Sega Rally 2

by Sega Of America, Inc.

• 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
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review:
   

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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
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