Sega Rally 2

by Sega

Product Features

• 20 different and customizable cars, 4 game play modes, 17 courses including 12 Dreamcast originals, realistic driving and handling physics
• Players: 1-4
• Controller: Gamepad, Gun

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000034DLH
• Item Weight: 8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: November 23, 1999
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,936 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Editorial Review

Sega Rally 2 is the sequel to an arcade game that made its home debut on the ill-fated Sega Saturn video game console. Despite the Saturn's demise, the original Sega Rally still holds a warm place in the heart of video game fanatics as one of the best arcade-style racing games ever created. Now the series follow-up hits the console system after a successful run in arcades. And with cars and tracks not found in the standup version, Sega Rally 2 fans should be very pleased with Sega's efforts to enhance the gameplay fun for the Dreamcast version. On the flip side, casual racing fans may find the difficulty level a bit too advanced for their tastes.

Sega Rally 2 favors more of an arcade-style fantasy physics model than its predecessor, but don't expect this game to be a Sunday drive. Those looking for an exciting romp behind the wheel will likely be disappointed after numerous sideline crashes and races end prematurely due to expired time. Purists and road jockeys weaned on the likes of Gran Turismo may be able to handle the challenge factor here, but casual arcade-style racing fans may find the race too hot to handle for long-term, frustration-free fun. --Jeff Young

Pros:

• More replay value than the coin-op version of the game
• Beautiful graphics

Cons:

• Too hard to be fun for many arcade-style racing fans
• Backgrounds tend to pop up dramatically when the horizon is not obscured by curvy road

GameSpot Review

When Sega Rally first made the journey home from Sega's Model 2 arcade hardware to the Saturn, the gaming world stopped to take a look at what would eventually become the finest racer, ever, on the Saturn, and the finest rally-style racer on any home console, bar none. Other off-road rally games came and went, all trying to emulate Sega Rally's playability, with none quite reaching that high watermark. It's been more than three years since Sega Rally's home debut, and despite having only three cars and four tracks, for sheer excellence of game design, it has never met its match. Until now.

Emerging as one of the fledgling Dreamcast's most important titles, for many reasons, Sega Rally 2 has a lot weighing on its shoulders. For starters, the conversion quality of Sega Rally 2 is paramount to convincing people that the Power VR2-based guts of the Dreamcast can handle Model 3 arcade conversions. Second, after a poor showing at the recent Tokyo Game Show, where it was displayed on video only, many people doubted that it could be done, and fears started to spread that this would be similar to the Saturn version of Daytona USA. Last, with release dates for all sorts of Dreamcast games slipping on a daily basis, Sega desperately needed to shore up its thin launch lineup with another title, and fast. Fortunately for Sega and the state of the Dreamcast, Sega Rally 2 comes crashing in like a thoroughbred, mowing down the crowd of doubting Thomases and establishing itself firmly at the forefront of the racing genre.

While most of the attention surrounding Dreamcast Model 3 ports will invariably center around the faithfulness of the translation, average US gamers will most likely never have the chance to see an actual Sega Rally 2 arcade setup. If they did, they would probably notice that the conversion, in this case, is very close to the original. Model 3 to Dreamcast is always going to be tricky due to the differing hardware solutions. Currently, the tangible differences between arcade and home are in color saturation, intensity of light sourcing, and the solidity of the polygonal models. The cars in Sega Rally 2 look remarkably similar to those in the arcade version, minus a few polygons, which results in slightly angular models, particularly where the wheels and any other round objects appear. Since Power VR2 renders only the polygons that are in view (to save processing power), and renders them in triangles instead of rectangles, this may help explain the discrepancies. Track draw-in is noticeable if you're looking but is handled gracefully so it's never blatant or distracting. Using a particularly effective method of MIP-mapping, the horizon fades in nicely and never becomes an eyesore due to excellent track design.

Anyone familiar with the Sega Rally style of gameplay will be right at home here, whether using the standard Dreamcast controller (which supports both the analog and digital D-pad) or the Dreamcast racing wheel. The main difference between Rally and Rally 2 is the addition of a hand brake for some crafty powersliding. The analog triggers on the standard DC controller can be set to control the gas and brakes, with performance based on how hard you press down. While analog control is superb, D-pad tappers will find control just as responsive with the normal digital pad. --James Mielke
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rally 2 Review, December 1, 1999

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Sega Rally 2 (Video Game)

If you liked the first Rally on the Saturn, you'll like this one. This was a great effort, but Sega could've done better. Certain aspects of the game (especially the frame rate) could have used some more polishing, but the great Sega Rally car physics are intact. When it comes to attention to detail, Sega didn't skimp (e.g. when you drive through a muddy area, your car gets dirty, and when you powerslide around a corner, you can see skid marks). There's a wide variety of cars to use, all of which have very different handling charactersistics. The game's best graphics are in the Dreamcast-only tracks (4 arcade + 12 DC-only). The race replays look very sharp, and use several neat camera angles. Overall, I'm happy I bought this game, and would have given it 5 stars if the animation were smoother. Hopefully, this is an indication of the quality we can expect from Dreamcast racing games.

23 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Its a GREAT game, but NO netplay!, November 23, 1999

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Sega Rally 2 (Video Game)

The other review implies that the US version of Rally 2 has netplay... it DOESNT... it is STILL an incredible game but the netplay HAS been removed from the US version... Dont let the lack of netplay scare you thou. The game DEFINATLY stands on its own without netplay... it is the most fun racing game that I've played since Daytona CCE and the ORIGINAL Sega Rally :) Its a DEFINATE must have for the DC if you like racing games... even just a little.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dreamcast game marred by 3rd party support, November 27, 1999

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Sega Rally 2 (Video Game)

I recently purchased Sega Rally 2 and have to say that while it is a fun game, make sure you have the right peripherals for it. I have a Performance/InterAct controller and memory card that according to the lady at 1-800-USA-SEGA is causing my game to crash and not be able to save. I have now had to bite the bullet of my previous peripheral purchases and special order a Sega brand VMU from Amazon just so that I can play the game. Sega informed me that both MadCatz & InterAct were not only unliscensed products, but that they are damaging my Dreamcast console. Buyer Beware!