Scud Race

Last updated
Scud Race
Scud Race flyer.png
European arcade flyer
Developer(s) Sega-AM2 [1]
Publisher(s) Sega
Director(s) Toshihiro Nagoshi
Producer(s) Toshihiro Nagoshi
Designer(s) Yasuo Kawagoshi
Composer(s) Hideaki Miyamoto
Kaoru Ohori
Fumio Ito
Platform(s) Arcade
Release1996 [2]
Genre(s) Racing game
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer
Arcade system Sega Model 3

Scud Race [lower-alpha 1] is an arcade racing video game released by Sega in 1996. It is the first racing game to use the Sega Model 3 hardware. [3] Despite being released well within the lifetime of the Sega Saturn, no Saturn port was ever released. [4] [5] A Dreamcast port was announced for the system's 1998 launch lineup [6] and was shown as a tech-demo in the Dreamcast Presentation in 1998, [7] but was cancelled.

Contents

Gameplay

Scud Race came in either Twin or Deluxe cabinets, which can be linked together for up to eight players. The game was modelled after the BPR Global GT Series, featuring the cars of four prominent teams in the 1996 season. The game features four different courses of varying difficulty, though two are beginner level (daytime and nighttime). [8] Just like Daytona USA , an arcade operator can put the game in Grand Prix or Endurance Mode for longer races. There has never been a console release, although there was a tech demo of this game for the Dreamcast in the late 1990s (which may have turned into the Sega GT series).

The four Scud Race tracks are presented as an unlockable bonus in the Xbox version of OutRun 2 , rearranged as a whole OutRun route instead of separate tracks with a number of laps each to race.

The opponent cars, aside from the selectable cars at the main screen, are all Renault Alpine GTA/A610s.

Development

After the success of Daytona USA, fans wanted a sequel. Director Toshihiro Nagoshi recounted: "The development team is the same, and so many believed that we would automatically be doing the sequel to Daytona. We wanted to change the team in order to ensure a different kind of game, but we never did. In the end, we need not have worried, because we've succeeded in producing something with a completely different look". [9] Sega later had an arcade test game known as Supercar, but this evolved into Scud Race/Super GT. The most notable similarities include the HUD display with most features in the same positions on screen, and the handling style of the game. The main difference between gameplay is the addition of acceleration while drifting, which caused a radically different drifting strategy. [10]

AM2 head Yu Suzuki, though not part of the Scud Race development team, gave advice on how to do the drift handling and the sound sampling. [9] The cabinet design was by Sega AM4. [9]

Scud Race was originally planned to be the first game to be released for the Model 3 arcade board, but marketing considerations led Sega to push it back to follow Virtua Fighter 3 . [9] During the test phase, key members of the development team raced the four cars depicted in the game in real life. [8]

The game made its world debut on January 21, 1997, at the Amusement Trades Exhibition International show in London. [11] Sega unveiled the official sequel to Daytona USA, Daytona USA 2 , in 1998. Depending on what version of the game (Battle on The Edge or Power Edition) and cabinet the player is on (Single or 1–16), the three-four cars have different colors.

Release

Scud Race had a location test in early 1997 at the Sega City arcade in Irvine, California, before being released throughout North America. [12] The game was released as Super GT in North America because in the U.S. the word "scud" evoked memories of the Scud missiles used by Iraqi forces in the then-recent Gulf War. [12]

Scud Race Plus

Sega also created Scud Race Plus as an update to the game in 1997. This version allowed players to play any of the four courses in reverse. Scud Race Plus also included the bizarre "Super-Beginner" course, an oval track inside a giant-scale children's playhouse. This featured a rocking horse and bowling pins which the player could hit. Exclusive to this course, players could press Start at the car select screen to race as a cat, a tank, an "AM2 crew" bus or a rocket car. There is also an attract mode, which is not in the game, in which a red sports car runs in an Italian village and destroys the Roman Colosseum. The background with the giant wheel is actually blue rather than yellow-orange. There was no American release of Scud Race Plus. Apparently, Sega never marketed this version outside Japan, but it is possible to switch the country to "USA" and get "Sega Super GT Plus" which features everything from Scud Race Plus, but in the American format.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Scud Race on their March 1, 1997 issue as being the second most-successful dedicated arcade game of the month. [13]

