Rough Racer

Rough Racer © 1990 Sega.

A colourful top-down racing game for one to four players; Rough Racer takes most of its inspiration from Atari's "Sprint" series, and from "Championship" and "Super Sprint" in particular.

The game features ten different tracks, each with its own graphical theme. After the first race, in addition to the four racing cars a fifth 'drone' vehicle is added, whose sole intention is to hinder the four racers. The drone is visibly different from the racers and can be anything from a steam roller to a cement mixer.

To qualify for the next race, players must initially finish within the top three places. In later levels, progression can only be made by finishing in first place. A qualifying place will earn the player money which can be used at a between-stage garage to upgrade the player's car. Tires and armour can be upgraded, as well as filling the car's engine with 'nitro' fluid. When used in-race, this gives the player's car a temporary speed boost, although this is at the expense of control.