Virtua Racing
| Virtua Racing | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Sega AM R&D #2 |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Designer(s) | Yu Suzuki |
| Composer(s) |
Arcade Takenobu Mitsuyoshi Sega 32X Naofumi Hataya |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Sega Genesis, Sega 32X, Sega Saturn |
| Release |
Arcade
|
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Arcade system | Sega Model 1 |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Publication | Score |
| CVG | (Arcade) 90% (Mega Drive) 84% (32X) 93% |
| EGM | (Arcade) 9/10 (Genesis) 31/40 (Saturn) 15/20 |
| Famitsu | (Mega Drive) 33/40 (Mega Drive) 8/10 |
| GameFan | (Genesis) 270/300 |
| Electronic Games | (Genesis) A |
| Maximum | (Saturn)  
|
| Mega | (Mega Drive) 92% |
| Next Generation | (Saturn)
|
| Sega Saturn Magazine | (Saturn) 77% |
| Awards | |
|---|---|
| Publication | Award |
| (1992) | 2nd Best Graphics, 8th Best Action, 10th Best Direction |
| GamePro (1994) | Best Genesis Game (CES) |
| GameFan Megawards (1994) | Best Driving/Racing Game (Genesis) |
| GameFan (1994) | Game of the Month |
| Mega (1994) | 4th Top Mega Drive Game of All Time |
| Next Generation (1996) | 11th Top Game of All Time |
| IGN (2015) | 3rd Most Influential Racing Game Ever |
Virtua Racing or V.R. for short, is a Formula One racing arcade game, developed by Sega AM2 and released in 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. Though its use of 3D polygonal graphics was predated by arcade rivals Namco (Winning Run in 1988) and Atari (Hard Drivin' in 1989), Virtua Racing had vastly improved visuals in terms of polygon count, frame rate, and overall scene complexity, and displayed multiple camera angles and 3D human non-player characters, which all contributed to a greater sense of immersion. Virtua Racing is regarded as one of the most influential video games of all time, for laying the foundations for subsequent 3D racing games and for popularizing 3D polygonal graphics among a wider audience.
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".
When selecting a car, the player can choose different transmission types.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 U.S. 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.
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