Sega Rally Championship

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Sega Rally Championship

Developer(s)	AM5
Publisher(s)	Sega
Designer(s)	Tetsuya Mizuguchi
Release date(s)	1995
Genre(s)	Racing game
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Platform(s)	Arcade, Sega Saturn, Microsoft Windows, N-Gage, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, Dreamcast
Input	Steering wheel
Arcade cabinet	Sit-down
Arcade system(s)	Sega Model 2
Arcade display	Raster, standard resolution horizontal orientation

Sega Rally Championship is a 1995 arcade racing game developed by AM5 (also known as Sega Rosso) on the Sega Model 2 board. It was later ported over to the Sega Saturn (by AM3) and PC.

The unique selling point of Sega Rally was the ability to drive on different surfaces (including asphalt, gravel and mud), with different friction properties, with the car's handling changing accordingly.

Another interesting feature is that the player can enter a "World Championship" mode consisting of three stages (Desert, Forest and Mountain) where their finishing position at the end of one course is carried through to the starting position of the next course. In this mode, it is impossible to reach first place position by the end of the first track, thus the player must try to overtake as many opponent cars as possible on each track (while staying within the time limit), and gain the lead over several tracks. If, at the end of the third round, the player is in first place, they are able to play a fourth secret circuit called "Lakeside" (on the Saturn version, this course may then be played in time attack and split-screen multiplayer modes).

Three cars are featured in the game: the Toyota Celica GT-Four, the Lancia Delta HF Integrale and Lancia Stratos. The Stratos is only unlocked if the extra Lakeside track is completed in first place; then it may be used in any of the game's modes (championship, time attack and split-screen multiplayer). Codemasters have cited Sega Rally as a strong influence on the first Colin McRae Rally game.

[edit] Trivia

Sega Rally Championship was also known for its rather unique Game Over theme, literally a guy (Sega composer Takenobu Mitsuyoshi) singing "Game Over.... YEAHHHH!" after the race was finished. It is a pop culture reference. In the last Sega Saturn Magazine issue nr.37 on p.90 there is an official Sega Rally Picture with the caption "Game Over Yeah!!!" reffering to the cancelling of the Magazine. It has also been parodied in the viral video "PSA12" created by Fensler Films.