Review by: Pete Hines

After reviewing the demo of Sega Rally Championship I was eager to get my hands on the full version to see what it looked like. I thought the demo was ok (3 1/2 stars) but that it could have been better. After playing this game for hours on end, I am pleased to announce that the full version is, in fact, even better. This high-speed racing simulation game features some cool 3D graphics, easy controls, and challenging courses that should please the speed demon in anyone.

Sega Rally Championship offers three courses to challenge you and two cars to race on them. There are three courses, desert, forest, and mountain, and each has distinguishing characteristics. The desert course is a long and fairly straight one and is a good place to learn the controls. The forest course demands a little better control and use of your brakes, or at least deceleration, around some of the sharper turns. As you might expect, the mountain course is a doozy. Lot’s of hairpin turns and twisting, winding roads make this course a real challenge. I heard a rumour that there was even a fourth course, a lake course, which was for a bonus round. Try as I might, I wasn’t good enough to make it to that point and didn’t get an answer from Sega in time for this review. It really doesn’t matter though, the game is good enough as is.

Your choice of cars is either a Celica or a Delta and each car handles differently. In both cars you have the option of automatic or manual transmission. I had a really tough time getting the hang of the manual so I stuck with the automatic. In addition, each car can be modified further to fit your specific needs. Adjust the handling or tires to change the responsiveness of the controls. Tighten the suspension for hill courses or loosen it up for better handling on the curves. You can also change the sound the engine makes when it switches gears. Once you’ve customized your car you’re ready to attack the courses.

There are several modes you can play in Sega Rally Championship. The arcade mode lets you play a practice game, which is good for beginners, or a championship race, which is the big time. The practice game lets you choose a course & race against the clock and one other computer-driven car. You’ve got to stay ahead of the other guy and make it to the checkpoints on time or your game is over. In the championship game, not only are you racing against the clock but you’ve also got to catch the other guys, who have all got a head start. You’ll start off in 15th place, out of 15 cars, and your job is to make up for lost time. When you finish the first leg on the desert course, you’ll see your time and finish and then move to the forest course. Keep making the checkpoints on time and you’ll graduate to the mountain course. Each step of the way you’ve got to duke it out with the computer controlled cars, who don’t make it so easy to get by.

If there are parts of the track that give you trouble, or you just want to practice or play without having to worry about the checkpoints, then you can play the time attack mode. Select your car, transmission type, course, and whether you want to run 3 laps or time lag (keep going until you want to stop). This is a great way to practice trickier parts of the course and prepare yourself for the championship race. Of course, there’s always the head-to-head mode with another player. Playing either the 2 player mode or the link mode (for playing over the ‘Net) you can either race 3 laps, 5 laps, or time lag. In the lap races, the first one to cross the finish line wins. In the time lag race, the first player through a checkpoint starts a timer. The second player has to make it to the checkpoint before the timer runs out or the game is over. The lap race has the added feature of being able to delay the start of one car by a number of seconds. This is a great way to even out a race between two players of different skill levels.

Once on the road, the game is simple to manage. You can toggle between a view from the driver’s seat and a view from behind the car. You’ve got a companion in your car that will warn you of upcoming turns and jumps. Between what he tells you and the signs that appear, you should have a good idea of what’s coming up next. The signs can be blue, yellow, and red, depending on whether the turn or hazard is easy, medium, or hard, respectively. You can also get an idea by the sharpness of the curve in the sign as to whether its gradual or sharp. Whether you use the keyboard or a game pad, the car controls take some time to get used to. The use of the brakes and the ability to decelerate for sharper turns is a real skill and is invaluable, especially for the mountain course. After you’ve played a while and gotten good, you can check the records to see how you and friends rank on the different courses.