Lotus II: RECS

From Sega Retro

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Lotus2 title.png

Lotus II: RECS
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer:
Distributor: Ecofilmes (PT)
Licensor: Gremlin Graphics, Lotus
Original system(s): Amiga
Sound driver: Sound Images v1.4
Genre: Racing

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
US 		$49.9549.95[1] 726801
Videogame Rating Council: GA
Sega Mega Drive
EU 		E218SMXI
Sega Mega Drive
EU
(EA Classics) 		EAX02401106I
ELSPA: 3+ OK
Sega Mega Drive
DE
(EA Classics) 		EAX02401106I
USK: 0
Sega Mega Drive
PT 		MDJEA0339
Sega Mega Drive
PT
(EA Classics) 		MDJEA0339
Sega Mega Drive
UK 		£44.9944.99[2][3] E218SMXI
Sega Mega Drive
AU 		$99.9599.95[4]
Non-Sega versions

Lotus II: RECS is a racing game developed by Gremlin Graphics Software for the Sega Mega Drive. It is a sequel to Lotus Turbo Challenge. It is a port of the Amiga game Lotus III: The Ultimate Challenge.

Gameplay

Lotus II RECS MD, Split Screen.png

Two-player split screen

The game is a racing game similar to the preceding two entries in the series. There are two modes, Timed and Championship. In either mode, there are three difficulty levels, which affect the length of the game (7, 10, or 15 races), and the game can be played by one player or by two players simultaneously in a split-screen view. All tracks are procedurally generated; an alphanumeric code is displayed before every race that allows the player to revisit the track. Tracks can be point-to-point courses divided into multiple segments or circuits where the race takes multiple laps. Tracks contain numerous obstacles that slow the car down.

Timed mode plays like Lotus Turbo Challenge. The player races against the clock; other racers only act as obstacles. The player has a limited amount of time in which to make it to the next checkpoint and receive a time extension. The game ends if the player fails to reach a checkpoint or the finish line before running out of time. In this mode, the player has a score, and more points are awarded for finishing the race with more time remaining.

Championship mode plays like the original Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge. The player vies for the best position against 19 other competitors. Points are awarded for finishing races (with more points awarded for finishing in higher positions). The game ends if the player fails to finish a race in the top ten. In this mode, the car has limited fuel (shown by a bar in the top-right corner of the screen). The player can refuel when the screen flashes "Pit" by pulling to the side of the road and stopping.

Cars accelerate with B and brake with A. When equipped with a manual transmission, they upshift with Up and downshift with Down.

RECS

Lotus II RECS MD, Options.png

Main menu

Lotus II RECS MD, RECS.png

RECS

Tracks can be generated using the "RECS" (Race Environment Construction System) system. RECS is not a direct track editor (as seen in Jaguar XJ220). Rather, RECS allows players to generate a race track by choosing the type of track (a point-to-point course or a circuit) and the landscape, then specifying various parameters (from 0 to 100, using A to decrease the value, C to increase the value, or B to set the value to 50):

  • Curves: The number of curves in the track.
  • Sharpness: The sharpness (and thus difficulty) of the the curves in the track.
  • Length: The length of the track.
  • Hills: The number of hills in the track.
  • Steepness: The steepness of the hills in the track.
  • Difficulty: The aggressiveness of the other drivers.
  • Scenery: The amount of scenery objects (such as trees) on the track.
  • Scatter: The distribution of scenery objects on the track (higher for more scattered).
  • Obstacles: The amount of obstacles placed on the track.

The generated track is saved as an alphanumeric code. A track can be raced on its own by inputting its code into the "Code" slot on the main screen and selecting the fourth icon under "Course," or up to nine codes can be entered in the "Define" menu and played in sequence by selecting the fifth icon under "Course." A random track can be generated by pressing C whenever prompted for a code.

Cars

As before, all of the cars in the game are Lotus models. Players can now choose which car to drive at the start of the game.

LotusII MD Sprite Cars.png
 Esprit Turbo SE
The fourth-generation Lotus Esprit Turbo SE.
LotusII MD Sprite Cars.png
 Elan SE
The 1989 Lotus Elan SE.
LotusII MD Sprite Cars.png
 M200
The Elan-derived Lotus M200 concept car never made it into full production (in fact, only one M200 exists in the world, though it is fully operational and road legal).

Landscapes

All of the tracks in the game are procedurally generated and set in one of the following landscapes. Each landscape has different obstacles that appear and sometimes environmental effects that modify gameplay.

Lotus II RECS MD, Landscapes, Hills.png

Hills

Lotus II RECS MD, Landscapes, Future.png

Future

Lotus II RECS MD, Landscapes, Night.png

Night

Lotus II RECS MD, Landscapes, Marsh.png

Marsh

Lotus II RECS MD, Landscapes, Coast.png

Coast

Lotus II RECS MD, Landscapes, Snow.png

Snow

Lotus II RECS MD, Landscapes, Construction.png

Construction

Lotus II RECS MD, Landscapes, Storm.png

Storm

Lotus II RECS MD, Landscapes, Desert.png

Desert

Lotus II RECS MD, Landscapes, Fog.png

Fog

Lotus II RECS MD, Landscapes, Interstate.png

Interstate

Lotus II RECS MD, Landscapes, Windy.png

Windy

Lotus II RECS MD, Landscapes, Forest.png

Forest

Production credits

  • Developed by: Gremlin Graphics Software Ltd.
  • Programming: Damian Hibbard, Phil Rankin
  • Graphics: Damon Godley
  • Producer: Kevin Buckner
  • Producer for Gremlin: Tony Casson
  • Associate Producer: Diarmid Clarke
  • Product Manager: UK: Al King, US: Frank Gibeau
  • Documentation: Clive Downie
  • Documentation Layout: Emily Favors
  • Quality Assurance: UK: Alex Camilleri, US: Ted Fitzgerald
  • Original Game: Magnetic Fields Software Designs
Source:
US manual
Lotus II MD US Manual.pdf
[5]

Magazine articles

Main article: Lotus II: RECS/Magazine articles.

