MegaRace 2

Moby ID: 1049
DOS Specs
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Description official description

MegaRace 2 is a 3d racing game with detailed graphics. You can choose between 14 armored cars loaded with weapons of mass destruction, and race on 6 different tracks.

Only the cars are rendered in real-time 3d, while the tracks are actually pre-rendered. This allows the player to have very detailed cars and tracks, but limits the interaction with the scenery.

The game also features a TV Show in full motion video between the races.

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Screenshots

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Credits (DOS version)

57 People (48 developers, 9 thanks) · View all

Project Leader
Lead Programming
Graphics
Additional Programming
3D Engine
Additional Graphics
Music
  • Knockin' Boots Production
Sound
Additional Music
TV Show Director
TV Show Scenario
Acting
Shooting
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 60% (based on 17 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.4 out of 5 (based on 17 ratings with 4 reviews)

A much better sequel to an already classic game

The Good
Lance Boyle (aka. Christian Erickson) is back in the sequel to the first, great game. This was released three years on, and, just as the first game was groundbreaking and impressive, the second game is similarly impressive for its time. It is a sequel that has advanced the technology and gameplay of its predecessor, while retaining nearly everything that made Megarace great. The cars are now made up of 3D polygonal graphics, instead of the rendered sprites of the first game, and look wonderful. You also have much more control over your car and it feels a lot more like a real 'racer', even though the track is still pre-rendered.

The gameplay has been completely overhauled, but the decisions made work really well. The biggest change affects the whole focus of the game. In Megarace, the idea was to work your way through a series of gang members, destroying each car until you got to the leader. Destroy that car, and you win. In Megarace 2, it's a proper race, and you are properly competing against a whole bunch of other cars. You have to try and win. Destroying them is still possible, still useful and still actively encouraged, but is no longer compulsory. Being one of the first 3 to cross the finish line is what matters here. And, thus, the days of only ever seeing one other car on screen at a time are gone. Now you're bumping and knocking around with a racing pack. This is much more exciting.

Also, instead of just racing once round a track, you have to race three times on each track. You have to finish as one of the top 3 competitors in the first two rounds, then you have to win the third round. On each round, the number of competitors is whittled down. Eight cars on the first round. Seven on the second round. Just four cars left on the third round. This system works well. There are also championship tables and all the other stuff you need to make this a proper, competitive racing affair.

Lance Boyle's video clips, as ever, are one of the main attractions. This time they are hi-res, full motion (before, they were just him filmed against a blue screen, with a static rendered background added in later) and feature his new assistant. The clips are very funny and always act as a wonderful incentive to carry on playing (although the gameplay itself is good enough!), but I couldn't help feeling that things were just that bit funnier in the first game.

Other enhancements include the ability to go backwards on the tracks - Not really necessary, but just one more example of the much improved gameplay on offer here. As the tracks are pre-rendered and spool forwards, when you go backwards, you drive through a series of Alone In The Dark style static camera views. But this is fine, especially for a really unnecessary added value feature! If you really screw up a race, just lie in wait for other cars and then crash into them when they try to lap you! Ha ha ha! Another bonus feature allows you to record and play back any moments of glory. It's a bit hard hitting the key and doing this in the middle of a race, but it's a nice little feature to have around. The one clip I recorded showed me getting bored, turning around, getting hit by another car, then skidding off down the track with my car facing the wrong way before smacking into a barrier. Fun!

Graphics and music, as before, are excellent. Although the graphics are even better this time, of course! Oh yeah, and it runs at high speed on a 486!

The Bad
There's not much to dislike about this fine racing game. It was great to have ol' Lane Boyle hosting it again, but, like I said, I think he was just a little funnier in the first game, overall. This is still a laugh-fest, though.

Controlling your car can be difficult, at first. I started off the game and lost so badly that I thought I'd never be able to play it. It is also, as another reviewer stated, strangely difficult to keep the car going straight. But you'll soon get the hang of the controls. Lots of games (even lots of the best games) have these teething troubles, particularly when it comes to controlling the damn things.

For some reason, the game kept forgetting my key setup, so I had to reset it everytime I loaded the game. But with only a few keys required, this was no big deal. A minor bug.

Prizes are also a bit disappointing in this game. They're 'useful', whereas before they were completely useless, but very funny and kooky. Now you get stuff you can use, like missiles and mines...maybe even a new car, if you're extra lucky. Yawn! I would've actually preferred some more comedic stuff.

Hmm...Well...I can't think of anything else to complain about.

The Bottom Line
Megarace 2 takes a giant leap ahead of its predecessor. Megarace 1 was much better than nearly all of the 'on-rails' type games, but couldn't quite compete, in gameplay terms, with 'proper' races. Megarace 2 can compete happily with other 'racers', while retaining its own unique slant and style. A very good game, even if you didn't like Megarace (Oh yeah, Lance Boyle haters can even turn off his video antics in this game...Although I still you're crazy if you'd want to do that!) Megarace 3, where are you? (It's been delayed, I think.)

DOS · by xroox (3895) · 2008

A mega racing game

The Good
The thing I most like about it, is the crazy movies between the races. It has great actors and perfect animation in it. And the races are also superbe. The graphics is perfect, it has a beautiful environment. And it plays very fast, even on slow computers. I played this on a 486 and it was very smooth. The music and sound are also very awesome.

The Bad
There's is one complaint about this and that's the way you must take control of the car. They not driving like other racing-games. It is difficult to keep your car straight.

The Bottom Line
This is defently one of the best racing-games I ever have played. And I played many. If you prefer only to race, it is possible to turn the movies off. But that's for me the best part of it.

DOS · by Buuks (197) · 2001

The original MegaRace was better

The Good
I liked the graphics. The were much better than the first MegaRace. The tracks were pre-rendered, so they were able to be very detailed. The cars were rendered in 3D, so they were able to be very detailed, since nothing else was being rendered. The step up in screen resolution was excellent, too.

The Bad
I thought that the controls were rather difficult. The cars were hard to keep in a straight line, and if you got bumped too many times by another car, you would get flipped around. That would be fine if it wasn't next to impossible to get turned around and going again.

Lance Boyle was terrible in this game. He was much better in the first MegaRace, were all he did was describe the game, tracks, and racers in a TV show fashion. Here he is just a zany and crazy guy who happens to be the host of MegaRace 2 "TV show". His ditz-brain assistant doesn't help, either.

The Bottom Line
I would only recommend this game to someone who has played the first MegaRace and enjoyed it very much. If you look at each of the aspects of MegaRace 2 (graphics, sound and music, controls, Lance Boyle and his assistant's acting), I would say MegaRace 2 is an OK game by me.

DOS · by Mullet of Death (592) · 2004

[ View all 4 player reviews ]

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Cochonou.

Windows added by Plok.

Additional contributors: Jeanne, MrFlibble, Victor Vance.

Game added March 15, 2000. Last modified January 25, 2024.