Rock n' Roll Racing

From Sega Retro

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Rock n' Roll Racing
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Interplay
Developer:
Sound driver: Sound Images v1.2
Genre: Racing

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
US
T-125056
Videogame Rating Council: GA
Sega Mega Drive
EU
T-125056-50
ELSPA: 3+ OK
Sega Mega Drive
UK
T-125056-50
ELSPA: 3+ OK
Sega Mega Drive
AU
$99.9599.95[4] FROC01SMC
OFLC: G
Non-Sega versions

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Rock n' Roll Racing is an isometric racing game developed by Blizzard Entertainment and published by Interplay for the Sega Mega Drive. It was released in 1994, several months after the Super NES version, after Blizzard had changed their name from Silicon & Synapse. As the name suggests, the game prominently features a number of popular heavy metal and rock songs in its soundtrack.

Gameplay

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Car selection

The game is a racing game that pits four racers against each other, with up to two racers being player-controlled. Players can choose from a colourful collection of comic-book-inspired humans and aliens. The other racers are "Rip" and "Shred," who appear in all races, plus a third character unique to each planet in single-player games. Each race consists of four laps around tracks viewed from an isometric perspective, which helps players discern the presence of frequent sloping sections spread throughout the game's various tracks. In addition to navigating the turns, racers must also maneuver hills and dips without falling or jumping over the guard rail at the track's edge.

While it is a racing game, the game places a heavy emphasis on attacking the vehicles of competitors. Cars reappear with full health a few seconds after blowing up, with the only penalty being the lost time and falling behind in the race. Players are rewarded with a monetary "attack bonus" each time they provide the finishing blow against another car using their forward or rear weapons (and a similar "lapping bonus" when they gain a full one-lap lead on an opponent during the race). Tracks are littered with mines and health power-ups, as well as money power-ups. Other hazards include oil slicks, snow drifts, and lava, depending on the planet hosting the race.

Between races, players can spend the money they have earned on more advanced equipment for their vehicle (engines, tires, shocks, and shielding) or on increasing their capacity for the frontal weapon (energy blasts or missiles), rear weapon (slip sauce or mines), and turbo boost (jump jets or nitro boosts), each of which can max out at seven. Despite their limited capacity, every vehicle has its weapon and boost charges replenished at the completion of each lap in a race. Racers can also buy more advanced vehicle models; however, all equipment and weapons upgrades are lost when a new vehicle is purchased.

The first three drivers to complete a race are awarded both money and points according to the final standings. Points are required for advancement to the next racing division or the next planet, with two divisions on each planet. A player who has not obtained enough points during a division's racing season must repeat the division, again starting with zero points, but all changes to the player's money and car remain in effect. In two-player mode, when only one player has sufficient points, the character in charge of advancement asks "Leave your loser friend behind?", allowing the leading player to continue alone by removing the other player from the game. The dropped player can continue from that point later by using the most recent password, once the game is reset.

Characters

Olaf, a character in Blizzard's other game, The Lost Vikings, is playable by entering a cheat code.

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Snake Sanders
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Cyberhawk
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Rock n' Roll Racing, Characters, Ivanzypher.png

Ivanzypher
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Rock n' Roll Racing, Characters, Katarina Lyons.png

Katarina Lyons
Rock n' Roll Racing, Characters, Katarina Lyons.png

Rock n' Roll Racing, Characters, Jake Badlands.png

Jake Badlands
Rock n' Roll Racing, Characters, Jake Badlands.png

Rock n' Roll Racing, Characters, Tarquinn.png

Tarquinn
Rock n' Roll Racing, Characters, Tarquinn.png

Rock n' Roll Racing, Characters, Olaf.png

Olaf
Rock n' Roll Racing, Characters, Olaf.png

Planets

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Chem VI

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Drakonis

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Bogmire

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New Mojave

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N.H.O.

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Inferno

Music and sound

Rock n' Roll Racing features a number of licensed rock tracks, played through the Mega Drive's hardware:

Players are updated on the race by commentator "Loudmouth Larry."

History

Development

Rock n' Roll Racing was developed as a sequel to the Super NES game RPM Racing, though Blizzard changed the idea from being a direct sequel and reworked it to have a "rock n' roll" theme.

Legacy

A sequel, Rock & Roll Racing 2: Red Asphalt, was released for the Sony PlayStation.

In February 2021, Rock n' Roll Racing was re-released as part of Blizzard Arcade Collection for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PCs alongside several versions of The Lost Vikings and Blackthorne. The compilation includes the Mega Drive version, the Super NES version, and a "Definitive Edition" with widescreen support, 4-player split screen, and other features.

