Top Racer Collection
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System was the home for several IPs that would become legendary over the decades. One genre that often doesn't get spoken of is racing games. Mario Kart comes to mind first when "Nintendo" and "Racing" are paired together, but it is not something I would consider a "cult classic." Top Racer was another, yet never received the acclaim as the plumber in a go-kart, unfortunately. Better known to players as Top Gear, Top Racer was a circuit racer with the spirit of Sega's OutRun with the depth of a console game. Several details that are common in racing games today were featured in these games, including fuel management and upgrades that rewarded podium positions.
Originally slated for a January release, the Top Racer Collection has been delayed until March. Instead, QUByte Interactive released a demo featuring the first course from all four games. Players are also given maximum upgrades for the games in the series that include them. It's a minor detail but I liked this decision because it gives the player a chance to try the game with the best perks.
Beginning with the original Top Racer, the graphical limitations at the time helped the developers become creative in bringing perspective. Field depth and angular changes give things a sense of speed that was only found in arcade titles at the time. Sega already had OutRun and HangOn. Nintendo needed a game similar to its competitor. It was a win-win for Nintendo and racing game fans as both consoles had options.
There are four cars to choose from, each with various strengths and weaknesses. Cars have fuel that acts as a soft timer but there's usually enough time to finish a race before your fuel runs out. After selecting automatic or manual transmission, the player then selects one of four cars, each with various acceleration, top speed, grip, and fuel consumption. The cars with the highest top speed burn the most fuel, penalizing the player for mistakes. I didn't notice too much of a difference between the four cars in terms of fuel consumption. The first course has the course layout of a NASCAR track anyway, so it's a fairly simple racer to get first in.
Exclusive to Top Racer Collection is Crossroads, a modern reimagining of Top Racer with unique vehicles. Some are era-accurate while others reference other racing games, such as a Ferrari convertible. It's the same course and I didn't see too much of a difference aside from the different roster of cars available. It's a nice bonus passion project developed by fans of the original trilogy, especially for its popularity in Brazil.
Top Racer 2 is a complete step above the original, which was more arcade-oriented. The sequel took on a sort of "simcade" approach, with players able to buy upgrades. A damage model and a nitrous system are in place, with the player character yelling one-liners every time something happens. Much of what made this game iconic would be carried over into Horizon Chase Turbo, largely inspired by this particular game in the series.
Lastly, Top Racer 3000 followed the weird trend of "Let's bring every iconic racer into the future." It didn't work quite well with OutRun 2019. Suddenly, cyberpunk and futuristic rides didn't mesh well with the ongoing Summer vacation vibes the series had presented itself. TR3000 didn't suffer from feeling out of place, at least from playing the demo. There are red and blue panels that restore health and nitrous, almost similar to F-Zero. Combine Top Racer 2 with the concept of an early anti-grav racer and this was the result.
One thing that readers may realize is the title of the collection. It went under a different title, Top Gear. While Top Gear aired on BBC since the 70s, its rise in modern popularity would cause the unaware fan to assume this is a tie-in to the show. I'm sure the name change was made to avoid any potential dispute. The Top Gear Collection will be released in March. I intend to cover each game in the series in more depth.