Arcade Racer

From Sega Retro

For the Sega Dreamcast accessory also known as the "Racing Controller", see Race Controller.


Saturn arcade racer.jpg
Arcade Racer
Made for: Sega Saturn
Manufacturer: Sega
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Saturn
JP
¥5,800 (5,974)5,800e[2] HSS-0115
Sega Saturn
JP
("Shin")
¥5,8005,800 HSS-0141
Sega Saturn
US
$79.9979.99[3][4] MK-80107
Sega Saturn
EU
MK-80304
Sega Saturn
PL
329zł329
Sega Saturn
AU
$129.95129.95[7]

This short article is in need of work. You can help Sega Retro by adding to it.


The Arcade Racer, called the Racing Controller (レーシングコントローラー) in Japan, is a racing wheel style controller for the Sega Saturn.

Hardware

As opposed to many digital controllers at the time, the Arcade Racer is analog in nature, allowing for smoother control than a standard Sega Saturn D-Pad. Whereas digital controllers rely on values assigned to on/off switches (like light switches, they react in steps), analog controllers respond in a smoother arc (like dimmer switches).

The Arcade Racer was designed primarily for racing games such as Virtua Racing, Daytona USA or Sega Rally Championship. Its height and angle can be adjusted by the user. The seven face buttons are positioned on the face of the wheel, and the Up and Down directions are redesigned into paddles on each side of the wheel which resemble semi-automatic transmission paddle shifters (or a "flappy paddle gearbox"). These paddles are digital, not analog, unlike the wheel itself. The Arcade Racer does not have L or R buttons, so games designed for it cannot use those buttons.

The Arcade Racer is supported by most driving games released for the Sega Saturn (in North America it was mandatory that racing games supported the peripheral[8]). There are a few, such as Impact Racing or Road Rash, that do not support it, however, perhaps because they need the additional buttons that the Arcade Racer is missing. Most games that do support the Arcade Racer will also work in analog mode on the Mission Stick and 3D Control Pad, but a few, including Virtua Racing and Hang-On GP, require the Arcade Racer for analog play.

From a design perspective, the Arcade Racer Joystick is one of the oldest Saturn controllers, so much so that it originally started life as a Sega Mega Drive wheel[9] albeit with a completely different base and including a mode button[10]. Known as the Sega Wheel it was originally set to debut with Virtua Racing[11] in late 1994[12], but in the end no official wheels were released for Sega's earlier console.

Compatibility

Localised names

Also known as
Language Localised Name English Translation
English Arcade Racer Arcade Racer
Japanese レーシング コントローラー Racing Controller

Magazine articles

Main article: Arcade Racer/Magazine articles.

Patents

Artwork

Photo gallery

Physical scans

Saturn, JP (grey)
Saturn HSS-0115 box-2.jpgNospine.pngSaturn HSS-0115 box-1.jpg
Cover
RacingControllerSaturnJPManual.pdf
Manual
Saturn, JP (white)
Saturn HSS-0141 box-2.jpgNospine.pngSaturn HSS-0141 box-1.jpg
Cover
Saturn, US
ArcadeRacer Saturn US Box Top.jpg
ArcadeRacer Saturn US Box Back.jpgArcadeRacer Saturn US Box Spine.jpgSaturn 80107 box.jpgArcadeRacer Saturn US Box Spine2.jpg
ArcadeRacer Saturn US Box Bottom.jpg
Cover
Saturn, EU
ArcadeRacer Saturn EU Box Top.jpg
ArcadeRacer Saturn EU Box Back.jpgArcadeRacer Saturn EU Box Spine.jpgSaturn MK-80304 box.jpgArcadeRacer Saturn EU Box Spine2.jpg
ArcadeRacer Saturn EU Box Bottom.jpg
Cover

External links

  • Sega of Japan catalogue pages (Japanese): Saturn

References


Sega Saturn
Topics Technical Specifications (Hardware Comparison) | History (Development | Release | Decline and legacy) | List of games (A-M) | List of games (N-Z) | Magazine articles | Promotional material | Merchandise
Hardware Japan | North America | Western Europe | Eastern Europe | South America | Asia | South Korea | Australasia | Africa

HiSaturn Navi | SunSeibu SGX | Sega Titan Video

Add-ons Backup Memory (third-party) | Sega PriFun | Video CD Card (third-party) | Extended RAM Cartridge (third-party) | Twin Advanced ROM System
Controllers Control Pad | Control Pad (Australia) | 3D Control Pad | Arcade Racer | Infrared Control Pad | Mission Stick | Shuttle Mouse | Twin Stick | Virtua Gun | Virtua Stick | Virtua Stick Pro
Online Services/Add-ons NetLink Internet Modem (NetLink Keyboard | NetLink Keyboard Adapter | NetLink Mouse) | Saturn Modem (Floppy Drive | Keyboard)
Connector Cables 21 Pin RGB Cable | Monaural AV Cable | RF Unit | Stereo AV Cable | S-Video Cable | Taisen Cable
Development Hardware Programming Box | Sound Box | E7000 | CartDev | SNASM2 | Address Checker | PSY-Q Development System | MIRAGE Universal CD Emulator
Misc. Hardware 6Player | SBom Multitap‎ | Saturn region converter cartridges | Action Replay | Pro Action Replay | Action Replay Plus | X-Terminator (Version 3) | S-S Promoter | Other cartridges