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''Super R.C. Pro-Am'' is a
racing video game Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic rac ...
developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the
Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same te ...
. It was released in North America in June 1991 and in Europe on April 23, 1992; it was re-released in 1998 as part of Nintendo's
Player's Choice ''Nintendo Selects'' (formerly ''Player's Choice'') was a marketing label used by Nintendo to promote video games on current Nintendo game consoles that have sold well. ''Nintendo Selects'' titles were sold at a lower price point (usually $19 ...
series, which included all Game Boy titles which sold over one million copies. It is the follow-up to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) title '' R.C. Pro-Am'', in which players race remote control cars from an out-of-vehicle perspective on a series of 24 tracks, avoiding obstacles and collecting items to improve performance in order to finish in the top three and qualify for the next track. The game can be played
solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ' ...
against three computer opponents, or two to four players can play simultaneously via the
Game Link Cable The Nintendo Game Link Cable is an accessory for the Game Boy line of handheld video game systems, allowing players to connect Game Boys of all types for multiplayer gaming. Depending on the games, a Game Link Cable can be used to link two ga ...
or the Four Player Adapter. ''Super R.C. Pro-Am'' received moderate coverage from some video gaming magazines. It was praised for its graphics and sound, controls, challenge, and ability for up to four players to play the game simultaneously. Criticisms included repetitiveness in gameplay, lack of variety, and rapid scrolling on the Game Boy that may cause players to miss some items. It was featured on ''
Nintendo Power ''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Nint ...
''s “Top 20" Game Boy list for most of 1992.


Gameplay

''Super R.C. Pro-Am'' is a
racing video game Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic rac ...
that is similar to its predecessor, '' R.C. Pro-Am'', for the NES. In the game, players race remote control cars on a series of tracks. It can be played solo, with two-players via the
Game Link Cable The Nintendo Game Link Cable is an accessory for the Game Boy line of handheld video game systems, allowing players to connect Game Boys of all types for multiplayer gaming. Depending on the games, a Game Link Cable can be used to link two ga ...
, or with three or four players via the Four Player Adapter. The game features 24 different
track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the short ...
s of increasing difficulty, and the object is to finish in the top three in order to qualify to race in the next track. Players who do not finish in the top three may use a
continue Continue may refer to: * Continue (video gaming), an option to continue a video game after all the player's lives have been lost *Continue (keyword), a programming language keyword * ''Continue'' (film), a 2022 American drama film Music *''Continu ...
and retry the track; players get three continues, and the game ends when the player fails to finish in the top three and has no continues remaining. Each track is different and range from standard ovals to tracks with many twists and turns. The game includes many obstacles, such as oil slicks that send players spinning, puddles of water that cause players to slide out of control, sand traps and "slow cones" that slow players down, large cones that bring players to a complete halt, and walls of tires that players bounce off. If a player hits an oil slick and then hits a wall while spinning, the player's car is temporarily destroyed, which loses time. The tracks also has items that help players along the way: "zippers" (a series of chevrons on the track) give players a speed boost, roll cages allow players to hit walls without being destroyed and allow them to crash opponents by forcing them into walls, and missiles and bombs temporarily destroy opponents' cars. Also on the track are spare parts which help improve performance—tires improve traction, batteries increase acceleration, and engines improve speed. Players have the opportunity to upgrade their vehicles by collecting letters, which are distributed throughout the tracks. By spelling "Nintendo" with the letters, players upgrade to a better vehicle; players can upgrade from the "Racer" to the "Speed demon" and then to the ''Spiker'', each of which performs progressively better than the previous vehicle. If players spell "Nintendo" while racing with the Spiker, then they win the game.


Development and reception

''Super R.C. Pro-Am'' was developed by UK-based video game company Rare and was released for Nintendo's
Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same te ...
handheld console. It was first mentioned in video gaming magazine ''
Nintendo Power ''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Nint ...
'' in February 1991, along with Game Boy versions of '' Nintendo World Cup'', '' Ultima: Runes of Virtue'', and '' The Sword of Hope''. It was mentioned again in the following issue in March 1991, along with '' Skate or Die: Tour de Thrash''; they mentioned that Rare was attempting to recapture the same feel from its
Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
predecessor, '' R.C. Pro-Am''. It was released in North America in June 1991 and in Europe on April 23, 1992. ''Nintendo Power'' praised ''Super R.C. Pro-Am'' for its graphics and sound, saying that "Rare has really captured the sounds of high-revving engines and tires trying to hold the track". They also praised the ability for up to four players to play the game simultaneously, saying that players cannot depend on their human opponents to do the same things computer opponents do, and that human opponents can fire back at them (while computer opponents cannot). It would be on the magazine's "Top 20" Game Boy list for most of 1992; it debuted at #6 on the January 1992 list, when the magazine switched from the "Top 30" list for the NES and "Top 5" list for Game Boy to "Top 20" lists for the NES, Game Boy and the
Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in E ...
. It then went to #8 in February, #10 in March, and back to #8 in April. From May through October 1992, it was in the teens on the Game Boy list, finishing at #11 in May, #18 in June, #17 in July and August, #18 in September, and #15 in October. It dropped off the list afterwards. ''Super R.C. Pro-Am'' was reviewed alongside '' Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge'' in UK-based computer gaming magazine ''
ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) ''ACE'' (Advanced Computer Entertainment) was a multi-format computer and video game magazine first published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing and later acquired by EMAP. History ACE launched in October 1987, roughly the same time as ...
''. Reviewer David Upchurch praised the game for its fluid graphics and scrolling, good controls, and "long-term challenge". He also lauded the ability to play simultaneously with two to four human players, saying that "this transforms the game from a fun diversion into an addictive obsession". Criticisms included lack of variety in the tracks and an "annoyingly grating sound". ''
GamePro Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...
'' praised the game for its easy-to-see graphics and multiplayer ability, but it criticized the lack of speed. German magazine '' Power Play'' primarily praised the game for the multiplayer features. The magazine criticized the game for its repetitiveness in gameplay and the rapid scrolling that may cause players to miss items on the track. ''Super R.C. Pro-Am'' was re-released in 1998 as part of Nintendo's
Player's Choice ''Nintendo Selects'' (formerly ''Player's Choice'') was a marketing label used by Nintendo to promote video games on current Nintendo game consoles that have sold well. ''Nintendo Selects'' titles were sold at a lower price point (usually $19 ...
series, which included all Game Boy titles that sold over one million copies.


References

{{Rare 1991 video games Game Boy games Game Boy-only games Nintendo games Rare (company) games Radio-controlled car racing video games Multiplayer vehicle operation games Multiplayer and single-player video games Video games about toys Video games scored by David Wise Video games developed in the United Kingdom