THRASH RALLY

by Bobak!

Thrash Rally: A Capsule-Review by Bobak! 

In Brief:

 Released by Alpha team in ’91, Thrash Rally is the little game that could. Not technically advanced by any means (in fact, some would argue that its technically deficient), Thrash Rally’s strength is built on its pure playability. If you can get past the very primitive graphics and sound, there’s a game worth playing under there –especially for the rock-bottom prices it goes for. However, if its graphics you want  try Neo Driftout or Overtop (both very similar in play-style). 

Graphics: 

Thrash Rally looks like an NES game done on the Genesis. Other than Diggerman, Thrash Rally has, in this reviews opinion, the least impressive graphics on the Neo Geo. Even the insert screenshots do nothing to make the game look any better. However, in practical terms, the graphics do nothing to take away from the actual gaming experience. Just don’t stack you hopes on a visual feat. 

Music/SFX: 

The audio aspects of Thrash Rally are also rather sub-par. While not as bad as the graphics, you get the feeling that the programmers just weren’t ‘reaching’ high enough with the capabilities of the Neo Geo. Where they put all 46 Megs they claim went into this game is anybody’s guess. Still, as music goes, the game does put out a few memorable little tunes as your driving around the courses. The sound of motors and squealing tires, while not perfect, do the job. There are a few nice digital sounds (like sound of your car hitting an elephant), but nothing more. 

Playability:

It is here that Thrash Rally finally emerges. As overhead, "look-out-for-the-next-curve" driving games go, Thrash Rally is exactly what it should be. While nearly all the cars look alike, they do have noticeable handling differences, and with little graphics or sounds to worry about, the game coasts along as a perfect pace. If you’re into these sorts of games, I don’t think playability will be an issue.

Replay: 

Well, the game is fun enough to warrant repeat visits. It has two modes: The season based World Championship mode and the big single-race Paris-Dakar Rally. As an added bonus, the Rally even has a few extra vehicles thrown in (including my favorite, the Semi truck!). As a final note, if you actually have two Neo Geos and two Thrash Rally carts, you can supposedly link them together and play against friends… But I have never seen nor heard of anyone who’s done this –if it is possible, it might actually be quite fun! 

Breakdown:

GRAPHICS: 20% (70% on Genesis) 

MUSIC/SFX: 45% 

PLAYABILITY: 80%

REPLAY VALUE: 1 player: Fair, 2 players: Unknown. 

DIFFICULTY: Fair 

OVERALL: 70% 

(As a final note, the other racers in the game are actually real racers who were assumable licensed for their use in the game –not that anyone reading this actually follows the Rally circuit.)

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More Reviews of This Game:

by Kazuya_UK - Courtesy of Kazuya's

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