Virtua Racing was released for the Sega Genesis in June of 1994. This game used Sega's SVP Chip that was custom made for this game and was mentioned greatly in the marketing of the game. By the way, the SVP Chip basically gave the Genesis a graphical overhaul. It allowed up to 512 colors to be on-screen at once and gave the Gensis the ability to display more polygons, too bad it also made the game cost $100. Graphics-10/10- The best graphics ever for a Genesis racing game. The SVP Chip did a great job of pushing polygons on the Genesis. The graphics may not be arcade perfect, but they're close. The car animation in the game is smooth, the backgrounds move by at a blistering pace with very little slowdown. Without a doubt, the game's best feature. Sound-6/10- The music is bland and uninspired, but the engine noises are good as are the voices and tire screeches. The sound is good but is still a letdown. Gameplay-5/10- You can choose between 3 tracks and a manual or automatic car, That's it. Luckily the tracks can be reversed are huge and take a long time to master. Controls- 8/10- For the most part they're great, but they're a bit too touchy when it comes to turns. Overall, great, but turning is a chore. Replay Value-6/10- The only real reason to replay the game would be to master the courses and to beat your top score. It's an arcade port however, and is easily forgivable. Presentation-10/10- I'll be real generous here, the presentation is not important in this game. If you loved the arcade's presentation, you'll love the home version's, it's arcade perfect. Overall-8/10- The graphics are excellent, the control is great, and the tracks are huge. If you're looking for a game with a lot of bells & whistles, look elsewhere, this game is about instant gratification in it's purest sense. Rent or Buy?-Buy- Not many places rent Genesis games anymore and It's an excellent game, worth almost any price. Be forewarned though, some places charge up to $50 for it, shop around if you want it. I recommend checking out a local or Blockbuster Video, some sell Sega Genesis games, most of them are under $15, I picked this game up for $5 at mine. If this fails, fo to Funcoland or try flea markets. For Nomad Owners- There is a small amount of blurring, the sound is crystal clear, and the control is still excellent. Overall, an excellent racing game to add to any Nomad owner's library.
