Virtua Racing (V.R.)

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JaySevenZero
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Virtua Racing (V.R.)

Post by JaySevenZero »

Here's where you can contribute your thoughts and opinions for Virtua Racing for potential inclusion in the forthcoming podcast.

A friendly reminder that where the feedback for the podcast is concerned, we love it - but keeping it brief is appreciated. We do want to include a breadth of opinions where appropriate, but no-one wants a discussion podcast that’s mostly reading out essays. Better to save yourself time and cut to the chase if you can.
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Seph
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Re: 536: Virtua Racing

Post by Seph »

I first experienced Virtua Racing during a trip the Wirral Show in the early '90s. This was during the Sega Bus days, and being a massive Sega fanboy I remember excitedly queuing up to go inside and try out whatever games they had inside. I think was expecting some Sonic 2 type competition, but instead they had several monitors running Virtua Racing. I'm not sure on the exact arrangement or how many of us were playing at a time (I want to say eight), but the whole thing was very exciting for a young me and was easily the highlight of what was often a great day out.

I don't think I ever owned a console version of this, so I can't comment on those versions, but I definitely played this a lot on holidays and weekends away where there was an arcade nearby. I don't think I ever really progressed very far due to the punishing time limits and I never got around to even trying to third track; but, like Daytona USA a couple of years later, it was a fun and smooth playing game that still has some strikingly colourful visuals that haven't aged as badly as I thought they would.
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Alex79
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Re: 536: Virtua Racing

Post by Alex79 »

I never played this in the arcade, which means the only version I played until recently was the Sega Megadrive port at a friend's house. Naturally then, I'd always assumed it was kind of a rubbish game, what with the terrible frame rate and wonky handling on Sega's home console. However, a couple of years ago I picked up the stunning M2 updated version on Switch, and this is how you do a remaster! 60fps, looks beautiful and handles like a dream. It's still tough as nails (still not managed to beat the third stage) but I feel like I'm finally able to play this game the way it was meant to be. I go back to it every now and then to do a few laps, and enjoy myself every time.

The only downside to the new version is that, unless it's been updated since I tried, multiplayer fundamentally doesn't work. Not online, not splitscreen. It lags and drops frames to the point it's unplayable, which is a real shame and a rare misstep for M2.
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stvnorman
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Re: 536: Virtua Racing

Post by stvnorman »

My brother didn’t have many games for his Mega Drive, but I reckon this would still have been the highlight even if he had! No idea how many dozens of hours we spent playing Virtua Racing on there, but my Switch tells me I’ve played that version for over seventy, and I’d say about half of that was was trying to win on Bay Bridge, which I’ve still only ever done once and find way harder than Acropolis, the supposed expert track! My times might mostly now be the wrong side of the top 500 on the leaderboard a few years on, but I still know every inch of those three perfectly designed courses, and I still go back at least weekly to see if I can squeeze out another fraction of a second from them. One of my top three racing games of all time, and apart from online play having never worked on the Switch version, I couldn’t ask for more.
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seansthomas
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Re: 536: Virtua Racing

Post by seansthomas »

Being from a strict Christian background, arcades were no gos as a kid. I would often wander along Southend seafront, looking longingly through the glass doors wondering what delights await inside.

Once I started a Saturday job at 15 and getting my own income, I started to venture into town more and check out the odd machine. And Virtua Racing was always the one I looked for.

It looked like something from another dimension. Futuristic, stylish and light years ahead of anything else. With cameras you could change and force feedback relayed through the pedals and steering wheel.

I only ever got to sit and play it in the full car version once or twice, and much of the time I spent near it was watching someone else better than me.

But it hugely holds a place in my heart.

So I was over the moon that of all the Sega racing games that got ported to Switch, this was the first. I've ploughed 40+ hours into it, and yet still have not placed first on that Intermediate track. I honestly don't know if it's possible at this point.

But it doesn't stop me loving it.
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MattL
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Re: 536: Virtua Racing

Post by MattL »

My only experience with Virtua Racing was when I rented it for the 32X. I have nothing else to add to the conversation. I just wanted to remind everyone that the 32X was a thing. Why Sega?
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Iain[Ian]Ianson
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Re: 536: Virtua Racing

Post by Iain[Ian]Ianson »

Having played a lot of the Switch version, and then returning to the Mega Drive version I played so much back in the day, it’s impressive to confirm how much of the original Arcade DNA they squeezed into that old port.

Even the very minor speed boosts you get from drafting are there.

Almost exactly the same techniques that I used on Mega Drive work well on Switch (and by extension the Arcade I guess?).

It all suggests that despite the Mega Drive frame-rate, there’s perhaps something more robust going on away from the rendering side of things?
The original Daytona USA port was the same. It still really feels like the arcade game’s core handling!

In general, I think this Mega Drive port really started the ball rolling where Sega/Namco managed to get these high-end/arcade-wheel based games feeling so faithful using a d-pad, culminating in the magical Saturn port of Sega Rally (and excluding the bizarre Daytona CE).

Thanks to my friend Martin for lending this game to me for two entire years, way back when.
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