R.C. Pro-Am | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Rare |
Publisher(s) | Nintendo (NES) Tradewest (Genesis) |
Designer(s) | Tim Stamper Chris Stamper |
Programmer(s) | Paul Proctor (NES) Steve Patrick (Genesis) |
Composer(s) | David Wise |
Platform(s) | Nintendo Entertainment System, Arcade, Sega Genesis |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Racing, vehicular combat |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Arcade system | PlayChoice-10 |
R.C. Pro-Am is a racing game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in North America in February 1988, and then in Europe on April 15. Presented in an overhead isometric perspective, a single player races a radio-controlled car around a series of tracks in vehicular combat. Each track qualifies its top three racers for the next track. Collectible power-up items improve performance, hazards include rain puddles and oil slicks, and missiles and bombs can temporarily disable opponents. Originally titled Pro Am Racing, it was ported to the Sega Genesis in 1992 as Championship Pro-Am, an enhanced remake with enhanced graphics and additional features. R.C. Pro-Am spawned two sequels: Super R.C. Pro-Am in 1991, and R.C. Pro-Am II in 1992.
As one of Rare's first successful NES games, R.C. Pro-Am was well-received for its visuals, sound, gameplay, and enjoyability. Its overhead perspective distinguishes it from earlier first-person racing games. It inspired subsequent games such as Super Off Road , Rock n' Roll Racing , and the Mario Kart series. It has appeared in many "top games of all time" lists and is regarded as one of the best of the NES library. It was re-released in Rare's 2015 Rare Replay compilation for the Xbox One, and on the Nintendo Switch Online service on February 21, 2024.
R.C. Pro-Am is a racing video game in which a player races a radio-controlled car against three opponents around a track from an overhead isometric perspective. [1] [2] The horizontal control pad buttons steer left or right, and the other buttons accelerate, fire weapons, and pause the game. Across 32 tracks, the top three of four racers qualify for each next race or reach a game over. Two continues can restart the previous race, losing all points. Each track gives a trophy, and a high score yields larger "High Score Trophies", leading up to the "Super Trophy". [3]
Twelve unique track configurations are repeated indefinitely. The original box art claims that the game contains "32 tracks of racing thrills" [4] but the 24th track is unofficially the last because it is the largest. Each track after 24 is a repeat from track 1, but with additional features.[ citation needed ] At track 32, all computer-controlled opponents run at maximum speed and cannot be beaten without weapons. The game has no formal end; players eventually run out of weapons and are eliminated from the race.
Track items are collectable by driving over them. "Tune-up items" include turbo acceleration, "hotter engines" for higher top speed, and "super sticky tires" for traction and cornering; [1] these additional abilities are displayed on the "track conditions" screen between races. [3] : 6 Collectable weapons can temporarily disable other vehicles; missiles stop opponents from the front, and bombs from the rear. Collectable ammunition appears as a star, and carries over to the next race. [3] : 8 [1] Collectable roll cages protect cars from crash damage, [3] : 8 stationary zippers give cars an extra speed boost, [1] and bonus letters give large point bonuses and an upgraded car when all letters spelling "NINTENDO" ("CHAMPION" in the Genesis and Rare Replay versions) are collected. The standard truck upgrades to a faster 4-Wheeler and then to the fastest Off Roader. [3] : 7 Hazards include oil slicks which spin cars out of control, water puddles and rain squalls slow them down, pop-up barriers crash cars, and skulls decrease ammunition. Excessive use of projectile weaponry makes the yellow car accelerate to 127 mph, which cannot be matched by the player. [1]
The Sega Genesis version, Championship Pro-Am, features some gameplay differences from the NES version. Players race against five other vehicles instead of three, but must still place in the top three to move to the next track. Race records are saved, and players are prompted to enter a name before the game start. [5]
The game development company Ultimate Play the Game was founded by brothers Tim and Chris Stamper, along with Tim's wife, Carol, from their headquarters in Ashby-de-la-Zouch in 1982. They began producing video games for the ZX Spectrum throughout the early 1980s. [6] The company was known for secrecy about operations and upcoming projects. Little was known except that they worked in "separate teams": one team worked on programming and the other concentrated on other aspects such as sound or graphics. [6] This company later evolved into Rare, [7] which in 1987 developed Pro-Am Racing and renamed it to R.C. Pro-Am. [8]
It was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) by Nintendo in February 1988 in North America, [9] and in Europe on April 15. [10] It was converted to the Sega Genesis as Championship Pro-Am, released by Tradewest in 1992. [11] Its music was composed by David Wise, known for his work on Cobra Triangle and the Donkey Kong Country series. [12]
