"Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!"

As a huge fan of the original RC Pro-Am for the NES, I was ecstatic when I first saw the Championship Pro-Am box staring me in the face at EB a few years ago. The second I saw that box, the memories I had of RC Pro-Am kept flooding back… the many close races, the fun gameplay, getting tons of trophies, all of it came back to me. Needless to say, a purchase of Championship Pro-Am was in order.

Much to my delight, the classic gameplay of the original was left intact on the Genesis. The only thing that was changed was the old letter collecting system, which used to involve you collecting the word “Nintendo” from letters scattered about the track. Now, you spell “Champion”, which is a nice little change. This 1992 Rare and Tradewest-developed, Midway-published game is pretty much identical to the original release, barring that minor gameplay change and the revamped graphics, sound, improved controls, and some added courses.

One thing I loved about the original game on the NES, and still love today on the Genesis version is the sheer joy that comes from playing this game. It’s simple to play, yet not simple to win at. To win, you’ll have to make efficient use of your weapons, and of the trackside objects and obstacles as well. You actually have to use some degree of cunning to emerge victorious in this game, and be able to later gaze upon your lovely collection of trophies. The need for actual skill is one of the things that keeps this game fresh to this day.

The controls for the NES game were nice and slick, and that holds true for the Genesis version as well. In fact, the Genesis version’s controls might just be a bit better due to the pad for it being more comfortable than the regular NES pad. They’re as responsive as ever, and thanks to the controller being easier to hold for longer periods of time, prolonged play sessions are more fun than they were on the NES, which is saying something..

Graphically, this version of the game is light years ahead of the NES original. Gone are the days of generic vehicles and tracks. Now, you have multiple shades of color for the vehicles, and nice shadows as well. Plus, increased detail in the track and the trackside surroundings. Also, the ¾ overhead perspective works as well as it ever did for this game, with the newly-added details making really helping to compliment the perspective, which is usually used to sacrifice graphical quality. In this case, the graphics are great, and the perspective used makes the game a bit easier to play. Doesn’t get much better than that folks.

The music in the game has been touched up as well, but in a good way. The classic, up-beat, and just plain catchy music from the original has been made a little bit louder, adding to the enjoyment of the music, at least for me. The sound effects have been refined a bit as well, and have a bit more impact to them.

R.C. Pro Am is a game that can be played for a few minutes, or a few hours, for a few years, or for over a decade. It’s always a blast to play, and this version is the best incarnation of it available. If you get a chance to snag this gem of a game, do so. You’ll thank yourself later, and potentially, grow even more fond of gaming at the same time.

Sega Nomad play for the game is fantstic, with the screen blurring being the only real problem. This can be overcome within a few minutes of play time though, and once you learn to overcome that problem, you'll be good to go. The controls are just about the same, as are the the music and sound effects. Being able to play a revamped version of the original R.C. Pro AM is just too awesome.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/22/03