Combat Cars
Racing and combat on 24 tracks with eight unique characters.
Combat Cars is a racing vehicular combat game developed by Scangames and published by Accolade for the Sega Genesis in 1994. It combines racing with weapon-based combat across multiple tracks.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Scangames
- Publisher
- Accolade
- Artist
- Stefan Holmqvist
- Composer
- John Carehag
- Released
- June 1994 (NA); July 8, 1994 (EU)
- Genre
- Racing, vehicular combat
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- Genesis
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Players race against opponents while using weapons and gadgets to damage them. Eight characters are available: Jackyl, Sadie Marks, Ray Shades, Mekmac, Metro 1200, Growl, Big Bad Mama, and Andrew Alien, each with distinct strengths, weaknesses, and unique weapons such as shotguns, glue spots, homing missiles, and mines. The game features 24 tracks. Money earned from winning or placing in races determines the player's score, but spending money on vehicle upgrades lowers that score. The player must complete all 24 circuit tracks in multiple laps within a time limit, which can be extended by reaching the start/finish line checkpoint. Running out of time or failing a race ends the game, prompting a name entry on a scoreboard with a background matching the last race's environment, after which the game resets to the SEGA introduction screen. A 2-player co-op mode is included.
Development
Originally developed by Scangames in December 1992 as Fun Car Rally, the game's art was created by Stefan Holmqvist and music composed by Matt Furniss, who drew inspiration from "Fun, Fun, Fun" by the Beach Boys for the title screen and "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed" by Matt Bianco for the name entry screen. Scangames sold the game to Accolade through MagiCom (later Funcom). Accolade requested a "cooler" appearance and techno music, leading to the rename to Combat Cars, a redesign of the eight playable characters, and the addition of weapons. John Carehag composed the soundtrack in Microsoft Works over five to six weeks, mostly inspired by 2 Unlimited, with exceptions for the main menu and character select screens (inspired by "What Is Love" by Haddaway) and the Beach circuit track (based on "Justify My Love" by Madonna). Carehag had about eight minutes to create the former tracks.
Reviews
Combat Cars earned middling reviews at launch. Mean Machines Sega found it unexpectedly addictive thanks to varied tracks and a two-player mode, though it deemed the graphics competent but unremarkable, the car powers lackluster, and noted no track editor. Computer & Video Games liked the pop techno soundtrack but felt the slippery controls and plain sprites hurt the experience. Electronic Gaming Monthly said the game was great with two players, yet observed that some cars held unfair advantages over others.
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