MegaRace 1+2 Free Download [2023]

 MegaRace 1+2 Introduction:

MegaRace, developed by Cryo, is a racing video game that made its debut on DOS in 1993 before being released on the Sega CD and the 3DO the following year. The game features impressive pre-rendered 3-D graphics and includes more than twenty minutes of full-motion video featuring the fictional game show host, Lance Boyle. This successful title spawned two sequels: MegaRace 2 and MegaRace 3.

Set in a futuristic world, MegaRace immerses players in a fictional game show also named MegaRace, broadcast on the VWBT (Virtual World Broadcast Television) channel. In this dystopian future, contestants engage in high-stakes races against speed gangs, where victory means life and defeat means death. The eccentric Lance Boyle, portrayed by actor Christian Erickson, serves as the game's host. He guides players through the game, introducing them to new levels and enemies while frequently discouraging their progress.

Gameplay:

MegaRace combines elements of vehicular combat and arcade gameplay, reminiscent of titles like RoadBlasters and Spy Hunter. However, it also incorporates rail shooter mechanics, limiting players' control over their vehicle. Players can move their car from side to side and accelerate within a restricted range, but they cannot turn or come to a complete stop. This limitation is due to the full-motion video rendering of the speedway. During races, players must not only eliminate their opponents but also strategically avoid or run over "symbols" on the speedway, which temporarily enhance or hinder the car's performance.

The primary objective in MegaRace is to eliminate all members of the speed gangs in each race before completing three laps of the racetrack. The number of speed-gang adversaries increases with each subsequent race. Players can dispatch opponents by slamming them into the track's sidewalls, using missiles mounted on their car, or passing them to cause their vehicles to explode when the gap between the two cars becomes too significant. Players have a limited supply of missiles for each race. Failing to defeat all opponents within three laps results in a loss, requiring the player to restart from their last saved game. However, defeating all opponents advances the player to the next race. Achieving a score higher than Lance Boyle's (120,000 points), playing for a sufficient duration, and finishing in second, third, or occasionally fourth place allows players to progress to the next track. Typically, any position other than first either ends the game or forces the player to play the "Last-Chance Speedway."

Final Words:

The 3DO version of MegaRace received positive reviews, earning four out of five stars from Next Generation magazine. It was considered a noteworthy addition to the racing game genre for the 3DO console.

MegaRace's success led to the development of two sequels, MegaRace 2 in 1996 and MegaRace 3 in 2001. MegaRace 2 retained the pre-rendered method of the original but incorporated 3D polygon car models. MegaRace 3, on the other hand, featured full real-time 3-D graphics. Lance Boyle returned as the host in both sequels.

Additionally, during the early to mid-1990s, MegaRace was bundled with select Packard Bell, Quantex computers, Matrox video cards, and Gravis joysticks, further cementing its place in gaming history.