Virtua Racing

Fasten your seat belts, racing fans, and get ready for the dawn of a new era in racing games. Sega Sports' eagerly awaited Virtua Racing finally roars onto the Genesis, bringing with it the most advanced technology ever found in a 16-bit racing game. If you love the arcade classic, if you love auto racing, if you love high-octane video game thrills, then you'll love VR.

Go, Speed Racer, Go!

The best thing about VR isn't what's new, it's what you'll recognize from the arcade game. As in the coin-op version, you drive a large polygon-based Formula One racer across three twisting tracks. The Genesis tracks are virtually identical to the arcade tracks and have the same polygon-based features: the orange span of the Bay Bridge, the carnival backdrop, the steep cliffs rising up alongside the courses, and the seaside views of the Acropolis track. Like the arcade game, the home version gives you four views -- high aerial, low aerial, behind-the-racer, and cockpit -- and the ability to switch those views instantly.

Also familiar is VR's decidedly nonstrategic approach to racing. Unlike other 16-bit games that enable you to customize every aspect of your car, here the limited options take nearly all thinking out of the game. You have just one automotive decision -- Manual or Automatic. Likewise, you have only a few game play options -- choose a track, set a Handicap in the two-player Vs. game, and adjust the skill level of your computer opponents in the one-player game.

The best feature carried over from the arcade, of course, is the speed of the game. With no custom options, no celebrity driver endorsements, and few of the mind-numbing statistics that bog down other race games, VR puts the emphasis on you and your driving skills. Your car is a missile rocketing along and leaving a trail of thrills behind it. Virtua Racing is by far the most intense driving experience ever created for a 16-bit system.

V is for Victory

So is VR perfect? Not quite. Obviously, the 16-bit game doesn't have everything the arcade original has, starting with the game play. As good as the home version is for solo players, the coin-op VR soars to legendary status because of its multiple-driver capability. There's nothing like racing side by side with up to seven other challengers, bumping each other's cars out of the way and screaming your way to the finish line. The Genesis VR has only a split-screen two-player option. It's still fun, but you eventually realize how much the other drivers add to the arcade experience.

You might miss the arcade's steering wheel, too, because it adds immeasurably to the driving realism. Fortunately, the Genesis control pad works well. The controls are quick and responsive. You can turn on a dime, put your car inches from the bridge wall, and gently nudge the car ahead of you. The Handicap settings enable you to adjust the tightness of the controls. VR races best with the six-button pad because you can switch between the other views much easier. With six buttons, you'll only miss that steering wheel for nostalgic reasons.

The Sights and Sounds of a Winner

It's inevitable that the graphics suffer in comparison with the coin-op game. There's a graininess and a loss of background detail on the Genesis that might not be remedied until Sega Sports makes VR for its upcoming 32-bit Saturn. When compared to other polygon-based 16-bit games, however, Genesis VR shines brightly. That SVP chip produces the quickest-moving polygon graphics ever seen on a cartridge (it'd better, because the SVP chip is partly responsible for driving up the price).

VR's graphics are not as sharp as the graphics in Star Fox for the SNES, but they are definitely faster. The cockpit view is truly intense, the track really tilts as you whip into a banked turn, cars zip past you, and there's amazing rotation when your car spins out.

The graphic highlights keep coming. For instance, each of the drivers in two-player mode can switch their view independently of the other driver, putting two different perspectives on the screen at once. To help you win, a simple map and easy-to-read stats line the screen's perimeter. Throughout the game, the colors are strong, and graphic details mark your car (watch for tailpipe flames and tire smoke). You might wish for dramatic collisions, explosions, or wrecks, but this game is about moving, not stopping.

Intermittent music appears, and an ill-defined voice jumps in to announce "Final lap!" Gone are the hard- charging vocals that announced "Turn input!" in the arcade. The cars do generate a lot of atmospheric noises, but they don't stand out as the best ever. At least you can hear the other cars, so you know when someone's approaching from behind.

