Kawasaki Superbike Challenge

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KSBC title.png

Kawasaki Superbike Challenge
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Game Gear
Publisher: Domark, Time Warner Interactive (MD/US)
Developer:
Sound driver:
Sega Mega Drive
GEMS
Genre: Racing

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
US 		T-48356
Sega Mega Drive
EU 		T-48356-50
Sega Mega Drive
AU 		$109.95109.95[4] FKAW00SMC
Sega Game Gear
US 		$34.9534.95[5] T-88098
Sega Game Gear
EU 		T-88118-50
Sega Game Gear
UK 		£29.9929.99[6]

Kawasaki Superbike Challenge, known as Kawasaki Superbikes in Europe, is a motorbike racing game for the Sega Mega Drive, Sega Game Gear and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The Mega Drive version features 3D graphics.

History

Versions

While all versions of Kawasaki Superbike Challenge have the same underlying structure to gameplay, all take a different approach to graphics and presentation with varying results.

The Game Gear version, running on simpler hardware, opts for a third-person approach similar to Hang-On. Tracks are "flat" for the most part, with jerky dips in the road occuring at rare points in the game which do not fundementally affect the bike's performance. Additions over Hang-On include rain which can affect handling.

The Mega Drive and Super NES versions opt for a first-person perspective and attempt to render parts course in 3D. In both cases, frame rate is affected, but while the Super NES version runs faster than its Mega Drive sibling (roughly 5-10 more frames per second, though both run below 30FPS and exhibit minor slowdown in busy scenes), the Mega Drive renders all its scenery in 3D (save for rival bikes which are sprites). On the Super NES, scenery such as trees and spectators are also sprites, with only the occasional piece of 3D geometry being rendered in 3D.

The Super NES also has less scenery than the Mega Drive version, which renders walls, buildings, street lamps, bridges and rounded tunnels. Sprites are also scaled and rotated in real time on the Mega Drive, despite the console lacking the native hardware support to do so. Conversely, no sprite scaling is in place on the Super NES, with the engine swapping out different sized sprites and creating a "jerky" look in the process.

Performance of the Mega Drive version can be improved signficantly by using a "turbo mode" option, which pans the camera further back and reduces the size of in-game sprites. Such a system was seen in Lankhor's previous release, F1.

Production credits

Mega Drive version

  • ™ & © 1994 Domark Group Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Kawasaki used under license from Kawasaki Motors Ltd. Kawasaki is a registered trademark of Kawasaki Ltd. Licensed to Time Warner Interactive.
  • Developed By Lankhor
  • Programmed By Jean Luc Langlois and Christian Droin
  • Graphics By Stephane Polard, Lloyd Baker and Jason Cunningham
  • Additional Graphics By Jolyon Myers
  • Music By Mike Ash
  • Original Design By Chris Johnson
  • Produced By Darren Anderson
  • Testing By Ken Jordan, Tim Mawson and Clifford Ramsey
Source:
In-game credits


Game Gear version

  • Programmer: James Bailey
  • Co Star: Pete Hennig
  • Graphics: F A D
  • Tester: Tim Mawson
  • Producers: Darren Anderson, Tony Love
Source:
In-game credits


Magazine articles

Main article: Kawasaki Superbike Challenge/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in GamePro (US) #69: "April 1995" (1995-xx-xx)
also published in:
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Mean Machines Sega (UK) #31: "May 1995" (1995-03-28)
Logo-pdf.svg

Physical scans

Mega Drive version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
78 №42, p104
80 №161, p101[3]
37 №11, p78
70
83 №29, p80/81[8]
81 №52, p122
81 №15, p96/97
25 №66, p25
90 №44, p44/45
Sega Mega Drive
 69
Based on
9 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
50
[9]
Consoles + (FR)
78
[10]
Cool Gamer (RU)
50
[11]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
80
[3]
Electronic Games (1992-1995) (US) NTSC-U
75
[12]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
70
[13]
MAN!AC (DE) PAL
72
[14]
Mega (UK) PAL
75
[15]
Mega Force (FR) PAL
70
[16]
Mega Fun (DE) PAL
70
[17]
Megazin (SI)
52
[18]
Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL
83
[8]
Next Generation (US) NTSC-U
25
[19]
Player One (FR)
81
[20]
Play Time (DE)
70
[21]
Power Up! (UK)
80
[22]
Sega Magazine (UK) PAL
81
[23]
Sega News (CZ)
72
[24]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
25
[25]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
90
[26]
Todo Sega (ES)
61
[27]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
80
[28]
Última Generación (ES)
84
[29]
Video Games (DE) PAL
71
[30]
Sega Mega Drive
 69
Based on
24 reviews