R.C. Pro-Am received preview coverage in the Fall 1987 issue of Nintendo Fun Club News – the company's predecessor to Nintendo Power . [8] A more in-depth review in the proceeding Winter 1987 issue said that "this game is a must for RC Car (radio-controlled) owners". [13] It is the cover feature of the February–March 1988 issue, with a full walkthrough. [1] In Nintendo Power's premiere issue in July 1988, R.C. Pro-Am is listed 6th on its "Top 30" NES games list, and as the top "Dealer's Pick". [14] It went down to the 8th position in September 1988, [15] and 12th in November. [16]
Publication | Score |
---|---|
AllGame | 4.5/5 [17] |
Computer and Video Games | 90% [18] |
Worldwide, 2.3 million copies of R.C. Pro-Am were sold. This unqualified success made Rare into a major developer for the Nintendo Entertainment System. [19]
Computer Gaming World called it "a compelling, innovating approach to car racing video games". Bill Kunkel found that it was distinguished from earlier racing games such as Sega's Enduro Racer , Nintendo's Mach Rider , and Atari's Pole Position by going from a more standard "pseudo-first-person" view to an isometric perspective. He praised its simplicity and controls, comparing them to that of an actual radio-controlled car. He criticized its lack of a two-player feature and for the instruction booklet's vagueness. He concluded by lauding its graphics and sound, saying that they "help make this the best game of its kind ever produced in any electronic game format". [20] Bloomberg Businessweek listed R.C. Pro-Am, along with Cobra Triangle , as Rare's most notable NES games. [21]
The game has continued to receive positive reviews. Allgame's Chris Couper stated that R.C. Pro-Am is among the best NES games, due to its realistic nature. He praised its challenge and sound. [17] Retro Gamer saw the game as a precursor to Micro Machines by Codemasters, and compared the action and variety of items to the later Mario Kart series. They hailed it as one of Rare's best early products, stating: "Radio-controlled car racing in videogame form was pretty much perfected here". [22] The 2009 book Vintage Games compared it to Spy Hunter , noting its emphasis on collecting power-ups and weapons and not just on racing, saying that the trend of combining racing with vehicular combat would reappear in future games such as Super Mario Kart and Rock n' Roll Racing . [23] Later in 2010, as part of Rare's 25th anniversary, the magazine said that it was Rare's first successful NES game and one of the first games to combine racing and vehicular combat. Readers ranked it 22nd in a list of top 25 Rare games. [24] In 2016, VintageGamer.com praised it for still being enjoyable and challenging 28 years after its release. [25]
R.C. Pro-Am has appeared many times on various "best games" lists. A survey by GamePro in 1990 ranked it the 10th-best sports video game. [26] Electronic Gaming Monthly placed it the 52nd best console video game of all time in 1997. [27] Game Informer placed it number 84 on its "Top 100 Games of All Time" list in August 2001. [28] Paste magazine placed it as the 8th greatest NES game ever, saying that it is "way more fun than real remote-control cars, which never seemed to be equipped with missile capabilities". [29] IGN placed it the 13th-best NES game of all time, citing its player popularity and good sales. Executive Editor Craig Harris said that it was one of the first games to introduce the concept of vehicular combat, inspiring other games such as Super R.C. Pro-Am , R.C. Pro-Am II , and the Mario Kart series. [30] 1UP.com listed it as the 14th best NES game, citing its good graphics and gameplay elements, though the difficulty level was too high. As with other retrospectives, the website staff listed the game as inspiration for future series such as Super Off Road and Rock n' Roll Racing. [31] In a retrospective at Rare's 25th anniversary, GamePro listed R.C. Pro-Am as one of Rare's best games, calling the release "one of Rare's finest moments". [2] Rare began work on a follow-up game for the Nintendo 64, called Pro-Am 64, which changed direction and became Diddy Kong Racing . [32] The NES version of R.C. Pro-Am is one of the 30 games in the Xbox One compilation Rare Replay . [33] The game was re-released via the Nintendo Switch Online service on February 21, 2024. [34]
Maniac Mansion is a 1987 graphic adventure video game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games. It follows teenage protagonist Dave Miller as he attempts to rescue his girlfriend Sandy Pantz from a mad scientist, whose mind has been enslaved by a sentient meteor. The player uses a point-and-click interface to guide Dave and two of his six playable friends through the scientist's mansion while solving puzzles and avoiding dangers. Gameplay is non-linear, and the game must be completed in different ways based on the player's choice of characters. Initially released for the Commodore 64 and Apple II, Maniac Mansion was Lucasfilm Games' first self-published product.
