M.R.C. - Multi Racing Championship - Nintendo 64 Review

MRC: Multi-Racing Championship on Nintendo 64, also known as simply Multi Racing Championship is a racing video game developed by Genki and released for the N64 in 1997. It was published in North America and Europe by Ocean and in Japan by Imagineer.
So in the head to head battle would you prefer this or top gear rally for the best early n64 racing game title?
#MRC #Nintendo64 #N64
Thanks to N64 Archive for the supplementary capture for todays video.

[@gimo80]

This game! I remember getting this and Rogue Squadron one day, and my dad got me and my brother a steering wheel with accelerator and brake pedals. I remember just being blown away. Sad thing is…three tracks. THREE

[@atmycomputer1]

steering wheel and pedals for this is a game changer ! blew my young mind away

[@discountfeces]

I remember in the 90s tbere was a period where 3 tracks was the norm in racing games

[@warmsignal]

Check out the OG Ridge Racer. ONE whole track. lol

[@ShadowAngel18606]

@@discountfeces That era was over by 1996. This game came out in mid-1997 when you had Formula 1 games with all the real life tracks, NFS 2 which had 6 tracks, Micro Machines V3 with 48 tracks, TOCA had 6 and while Porsche Challenge only had 4 base tracks, it had the remix and extend options, making them longer or/and adding shortcuts and hidden paths and i don't need to mention Gran Turismo which came out a few months later. Even if you were stuck with just a N64, a short while after this game SF Rush had 7, Top Gear Rally had 5 and the already available Cruis'n USA had 10 tracks. So 3 was really a massive limitation.

[@Degnique]

This game was such a huge part of my childhood. I love it dearly. Thank you for covering it!

[@DrumEagle]

Me too :)

[@thomasgorre9285]

So many hours played.

[@_SereneMango]

Imagineer racing games on the N64 were strangely, somewhat impactful on my childhood. I remember vivid memories back in the day, but I could only play them a few times... And then I was excited when I relearned the names of each game.

[@toddthezondalover645]

Same here

[@GameplayandTalk]

I remember being pretty unimpressed by this game. That said, we got our N64 in '98 or so and already had access to games like Mario Kart 64. MRC was one of the blurriest games I had seen up to that point in time and the gameplay seemed flat. I also already had games like Sega Rally on the Saturn, which IMO, despite the lesser hardware, is more appealing to look at and play. So yeah, not a huge fan of MRC here, but I wouldn't mind going back and trying it again. I'd probably appreciate it more now than I did back when it was current.

[@wareforcoin5780]

Imagine if it's exactly like you remembered tho lol

[@GameplayandTalk]

​@@wareforcoin5780 Haha! I hear that. Honestly my tastes have evolved over the years and what I tolerate versus not has changed. I'd probably actually enjoy it more now. The extra-blurry factor is almost endearing, even.

[@lmcgregoruk]

@@GameplayandTalk Well MRC had polygonal vehicles, Mario Kart 64 had SPRITES for the Karts. Most games on the N64 seemed "blurry", mostly because of the small texture sizes, combined with a filter to make less "jaggies"(which works fine on CRT, not so much today.)

[@GameplayandTalk]

​@@lmcgregoruk Most games on the console were blurry, yes, but there was still a range (some games much softer than others). MRC was one of the absolute blurriest on the console and I was very aware of it when playing it back when it was current.

[@ravm_music]

I got this one at a flea market for dirt cheap when I started collecting N64 cartridges.

[@mrwill219]

One of my favorite games on N64. Thanks for finally reviewing it Glen! I have always thought people were too hard on this one for only having "3" tracks. These tracks do not really have shortcuts as much as they have branching paths. You have to set up your car for on or off road, and then stick to those roads. Taking an on road set up off road and vice versa, will end in failure. So each track is really 2 in 1, and you can race how you see fit. I've always considered this game to have 6 tracks. I wish the developer would have emphasized this by having seperate championships "on road" and "off road" where the alternate routes were closed and you raced against 10 cars of the same class. Would have added some longevity to the game as well...

[@Larry]

Ah wow, This was the first game I ever found in a CEX unboxed used bargain bin!

[@VERMISIMILITUDE]

I loved the box to this!!!!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@OGSilverfox8]

Hello You !

