Scud Race. in the UK, is an arcade racing game released by Sega in 1996. It is the first racing game to be using the Sega Model 3 hardware.
A Sega Saturn port was planned, but then the project was moved to the Dreamcast and shown as a tech-demo in the Dreamcast Presentation in 1998, but then after the Dreamcast Presentation, the game was cancelled.[1]
History
After the success of Daytona USA, fans wanted a sequel to the game. Sega later had an arcade test game known as "Supercar," but this then evolved into Scud Race/Super GT. The most notable similarities include the HUD display with most features in the same positions on screen, and the handling style of the game. The main difference between gameplay is the addition of acceleration while drifting, which caused a radically different drifting strategy.[2] Sega released the true sequel to Daytona USA, Daytona USA 2 in 1998.
Gameplay and Features
Super GT came in either Twin or Deluxe cabinets, which can be linked together for up to four players. The game was modelled after the BPR Global GT Series (now known as the FIA GT Championship), featuring the cars of four prominent teams in the 1996 season. The game features four different courses of varying difficulty, though two are Beginner level (with the difference being day and night time.) And just like Daytona USA, an arcade operator can put the game in Grand Prix or Endurance Mode for longer races. There has never been a console release, although there was a tech demo of this game for the Dreamcast back in the late 90's (Which may have turned into the Sega GT series.)
The four Scud Race tracks are presented as an unlockable bonus in the Xbox version of OutRun 2, rearranged as a whole OutRun route instead of separate tracks with a number of laps each to race.
The opponent cars, aside from the selectable cars at the main screen, are all Renault Alpine GTA/A610s.
Title
In Japan and Europe, this game was released as Scud Race (Scud meaning "Sports Car Ultimate Drive"). The name was changed in North America mainly because of the Engrish like title, and the fact that Sega wanted to avoid references to Scud missiles, which entered the common vernacular during Operation Desert Storm[citation needed].
Scud Race Plus
Sega also created "Scud Race Plus" as an update to the game in 2004. This version allowed players to play one of the four courses in reverse.
SCUD Race plus also included the bizarre "Super-Beginner" course, an oval track inside a giant-scale children's playhouse. Exclusive to this course, players could press Start at the car select screen to race as a cat, a tank, an “AM2 crew” bus and a rocket car.
There was no American release of Scud Race Plus. Apparently, Sega never marketed this version outside of Japan, but it is possible to switch the country to "USA" and get "Sega Super GT Plus" which features everything from Scud Race Plus, but in the American format.
Courses
Sega Super GT has a total of four different courses in the game.
Beginner (Day) - Dolphin Tunnel
Laps (Standard mode): 4
AI cars: 40
Skill level: Beginner
Number of turns: 8
Rolling start: Yes
A generally easy course that goes through an aquarium called "Dolphin Tunnel." Just before entering the second tunnel, on the left there is a sign with a picture of Sonic the Hedgehog in what appears to be his car from the Game Gear game Sonic Drift. The other interesting feature is the spinning Sega Saturn logo above a set of two buildings right before the start/finish line. This track may resemble the Salinas/Monterey area in California, due to the usage of aquariums, of which the latter city is famous for a large aquarium center.
Beginner (Night) - Twilight Airport
Laps (Standard mode): 4
AI cars: 40
Skill Level: beginner
Number of turns: 6
Rolling start: Yes
This is another generally easy course which is set through an illuminated airport at night. Occasionally airplanes can be seen taking off or landing in the sky, and down the second straightaway is a light pattern of reflector lights on both sides of the road. The airplanes in this airport have a Japan Airlines (JAL) logo on their top fins. The airport resembles Narita International Airport, JAL's main hub. The shape of the track resembles the Monza, an Italian circuit where the BPR series raced in 1996, although Twilight Airport lacks any of the chicanes present in Monza.
Medium - Mystery Ruins
Laps (Standard mode): 3
AI cars: 30
Skill level: Advanced
Number of turns: 16
Rolling start: No
This course goes through a mix of different ruins with a technical figure-8 layout. The start/finish line is marked by totem poles, and the indoor areas are illuminated with torches. Another symbol of this track is the majestic waterfall. Due to the totem poles (a symbol of Canada) and appearance of the waterfalls, this track was probably inspired by Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Expert - Classic Castle
Laps: 3
AI cars: 20
Skill level: Expert
Number of turns: 16
Rolling start: No
The course winds through a middle-ages style town with a giant castle and is most likely set in Italy as the player will pass through the historic Roman Colosseum.
Cars
Four real-life cars are featured in Sega Super GT, all of which were used in races held by the BPR Global GT Series during the 1996 season. While these cars perform relative to each other, their real-life counterparts can usually travel much faster.
Porsche 911 (Easy Driving, car number 22)
The turbo engine of the Porsche 911 GT2 gives it quick acceleration and is suited for beginner drivers, its good handling also makes it a fine choice to race in Classic Castle. This car has the lowest top speed however. It has a yellow and red color scheme with the "Elf" logo.
Ferrari F40 (Normal Driving, car number 27)
The Ferrari F40 GTE is well balanced in all categories making it an easy to drive car on all four courses. It has a blue and yellow color scheme with the "Igol" logo. This is the car run by Ennea SRL in the BPR series.
Dodge Viper (High Torque, car number 32)
The Dodge Viper GTS-R has high torque which allows it to use its power much quicker than the other cars. The Viper has decent speed and acceleration but suffers a little in the handling department, although not as bad as the McLaren F1. It has a white color scheme with two blue stipes with a "Cica" logo. This is the car run by Team Oreca in the BPR series.
McLaren F1 (High Speed, car number 2)
As one of the fastest cars in the world, the McLaren F1 GTR has the fastest top speed in the game, it also has good acceleration but is difficult to handle. This machine is best for experts and those who want to have the fastest lap times. It has a blue and orange color scheme with the "Gulf" logo. This is the car run by GTC Competition in the BPR series.