by norm stovall normstovall@gmail.com
(and slide sideways from time to time)
I’m writing this week’s column in honor of the Scotsman who was possibly the greatest rally driver ever to get behind the wheel. Whether it was on tarmac, dirt, or pixels, Colin McRae got the job done in style. Coming from a family full of racing talent both on and off the road, McRae truly excelled at what he did. Whether it was racing down rural roads in Great Britain or winning time trials at the X Games, he was always an inspiration to watch. In mid September, Colin McRae passed away in a helicopter accident, but to rally fans worldwide, he will always be remembered for what he did for the sport, the manufacturers, and the racing videogames that he inspired.
For PC, Xbox 360, and PS3
One of the most recent and realistic rally racing games, your goal is to win races, buy cars, and master driving all types of rally vehicles, whether its Baja-style mountainside racing, or on the tarmac and in the rain. Dirt is truly a rally fanatic’s racing game, featuring a great number of driving styles and scenarios. Stateside, the game was released without Colin McRae’s name in the title and had a more involved presentation featuring Moto X racer-turned-rally-champ Travis Pastrana, though the gameplay itself was unchanged.
For Xbox 360, Playstation 3
If there is one thing that Sega does well, its making great arcade racing games. With Sega Rally Revo, they certainly haven’t broken that tradition. With the newest game in the Sega Rally series, the developers have included an innovative way for cars to interact with the dirt and snow surfaces that they race on. As you zoom through the mud, the track will actually change, with ruts created by your car’s tires. As the race progresses, you can use these ruts to your advantage, using the extra grip they provide that will help you maintain high speeds while sticking to your racing line. Your car will also get dirty in a realistic way. While Sega Rally Revo wouldn’t really be considered a racing simulation game, it does create a fun rally environment that people of all skill levels can enjoy.
For Xbox
As the second and last title in the Rallisport Challenge series for the original Xbox, this game is certainly the best. While mostly a racing simulation game, the game is still fun to play, and the graphics are great with lots of detailed environments and variations in track styles.
For Sega Dreamcast
This was my first, and my favorite rally racing game. V-Rally introduced some really great things that many racing games to date have yet to include, such as building your own track. V-Rally also included great night racing levels, which were awesome to play and to watch, seeing how realistically the lights from your car would illuminate the road, and cast shadows behind things. Not only did the game prove that it was the best looking racer of its time, it was also the most fun to play. If you still have a Dreamcast lying around, look for this game at your local independent game store. It shouldn’t cost you more than 5 or 10 bucks.
For Nintendo 64
This was an early release in the Nintendo 64’s lifecycle, but it was a lot of fun. With a good selection of vehicles to choose from and some fun and wacky unlockable features, I consider this to be one of my favorite racers for the console. There were a lot of crappy games for the Nintendo 64, but there were a few really, really, good games too, and I consider this to be one of them. The only drawback here is the graphics, where every color on the screen seems to find a way to fade into brown. Even pastel brown. Didn’t think there was such a thing? Play this game.
There are tons of games in the genre that almost always get overlooked by the mainstream public, but the niche market of rally racing games does earn some good money overseas, so the games are always gonna’ be there. For a good idea of what to look for, go to the main page of gamefaqs.com and do a simple search for ‘Rally.’ You’ll be able to find a great selection of rally games for every known game console, and see reviews and message boards about them too. Good names to look for include Colin McRae (numerous games), Rally Cross, and Mobil 1 Rally. Sony’s Gran Turismo series also has a decent selection of rally events, especially Gran Turismo 3. Check it out.
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EU Critic’s Choice Awards
