In raw performance numbers, the radio controlled cars of 1999’s Re-Volt might seem painfully slow compared to the Bugatti Chiron Supersports and Koenigsegg CCXs of Forza Horizon et al. Ask any RC bore, though, and they’ll tell you, it’s all about ‘scale speed’ and that they were actually going at the real world equivalent of 400mph or something.
Either way, Re-Volt had a clear vision for what an RC racing game should be and, frankly, it absolutely nailed it. The zippy cars themselves feel convincingly lightweight and plasticky, but it’s the selection of tracks that are the real star.
The game has you haring around at ankle-shattering height in a variety of surprisingly convincing real world locations. Whether it was hopping over dropped kerbs in a suburban neighbourhood or dealing with the sensory overload of racing through a colourful toy shop, Re-Volt had a unique blend of realism and cartoonish chaos that worked perfectly.
Even the powerups were, for the most part, grounded in some semblance of realism compared to the Mario Kart clones around at the time. Speed boosts came from uprated batteries and the projectiles you fired at other racers were household items like ball bearings and fireworks.
The only obvious exception was a car-mounted bomb that could be passed between racers hot potato style and eventually detonated. Bringing one of those to the local Sunday afternoon RC meet would almost certainly get you banned.
Re-Volt perfected the RC racing formula so comprehensively on its first try that, believe it or not, there is still a small online community that continues to race and unofficially update the PC version of the game to this day. But then, there are probably still people on the internet arguing over which G.I. Joe action figure is best, so make of that what you will.
PlayStation, N64, Dreamcast, PC, 1999