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
(RU)
50
[6]
(RU)
40
[7]
(DE)
83
[8]
(IT) PAL
77
[9]
(FR)
88
[10]
(RU)
60
[11]
(UK)
68
[12]
(US) NTSC-U
86
[13]
(US) NTSC-U
54
[14]
(IL)
75
[15]
(US) NTSC-U
55
[1]
(DE)
53
[16]
(AU)
59
[17]
(FR) PAL
74
[18]
(UK) PAL
85
[19]
(UK) PAL
78
[20]
(UK) PAL
86
[21]
(FR)
71
[22]
(DE) PAL
67
[23]
(UK) PAL
57
[24]
(UK) PAL
69
[25]
(UK) PAL
73
[26]
(AU) PAL
62
[4]
(FR)
75
[27]
(NL)
77
[28]
(DE) PAL
69
[29]
(UK) PAL
52
[2]
(UK) PAL
78
[3]
(UK) PAL
71
[30]
(UK) PAL
85
[31]
(ES)
86
[32]
(RU)
68
[33]
(DE) PAL
72
[34]
(US) NTSC-U
70
[35]
Sega Mega Drive
 70
Based on
34 reviews

Lotus II: RECS

Mega Drive, US
Lotus2 MD US Box.jpg
Cover
Lotus2 MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Lotus II MD US Manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, EU (4 Language Manual)
Lotus2 MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
Lotus2 MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Lotus II RECS MD EU Manual.jpg
Manual
Mega Drive, EU (5 Language Manual)
Lotus2 MD EU 5Lang Box.jpg
Cover
Lotus2 MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Lotus II RECS MD EU 5 LAng Manual.jpg
Manual
Mega Drive, EU (EA Console Classics)
Lotus2 MD EU Box Classic.jpg
Cover
Lotus2 MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Lotus II RECS MD EU Manual.jpg
Manual
Mega Drive, UK
Lotus2 MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
Lotus II RECS MD UK Manual.jpg
Manual
Mega Drive, FR

Lotus II MD FR Manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, PT

Mega Drive, PT (EA Console Classics)
LotusII MD PT EACC Box Back .jpgNospine.pngLotusII MD PT eac cover.jpg
Cover
Lotus2 MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
LotusII MD PT EACC Manual.jpg
Manual

Technical information

Main article: Lotus II: RECS/Technical information.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 GamePro, "January 1994" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 180
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sega Magazine, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-10), page 96
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sega Power, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-02), page 74
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Megazone, "December 1993" (AU; 1993-12-01), page 46
  5. ↑ File:Lotus II MD US Manual.pdf, page 16
  6. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 167
  7. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 119
  8. ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "Avril 1994" (DE; 1994-03-07), page 111
  9. ↑ Console Mania, "Marzo 1994" (IT; 1994-0x-xx), page 75
  10. ↑ Consoles +, "Décembre 1993" (FR; 1993-1x-xx), page 182
  11. ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 120
  12. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-15), page 76
  13. ↑ Electronic Games (1992-1995), "February 1994" (US; 1994-01-20), page 88
  14. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "March 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 36
  15. ↑ Freak, "2/94" (IL; 1994-xx-xx), page 42
  16. ↑ Gamers, "März/April 1994" (DE; 1994-03-04), page 33
  17. ↑ Hyper, "January 1994" (AU; 199x-xx-xx), page 66
  18. ↑ Joypad, "Janvier 1994" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 78
  19. ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-1x-xx), page 20
  20. ↑ Mega, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 52
  21. ↑ Mega Action, "Christmas 1993" (UK; 1993-12-02), page 14
  22. ↑ Mega Force, "Décembre 1993" (FR; 1993-12-10), page 92
  23. ↑ Mega Fun, "12/93" (DE; 1993-11-24), page 47
  24. ↑ Mega Machines, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-09), page 52
  25. ↑ MegaTech, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-20), page 60
  26. ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-11-30), page 64
  27. ↑ Player One, "Décembre 1993" (FR; 1993-1x-xx), page 150
  28. ↑ Power Unlimited, "Jaargang 2, Nummer 5, Mei 1994" (NL; 1994-04-27), page 38
  29. ↑ Sega Magazin, "März 1994" (DE; 1994-02-16), page 84
  30. ↑ Sega Pro, "Xmas Special 1993" (UK; 1993-12-02), page 46
  31. ↑ Sega Zone, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-25), page 44
  32. ↑ Todo Sega, "Enero 1994" (ES; 199x-xx-xx), page 86
  33. ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 108
  34. ↑ Video Games, "3/94" (DE; 1994-02-23), page 85
  35. ↑ VideoGames, "February 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 88


Lotus II: RECS

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Sega Mega Drive
Prototypes: 1993-12
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