Virtua Racing
Encyclopedia
Virtua Racing or V.R. for short, is a Formula One
racing
arcade game
, developed by Sega-AM2
and released in October 1992. Virtua Racing was initially a proof-of-concept application for exercising a new 3D-graphics platform under development, the "Model 1". The results were so encouraging, that Virtua Racing was fully developed into a standalone arcade title. Although Atari's Hard Drivin'
had introduced polygonal characters and environments to the racing
genre 4 years earlier, VR had vastly improved visuals in terms of polygon count, frame rate, and overall scene complexity, which all contributed to a greater sense of immersion.
The original arcade game has three levels, designated into difficulties. Beginner is "Big Forest", intermediate is "Bay Bridge" and expert is "Acropolis". Each level has its own special feature, for example the amusement park in "Big Forest", or the "Bay Bridge" itself, or the tight hairpin of "Acropolis".
VR introduced the "V.R. View System" by allowing the player to choose one of four views to play the game. This feature was then used in most other Sega arcade racing games (and is mentioned as a feature in the attract mode of games such as Daytona USA
). It was later ported to home consoles, starting with the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1994.
V.R. was released in a "twin" cabinet – the standard and most common version, which is effectively 2 complete machines built into a single cabinet. The Twin cabinets for the USA were manufactured by contract at Grand Products, Inc. in Illinois for Sega and were built using Wells-Gardner 25" monitors, nearly all of which had Zenith
picture tubes with a manufacturing defect that caused them to fail after a few years of use. As a result of this, many V.R. machines were parted or thrown out and are an uncommon sight today. The Twin cabinet that was sold in the rest of the world was built by Sega in Japan and used 29" Nanao monitors.
Also available was an upright (UR), which was a single-player cabinet using the same force-feedback steering as the twin.
There was also a Deluxe version, known as the V.R. DX cabinet type, which is also a single-player machine and has a 16:9 aspect-ratio monitor (the first use of a widescreen aspect ratio monitor in an arcade game), and 6 airbags (3 on each side) built into the seat that will inflate and "nudge" the player when cornering, and one more airbag on the player's back that inflates under braking. The seat is also adjustable via "forward" and "back" buttons using air pressure. V.R. DX's force-feedback steering also uses two pneumatic cylinders to rotate the steering wheel, which differ from the electric motor-and-clutch system that the upright and twin versions use (which have no inbuilt air system), so the steering feel is quite different.
Virtua Formula was released in 1993. It was unveiled at the opening of Sega's second arcade amusement park Joypolis
, where a whole room with 32 machines was dedicated to the game. Virtua Formula was effectively a "super DX" version of V.R. and the player sat in a full-motion hydraulically-actuated Formula One car 'replica' in front of a 50" screen. Most of these units were converted into Sega's second-generation Indy car simulator, Indy 500
, and are commonly found at larger Sega Gameworks
locations in the USA.
All versions of Virtua Racing are linkable up to 8-players; meaning 4 twin units or 8 DX, UR, or Virtua Formula cabinets can be linked together using fiber-optic cables. In addition this, there was an optional display known as the Live Monitor that would sit on top of the twin cabinets and replay action shots of what was occurring on the live players in a "virtual sportscast" by a virtual commentator, "Virt McPolygon".
on an extra chip was created to enable a version on the Mega Drive/Genesis. It was more expensive than other games, initially retailing at £70 in the United Kingdom and US$
100 in the United States. Despite being severely scaled down, it was still technically impressive, and was very well received by reviewers. It was the only game to ever use the SVP.
The game was incompatible with Majesco's re-released Genesis 3 from 1998, and would not work on any Mega Drive equipped with a Sega 32X
.
The Sega 32X version also known as Virtua Racing Deluxe was released in 1994, developed by Sega-AM2
, and published by Sega
under the Sega Sports label. It performed much closer to the original arcade, included two extra cars ("Stock" and "Prototype") and two new tracks ("Highland" and "Sand Park"). Due to the poor sales of the 32X, the game was not as popular as its Mega Drive predecessor.
The Sega Saturn
version, previously known by the working title Virtua Racing Saturn, was released in 1995 and developed and published by Time Warner Interactive. The Saturn release has the game soundtrack as standard Red Book audio
, which can be listened to in any CD player. The Saturn version also includes ten new courses and four new cars. Unlike other versions, it features Grand Prix mode, where players drive a series of cars and the tracks to earn points.
