Death Rally
Encyclopedia
Death Rally is a top-down perspective racing
video game developed by Remedy
, published by Apogee
and distributed by GT Interactive. It was released on September 6, 1996. In the game, the player starts with $495 and a lowly car named Vagabond (based on the VW Beetle), and must compete in deadly races where all cars are armed (game without guns is an option), and win money by finishing top, collecting money bonus or fulfilling missions. The final goal is defeating the Adversary, the undisputed king of Death Rally. This game was updated for modern operating systems and re-released as freeware
by Remedy Entertainment in 2009. On January 11, 2011, Remedy announced that a remake of Death Rally will be released on the iPhone and iPad in March 2011. The remake was released on 31 March 2011 on App Store as a universal app for 3rd generation devices and higher.
s and rocket fuel (which increases speed greatly, but its use damages not only the player car but also any car too close behind). Before each race the player can also ask for a loan and/or bribe a mechanic to tamper with the car of the player's highest-ranked opponent in the race (with the exception of the Adversary's car); this causes a random amount of damage from 25 to 49%.
Though a total of 19 tracks exist, half the tracks are duplicates of other tracks, rotated 180 degrees and recolored. Certain tracks are only available in certain levels of competition:
All tracks except The Arena are available to all racers in multiplayer.
The player can also gain money through achieving extra objectives, such as destroying all opponents or finishing with 2% damage to the car or less (applies to game with guns only) or winning three races in a row. Prior to a race, the player can also be asked to perform a specific job, either collecting Steroids along the track (and win the race), or eliminating a certain opponent. A successful mission gives the player a significant amount of money, while a failure causes the player to lose money; if the player does not have enough to cover the loss (around half of the offered value), they may lose one of their upgrades. Knowing the opposition, the player can either accept or decline the job, if it seems too difficult.
, Jane Honda or Sam Speed) to 0 (the player), and with different cars. The player selects an avatar, and the driver whom he selects will not appear as an opponent. This is an effective way of removing Duke Nukem, as he carries extra protection that makes him very difficult to eliminate.
Depending on which face is selected, Liz Arden may be driving a Vagabond, Cher Stone a Dervish, Greg Peck a Sentinel, Clint West a Shrieker, or Nasty Nick a Deliverator, to keep the number of drivers of each type of car consistent.
Although most of them will stick to their closest divisions, they occasionally race in other divisions, which gives room for some tactics.
When the player finally makes it to the top spot, he is challenged to face the Adversary. The Adversary drives a souped-up Deliverator that's not available for normal play with prominent chainguns and a rocket engine. Because "no one touches the Adversary's vehicle and lives" according to the Underground Market staff, Sabotage is not available against the Adversary. The final race takes place at The Arena, a slightly oval-shaped circuit. If the player does not want to race the Adversary yet, he has to sit until he drops out of the first spot. Computer drivers can compete in regular races even if they are on the top spot.
release of Death Rally. While releasing the game as open-source could not be agreed upon, Komppa instead started working on porting
the game to modern Microsoft Windows
systems. In consequence of his work, Remedy released Death Rally as freeware
on 20 October 2009.
An article chronicling Komppa's work was printed in an April 2010 issue of Game Developer magazine and later posted online.
and iPad
was released on 31 March 2011. It features the song Can You Hear Me by Poets of the Fall
. The remake includes in-game cameo appearances from different game characters, including Alan Wake
's Barry Wheeler, John Gore from Minigore
and Angry Birds
' Mighty Eagle. Duke Nukem
also appears as an opponent, as he did in the original game.
Racing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
video game developed by Remedy
Remedy Entertainment
Remedy Entertainment is a Finnish computer game developer founded in 1995 and based in Espoo, Finland. The company is best known for its Max Payne and Alan Wake series of video games.-History:...
, published by Apogee
3D Realms
3D Realms is a current video game publisher and former video game developer based in Garland, Texas, United States, established in 1987...
and distributed by GT Interactive. It was released on September 6, 1996. In the game, the player starts with $495 and a lowly car named Vagabond (based on the VW Beetle), and must compete in deadly races where all cars are armed (game without guns is an option), and win money by finishing top, collecting money bonus or fulfilling missions. The final goal is defeating the Adversary, the undisputed king of Death Rally. This game was updated for modern operating systems and re-released as freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
by Remedy Entertainment in 2009. On January 11, 2011, Remedy announced that a remake of Death Rally will be released on the iPhone and iPad in March 2011. The remake was released on 31 March 2011 on App Store as a universal app for 3rd generation devices and higher.