The game received positive reviews. [14] The game was reviewed by Hyper magazine and rated 5 out of 5 stars. [15] Next Generation rated it four stars out of five, and stated that "Sega's newest Model 3 creation is the most gorgeous driving game ever to grace an arcade. Simply put, Sega Super GT is a visual masterpiece, boasting never-before-seen graphics and providing realistic driving speeds gamers simply have never ever experienced (unless, of course, they're Mario Andretti)". [16]

Reviews

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sega Saturn</span> Home video game console

The Sega Saturn is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it is the successor to the successful Genesis. The Saturn has a dual-CPU architecture and eight processors. Its games are in CD-ROM format, including several ports of arcade games and original games.

<i>Sega Rally Championship</i> 1995 video game

Sega Rally Championship is a 1994 racing game developed by Sega AM3 and published by Sega. Originally released for arcades using the Sega Model 2 board, ports were published for the Sega Saturn in 1995 and Microsoft Windows in 1997. Sega Rally Championship simulates driving on different surfaces, with different friction properties, with the car's handling changing accordingly. As the first racing game to incorporate this feature, Sega Rally Championship is considered to be one of the milestones in the evolution of the racing game genre. It was also an early rally racing game and featured cooperative gameplay alongside the usual competitive multiplayer.

<i>Daytona USA</i> 1994 arcade video game

Daytona USA is an arcade racing game developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega in March 1994. Inspired by the popularity of the NASCAR motor racing series in the US, the game has players race stock cars on one of three courses. It was the first game to be released on the Sega Model 2 arcade system board. Daytona USA is one of the highest-grossing arcade games of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sega AM3</span> Defunct Japanese video game developer

Sega AM Research & Development No. 3, known as Hitmaker Co., Ltd. from 2000 to 2004, is a defunct division of Sega, a Japanese video game company. Established by 1993, AM3 was managed by Hisao Oguchi and developed a number of arcade games for Sega. Series introduced by AM3 include Virtual On, Sega Rally, Crazy Taxi, and Virtua Tennis. AM3's main focus was on arcade games until the release of the Dreamcast. Additionally, developers Tetsuya Mizuguchi and Kenji Sasaki developed Sega Rally Championship with AM3 before departing to form AM Annex, which later split into Sega AM9 and Sega AM5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sega Net Link</span>

Sega Net Link is an attachment for the Sega Saturn game console to provide Saturn users with internet access and access to email through their console. The unit was released in October 1996. The Sega Net Link fit into the Sega Saturn cartridge port and consisted of a 28.8 kbit/s modem, a custom chip to allow it to interface with the Saturn, and a browser developed by Planetweb, Inc. The unit sold for US$199, or US$400 bundled with a Sega Saturn. In 1997 Sega began selling the NetLink Bundle, which included the standard NetLink plus the compatible games Sega Rally Championship and Virtual On: Cyber Troopers NetLink Edition, for $99.

<i>Virtua Racing</i> 1992 racing game

Virtua Racing or V.R. for short, is a Formula One racing video game developed by Sega AM2 and released for arcades in 1992. Virtua Racing was initially a proof-of-concept application for exercising a new 3D graphics platform under development, the "Model 1". The results were so encouraging that Virtua Racing was fully developed into a standalone arcade title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sega AM2</span> Japanese video game developer

Sega AM Research & Development No. 2, previously known as SEGA-AM2 Co., Ltd., is a video game development team within the Japanese multinational video game developer Sega. Yu Suzuki, who had previously developed arcade games for Sega including Hang-On and Out Run, was the first manager of the department.

<i>Virtua Cop 2</i> 1995 video game

Virtua Cop 2 is a light gun shooter arcade game, released in 1995 and developed internally at Sega by their AM2 studio. It was ported to the Sega Saturn in 1996, PC in 1997, and Sega Dreamcast in 2000. It was bundled with Virtua Cop in Virtua Cop: Elite Edition for PlayStation 2 in 2002.

