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R.C. Pro-Am

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R.C. Pro-Am
R.C. Pro-Am
North American cover art
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 United Kingdom-based company Rare. It was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) by Nintendo at North America in February 1988, and then in Europe on April 15 that year. Presented in an overhead isometric perspective, a single player races a radio-controlled car around a series of tracks. The object of each track is 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 they can use missiles and bombs to temporarily disable opposing vehicles. 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 with enhanced graphics and additional features.

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

Gameplay

R.C. Pro-Am is a racing video game in which a single player controls a radio-controlled car against three opponents 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 for each of them is to qualify for the next race by finishing in the top three in the four-car field. The game ends if players finish in fourth;[4] however, they have two continues in which they can restart the previous race, but they will lose all points accumulated up to that point.[5] For each successful completion of a race, the player receives a trophy; larger "High Score Trophies", leading up to the "Super Trophy", can also be obtained for achieving high scores.[6] After the game ends, players can record their scores on "Top Pro-Am Drivers" list, but the scores are erased when the console power is turned off.[7]

The player, represented by the red truck in the center, leads the race while about to collect a "bonus letter" and a roll cage.

Throughout the courses, there are items on the track that players can collect by touching them. "Tune-up items" 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] these additional abilities are displayed on the "track conditions" screen between races.[8] Players can also collect weapons that can temporarily disable other vehicles: missiles take out the opposing vehicles from the front, while bombs take them out from the rear. The number of missiles and bombs carry over to the next race,[6] and players can collect extra ammunition, represented by stars, on the track.[1] Roll cages, which opponents can also collect, help protect cars from crash damage,[6] stationary "zippers" give cars an extra speed boost,[1] and "bonus letters" give players large point bonuses and the ability to drive an upgraded car if they can spell "NINTENDO" with them. Players can upgrade from a standard truck to a faster 4-Wheeler and then to the fastest Off Roader.[9] There are also various hazards that must be avoided: oil slicks that cause cars to spin out of control, water puddles and "rain squalls" that slow them down, pop-up barriers that crash cars, and skulls that decrease ammunition.[1]

The Sega Genesis port, Championship Pro-Am, features some gameplay differences from the NES version of the game. In this port, players race against five other vehicles instead of three,[10] but players still must place in the top three to move to the next track.[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 try to successfully spell "CHAMPION" in order to upgrade to a new car.[12]

Development

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.[13] It was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) by Nintendo in February 1988 in North America;[14] it was released in Europe on April 15 that year.[15] It would later be ported to the Sega Genesis under the name Championship Pro-Am and was released by Tradewest in 1992.[16] Its music was composed by David Wise, known for his work on Cobra Triangle as well as the Donkey Kong Country and Banjo-Kazooie series.[17]

R.C. Pro-Am was subject to preview coverage in the Fall 1987 issue of Nintendo Fun Club News – the company's predecessor to its house organ Nintendo Power.[13] It received a more in-depth look into the game in the proceeding Winter 1987 issue, saying that "this game is a must for RC Car (radio-controlled) owners".[18] It was featured on the cover of the magazine's February–March 1988 issue, which also included a full walkthrough.[1] Later, in Nintendo Power' premiere issue in July 1988, R.C. Pro-Am was listed 6th on its "Top 30" NES games list, and it was the top "Dealer's Pick".[19] It went down to the 8th position in September 1988,[20] and 12th in November.[21]

Reception and legacy

R.C. Pro-Am was reviewed in Computer Gaming World who called it "a compelling, innovating approach to car racing videogames". Bill Kunkel found 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 to an isometric perspective. He also praised the game's simplicity and controls, comparing them to that of an actual radio-controlled car. He criticized the game for its lack of a two-player feature and for the instruction booklet's vagueness. 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".[23] Bloomberg Businessweek listed R.C. Pro-Am, along with Cobra Triangle, as Rare's most notable titles in the NES library.[24]

The game has continued to be well-received by contemporary video game publications. Allgame's Chris Couper stated that R.C. Pro-Am is among the best NES games, due to its realistic nature. He commented that the game's challenge and sounds contributed to its enjoyment level.[22] Retro Gamer saw the game as a precursor to Codemasters' Micro Machines, and they compared the action and variety of items to the later Mario Kart series. They hailed it as one of Rare's best early products, stating: "Radio-controlled car racing in videogame form was pretty much perfected here."[25] The 2009 book Vintage Games compared the game to Spy Hunter, noting that game emphasized collecting power-ups and weapons and not just on racing. It added how the trend of combining racing with vehicular combat would reappear in future games such as Super Mario Kart and Rock n' Roll Racing.[26] 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 22nd in a list of their 25 favourite Rare games.[27]

R.C. Pro-Am has appeared many times on various "best games" lists over the years. A survey conducted by GamePro in 1990 ranked the game as the 10th-best sports video game at that time, whereas many gamers considered it a sports game despite disagreements by others.[28] Game Informer put the game at number 84 on its "Top 100 Games of All Time" list in August 2001.[29] Paste magazine placed it as the 8th greatest NES game ever, saying that it is "way more fun than real remote-control cars, which never seemed to be equipped with missile capabilities".[30] 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, inspiring other titles such as Super R.C. Pro-Am, R.C. Pro-Am II, and the Mario Kart series.[31] 1UP.com listed it as the 14th best NES title, citing the game's good graphics and gameplay elements, though it said that the 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.[32] In a look back at Rare as part of the company's 25th anniversary, GamePro listed R.C. Pro-Am as one of Rare's best games, calling the release "one of Rare's finest moments".[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "R.C. Pro-Am". Nintendo Fun Club News. 1 (5). Redmond, WA: Nintendo: 4–5. Early 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 "Pro-Am Racing". Nintendo Fun Club News. 1 (3). Redmond, WA: Nintendo: 15. Autumn 1987. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "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)
  15. ^ "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)
  16. ^ "Championship Pro-Am". GameSpot. Retrieved August 2, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  17. ^ 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)
  18. ^ "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)
  19. ^ "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)
  20. ^ "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)
  21. ^ "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)
  22. ^ a b Couper, Chris. "R.C. Pro-Am – Review". Allgame. Retrieved July 20, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  23. ^ 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)
  24. ^ 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)
  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. ^ Loguidice, Bill; Barton, Matt (2009). "14 – Pole Position (1982): Where the Raster Meets the Road". Vintage Games. Burlington, MA: Focal Press. p. 202. ISBN 978-0-240-81146-8.
  27. ^ Hunt, Stuart (December 2010). "A Rare Glimpse". Retro Gamer (84). Bournemouth: Imagine Publishing: 28–43. ISSN 1742-3155. OCLC 489477015.
  28. ^ "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)
  29. ^ "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)
  30. ^ 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)
  31. ^ Harris, Craig. "Top 100 NES Games – 13. R.C. Pro-Am". IGN. Retrieved August 1, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  32. ^ 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)
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