Advertising Blurbs
www.nintendo.com:
Become a globetrotting speed demon in this off-road rally game that features licensed vehicles and real-time car damage.
Get a Grip
Enduring the extremes of weather and terrain is half the battle in this racer. From the damp hills of Scotland to the dry deserts of Africa, you must always strive to push your car to its limits. Other stages include America, Wales, the Arctic and England's Isle of Man.
More than a dozen manufacturers are represented in the roster of licensed cars, including Honda, Mitsubishi and Subaru from Japan and Peugeot, Citroen, and Renault from Europe.
Each car can be configured before a rally. Adjusting the gear ratio and suspension is important, but the key to a good performance is tire choice. You can even select the tread and compound.
Eight multiplayer tracks let as many as four players race head-to-head.
Caution: Bumps, Dips, Rocks . . .
The controls are customizable, so you can reassign the gas and brake buttons. The handbrake is crucial to maintaining a controlled slide through hairpin turns.
You can choose from several views, including a close follow, hood and cockpit view.
Arcade-style physics make the game easy to pick up and enjoy. Be careful at high speeds, though. The steering gets more sensitive, and you'll have to react that much quicker to elude the many obstacles studding the roads.
Car damage is quite detailed. Bumpers, hoods and fenders can fall off completely. It takes quite a bit of punishment to cause internal damage. Eventually, though, you will notice a fall-off in your car's performance.
Graphics and Sound
The driver and navigator will jolt as they hit a rough patch of road. Bystanders, foliage and local buildings could use a bit more detail. Watching replays may be the best way to truly appreciate the car-damage and particle effects.
The navigator calls out turns in advance so you can prepare yourself. You can choose either a male or female co-pilot.
Rally Championship offers an impressive list of cars and a challenging single-player mode.
Contributed by Evil Ryu (31580) on Sep 11, 2005.
