like the better game, but every review I've seen says otherwise. Generally I steer clear of the more 'simish' F1 racers (too fast most of the time), but Virtua Racing did so well for me that I couldn't resist this one too.

And yes, I do like the Genesis Virtua Racing just fine, though I like the Saturn and 32x games more.

Edited by Reaperman, Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:21 AM.

[Reaperman]

Can anybody (especially in PAL land) confirm if Micro Machines Turbo Tournament '96 runs too fast on NTSC hardware?
If it does, I think I'll wire up a mod for it--if not I guess I'll just have to stop sucking so much at that game.

[Reaperman]

Super Hang On arrived today (as part of the genesis '6-pak'), and what's shocked me the most in my 'racer quest' is how bad this game is compared to most other games that I've played in its genre. Bikes are slow to accelerate, steering is all but totally unresponsive, and there seems to be little that can be done to fix yourself once you get into trouble. I've tried both arcade and original mode.

Assuming it was a technical problem, I even booted with 'mode' pressed.
NES Mach Rider totally humiliates this game, and it's 3 years older on 8-bit hardware. Watching the hugely positive CGR youtube review (link) left me confused. Am I missing something? Is it a problem with the 6-pak version?

Edited by Reaperman, Fri Dec 23, 2011 8:28 PM.

[Austin]

Reaperman, on Fri Dec 23, 2011 8:20 PM, said:

Assuming it was a technical problem, I even booted with 'mode' pressed.
NES Mach Rider totally humiliates this game, and it's 3 years older on 8-bit hardware. Watching the hugely positive CGR youtube review (link) left me confused. Am I missing something? Is it a problem with the 6-pak version?

No, you are not mistaken. The game has not held up very well. At all.

[retrorussell]

AtariLeaf, on Sun Dec 18, 2011 11:34 AM, said:

I would recommend Outrun, excellent port of the arcade game and Super Hang On is good too.

I definitely second Super Hang On. I was never crazy about racing games but that one just stuck with me. Not only do you buy new parts, but new mechanics, new oil, etc. Way cool! And you can change the language to Japanese katakana, if you're studying it (like I am/was).

[Reaperman]

Newman/Haas IndyCar Featuring Nigel Mansell

I've owned this game for years but never gave it a shot--big mistake for me. I guess the title made me think this was the typical 'even total crap will fly with enough licensing' game, and that it would only appeal to a tiny niche of fans of the 1994 IndyCar season. Could you really blame me for thinking so though? The title is entirely composed of 3 licenses, and the box art is little more than their respective logos stacked on top of each other.

Good:
15 real life tracks with fairly smooth polygon scenery
satisfying control that holds up to single-player hotlapping (even if it doesn't feel terribly realistic)
Pitting and flags.
Great sound. You have to choose between sound and music, but you won't want the music.
cost me $0.99 at a local game shop according to the price tag.

Bad:
'interesting' take on trackside object proximity and backgrounds.
tracks are flat.
Tuning doesn't include gear ratios.
Password save only. (battery save would allow features like track leaderboards)

Open-wheel racing is frequently too fast for me, and this game is no exception, especially when the track crowds up. I cope better with practice and qualify modes where I have the track to myself, and the car handling is actually rewarding enough to provide fun in that way. Now I'm really looking forward to Super Monaco GP which should be arriving shortly.

Edited by Reaperman, Sat Dec 24, 2011 12:36 AM.

[Austin]

Wow, that Newman/Haas racing game looks impressive! If I see it cheap in the wild I will probably pick it up.

[Ghost Soldier]

In no particular order some of my favorites:

Chase H.Q. II


Hard Drivin (This game is a mixed bag. I enjoy a quick play every now and then.)