Kawasaki Superbike Challenge

Mega Drive, US
KSBC MD US Box.jpg
Cover
KSBC MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, EU
KSBC MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
KSBC MD EU Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, AU
KawasakiSuperbikes MD AU Box.jpg
Cover
KawasakiSuperbikes MD AU Cart.jpg
Cart
KawasakiSuperbikes MD AU Cart Silver.jpg
Cart (silver)

Game Gear version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
65 №1995/04, p91[31]
50 №52, p122
62 №22, p96/97
Sega Game Gear
 59
Based on
3 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Sega Game Gear
 N/A
Based on
0 reviews

Kawasaki Superbike Challenge

Game Gear, US
KSBC GG US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngKSBC GG US Box Front.jpg
Cover
KSBC GG US Cart.jpg
Cart
Kawasaki Superbike Challenge GG US Manual.pdf
Manual
Game Gear, EU
KawasakiSuperbikes GG EU Box Front.jpg
Cover
KawasakiSuperbikes GG EU Cart.jpg
Cart

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Mega Drive
✔
CRC32 631cc8e9
MD5 159dd6bef1cf7df913fd4ac98138d9e7
SHA-1 fa7e07bbab70a7b5c32a0f2713494b2c10ce8e1e
1MB 1994-10 Cartridge (US/EU)
Sega Mega Drive
 ?
CRC32 55934d1b
MD5 29da0d26615fc89885ef201b03bf1355
SHA-1 a66446d5c3d07ce211d7198faf4ea3ff6dbfa0b9
1MB 1992-05 Page

References

  1. ↑ File:GamePlayers US 0712.pdf, page 12
  2. ↑ File:MeanMachinesSega31UK.pdf, page 100
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 File:CVG UK 161.pdf, page 101 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 161.pdf_p101" defined multiple times with different content
  4. ↑ File:SegaMegazone AU 49.pdf, page 24
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 File:GamePro US 068.pdf, page 125
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 File:CVG UK 157.pdf, page 35
  7. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "May 1995" (US; 1995-0x-xx), page 45
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 File:MeanMachinesSega29UK.pdf, page 80 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega29UK.pdf_p80" defined multiple times with different content
  9. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 109
  10. ↑ Consoles +, "Avril 1995" (FR; 1995-0x-xx), page 104
  11. ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 112
  12. ↑ Electronic Games (1992-1995), "July 1995" (US; 1995-0x-xx), page 73
  13. ↑ GamePro, "February 1995" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 44
  14. ↑ MAN!AC, "12/94" (DE; 1994-11-09), page 86
  15. ↑ Mega, "July 1995" (UK; 1995-06-30), page 10
  16. ↑ Mega Force, "Mai 1995" (FR; 1995-0x-xx), page 89
  17. ↑ Mega Fun, "06/95" (DE; 1995-05-24), page 76
  18. ↑ Megazin, "Letnik 3, Številka 5, Maj 1995" (SI; 1995-xx-xx), page 36
  19. ↑ Next Generation, "July 1995" (US; 1995-06-20), page 80
  20. ↑ Player One, "Avril 1995" (FR; 1995-0x-xx), page 122
  21. ↑ Play Time, "7/95" (DE; 1995-06-07), page 106
  22. ↑ Power Up!, "Saturday, March 25, 1995" (UK; 1995-03-25), page 1
  23. ↑ Sega Magazine, "March 1995" (UK; 1995-02-15), page 96
  24. ↑ Sega News, "Prosinec 1996" (CZ; 1996-1x-xx), page 27
  25. ↑ Sega Power, "May 1995" (UK; 1995-03-16), page 60
  26. ↑ Sega Pro, "Easter 1995" (UK; 1995-03-23), page 44
  27. ↑ Todo Sega, "Mayo 1995" (ES; 1995-0x-xx), page 51
  28. ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 100
  29. ↑ Última Generación, "Mayo 1995" (ES; 1995-0x-xx), page 100
  30. ↑ Video Games, "12/94" (DE; 1994-11-23), page 89
  31. ↑ File:MegaFun DE 1995-04.pdf, page 91
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