R.C. Pro-Am

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R.C. Pro-Am
R.C. Pro-Am
North American cover art of R.C. Pro-Am
Developer(s)Rare
Publisher(s)Nintendo (NES)
Tradewest (Sega Genesis)
Composer(s)David Wise
Platform(s)Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis
Release
February 1988
  • NES
    Sega Genesis
    1992
Genre(s)Racing, vehicular combat
Mode(s)Single-player

R.C. Pro-Am is a racing video game developed by UK-based company Rare. It was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) by Nintendo in North America February 1988 and in Europe on April 15 that year. It is a single-player game presented in an overhead isometric perspective. The player controls a radio-controlled car, and the object is to race against three other cars and qualify for the next race by finishing in the top three. Players collect items to improve performance, and they must avoid a variety of hazards such as rain puddles and oil slicks. It is one of the first racing games to feature vehicular combat, which players can use missiles and bombs to temporarily disable opposing cars. Originally titled Pro Am Racing, R.C. Pro-Am was also ported to the Sega Genesis in 1992 as Championship Pro-Am, an enhanced remake that has improved graphics and additional features.

R.C. Pro-Am has been considered one of Rare's first successful titles for the NES, and it received much praise for its graphics, sound, gameplay, and enjoyability. The game distanced itself from earlier racing titles by using an overhead, instead of a first-person, perspective. Reviews have consistently cited the game as inspiration for future games such as Super Off Road, Rock n' Roll Racing, and the Mario Kart series. It has been consistently appeared in many "top games of all time" lists, and it has been listed as one of the best NES titles in its library.

Gameplay

R.C. Pro-Am is a racing video game in which a single player controls a radio-controlled car against three opposing cars around a track from an overhead isometric perspective.[1][2] Players use the horizontal buttons on the control pad to steer their car left or right, and they use the other buttons to accelerate, fire weapons, and pause the game.[3] Consisting of 24 tracks total,[1] the goal of each race is to qualify for the next track by finishing in the top three in the four-car field; the game ends if the player finishes in fourth;[4] however, players are given two continues in which they can restart the previous race, although they will lose all points accumulated up to that point if they use these.[5] For each successful completion of a race, the player receives a trophy; if a high enough score is obtained, players receive larger "High Score Trophies", and they receive the "Super Trophy" for achieving the highest score.[6] If the game ends, and players reach a high enough score, they can record it on the game's high score table; however, the table resets when the console power is turned off.[7]

Gameplay screenshot

Throughout the courses, there are items on the track in which players can collect by touching them. They include "tune-up items" that help increase the car's performance, such as turbo acceleration, "hotter engines" for higher top speed, and "super sticky tires" for increased traction and cornering.[1] Accumulated tune-up items are displayed on the "track conditions" screen between races.[8] Players can also collect weapons that can temporarily disable other vehicles: missiles take out opposing cars from the front, while bombs take them out from the rear. Ammunition, in the form of stars, help replenish players' weapon supply,[1] and the number of missiles and bombs carry over to the next race.[6] Also located on the track are roll cages that help protect cars from damage (in which opponents can also collect),[6] and stationary "zippers" that give cars an extra speed boost.[1]

Along with items on the track that help improve performance, there are various hazards that must be avoided: oil slicks that cause cars to spin out of control, water puddles and "rain squalls" that slow cars down, pop-up barriers, and skulls that decrease the player's ammunition. Finally, located on each track is a "bonus letter".[1] If players can successfully spell "NINTENDO" by collecting enough bonus letters, they will earn a 40,000-point bonus and the ability to drive an upgraded car. Players can upgrade from a standard truck to a faster 4-Wheeler and then to the fastest Off Roader.[9]

The Sega Genesis version of Championship Pro-Am features some gameplay differences from the NES version of R.C. Pro-Am. In Championship Pro-Am, players race against five other vehicles instead of three,[10] but players still must place in the top three to move to the next race.[5] Another feature is that race records are recorded;[10] players are prompted to enter their name before the game start to track high scores and race records.[11] Finally, players instead try to successfully spell "CHAMPION" in order to upgrade to a new car.[12]