Cars
Each car can fit a number of upgrades that increase defense capacities (armor), handling (tires) and top speed (engine). While the chain gun cannot be upgraded, as each one is part of each car, it is possible to acquire temporary upgrades at a costlier price. These include bumper spikes, land mineLand mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
s and rocket fuel (which increases speed greatly, but its use damages not only the player car but also any car too close behind). Before each race the player can also ask for a loan and/or bribe a mechanic to tamper with the car of the player's highest-ranked opponent in the race (with the exception of the Adversary's car); this causes a random amount of damage from 25 to 49%.
- Vagabond (based on the Volkswagen BeetleVolkswagen BeetleThe Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
): This is the car players start with. Can handle one engine upgrade, two tire upgrades, and one armor upgrade. Armed with a single small gun. - Dervish (a pickup truckPickup truckA pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
): Can handle up to two of every upgrade. Until you get this car, the loan shark will not give you a second look. Armed with a slightly better gun. - Sentinel (a sedan, possibly based on the Toyota AE86Toyota AE86The AE86 generation of the Toyota Corolla Levin and Toyota Sprinter Trueno is a small, lightweight coupe introduced by Toyota in 1983 as part of the fifth generation Toyota Corolla lineup. For the purpose of brevity, the insider-chassis code of "AE86" is used to describe the whole range...
): The best car available in the shareware version. Can handle up to two engine upgrades, three tire upgrades, and two armor upgrades. Armed with a large gun. - Shrieker (based on the Pontiac Trans AmPontiac FirebirdThe Pontiac Firebird was built by the Pontiac division of General Motors between 1967 and 2002. The Firebird was introduced the same year as the automaker's platform-sharing model, the Chevrolet Camaro...
): Can handle up to three of every upgrade. Armed with two machine guns. - Wraith (based on the Porsche 911Porsche 911The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
): Just under the Deliverator in power. Can handle up to three engine upgrades, four tire upgrades, and three armor upgrades. Armed with two large machine guns. - Deliverator (based on Mach 5 from Speed RacerSpeed RacerSpeed Racer is an English adaptation name of the Japanese manga and anime, which centered on automobile racing. Mach GoGoGo was originally serialized in print form in Shueisha's 1958 Shōnen Book, and was released in tankōbon book form by Sun Wide Comics, re-released in Japan by Fusosha...
): As put by the game, "Prince of the Race". Can be fully upgraded. Armed with two deadly chainguns.
Tracks and divisions
Each race day has three races divisions open to any driver (to a maximum of 4) regardless of their score, although the game suggests not entering medium races without a Sentinel and hard races without a Wraith. While it might seem tempting to run in more advanced levels (since they award more money and points to the winners), no bonuses or points are awarded if the player is destroyed or finishes the race in last place or more than a full lap behind the leader.Though a total of 19 tracks exist, half the tracks are duplicates of other tracks, rotated 180 degrees and recolored. Certain tracks are only available in certain levels of competition:
- Suburbia/West End (Easy)
- Holocaust/Toxic Dump (Easy)
- Oasis/Palm Side (Easy-Medium)
- Rock Zone/Hell Mountain (Easy-Medium)
- Snake Alley/Desert Run (Easy-Medium)
- Utopia/Complex (Medium-Hard)
- Bogota/Borneo (Medium-Hard)
- Downtown/Newark (Medium-Hard)
- Velodrome/Eidolon (Hard)
- The Arena (Final Race Only).
All tracks except The Arena are available to all racers in multiplayer.
The player can also gain money through achieving extra objectives, such as destroying all opponents or finishing with 2% damage to the car or less (applies to game with guns only) or winning three races in a row. Prior to a race, the player can also be asked to perform a specific job, either collecting Steroids along the track (and win the race), or eliminating a certain opponent. A successful mission gives the player a significant amount of money, while a failure causes the player to lose money; if the player does not have enough to cover the loss (around half of the offered value), they may lose one of their upgrades. Knowing the opposition, the player can either accept or decline the job, if it seems too difficult.
