''Rapid Racer'', known as ''Turbo Prop Racing'' in North America, is a

racing In sport, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific goa ...

video game developed by SCE Studios Soho and published by

Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is made up of two legal co ...

exclusively for the

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...

. In the game, the player takes control of a

motorboat A motorboat, speedboat or powerboat is a boat that is exclusively powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gea ...

and races around six different tracks. Eventually, all six tracks can be raced mirrored, as well as set at night time. By winning championships and completing bonus rounds (unlocked by five yellow icons during a race but first two-day tracks), players can unlock them which they can use to either upgrade their boat or unlock a higher-powered one.

Gameplay

''Rapid Racer'' was one of the first PlayStation games to take full advantage of the

DualShock The DualShock (originally Dual Shock; trademarked as DUALSHOCK or DUAL SHOCK; with the PlayStation 5 version named DualSense) is a line of gamepads with vibration-feedback and analog controls developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the Pla ...

controller; the game allow steering with the analog sticks, and the gamepad vibrates during gameplay. The intensity of the vibrations depends on what type of water the player is in; calm rapids mean low vibrations, while heavier rapids give high vibrations. After reaching a certain point in the game, players can unlock the Fractal Generator. This feature allows the player to select from a large number of tracks besides the normal six. Players can either allow the generator to randomly select a track or manually input their own.

Development

Work on ''Rapid Racer'' began in 1995. Six months were spent modeling the physics and behavior of the water. The European version of the game runs at 50

frames per second A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...

, while the North American version runs at 60 frames per second. The game's soundtrack was composed by

Apollo Four Forty Apollo 440 (also known as Apollo Four Forty or @440) are a British electronic music group formed in Liverpool in 1990. The group has written, recorded, and produced five studio albums, collaborated with and produced other artists, remixed as ...

( Loudmouth in ''Turbo Prop Racing''). The game's main theme "Carrera Rapida" by Apollo 440 was released as a single and on their 1997 album ''

Electro Glide in Blue ''Electro Glide in Blue'' is the second studio album by English electronic music group Apollo 440. It was first released on 3 March 1997 in the United Kingdom by Stealth Sonic Recordings and Epic Records and on 9 September 1997 in the United St ...

''.

Reception

''Rapid Racer'' received above-average reviews according to the

review aggregation A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

website

GameRankings GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...

. In Japan, where the game was ported for release on 16 July 1998, ''

Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...

'' gave it a score of 27 out of 40.

GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...

criticized the courses for being very narrow and limited, but praised the game's " hip-hop/

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...

" music, comparing it favorably to that of '' Wipeout''. ''

Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...

'' highlighted the fluid graphics and

frame rate Frame rate (expressed in or FPS) is the frequency (rate) at which consecutive images (frames) are captured or displayed. The term applies equally to film and video cameras, computer graphics, and motion capture systems. Frame rate may also be ca ...

, but criticized the unoriginal gameplay and unrealistic boat handling, which can frustrate players. The magazine concluded: "As a technological showcase, ''Rapid Racer'' is a truly impressive achievement. As a game in its own right, however, it falls disappointingly short of the expectations aroused by its glorious visuals." However, ''

Next Generation Next Generation or Next-Generation may refer to: Publications and literature * ''Next Generation'' (magazine), video game magazine that was made by the now defunct Imagine Media publishing company * Next Generation poets (2004), list of young ...

'' said, "Anyone who thinks that PlayStation is finished should check this game out."

References

External links

*{{moby game, id=/playstation/turbo-prop-racing 1997 video games Motorboat racing video games Multiplayer and single-player video games PlayStation (console) games PlayStation Network games Racing video games set in the United States Sony Interactive Entertainment games Video games developed in the United Kingdom Video games set in Africa Video games set in Canada Video games set in Miami Team Soho games