VR the Champions

If there's a flaw in VR, it's the depth of game play. How much game do you really get for your $100? With only three courses and few options, you'll have tried everything within a few days. And thanks to the exceptional controls, you'll have mastered most of the game in a few weeks. Arcade experts may even complain that the game is too easy.

Virtua Racing is a supremely thrilling experience, but a transient one, especially since there's no way to save your best times. You'll find yourself hunting for new friends to beat in the two-player mode. Still, it's the best excuse you'll have this summer to break every piggy bank you have. VR is a must-have game.

We finally obtained shots of the Split Screen Two-Player Mode of Virtua Racing! The screen is divided into top and bottom halves in the same style as Super Mario Kart. Despite the intense number of crunching needed to display this mode, surprisingly little background details have been sacrificed. Better still, it is possible to change the vantage points for each person! Unlike the arcade version, the Two-Player Mode will enable such options as tire grip, computer opponents and time limits. Races can be held at all three courses at all difficulty settings. This sizzling hot racer is almost here. Stay tuned for more...

One of the most innovative racing games of all time is almost here on a home system. I know we've covered Virtua Racing before, but now the game is even closer to completion.

The home version is surprisingly close to the coin-op. This lightning fast racer scrolls by smoothly, with the polygon graphics scaling by too.

All the perspectives from the arcade are here, so you can see from the driver's point of view, behind the car, back a little ways from the car, and from above the course.

These pictures have much more detail than last time, as Sega has added the clouds, some of the background animation, and even the pit crew. It doesn't get much better than this! The new DSP chip in action shows what the Genesis is really capable of.

So keep your fingers crossed, as this is one racing game you won't want to miss. Hopefully Virtua Fighters will be next on Sega's list.

Here it comes! The racing game that sent the arcade scene into a frenzy has finally come home. Virtua Racing uses polygon technology and Sega's exclusive SVP (Sega Virtua Processor) to make the game as smooth and fast as the arcade version.

You can tear up three tracks against computer-controlled opponents, or have a friend join in for two-player split-screen action with no slowdown whatsoever! What made the arcade game so original was the fact that you could change your driving perspective. On the Genesis, it's included as well. A real cool feature is the Instant Replay Option. After finishing in a top position, you get to watch the entire race over again from multiple camera perspectives. Considering the fact the races take a couple of minutes, it's an awful lot to remember. Pretty impressive.

Sega pulls a rabbit out of their hat by delivering a solid racing game filled with enough special features and fast action to win any racing fan's heart. Now, about that price...

People say: >

Burn Rubber!

Hold onto your hats everyone! Virtua Racing is coming soon to a Genesis near you!

Sega has employed some new technology in creating this arcade-to-home translation. The use of the DSP chip helps to enable more fluid scaling and other special effects. Just like StarFox for the Super NES, Virtua Racing offers smooth, polygon-based graphics which are really a sight! The detail in this 16-Meg cart is really something to be seen, and they definitely owe a lot to the arcade game! Oh, and by the way, the wipeouts are spectacular!

The game allows you to race against the clock, other racers, or previous best times. Also, the tracks are based on actual Worldwide Formula One racing circuits! Even the competition is taken from real life drivers! Too cool!

You can alternate between many different viewing perspectives with the push of a button! You can see the race right from the driver's seat, behind the car, slightly above the car, or with an aerial view.

If, during the race - you pass a certain point of the track under a preset time, you will be granted extended racing time.

This cart rocks the house! Strap yourselves in racing fans, because Virtua Racing is here in full force!

One of the most inspiring racers of all time is now coming to the Genesis. It's Virtua Racing at home! Now you can race your car at lightning speeds in your living room! Won't that be exciting? Even though this is just a cart, it contains the scaling and rotation of its arcade counterpart. Rev up your engines, and scream down the track with Virtua Racing.