Opponents
Each character starts with different points, from 100 (the top drivers: Duke NukemDuke Nukem (character)
Duke Nukem is a fictional character and action hero who has been the protagonist in over a dozen video games.The character first appeared in the 1991 video game Duke Nukem developed by Apogee Software...
, Jane Honda or Sam Speed) to 0 (the player), and with different cars. The player selects an avatar, and the driver whom he selects will not appear as an opponent. This is an effective way of removing Duke Nukem, as he carries extra protection that makes him very difficult to eliminate.
- Vagabond drivers: Bogus Bill and Farmer Ted
- Dervish drivers: Liz Arden, Diesel Joe and Mic Dair
- Sentinel drivers: Mori Sato, Suzy Stock, Iron John and Cher Stone
- Shrieker drivers: Lee Vice, Dark Ryder, Clint West, and Greg Peck
- Wraith drivers: Mad Mac, Nasty Nick, Motor Mary, Matt Miler
- Deliverator drivers: Jane Honda, Sam Speed and Duke NukemDuke Nukem (character)Duke Nukem is a fictional character and action hero who has been the protagonist in over a dozen video games.The character first appeared in the 1991 video game Duke Nukem developed by Apogee Software...
Depending on which face is selected, Liz Arden may be driving a Vagabond, Cher Stone a Dervish, Greg Peck a Sentinel, Clint West a Shrieker, or Nasty Nick a Deliverator, to keep the number of drivers of each type of car consistent.
Although most of them will stick to their closest divisions, they occasionally race in other divisions, which gives room for some tactics.
When the player finally makes it to the top spot, he is challenged to face the Adversary. The Adversary drives a souped-up Deliverator that's not available for normal play with prominent chainguns and a rocket engine. Because "no one touches the Adversary's vehicle and lives" according to the Underground Market staff, Sabotage is not available against the Adversary. The final race takes place at The Arena, a slightly oval-shaped circuit. If the player does not want to race the Adversary yet, he has to sit until he drops out of the first spot. Computer drivers can compete in regular races even if they are on the top spot.
Freeware re-release
In May 2009 programmer Jari Komppa got in contact with Remedy, volunteering to prepare an open-sourceOpen-source software
Open-source software is computer software that is available in source code form: the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under a software license that permits users to study, change, improve and at times also to distribute the software.Open...
release of Death Rally. While releasing the game as open-source could not be agreed upon, Komppa instead started working on porting
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
the game to modern Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
systems. In consequence of his work, Remedy released Death Rally as freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
on 20 October 2009.
An article chronicling Komppa's work was printed in an April 2010 issue of Game Developer magazine and later posted online.
Remake
A remake for iPhoneIPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
and iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
was released on 31 March 2011. It features the song Can You Hear Me by Poets of the Fall
Poets of the Fall
Poets of the Fall is a rock band from Finland. It consists of Marko Saaresto , Olli Tukiainen and Markus "Captain" Kaarlonen...
. The remake includes in-game cameo appearances from different game characters, including Alan Wake
Alan Wake
Alan Wake is a story-driven action game in the psychological thriller genre, developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Microsoft Game Studios, released for the Xbox 360 video game console in 2010...
's Barry Wheeler, John Gore from Minigore
Minigore
Minigore is a game for the iOS developed by Mountain Sheep and published by Chillingo. The lead character, John Gore, is voiced by Arin Hanson. Recently it was announced that the game would be released for PSP minis.-Gameplay:...
and Angry Birds
Angry Birds
Angry Birds is a puzzle video game developed by Finnish computer game developer Rovio Mobile. Inspired primarily by a sketch of stylized wingless birds, the game was first released for Apple's iOS in December 2009...
' Mighty Eagle. Duke Nukem
Duke Nukem (character)
Duke Nukem is a fictional character and action hero who has been the protagonist in over a dozen video games.The character first appeared in the 1991 video game Duke Nukem developed by Apogee Software...
also appears as an opponent, as he did in the original game.