Retro|Spective 138: Rock n' Roll Racing

[Neon Ignition]

History in Games:
1993 - Rock n' Roll Racing
1997 - Rock n' Roll Racing 2: Red Asphalt

Overview:
Initially developed as a sequel to RPM Racing, the game was updated to give it a more distinctive look and sound with licensed music and a rock styling. With four racers tackling courses and each other from an isometric view point players also had to contend with directly battling opponents whilst not falling victim to the dips and obstacles the courses themselves presented. A sequel arrived on the next generation of machines but largely seemed unrelated bar the carried over name and with nothing to make it stand out the game became buried by the host of direct competition the new 3D era of gaming had resulted in.






Share your memories of the Rocking Racers

[Mayhem]

Never played the sequel. Loved the original, although it got very hard about halfway through and really tested your patience and skills heh. Lovely metal covers by Tim Follin as well.

[beecee]

Enjoyed this game back in the day, soundtrack was amazing all those classic metal tracks, recently played the MSU1 one via the SD2SNES pro, with real music tracks.

I knew there was a sequel on the PS1, but never played it. looking at the video never missed much,just a generic sounding rock soundtrack and no commentator as well.

[Leon Retro]

I have really fond memories of the SNES version. The excellent music felt truly special at the time. I also thought the graphics and overall design were really nice. The actual gameplay felt good, but a bit more variety/flair in the track designs would have helped. Overall, it's a classic game that I enjoy going back to now and then.

I haven't played the PS1 sequel, but looking at the video, it obviously lacks the charm of the 16-bit version. It doesn't look very appealing.

[Neon Ignition]

The sequel looks like they just slapped the name on an unrelated project, misses everything about the original. Weirdly I don't feel an attachment to the original as a classic game but I did play it quite a lot back in its day

[Leon Retro]

Weirdly I don't feel an attachment to the original as a classic game but I did play it quite a lot back in its day

It's not one of my favourite retro games, but I have nostalgia for it, and it stands up pretty well today. So it's fun to go back to and remember how much I liked the music and overall vibe of the game. It's not in the same league as F-Zero and SMK, but it's a well made game that I'll always be fond of.

The PS1 version reminds me how banal games from the 32-bit generation could be.