Championship Pro-Am


Kawasaki Super Bike Challenge


Roadblasters (This game is tons of fun)


Quad Challenge

[Reaperman]

Ghost Soldier, on Wed Dec 28, 2011 5:02 PM, said:

In no particular order some of my favorites:
...
Kawasaki Super Bike Challenge

Wow that's an insta-buy (just did actually). Now those are some graphics. It's also encouraging to see an attempt to have the back end kick around rather than the standard 'pole position' understeer model. Genesis is starting to really warm up for me in terms of racers.

I just got Monaco GP today. I'm not liking the arcade mode, but I'm about to dive into the career. The handling doesn't strike me as being as satisfying as it is in Virtua Racing or the Indycar game, but a solid career mode could help it out.

Edited by Reaperman, Wed Dec 28, 2011 8:09 PM.

[Reaperman]

Looks like there's an F1 game from the same shop that did the Kawasaki game. It's got some impressive draw distance coming down some of the hills. I went ahead and ordered this one too. Genesis is sure not hurting for quality open-wheel racers.

Edited by Reaperman, Wed Dec 28, 2011 10:42 PM.

[16BitMan]

Apart from what you listed and staying away from weapons/combat based ones here are some of my favourites:

Jaguar XJ220 (Mega CD)
Outrun
Super Hang-On
Turbo Outrun
F1 Grand Prix
Test Drive 2: The Duel
Hard Drivin'
Outrun 2019
Super Off-Road
Powerdrive
Street Racer
Chase HQ 2

[swlovinist]

Here are my favorites:

Super Hang-On
Outrun 2019
Super Off-Road
Virtua Racing

[sheath]

Formula One, Kawasaki Superbike and Super Monaco GP are hands down the best technical racers on the system. Outrun, Road Rash (particularly RR2), Super Hang On and Virtua Racing SVP are also great though slightly more "arcade" type racers.

Eh, I hate that term, Road Rash games all have a campaign that allow you to upgrade your bikes and move on to new classes of bikes. Super Hang On is just near perfect. Outrun is nearly infinitely replayable.

I also wouldn't overlook Top Gear 2 or Hard/Race Driven', though the later will cause modern gamers to whine uncontrollably while saying something about a guy names "framerate". Road Blasters is an excellent Arcade conversion too.

On the Sega CD, Jaguar XJ220 and Batman Returns are must haves, and some people swear by Formula One Beyond the Limit (I don't like it).

On the 32X I am sure you have heard of Virtua Racing Deluxe.

Edited by sheath, Thu Jan 5, 2012 3:31 PM.

[Chuck D. Head]

I never really used the weapons in Rock and Roll Racing, so I tend to forget that part, but I have to add my two cents on it's awesomeness!

[so_tough!]

Cafeman, on Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:54 AM, said:

My all-time favorite Genesis racer is Super Monaco GP. (not the sequel although it is good too).

SMGP is an F1-style racer. If memory serves, there are like 16 courses. You'll have to write lengthy passwords to save your place. But it's worth the fun and rewarding feeling you get when playing the championship, selecting rivals, losing then memorizing the curves and trying again for a win.

And Super Hang On is really fun too. Arcade-style racing.

I bought both monaco games for really cheap, but I don't like them at all.

[Reaperman]

so_tough!, on Tue Jan 10, 2012 3:58 AM, said:

I bought both monaco games for really cheap, but I don't like them at all.

I 100% agree with that. I bought both, and in both their physics are the same understeer-only handling of 8-bit racers, but far less forgiving. Controls aren't rewarding at all. IIRC, the second one has a battery save, which would be a welcome feature on some other games though.

So far, the Domark F1 game has my vote for best open-wheeled racer. I'm still waiting for 'andretti-something-or-other' to come in the mail, and then I hope to do a youtube shootout between all six genesis open-wheelers that I have. I've said before that I don't do well at F1 video games, and that's still true, but I can probably put together a fair comparison.

Power Drive came a couple days ago, but I've been too busy to try it out. Looks awesome though, and it's nice to have that series on a system that I have plugged in more frequently than the jag.