R.C. Pro-Am
System: NES
Release Date: February 1988
Developer: Rare
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Racing
Up next we have R.C. Pro-Am. I have fond memories of this game as a kid. One of those being that it sat on top of my refrigerator for years, me unsure that it still worked. One day I popped it back in and much to my delight it worked just fine. The B Button is used to accelerate. The A Button is used to honk your horn, shoot a missile, or drop a bomb depending on what you have stored.
You start off as an R.C. truck. It’s slow and doesn’t handle great, but your opponents are also slow and don’t handle well. You can increase the attributes of your R.C. by collecting items on the track. Engines increase the top speed you can sustain. Turbo increases your acceleration. Sticky tires increase your handling. If you miss many of these, you’ll be screwed.
You will also find zippers on courses, which give you an immediate speed boost. Roll cages that make you invincible to crashing, as well as give you the ability to spin out opponents. Missiles, which allow you to shoot in front of you to takes out opponents. Bombs, which you drop behind you to keep opponents from getting past you. Stars, which add to your ammo stock.
Most importantly of all, bonus letters. If you collect enough to spell out “NINTENDO” you upgrade your vehicle. You start with the slow truck, then upgrade to the faster 4-wheeler, then finally the fastest of the bunch, the off-roader. I typically die out by the time I get nearly done with the 4-wheeler.
The obstacles are what will get you. It starts off innocently enough, with puddles that slow you down, but then things quickly spiral out of hand. Oil slicks spin you out and if you run off the track, you’ll crash instead of bounce along. Rain clouds act like moving puddles. Pop-up barriers will smash you if you run into them. Opponents can also pick up roll cages and run into you as you can to them.
Graphics: 2.0
Graphics aren’t bad, but they lack detail. There’s a lot of solid colors.
Sound: 1.5
The music is good in the few places it exists, but the skidding sound effect is obnoxious.
Gameplay: 2.5
Collect powerups on the track in order to have a chance at winning. Don’t come in last, though.
Difficulty: 2.5
I think the difficulty ramps up too quickly. Once you get about a dozen levels in, you have to be near perfect to continue on.
Fun Factor: 2.0
I have a good time with R.C. Pro-Am. Is it perfect? No. Is it pretty good? Yes.
Overall Grade: 2.1
R.C. Pro-Am earns a C. I’m fond of it, but objectively, I can only say it’s okay.