<i>Fighters Megamix</i> 1996 video game

Fighters Megamix is a 1996 fighting game developed by Sega AM2 for the Sega Saturn. It is a video game crossover of various 3D arcade blockbusters by Sega, from the complete cast of Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers to Janet from Virtua Cop 2 and the Hornet car from Daytona USA. It allows gamers to play as the bosses of both Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers without codes.

<i>Virtua Fighter 2</i> 1994 arcade video game

Virtua Fighter 2 is a 1994 fighting video game developed by Sega. It is the sequel to Virtua Fighter (1993), and the second game in the Virtua Fighter series. It was created by Sega's Yu Suzuki-headed AM2 and was released for arcades in 1994. Ports were released for the Sega Saturn in 1995 and Microsoft Windows in 1997.

<i>Virtua Fighter Kids</i> 1996 video game

Virtua Fighter Kids is an installment in the Sega AM2 Virtua Fighter fighting game series. A super deformed version of Virtua Fighter 2, it was released in the arcade and on the Sega Saturn in 1996. Unlike Virtua Fighter 2, it was developed on the ST-V board.

<i>Fighting Vipers</i> 1995 video game

Fighting Vipers is a 3D fighting video game developed by Sega AM2. It uses the same game engine as AM2's Virtua Fighter 2 but features enclosed arenas and an armor mechanic, and was targeted more towards Western audiences, using a U.S. setting and more freeform styles of martial arts. The game was released in the arcade in 1995 using the Sega Model 2 hardware. The game was ported to the Sega Saturn, and to PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in 2012. Though Fighting Vipers was not very popular in North American arcades, the Saturn version was one of the most high-profile games in the system's 1996 holiday lineup, and was met with positive reviews.

<i>Sega Rally 2</i> 1998 video game

Sega Rally 2 is an arcade racing game developed by Sega AM Annex for the Model 3 arcade hardware. It is the sequel to 1994's Sega Rally Championship. The game was first released in arcades in February 1998, and was later ported by Smilebit to the Sega Dreamcast, becoming one of the console's earliest titles when it was released in Japan on January 28, 1999. The Sega Dreamcast version was released in Europe as a launch title on October 14, 1999, and then in North America on November 27. A PC version was released in Japan and Europe that same year, with the North American release following suit in September 2000, where it was published by Mattel Interactive.

<i>F1 Challenge</i> 1995 video game

F1 Challenge is an officially licensed Formula One game developed by Bell Corporation and produced by Sega for the Sega Saturn. The game contains only three of the many Formula One circuits – Hockenheim, Monte Carlo, and Suzuka – while having another three based on the fictional Neo City, containing three different configurations.

<i>Virtua Fighter 3</i> 1996 video game

Virtua Fighter 3 is the sequel to 1994's Virtua Fighter 2 and the third fighting game in the Virtua Fighter series, developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega in 1996. It was the first arcade game to run on the Sega Model 3 system board.

<i>Sega Touring Car Championship</i> 1996 video game

Sega Touring Car Championship is an arcade racing game released by Sega's AM Annex for the Model 2 mainboard in 1996. It was later ported to the Sega Saturn and Microsoft Windows.

<i>Manx TT Super Bike</i> 1995 video game

Manx TT Super Bike is a 1995 arcade racing game developed jointly by Sega AM3 and Sega-AM4. It is a motorcycle racing game built for the Sega Model 2 arcade board. Up to 8 players can race in this game if enough arcade cabinets are linked together, following on from Daytona USA. It was later ported to the Sega Saturn by Tantalus Interactive and to Windows by Perfect Entertainment.

