Re-Volt Game Sample - N64
0Re-Volt is a "radio-controlled car" racing game developed by Probe / Acclaim (Cheltenham/London) in 1999 for Playstation, N64, PC and Dreamcast. Re-Volt is tecnically very nice and built around the great concept of remote control toy cars racing across large-as-life locations, but I just can't enjoy the N64 game all that much (the Dreamcast and PC ports are great though and you should check them out). The game maintains many of the features of its more powerful relatives (dozens of cars, over a dozen tracks, a track editor, and 4-player racing/battles, as well as 4MB Expansion Pak support), but at what cost?
I have no idea what the 4MB expansion pak does for this game, but it doesn't seem to do much (if anything) for the visuals as the game that already had sensitive controls (but good RC physics) on other platforms is even harder to peg on the N64 due to an erratic framerate in single player modes and even slower in multiplayer modes. I even switched on the "Medium Resolution" setting but couldn't notice any differences (outside of VERY SLIGHT things that I attributed to my eyes playing tricks on me) and the framerate wasn't any better when it was left off. This is a shame as the game still has the great level designs of the other titles and they are quite detailed by N64 standards (complete with the sense of scale needed to feel like you're driving toys, lighting and shading, are colorful, etc.), but I would've gladly taken a few more compromises for a more steady framerate and less pop-up during some game modes. The music and audio isn't anything too special (mostly simple techno of sorts), but doesn't detract from the experience and is generally pretty nice.
Gameplay-wise, Re-Volt is comparable to a combat racing game in the sense that you're racing to place first while battling the opposition by taking various shortcuts and using a variety of power-ups. As you race (or use cheats), you unlock more cars between two types (Eletric and Glow) and extra tracks. The stages are very nice and have various paths and obstacles and the weapons are basically standard-issue for games like this (standard shots, multiple shots, traps, boosts, etc.). The computer opponents usually aren't too challenging if you get an early lead and you can complete the Championship Mode quickly enough, but finding everything there is to find in the game can take a while if done manually.
Re-Volt on N64 is okay, but I must once again stress playing the PC or Dreamcast game instead if you can find them. I especially recommend the PC game as its legacy has lived on in the form of fan-made vehicles and mods. I haven't played the Playstation game and can't comment on it. This is a video of the game in action. Enjoy.