A remake was released for the PlayStation 2 under the Sega Ages
2500 label known as Virtua Racing: Flatout. It was released in Japan
in 2004 and in North America
and Europe
in 2005 as part of the Sega Classics Collection
. It includes three new courses and four new cars.
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing
Racing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
, developed by Sega-AM2
Sega-AM2
Sega Amusement Machine Research and Development Department 2 is a research and development team for the video game company Sega. Originally known as "Sega Amusement Developing Section 8", AM2 was previously headed up by famed designer Yu Suzuki...
and released in October 1992. Virtua Racing was initially a proof-of-concept application for exercising a new 3D-graphics platform under development, the "Model 1". The results were so encouraging, that Virtua Racing was fully developed into a standalone arcade title. Although Atari's Hard Drivin'
Hard Drivin'
Hard Drivin is an arcade game that invites players to test drive a high-powered sports car on stunt and speed courses. The game featured the first 3D polygon driving environment via a simulator cabinet, rendered with a custom architecture...
had introduced polygonal characters and environments to the racing
Racing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
genre 4 years earlier, VR had vastly improved visuals in terms of polygon count, frame rate, and overall scene complexity, which all contributed to a greater sense of immersion.
The original arcade game has three levels, designated into difficulties. Beginner is "Big Forest", intermediate is "Bay Bridge" and expert is "Acropolis". Each level has its own special feature, for example the amusement park in "Big Forest", or the "Bay Bridge" itself, or the tight hairpin of "Acropolis".
VR introduced the "V.R. View System" by allowing the player to choose one of four views to play the game. This feature was then used in most other Sega arcade racing games (and is mentioned as a feature in the attract mode of games such as Daytona USA
Daytona USA (arcade game)
Daytona USA is a 1993 racing video game by Sega. Considered one of the highest grossing arcade games of all time, Daytona USA was Sega's first title to debut on the Sega Model 2 arcade board, and at the time of its 1993 introduction, was considered the most visually detailed 3D arcade racing game...
). It was later ported to home consoles, starting with the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1994.
Arcade cabinet versions
Zenith
The zenith is an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the imaginary celestial sphere. "Above" means in the vertical direction opposite to the apparent gravitational force at that location. The opposite direction, i.e...
picture tubes with a manufacturing defect that caused them to fail after a few years of use. As a result of this, many V.R. machines were parted or thrown out and are an uncommon sight today. The Twin cabinet that was sold in the rest of the world was built by Sega in Japan and used 29" Nanao monitors.
Also available was an upright (UR), which was a single-player cabinet using the same force-feedback steering as the twin.
There was also a Deluxe version, known as the V.R. DX cabinet type, which is also a single-player machine and has a 16:9 aspect-ratio monitor (the first use of a widescreen aspect ratio monitor in an arcade game), and 6 airbags (3 on each side) built into the seat that will inflate and "nudge" the player when cornering, and one more airbag on the player's back that inflates under braking. The seat is also adjustable via "forward" and "back" buttons using air pressure. V.R. DX's force-feedback steering also uses two pneumatic cylinders to rotate the steering wheel, which differ from the electric motor-and-clutch system that the upright and twin versions use (which have no inbuilt air system), so the steering feel is quite different.
Virtua Formula was released in 1993. It was unveiled at the opening of Sega's second arcade amusement park Joypolis
Joypolis
Joypolis is an amusement park that was first opened on July 20, 1994 in Yokohama, Japan. Joypolis centres have since opened in several cities in Japan with the parks featuring arcade games and amusement rides based on Sega intellectual properties...
, where a whole room with 32 machines was dedicated to the game. Virtua Formula was effectively a "super DX" version of V.R. and the player sat in a full-motion hydraulically-actuated Formula One car 'replica' in front of a 50" screen. Most of these units were converted into Sega's second-generation Indy car simulator, Indy 500
Indy 500 (arcade game)
Indy 500 is a 1995 arcade racing game by SEGA Japan. It follows the format of previous driving games such as Daytona USA. It includes the famous Indianapolis 500...
