Developer: Hudson Soft Publisher: NEC Release: 09/89 Genre: Racing
I love Outrun. Next to Rad Racer and Hang-On it is one of the first racing games that made me a fan of the genre. There were not many racing games on the NES that I looked forward to outside of Rad Racer 2 and R.C. Pro Am but the Genesis and Turbo Graf-16 intrigued me with what they could offer. Super Hang-On was everything I was looking for. Victory Run on the other hand was a disappointment. Not because it was not what I was expecting but because it is a frustrating package that does not come together in the end.
Although it looks like Outrun Victory Run is not necessarily a traditional racing game. This is one of the earliest racing games to depict the Paris to Dakar Rally, a grueling rally from Senegal to Egypt. The goal is not to place first, it is purely to survive long enough to complete the route. The terrain varies and you are battling your car and trying to keep it together as much as the track itself. Victory Run does a good job of capturing that essence. But it is not very compelling as a game itself unfortunately.
Prior to the start you have twenty points to allot in different parts of your car. These do not beef up performance but are replacements for the wear and tear you will accrue during the rally. There are five aspects of your car that wear down and affect performance as they degrade. Tires reduce their grip and will cause you to slide around corners. Once your gears are done you can no longer shift from high to low, the most important part of the game. With a worn down engine your top speed degrades. Jumping off hills or going off-road will wear down the suspension and lose speed over rocks or sand. And obviously you need brakes. There is no way to avoid parts degrading so you must manage your spare parts wisely. You do not earn anymore, meaning once all of your parts are gone your run is over.
The controls are simple and responsive which is important as Victory Run places a heavy emphasis on gear shifting. As you navigate the various turns and hills you will inevitably lose speed and hit a wall, figuratively. I am not used to shifting gears as much as this game demands so I essentially learned a new skill. Knowing when to shift to enable smooth acceleration is crucial as every second counts. Every leg of the rally gives you a set amount of time to reach the goal. Failing each leg deducts seconds from your pool of bonus time. You only have one minute of bonus time and never earn more. As each stretch varies in length you need to keep as much in reserve for the more brutal legs of the race. But no matter what the randomness of the part system means any race can be your last.
On paper I like the depth and strategy the spare parts system provides. If you are a sloppy driver, unable to keep your vehicle on the road chances are your suspension and tires will degrade first. Failing to shift gears consistently ruins your transmission. You can shore up these weaknesses and prepare in advance as well as see the areas you need to improve. But in practice the game’s over the top difficulty mars it. The controls are responsive but not necessarily tight. Handling is loose and the game has a habit of throwing turns and hills at you unexpectedly. Most games allow room for mistakes but here they feel detrimental early. By the third course you will have a good idea if it is worth continuing or starting over. Repetition can be fun but Victory Run is not so accomplished that you will want to do so.
In Closing
Victory Run is a divisive title. It does what it sets out to do pretty well. But it is off putting in many ways, chiefly its high difficulty. Having your run end early not because you failed at driving but because of external factors outside of your control is a bitter pill to swallow. While the theme and mechanics are unique they are not enough to offset the high challenge. Unfortunately the pickings are slim in the genre on this platform so you do not have many other options.
