Street Racer (1994 video game)

Gameplay

Street Racer is a go-kart racing game which combines racing with violence. Characters can strike opponents with their fists and must avoid explosives littered around the track. The game's characters (including Surf Sister and Frank Instein) possess unique power-ups such as the Screaming Banshee, Batmobile, magic carpet and tri-plane.

The game features the ability to race various championships beginning with the Bronze Championship and moving on to progressively more difficult competitions. An alternative one-on-one mode is also available. The game awards points for final race positions, with bonus points given for accolades such as fastest lap. The competitor with the most points after all races wins the Championship. The game includes a "Rumble" mode in which players attempt to force opponents from an arena. The "Soccer" mode is a free-for-all football match with one goal and in which players tackle by colliding with the opponent.

Reception

GamePro gave the SNES version a rave review, saying that it features gameplay similar to Super Mario Kart but is "even better." They praised the large selection of imaginative tracks, the individualized special weapons for each character, the four player "head-to-head-to-head-to-head" mode, the ability to rewatch races from any angle, the graphics, the smooth controls, and the alternate "Rumble" and "Soccer" modes. They concluded that "UBI Soft has outdone itself with this racing winner."

Street Racer was a "top SNES game" and "highly successful" on the Mega Drive according to Amiga Format. Reviewing the Amiga version, Andy Smith of Amiga Format complained of the soccer mode: "Your car moves as if it's in treacle while everyone else seems to be on greased rails". The reviewer said the soccer mode was "bizarre and, frankly, not much fun". He called the rumble mode "even less exciting" and said of the game overall "It's not that it's a complete pig or anything, it's just that it promises so much and manages to deliver so little". Smith said the "good tracks" of the "top SNES game" version had been "sacrificed" for "decent speed" and complained that this speed ruined the cornering mechanics. He said the background graphics were attractive but the animations "jerky" and wrote: "Well done chaps, you've made a crap racing game with some nice backgrounds." He also called the music "dreadful" and sound effects "crap", awarding 45%. CU Amiga Magazine complained that the tracks were shallow, but contended the game's appeal was in combating other characters. The reviewer noted the "pretty intense" action of the rumble mode and said the football mode did not live up to its potential but was a "pretty reasonable" distraction. The magazine said the game was simple but "demented fun" and praised its variety, awarding 87%.

GameSpot, reviewing the PlayStation version, called the game "mildly entertaining" and said "It's good enough for a weekend rental, but not much more." The website awarded a "mediocre" score of 5.8. Sega Saturn Magazine found "the characters a bit tacky and the characters largely derivative" but praised the game's artificial intelligence and variety of game modes. The magazine called the graphics "very nice indeed, colourful and rich in detail" but said "racing tends to give you the impression that the road is moving while the car remains stationary." The reviewer compared the game to Mario Kart, saying "It lacks the overall accessibility of the Super NES classic and the course design isn't quite as innovative." The reviewer said "Street Racer remains very playable and challenging and is especially fun in multi-player mode" and awarded 82%. Other critics also noted that the game was inspired by Mario Kart, with Esquire calling it a "likeable clone, boasting more cartoon characters in the kind of no-holds-barred go-kart race you dream of having when you come home from the pub with your chums."