<i>Daytona USA 2</i> 1998 video game

Daytona USA 2: Battle on the Edge, also known as Sega Racing Classic 2, is an arcade racing game released by Sega in 1998 as a follow-up to the extremely successful Daytona USA. The game featured vastly superior graphics, utilizing the Sega Model 3 hardware. The majority of Daytona USA 2 cabinets were released as deluxe models, which could be linked together for up to sixteen players. A notable change from the original is the ability to select a car and corresponding driver, each with varying capabilities for varying levels of player experience. Just like before, the game has three courses – a Beginner course with 8 laps with a distance of 1 mile (1.6 km), an Advanced course with 4 laps with a distance of 2.5 miles (4.0 km), and a long Expert course with 2 laps with a distance of 5 miles (8.0 km). The 'time lap' mode also returns, and is accessed in the same manner – by holding down start at the transmission select screen. Like the original game, mirrored versions of the tracks can also be played by holding down the Start button when selecting the course. It is recommended, however, that the player has had mastery of the course beforehand. By request, an arcade operator could put the game on Grand Prix or Endurance mode to increase the number of laps in a game. Finishing a race in the top 3 in any course allows the player to view an "ending" and see the game credits. An addition to the game was the "slingshot", corresponding to advanced NASCAR drafting techniques.

<i>Indy 500</i> (1995 video game) 1995 video game

Indy 500 is a 1995 arcade racing game developed by Sega AM1. Based on the IndyCar Series, the game possesses a license from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indianapolis 500, and includes the speedway as one of its courses. Indy 500 was AM1's second game developed using 3D computer graphics and their first to utilize color textures. While planned as a Model 3 arcade system board release, delays in the hardware's completion led to use of the Model 2 instead. A Sega Saturn port was planned, but later canceled. Reception to Indy 500 was mixed, with some critical comparison to other games such as Sega AM2's Daytona USA and Namco's Ace Driver and Rave Racer.

<i>Fighting Vipers 2</i> 1998 video game

Fighting Vipers 2 is a fighting game developed and published by Sega. The game is the sequel to 1995's Fighting Vipers and was released for the Sega Model 3 arcade system in 1998 before being ported to the Dreamcast in 2001.

References

  1. ↑ "The Arcade Flyer Archive - Video Game Flyers: Scud Race, Sega". Archived from the original on 2019-03-25. Retrieved 2011-04-03.
  2. 1 2 "Scud Race - Videogame by Sega". Killer List of Videogames . Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  3. ↑ Webb, Marcus (April 1997). "New Games Coming!". Next Generation . No. 28. Imagine Media. p. 28.
  4. ↑ "The greatest Sega games that never got released". 10 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "Video Game Timeline". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 102. Ziff Davis. January 1998. p. 137.
  6. ↑ "Sega's Comeback: The Most Powerful System Ever Created?". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 100. Ziff Davis. November 1997. p. 22.
  7. ↑ "Scud Race tech demo on Dreamcast". YouTube . Archived from the original on 2017-02-16. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
  8. 1 2 "Coin-Operated". Sega Saturn Magazine . No. 17. Emap International Limited. March 1997. pp. 92–95.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "NG Alphas: Super GT". Next Generation . No. 28. Imagine Media. April 1997. pp. 60–64.
  10. ↑ http://www2.marubaku.com/en/spg/%5B%5D
  11. ↑ "ATEI London Show". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 92. Ziff Davis. March 1997. p. 94.
  12. 1 2 Webb, Marcus (May 1997). "Sega's First 'Model 3' Driver". Next Generation . No. 29. Imagine Media. p. 28.
  13. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - 完成品夕イプのTVゲーム機 (Dedicated Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 536. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 March 1997. p. 37.
  14. ↑ "Arcadia: Sega's First "Model 3" Driever" (PDF). Next Generation . No. 29 (May 1997). 15 April 1997. p. 28.
  15. ↑ "Arcade". Hyper . No. 42. April 1997. p. 21.
  16. ↑ "Finals". Next Generation . No. 33. Imagine Media. September 1997. p. 146.
  17. ↑ "Sega Super GT - Review - allgame". www.allgame.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2022.

Notes

  1. ↑ stylized as SCUD Race, "Sport Car Ultimate Drive" [2] ), known as Sega Super GT in North America.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.