Super Mario Kart is a kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The first game in the Mario Kart series, it was released in Japan and North America in 1992, and in Europe the following year in 1993. Selling 8.76 million copies worldwide, the game went on to become the fourth best-selling SNES game of all time. Super Mario Kart was re-released on the Wii's Virtual Console in 2009, on the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2013, and on the New Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in 2016. Nintendo re-released Super Mario Kart in 2017 as part of the company's Super NES Classic Edition.
Rock n' Roll Racing is a vehicular combat-based racing video game developed by Silicon & Synapse and published by Interplay Productions for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1993 and the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1994. The game prominently features a number of popular heavy metal and rock songs in its soundtrack, hence the game's title. After Silicon & Synapse rebranded into Blizzard Entertainment, a port to the Game Boy Advance was released in 2003. In celebration of the company's 30th anniversary, a new version titled Definitive Edition alongside emulated re-releases of the original game were re-released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as part of the Blizzard Arcade Collection in February 2021.
Super R.C. Pro-Am is a racing video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It was released in North America in June 1991 and in Europe on April 23, 1992; it was re-released in 1998 as part of Nintendo's Player's Choice series, which included all Game Boy titles which sold over one million copies. It is the follow-up to the Nintendo Entertainment System title R.C. Pro-Am, in which players race remote control cars from an out-of-vehicle perspective on a series of 24 tracks, avoiding obstacles and collecting items to improve performance in order to finish in the top three and qualify for the next track. The game can be played solo against three computer opponents, or two to four players can play simultaneously via the Game Link Cable or the Four Player Adapter.
Dragon Quest, titled Dragon Warrior when initially localized to North America, is a role-playing video game developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was originally released in Japan in 1986 and by Nintendo in North America in 1989. It is the first game in the Dragon Quest video game series. Dragon Quest has been ported and remade for several video game platforms, including the MSX, MSX2, PC-9801, Super Famicom, Game Boy Color, mobile phones, and Nintendo Switch as of 2019. The player controls the hero character who is charged with saving the Kingdom of Alefgard and rescuing its princess from the evil Dragonlord. Dragon Warrior's story became the second part in a trilogy, with several spinoff anime and manga series.
Diddy Kong Racing is a 1997 kart racing game developed and published by Rare for the Nintendo 64. The game revolves around Diddy Kong and his friends' attempt to defeat the intergalactic antagonist, a wizard pig named Wizpig, through winning a series of races. The player takes control of any of the featured characters throughout the game. Diddy Kong Racing features five worlds with four racetracks each, and the ability to drive a car, hovercraft, or pilot an aeroplane.
Snake Rattle 'n' Roll is a platform video game developed by Rare. It was published by Nintendo and released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in July 1990 and in Europe on March 27, 1991. The game features two snakes, Rattle and Roll, as they make their way through eleven 3D isometric levels. A Mega Drive version was released by Sega in June 1993 with an extra level. Snake Rattle 'n' Roll was developed by Rare members Tim Stamper and Mark Betteridge. The music was composed by David Wise and was inspired by "Shake, Rattle and Roll" and other 1950s-era songs.
Wizards & Warriors, titled Densetsu no Kishi Elrond in Japan, is an action platform video game developed by Rare and published by Acclaim Entertainment for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in North America in December 1987, and in Europe on January 7, 1990. The player controls Kuros, "Knight Warrior of the Books of Excalibur", as he sets out in the Kingdom of Elrond to defeat the evil wizard Malkil. Malkil holds the princess of Elrond captive in Castle IronSpire, deep within the forests of Elrond. The player fights through forests, tunnels, and caves, while collecting keys, treasure, weapons, and magic items.
Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II is an action platform video game developed by Zippo Games and published by Acclaim Entertainment for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in North America in December 1989 and in Europe on March 27, 1991. It is the sequel to Rare's 1987 title Wizards & Warriors. In Ironsword, the player controls the knight warrior Kuros as he ventures in the land of Sindarin. He must defeat the evil wizard Malkil, who has assumed the elemental forms of Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. Kuros must collect the parts of and assemble the legendary "IronSword" in order to defeat Malkil, who resides at the top of IceFire Mountain.
Wizards & Warriors III: Kuros – Visions of Power is a platforming and adventure video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It was developed by UK-based company Zippo Games for Rare; it was published by Acclaim Entertainment and released in North America in March 1992 and in Europe on January 21, 1993. It is the third and final installment in the Wizards & Warriors series and is the sequel to the 1989 title Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II; it also follows the 1990 Game Boy release Wizards & Warriors X: The Fortress of Fear.
