Vimm's Lair: SNES Reviews - Race Drivin'

Super Nintendo
Race Drivin'

Graphics:
Sound:
Gameplay:
Overall:
5.85
5.38
4.46
4.62
Votes: 13
Reviews: 3


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Reviewer: Mitch Date: Dec 10, 2006
While I don't disagree with the reviews above for this driver sim, I have a few dissenting comments to make.
1. When this game came out, this was the style of simulators. Try checking out an older flight simulator and you'll find it to be similar to the game.
2. Again, when this game came out, it was the FIRST attempt at a non-pole position type driving game. It was intended to be more like driving a real car than like driving a video game car.
3. While compared to today's games this one doesn't have much to offer, you need to keep in mind that in its day this was an extremely advanced game, with completely different physics than had ever been seen in a game before.

Graphics: 8
At the time that Race Drivin' and Hard Drivin' came out in the arcade I remember being floored by the graphics. While that was probably 15 years or so ago, the graphics have not withstood the test of time (can you name a game where they have?)...

Sound: 5
While its been years since I saw the stand up version of this game in an arcade, I remember the sound being lame at best.

Gameplay: 7
Again, I give it a 7 based on the fact that in its day, race drivin' was a completely unique experience.

Overall: 7
It wasn't a great game...the playability was somewhat lacking, the sound was awful, etc...but it did have some unique features: graphics, similar to the attempted "VR" games of the early 90s, well ahead of it's time. More realistic attempt at a "driving feel" (as you may recall, in the arcade this game actually had the steering wheel provide feedback as to how the road might press against the wheel). I think that this is a game which should not have come out for console, simply because so much of that uniqueness and interactivity is lost when you take the game out of the arcade.

I think I've said about all there is to say on this one. The game was unique and very advanced for its day. While its physics unfortunately slowed the game to a painful pace, it also set the tone for games that would follow years later. I find it difficult to completely 'pan' a game which is truly part of the development of gaming as we know it today.

 

Reviewer: Rand McNally Date: Sep 14, 2001
The instant I received this (lacking of) quality game, I opened the box and played it. With a (not) rock-solid, (not) steady, (incredibly slow) speed of 1-2 Frames Per Second, this is sure to be a hit. Forget about the new-fangled "next generation" consoles, like Xbox, Gamecube, and PS2, and remember about Race Drivin'! It's the (never will) "knock-your-socks-off" game, with a tremendously (un)realistic damage model and midi music that will stick in your mind forever! I especially like the ultra-realistic physics, like how when you go over a hill you'll fly up 100 feet into the "air" and crash if you're going 5 mph over 60! One of the peripherals you'll definitely need for this game is a hammer, so make sure that you have this very important device. The way you use the hammer with this technologically (un)superior cartridge, is by putting it on a stoop, then whacking like there's no tomorrow! Also, the orangey-yellow smoke cloud and cracked windshield when you crash add extra realism to the game. This game even includes mythical shape-changing eighteen wheelers! There's a truck when you see it through your windshield, but in your rear-view mirror it becomes a car and then disappears after a frame (i.e. second) or two. All in all, this game is not only a ten, but it is an eleven! Go out and get it (and the hammer peripheral) today!

 

Reviewer: Tom Date: Sep 7, 2001
All I have to say about this game is "wow". WOW. Why is it that a company that can produce such high quality* games would stop? Even though this game sold only 4 copies, I still think it has alot to offer. First, the thrill of driving is amazingly* reinacted in this realistic* simulation*. I'll tell you, there's nothing like speeding into a tight turn at a max speed of 3 M.P.H. not to mention the realistic modeling! You almost feel like you're in the car! Wow. WOW. Also, the sound adds to the realistic experience, you have the one racing song that you can listen* to, but if you are lucky enough to crash and end this "wonderful" racing experience, you are greeted by a 2 second MIDI file! The developers also proved merit to the phrase "quality over quantity". I mean, God, why would you need any more tracks, when you have 3 nearly identical tracks already at your disposal! COME ON! BUY THIS GAME! And if you can't buy this game, go to 7 Endicott Road, Andover Massachusetts sometime late at night, look hard, and the treasure will be yours!

*quality may or may not refer to actual quality of the game

*realistic may or may not refer to actual realism in the game

*amazingly meaning "groan inducingly"

*listen = endure

*simulation of a crappy driving experience