VR Sports Powerboat Racing

VR Sports Powerboat Racing is a racing game developed by British studio Promethean Designs Ltd. and published by Interplay Productions division VR Sports in North America in 1998. Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64 ports were planned for release in the 2000s, but were later canceled.[3]

"Powerboat Racing" redirects here. For the sport, see Boat racing § Motorboat racing.
VR Sports Powerboat Racing
Developer(s)Promethean Designs Ltd.
Publisher(s)Interplay Productions
Platform(s)PlayStation, Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s)Racing (Powerboating)
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay

VR Sports Powerboat Racing is a racing game where players choose from 16 craft with different engine sizes and handling.[4] The game utilizes water physics, causing the boats' handling to be affected by turbulence and other boats' wakes.[5] Up to four players are supported via a split screen.[4]

Reception

VR Sports Powerboat Racing met with mostly negative reviews. The PlayStation version held a 41% on the review aggregation website GameRankings based on five reviews.[6] Critics razed the visuals for the cheap-looking water spray effects,[10][15][16] dramatic pop-up which makes obstacles and even walls invisible until the player is too close to avoid them,[10][16][20] and most especially the upward-angled camera view, which causes the bulk of the screen to be occupied with blue sky and leaves the player little view of the actual course.[10][16][17] Next Generation speculated, "If only the game had more control over camera placement, it might have earned an extra star."[17]

Other common criticisms included oversensitive controls[10][15][20] and an annoying voice-over commentator.[16][20] The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly unanimously considered the game atrocious, with John Davison stating that it "takes the term 'bad' to completely new and previously uncharted territory."[10] GameSpot were also firmly negative in their assessment, summing up, "There simply isn't a good side to this title."[16] While sharing some of their criticisms, GamePro saw more of a bright side, offering praise for the selection of play modes and the intensity of the races. They concluded, "All told, Powerboat works fine as a poor man's Wave Race [64] for PlayStation gamers. It's plenty fun at first, but [it] wears thin because of the flaws in graphics and controls. We're talking rental all the way here."[20][lower-alpha 3]

Reviewing the Windows version, GameSpot further criticized that of the four controller options, a steering wheel is the only one which works even mildly well, and ridiculed the fact that name entry is done using a scrolling alphabet despite keyboards being a standard accessory on PCs. The reviewer concluded that even playing a car racing game and pretending it is taking place on water would be a better option for a boat racing game than VR Sports Powerboat Racing.[15]

Notes
  1. In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the PlayStation version, one critic gave it 2/10, another gave it 4.5/10, and the rest gave it each a score of 4/10.
  2. In GameFan's viewpoint of the PlayStation version, one critic gave it a score of 83, and the other 73.
  3. GamePro gave the PlayStation version three 3.5/5 scores for graphics, control, and fun factor, and 2.0/5 for sound.

References
  1. Johnston, Chris (April 9, 1998). "Powerboat Racing Drifts Onto Shelves". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on October 7, 2000. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  2. Ocampo, Jason (April 9, 1998). "VR Sports takes to the water". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on May 29, 2003. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  3. IGN staff (February 8, 2001). "Two More Bite the Dust". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  4. Dr. Zombie (December 1997). "Powerboat Racing (Preview)". GamePro. No. 111. IDG. p. 99. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  5. Air Hendrix (April 1998). "Powerboat Racing". GamePro. No. 115. IDG. p. 56.
  6. "VR Sports Powerboat Racing for PlayStation". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  7. Kanarick, Mark. "VR Sports Powerboat Racing (PS) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  8. Goble, Gordon (May 5, 1998). "[VR Sports] Powerboat Racing (PC)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  9. Chick, Tom (April 3, 1998). "[VR Sports] Powerboat Racing (PS)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  10. Davison, John; Rickards, Kelly; Ricciardi, John; Williams, Ken "Sushi-X" (June 1998). "Review Crew: Powerboat Racing" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 107. Ziff Davis. p. 116. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  11. McNamara, Andy; Reiner, Andrew; Storm, Jon (April 1998). "[VR Sports] Powerboat Racing (PS)". Game Informer. No. 60. FuncoLand. Archived from the original on September 9, 1999. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  12. Higgins, Geoff "El Nino"; Mowatt, Todd "Video Cowboy" (May 1998). "VR [Sports] Powerboat [Racing]". GameFan. Vol. 6, no. 5. Metropolis Media. p. 54. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  13. Garcia, Thomas (June 1998). "Powerboat Racing Review (PC)". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on February 20, 2004. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  14. Zimring, Jason (May 1998). "VR Sports Powerboat Racing - PlayStation Review". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on February 6, 2004. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  15. Ryan, Michael E. (May 7, 1998). "VR Sports Powerboat Racing Review [date mislabeled as "May 2, 2000"]". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on March 10, 2005. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  16. MacDonald, Ryan (April 21, 1998). "VR Sports Powerboat Racing Review [date mislabeled as "May 2, 2000"]". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on March 8, 2005. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  17. "Powerboat Racing". Next Generation. No. 42. Imagine Media. June 1998. p. 142. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  18. "VR Sports Powerboat Racing". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 10. Ziff Davis. July 1998.
  19. "VR [Sports] Powerboat Racing". PC Gamer. Imagine Media. 1998.
  20. Air Hendrix (May 1998). "PlyaStation ProReview: Powerboat Racing". GamePro. No. 116. IDG. p. 92. Archived from the original on January 21, 2005. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
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