Production credits

  • Game Design: Blizzard Entertainment, Alan Pavlish
  • Producers: Feargus Urquhart, Michael Morhaime
  • Executive Producer: Alan Pavlish
  • Programming: Michael Morhaime, Pat Wyatt, Bob Fitch, Allen Adham
  • Artwork: Joeyray Hall, Samwise Didier, Ron Millar
  • Additional Artwork: Stu Rose, Clyde Matsumoto, Paul Barton, Anthony Gomez
  • Voice: Larry Supermouth Huffman
  • Audio Programming: Software Creations, Sound Images
  • Quality Assurance Director: Kirk Tome
  • Lead Tester: Scott McKelvey
  • Additional Testing: Robert Rooke, Ryan Rucinski, Jim Boone, Brian Rollanson, McKay Stewart, everyone at Interplay
  • Thanks To: Gilbert Glaze
Source:
In-game credits

Magazine articles

Main article: Rock n' Roll Racing/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

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Flyer (RU)
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Print advert in GamePro (US) #64: "November 1994" (1994-xx-xx)
also published in:
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Print advert in Sega Megazone (AU) #49: "March 1995" (1995-0x-xx)
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Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
60
[7]
Cool Gamer (RU)
90
[8]
Digitiser (UK) PAL
83
[9]
Electronic Games (1992-1995) (US) NTSC-U
75
[10]
Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 9 (RU)
70
[11]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
73
[12]
Gamers (DE) PAL
80
[13]
Games World: The Magazine (UK)
85
[14]
Joker (SI)
90
[15]
Joypad (FR) PAL
80
[16]
MAN!AC (DE) PAL
69
[17]
Mega (UK) PAL
76
[18]
Mega Force (FR) PAL
89
[19]
Mega Fun (DE) PAL
85
[20]
Player One (FR)
90
[21]
Play Time (DE) PAL
85
[22]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
90
[23]
Sega Force (SE)
75
[24]
Sonic the Comic (UK) PAL
81
[25]
Todo Sega (ES)
89
[26]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
86
[27]
Video Games (DE) PAL
80
[28]
Sega Mega Drive
81
Based on
22 reviews

Rock n' Roll Racing

Mega Drive, US
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Cover
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RocknRollRacing MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, EU
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Cover
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RockNRollRacing MD EU CartBack.jpgRocknRollRacing MD EU Cart.jpg
Cart
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Manual
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Manual Back
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PCB
Mega Drive, AU
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Cover
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Cart
Mega Drive, AU (Alt)
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Cover

Technical information

Main article: Rock n' Roll Racing/Technical information.

References

  1. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "August 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 108
  2. Sega Power, "May 1994" (UK; 1994-03-31), page 31
  3. File:DailyExpress UK 1994-12-02 12.jpg
  4. Sega Megazone, "January 1995" (AU; 199x-xx-xx), page 41
  5. EGM², "November 1994" (US; 1994-1x-xx), page 262
  6. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "December 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 360
  7. 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 194
  8. Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 177
  9. Digitiser (UK) (1995-02-07)
  10. Electronic Games (1992-1995), "October 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 84
  11. Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 9, "" (RU; 2002-xx-xx), page 197
  12. GamePro, "November 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 96
  13. Gamers, "Januar 1995" (DE; 1995-01-08), page 50
  14. Games World: The Magazine, "February 1995" (UK; 1994-12-xx), page 15
  15. Joker, "Oktober 1994" (SI; 1994-xx-xx), page 27
  16. Joypad, "Mars 1995" (FR; 1995-0x-xx), page 94
  17. MAN!AC, "02/95" (DE; 1995-01-11), page 71
  18. Mega, "March 1995" (UK; 1995-02-28), page 50
  19. Mega Force, "Décembre 1994" (FR; 1994-12-02), page 68
  20. Mega Fun, "01/95" (DE; 1994-12-21), page 88
  21. Player One, "Décembre 1994" (FR; 1994-1x-xx), page 150
  22. Play Time, "2/95" (DE; 1995-01-04), page 111
  23. Sega Pro, "February 1995" (UK; 1994-12-29), page 64
  24. Sega Force, "7-8/94" (SE; 1994-10-19), page 22
  25. Sonic the Comic, "31st March 1995" (UK; 1995-03-18), page 11
  26. Todo Sega, "Febrero 1995" (ES; 1995-0x-xx), page 49
  27. Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 148
  28. Video Games, "2/95" (DE; 1995-01-18), page 100


Rock n' Roll Racing

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