, and are commonly found at larger Sega Gameworks
GameWorks
GameWorks is a chain of entertainment venues featuring video games, simulators, prizes, and a full service bar and restaurant. There are 7 GameWorks venues throughout the U.S. The first GameWorks opened in Downtown Seattle in March 1997....
locations in the USA.
All versions of Virtua Racing are linkable up to 8-players; meaning 4 twin units or 8 DX, UR, or Virtua Formula cabinets can be linked together using fiber-optic cables. In addition this, there was an optional display known as the Live Monitor that would sit on top of the twin cabinets and replay action shots of what was occurring on the live players in a "virtual sportscast" by a virtual commentator, "Virt McPolygon".
Home console versions
Due to the complexity of the Model 1 board, a home console version seemed unlikely, until 1994 when a cartridge design incorporating the Sega Virtua ProcessorSega Virtua Processor
The Sega Virtua Processor is a DSP introduced by Sega in 1994 to expand the Mega Drive's 3D capabilities. The SVP was Sega's answer to Nintendo's Super FX processor used in some of their SFC/SNES cartridges....
on an extra chip was created to enable a version on the Mega Drive/Genesis. It was more expensive than other games, initially retailing at £70 in the United Kingdom and US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
100 in the United States. Despite being severely scaled down, it was still technically impressive, and was very well received by reviewers. It was the only game to ever use the SVP.
"...the speed, graphic intensity and addictive gameplay that made the arcade game a major hit are all included in this awe inspiring release." (Diehard GameFanGameFan magazineGameFan Magazine was a publication started by Tim Lindquist and Dave Halverson in September 1992 that provided coverage of domestic and import video games. It was notable for its extensive use of game screenshots in page design because of the lack of good screen shots in other US publications at...
magazine, June 1994 issue)
The game was incompatible with Majesco's re-released Genesis 3 from 1998, and would not work on any Mega Drive equipped with a Sega 32X
Sega 32X
The Sega 32X, codenamed Project Mars, is an add-on for the Mega Drive/Genesis video game console by Sega. Its aim was to increase the lifespan of the aging Mega Drive/Genesis system, which was facing stiff competition from the SNES...
.
The Sega 32X version also known as Virtua Racing Deluxe was released in 1994, developed by Sega-AM2
Sega-AM2
Sega Amusement Machine Research and Development Department 2 is a research and development team for the video game company Sega. Originally known as "Sega Amusement Developing Section 8", AM2 was previously headed up by famed designer Yu Suzuki...
, and published by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
under the Sega Sports label. It performed much closer to the original arcade, included two extra cars ("Stock" and "Prototype") and two new tracks ("Highland" and "Sand Park"). Due to the poor sales of the 32X, the game was not as popular as its Mega Drive predecessor.
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
version, previously known by the working title Virtua Racing Saturn, was released in 1995 and developed and published by Time Warner Interactive. The Saturn release has the game soundtrack as standard Red Book audio
Red Book (audio CD standard)
Red Book is the standard for audio CDs . It is named after one of the Rainbow Books, a series of books that contain the technical specifications for all CD and CD-ROM formats.The first edition of the Red Book was released in 1980 by Philips and Sony; it was adopted by the Digital Audio Disc...
, which can be listened to in any CD player. The Saturn version also includes ten new courses and four new cars. Unlike other versions, it features Grand Prix mode, where players drive a series of cars and the tracks to earn points.
A remake was released for the PlayStation 2 under the Sega Ages
Sega Ages
Sega Ages refers to a number of compilations or re-releases of classic video games from developer and publisher Sega.-Saturn version:Sega-AM2 released several Sega Ages games for the Sega Saturn in Japan:...
2500 label known as Virtua Racing: Flatout. It was released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 2004 and in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 2005 as part of the Sega Classics Collection
Sega Classics Collection
Sega Classics Collection is a PlayStation 2 compilation that contains new 3D versions of classic Sega titles. The original games were released separately as part of the Sega Ages games in Japan. This game is not to be confused with the similarly titled Sega Genesis Collection, which contains 28...
. It includes three new courses and four new cars.
External links
- information at segaarcade.com
- System16 - Sega Model 1 Hardware
- Arcade version referenced and shown within this 2002 video piece on the history of Polygon Graphics
- Fanpage for Sega Virtua Racing owners