Development and reception

R.C. Pro-Am was developed by UK-based company Rare. In 1987, the game was originally titled Pro-Am Racing but was later renamed.[14] It was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) by Nintendo in February 1988 in North America;[15] it was released in Europe on April 15 that year.[16] It would later be ported to the Sega Genesis under the title Championship Pro-Am and released by Tradewest in 1992.[17] The game's music was composed by Rare's lead music composer David Wise, known for his work on Cobra Triangle as well as the Donkey Kong Country and Banjo-Kazooie series.[18]

R.C. Pro-Am received preview coverage in the Fall 1987 issue of Nintendo Fun Club News – the company's predecessor to its house organ Nintendo Power.[14] It received a more in-depth look into the game in the proceeding December 1987 issue, saying that "this game is a must for RC Car (radio controlled) owners".[19] It was featured on the cover of the magazine's February–March 1988 issue, which also featured a full walkthrough.[1] Later, in Nintendo Power, R.C. Pro-Am appeared at #6 in its "Top 30" NES games list in its premiere issue in July 1988; it was also the top "Dealer's Pick" in that issue.[20] It went down to #8 in September 1988,[21] and #12 in November.[22] Bloomberg Businessweek listed R.C. Pro-Am, along with Cobra Triangle, as Rare's most notable video games in the NES library.[23]

The game was reviewed in Computer Gaming World and called it "a compelling, innovating approach to car racing videogames". Reviewer Bill Kunkel said that it distanced itself from earlier racing titles such as Sega's Enduro Racer, Nintendo's Mach Rider, and Atari's Pole Position by going from a more traditional first-person perspective to an overhead perspective. He also praised the game's simplicity and controls, comparing them to controlling an actual radio-controlled car. His criticisms were that the game does not have a two-player feature and that the instruction booklet did not adequately enough describe the gameplay or what any of the items do. He concluded by lauding its graphics and sound, saying that they "help make this the best game of its kind ever produced in any electronic game format".[24]

The game has continued to be well-received by contemporary video game reviewers. Allgame's Chris Couper called R.C. Pro-Am "one of the best games for the NES", attributing to the game's realistic feel. He said that the game's challenge and sounds helped contribute to the its enjoyment level.[13] Retro Gamer called the game a precursor to the Codemasters title Micro Machines, and they compared the action and variety of items to the later Mario Kart series. They called the game one of Rare's best early titles, saying: "Radio-controlled car racing in videogame form was pretty much perfected here."[25] Later in 2010, as part of Rare's 25th anniversary, the magazine said that it was Rare's first successful NES title as well as one of the first games to combine racing and vehicular combat. Readers ranked the game at #22 on a list of 25 most favorite games by Rare.[26]

