BC Racers (32x and 3DO)

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VideoGameCritic
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BC Racers (32x and 3DO)

Postby VideoGameCritic » March 19th, 2023, 5:17 pm

It's odd they could screw up a light-hearted caveman "kart" racer, running on "advanced" platforms. But man, BC Racers sucks.

At first I was going to blame the 32X hardware, but frankly the 3DO version isn't much better.

The fact that you're constantly sliding around, combined with the fact that the tracks are so hard to follow, make this game feel like a chore.

By the time I played through all the tracks I felt violently ill.

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BlasteroidAli
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Re: BC Racers (32x and 3DO)

Postby BlasteroidAli » March 19th, 2023, 5:49 pm

it probably needed to be on the superior system... none other than the Atari Jaguar! LOL

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Stalvern
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Re: BC Racers (32x and 3DO)

Postby Stalvern » March 19th, 2023, 6:52 pm

I played the DOS version many years ago, and it sucked too. I mainly remember the completely horizontal power slide and the abundance of obstacles to smack into.

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BlasteroidAli
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Re: BC Racers (32x and 3DO)

Postby BlasteroidAli » March 19th, 2023, 9:43 pm

I remember it, it was never on a system I owned. It looked like Mario Kart clone. The mega cd one looks okay. The 32x has slow down? By the time it had come out I moved onto the SNES.

djc
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Re: BC Racers (32x and 3DO)

Postby djc » March 20th, 2023, 1:11 am

This game sucks. I recently played both the 32X and the SegaCD versions and they are BOTH borderline unplayable. A better framerate would have made all the difference. Too many right-angle corners and severe oversteering completely ruin this one.

In general the steering feels like Checkered Flag (Atari Jaguar) and while I do like that game, it is NOT high praise.

ThePixelatedGenocide
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Re: BC Racers (32x and 3DO)

Postby ThePixelatedGenocide » March 20th, 2023, 3:54 am

The Sega CD version is generally considered the best of a bad lot, simply because the other versions removed your ability to attack from either side.

Why the game was released in this state is anyone's guess. Soul Star may not have the best designed levels, but when you have a genius coder like Sarah Jane Avory working under the same roof, why not build from that work? Or, if BC Racers was built on that foundation, why not stick to the same sensible, self-imposed limitations?

If the artistic vision behind this game required this much scaling and rotation, why not wait for the Saturn/PS1? Previews of this game focus entirely on the art direction, and how it compares to Mario Kart/Virtua Racing...maybe it was cursed from the start.

In the end, the death of the Chuck Rock franchise led directly to the success of Tomb Raider, so I doubt anyone involved has any regrets.

goldenband
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Re: BC Racers (32x and 3DO)

Postby goldenband » March 20th, 2023, 1:36 pm

ThePixelatedGenocide wrote:The Sega CD version is generally considered the best of a bad lot, simply because the other versions removed your ability to attack from either side.

I think it has some other advantages too. A friend of mine posted this some time ago:

"I think the Sega CD version is the most polished out of the three and it's actually fun to play it. The framerate is better and more consistent than the other versions (unlike [what] you'd expect), the sfx are much better, the soundtrack is cool and the scaling effect is actually smoother than the other versions."

So, Critic, the Sega CD version -- which hasn't been reviewed yet -- seems to be the best version of the game. Also pleased to see that the 3DO version is getting a review!

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Stalvern
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Re: BC Racers (32x and 3DO)

Postby Stalvern » March 20th, 2023, 2:14 pm

ThePixelatedGenocide wrote:a genius coder like Sarah Jane Avory

Glad to see her get a shout-out here. Soul Force is one of the best shoot-em-ups I've ever played.

Sut
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Re: BC Racers (32x and 3DO)

Postby Sut » March 24th, 2023, 12:14 pm

I recently purchased BC Racers and the Mega/Sega CD and have really, really enjoyed it.

Couple of tips.

Pause the game when you start the race to give you zoom option and zoom it out one step. This makes a massive difference as you can see the corners coming alot earlier.

The faster racers are generally better but cannot take much damage, so don't get involved in multi-character melees, better to hang back and only get involved in one on ones.

Start with Jimi and Bob, they are fast and not too fragile.

You get bonus tournament points for taking someone out of a race.

On the higher difficulties it is essential, you eat the steaks in the pit stop after every lap, also remember you get a nitro after completing a lap (press up). But be careful to only use on straights as there is no chance of taking a corner with the turbo.

I agree the game doesn't make a great first impression, however spend some time with it and there is a rewarding game in there, I kept playing until I completed on rock hard, I really was that addicted ! Plus I am a sucker for scaling and rotation.

The 32x and 3DO are bad ports, inconsistent frame rate, poor sound and you can only attack on one side, unlike the Sega CD version where you can attack both sides of your vehicle.

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BlasteroidAli
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Re: BC Racers (32x and 3DO)

Postby BlasteroidAli » March 26th, 2023, 8:15 pm

I played it on 32x and I quite liked it. Yeah the control problem is a pain but it is still more fun in a bad way than some games.


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