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom is a 1991 action-platform game developed and published by Tecmo. It was released in Japan on June 21, 1991 for the Famicom and in North America on August of the same year for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The NES version was not released in Europe. It was later ported to the Atari Lynx by Atari Corporation and released in 1993 in North America and Europe, the European version retaining the North American Ninja Gaiden III title. It was also re-released as part of its Ninja Gaiden Trilogy Super NES compilation in 1995 in Japan and North America. Long after, it was released for the Virtual Console service in North America on February 18, 2008 for the Wii and in North America and Europe on November 28, 2013 and January 23, 2014 respectively for the Nintendo 3DS. It was designed by Masato Kato, who took over for Hideo Yoshizawa—designer of the first two games in the NES series.
R.C. Pro-Am II is a racing video game developed by Rare and released by Tradewest for the Nintendo Entertainment System in December 1992. The game is the sequel to the 1988 R.C. Pro-Am and features similar gameplay with a wider variety of tracks, currency-based vehicle and weapon upgrades, and bonus stages. In R.C. Pro-Am II, four players, either human or artificial intelligence, race on a series of tracks to finish first while avoiding obstacles and hazards. The winner receives race points and money. The game features a multiplayer mode in which up to four human players can compete against each other simultaneously.
Cyber Stadium Series—Base Wars is a baseball video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).
Cobra Triangle is a 1989 racing video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The player controls a weapon-equipped speedboat through 25 levels. Objectives include winning races, saving swimmers, and defusing bombs. The game also includes vehicular combat, power-ups and is displayed from a 3D isometric perspective with automatic scrolling that follows the player's movement. The Stamper brothers designed the game and David Wise wrote its soundtrack. Computer and Video Games highly recommended the game and praised its graphics and gameplay. Later reviewers lauded its level diversity and noted its graphical similarities to previous Rare game R.C. Pro-Am. IGN and GamesRadar ranked Cobra Triangle among their top NES games. The latter considered Cobra Triangle emblematic of the NES era's aesthetic. It is included in Rare's 2015 Rare Replay compilation for Xbox One, and was re-released on the Nintendo Switch Online service on July 4, 2024.
Wizards & Warriors X: The Fortress of Fear is a 1990 side-scrolling platforming video game developed by UK-based company Rare and published by Acclaim Entertainment for the Game Boy handheld game console. Taking place after the events in Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II, the game features the knight warrior Kuros; he sets out to the Fortress of Fear to defeat the evil wizard Malkil, who, after 17 years of dormancy, has captured Princess Elaine and has imprisoned her there.
Slalom, originally released as VS. Slalom, is a skiing sports video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo in 1986 for the Nintendo VS. System in arcades. It was then released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in August 1987 and in Europe later that year. The player races in a series of downhill slalom skiing runs while navigating past flags and obstacles before time expires. It was developed by Tim and Chris Stamper and its music was composed by David Wise.
Ninja Gaiden, released in Japan as Ninja Ryūkenden and as Shadow Warriors in Europe, is a 1988 action-platform game developed and published by Tecmo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Its development and release coincided with the beat 'em up arcade version of the same name. It was released in December 1988 in Japan, in March 1989 in North America, and in August 1991 in Europe. It has been ported to several other platforms, including the PC Engine, the Super NES, and mobile phones.
Blaster Master is a platform and run and gun video game released by Sunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is a localized version of a Japanese Famicom game titled Chō Wakusei Senki Metafight, which was released on June 17, 1988. The game was released in North America in November 1988 and in Europe on April 25, 1991. The game is the first in the Blaster Master series, and it spawned two spin-off games as well as two sequels.
Brothers Tim and Chris Stamper are British entrepreneurs who founded the video game companies Ultimate Play the Game and Rare. They first worked together on arcade conversion kits, which were licensed to companies, but later became developers for the ZX Spectrum home computer in the early 1980s. Chris programmed the games, while Tim designed the graphics. They found success as Ultimate with games including Jetpac and Knight Lore. After reverse engineering the Nintendo Entertainment System and deciding to shift their focus to console development, the brothers founded Rare in the mid-1980s. They became Nintendo's first major Western developer, for whom they developed licensed games and ports. Over the next two decades, Rare enjoyed a close relationship with Nintendo and developed multiple major titles for the company, including Donkey Kong Country and GoldenEye 007. Microsoft acquired Rare in 2002, and the brothers left the company in 2007. After spending several years out of the public eye, the brothers are currently planning new ventures.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)