R.C. Pro-Am has appeared many times on various "best games" lists over the years. A survey conducted by GamePro in 1990 ranked R.C. Pro-Am as the 10th best sports video game at that time; gamers considered it a sports game despite disagreements by others.[27] Game Informer listed the game at #84 on its "Top 100 Games of All Time" list in its 100th issue in August 2001.[28] Paste magazine listed it as the 8th best NES game of all time, saying that it is "way more fun than real remote-control cars, which never seemed to be equipped with missile capabilities".[29] IGN listed the game as the 13th best NES game of all time, citing its popularity amongst gamers as well as good sales. Executive Editor Craig Harris said that it was one of the first games to introduce the concept of vehicular combat and that it was inspiration for additional sequels, Super R.C. Pro-Am and R.C. Pro-Am II, as well as the Mario Kart series.[30] 1UP.com listed it as the 14th best NES title, citing the game's good graphics and gameplay elements, though they said that difficulty level was too high. As with other retrospectives, the website staff listed the game as inspiration for future series such as Super Off Road and Rock n' Roll Racing.[31] In an look back at Rare as part of its 25th anniversary, GamePro listed R.C. Pro-Am was one of Rare's best games, calling the release "one of Rare's finest moments".[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "R.C. Pro-Am". Nintendo Fun Club News. 1 (5). Redmond, WA: Nintendo: 4–5. February–March 1988. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b Davison, John (June 2, 2010). "25 Years of Rare". GamePro. Retrieved August 1, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ R.C. Pro-Am Instruction Manual, p. 3. "2. Name of Controller Parts and Operating Instructions".
  4. ^ R.C. Pro-Am Instruction Manual, p. 5. "3. How to Play".
  5. ^ a b Championship Pro-Am Instruction Manual, p. 12.
  6. ^ a b c R.C. Pro-Am Instruction Manual, p. 8. "Race for Trophies".
  7. ^ R.C. Pro-Am Instruction Manual, p. 4. "2. Name of Controller Parts and Operating Instructions".
  8. ^ R.C. Pro-Am Instruction Manual, p. 6. "Other Items".
  9. ^ R.C. Pro-Am Instruction Manual, p. 7.
  10. ^ a b Championship Pro-Am Instruction Manual, p. 3.
  11. ^ Championship Pro-Am Instruction Manual, p. 5.
  12. ^ Championship Pro-Am Instruction Manual, p. 9.
  13. ^ a b Couper, Chris. "R.C. Pro-Am – Review". Allgame. Retrieved July 20, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  14. ^ a b "Pro-Am Racing". Nintendo Fun Club News. 1 (3). Redmond, WA: Nintendo: 15. Fall 1987. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "NES Games" (PDF). Nintendo. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 17, 2007. Retrieved July 17, 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |archivedate= (help)
  16. ^ "retrodiary: 1 April – 28 April". Retro Gamer (88). Bournemouth: Imagine Publishing: 17. April 2011. ISSN 1742-3155. OCLC 489477015. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ "Championship Pro-Am". GameSpot. Retrieved August 2, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  18. ^ Nagata, Tyler (September 21, 2010). "Game music of the day: R.C. Pro-Am". GamesRadar. Retrieved July 20, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  19. ^ "Sneak Peeks – Pro Am Racing". Nintendo Fun Club News. 1 (4). Redmond, WA: Nintendo: 12. December 1987. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ "Top 30". Nintendo Power (1). Redmond, WA: Nintendo: 103–104. July–August 1988. ISSN 1041-9551. OCLC 18893582. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ "Top 30". Nintendo Power (2). Redmond, WA: Nintendo: 103. September–October 1988. ISSN 1041-9551. OCLC 18893582. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ "Top 30". Nintendo Power (3). Redmond, WA: Nintendo: 103. November–December 1988. ISSN 1041-9551. OCLC 18893582. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ Dawley, Heidi; Eng, Paul M. (May 29, 1995). "Killer Instinct For Hire". Bloomberg Businessweek. New York City: Bloomberg L.P. ISSN 0007-7135. OCLC 1537921. Retrieved August 4, 2011. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  24. ^ Kunkel, Bill (December 1988). "Video Gaming World: Start Your Engines". Computer Gaming World (54). Anaheim, CA: Golden Empire Publications: 65. ISSN 0744-6667. OCLC 150247674. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ "Nintendo's Greatest Games". Retro Gamer (4). Bournemouth: Imagine Publishing: 19. May 2004. ISSN 1742-3155. OCLC 489477015. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ Hunt, Stuart (December 2010). "A Rare Glimpse". Retro Gamer (84). Bournemouth: Imagine Publishing: 28–43. ISSN 1742-3155. OCLC 489477015.
  27. ^ "Sport Pro-Shots – #10: R.C. Pro-Am". GamePro (18). Peterborough, NH: IDG Communications/Peterborough, Inc.: 118, 122 January 1991. ISSN 1042-8658. OCLC 19231826. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ "Top 100 Games of All Time". Game Informer (100). Eden Prairie, MN: Sunrise Publications. August 2001. ISSN 1067-6392. OCLC 27315596. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ Killingsworth, Jason (November 25, 2008). "Top 10 NES Games of All Time". Paste. Retrieved August 1, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  30. ^ Harris, Craig. "Top 100 NES Games – 13. R.C. Pro-Am". IGN. Retrieved August 1, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  31. ^ 1UP Staff. "The Top 25 NES Games". 1UP.com. Retrieved August 1, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links

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