[@pocketstationman6364]

The handling is my biggest gripe with this game actually, especially how if you were sliding from one surface to another, the Physics of the surface you were initially on carry on until you stop drifting. That annoyed me so much I threw my cart at the wall lol. And also it otherwise feels too stiff, heavy and sluggish when that isn't happening. I really do prefer the physics of TGR. They feel a lot looser but in a good way. One that feels more "free", in a sense. Just my opinion though.

[@Tinglethemapmaker]

I rented this once, thought it was just ok. It was the lack of more tracks that was its biggest flaw for me. For some reason that deer running across the road is the thing i remember best. I replayed top gear rally last year, its still a great game imo. Best channel on youtube, i love watching your videoes and remembering games I havent thought about since my childhood,

[@NintyFamily]

I remember the hype for this, in particular the attention awarded to it, as the system was light with such games.

[@MrBucketlist]

I will never forget when my friend said he had mario kart and it ended up being this game lol. Thanks for the flashback!

[@n64glennplant]

Haha the gall of that kid! 😂😂😂

[@bigkmoviesandgames]

I've never played this one but I'll gladly watch glenn review it.

[@nzingers]

I remember playing MRC and thinking the cars looked so real! I was blown away. Same with Ridge Racer 64. Great video once again- I'm amazed you haven't reviewed MRC before this.

[@vids4fun]

One of the 1st racing game on the N64, bought on release date and played at lot, I enjoyed.

[@Monacomaverick]

Rally Cross, Ridge Racer Revolution, and Sega Rally Championship blow this off the tarmac. I can see the influence of each game in MRC, but neither MRC nor Top Gear Rally impressed me, even back then. Atari/Midway really stepped up to bring fun arcade racers into the home back then. I will always play Cruisn' or Rush before MRC.

[@atmycomputer1]

a game my father bought for me since I was a young avid gamer and he has a love for cars as a semi truck mechanic. Originally it wasn't my favorite title but at the age of 28 looking back on my extensive n64 collection this game actually shines as one of the best for the console in terms of racing in my opinion.

[@atmycomputer1]

@@drum420 yeah & I probably own them all; just my opinion

[@bauernkind8595]

This game was relativ mediocre. World Driver Championship was the racing game to go (sadly a lot later in the life span of our lovely Nintendo 64).

[@benwilliams5760]

I loved WDC. Actually booted it up recently. Still holds up pretty well!

[@brandonginsburg3120]

I recently discovered that the PAL version of WDC doesn't work with a Passport Plus III on a NTSC n64. On the plus side, gamma boost IS in the NTSC version, just not in the pause menu (like, allegedly, the PAL version).

[@tropixx_xlr1549]

That, road rash 64, Star wars racer, and adventure racing

[@Jh9801]

Man glen, this rate of videos is insane. Are you taking time off work or something? Please don't burn yourself out, but thank you for producing so much excellent and consistant quality content.

[@SUBTORR]

Nice review, I used to rent this game a lot, Top Gear Rally is a great game as well. And yes the handling in both games are very different.

[@XpRnz]

Haven't played any of these games (would have loved to though) but appreciate your output lately! We have been spoiled, still the best N64 channel out there!

[@nathanmcdonald610]

I wound up inadvertently keeping a copy of this game from Blockbuster. I still have it as well as my N64 and all the games I ever had for it.

[@kerimgueney]

I played this game in split screen with my best friend so many goddamn times. It was just incredibly fun. The rubber banding helped keep each session so incredibly enjoyable!

[@SuperGainsBrosYT]

As a playstation player growing up. Never heard of this, definitely going to have to check it out!

[@atmycomputer1]

it's really legit and would have loved to seen a ps1 version

[@samusvikerness661]

We had need for speed and Gran Turismo!

[@_SereneMango]

Probably a must play if you enjoy arcade racing. You're rewarded with sense of speed once you learn how to overcome its kinks.

[@yanholliday8876]

Ah, the MRC/TGR war... I remember the reviews and some of my friends being very vocal about this, and I couldn't care less. I played both, and liked neither ; my first N64 racing game was Automobili Lamborghini (which was a launch title in France, as the console only released in september 1997 here), and it was *far* better. What six little months of delay can change...

[@justplainpaul83]

So just a curiosity Glenn. How often would you say that you sit down to play a N64 game for you vs playing something on the xbox or a current gen console?

[@VampireLord1024]

I still think it's pretty cool to see you making more videos here recently.

[@pattilord23]

My first ever N64 game! For a while this was the only game I had until I bought Goldeneye some time later, but I was able to replay this game so many times trying to get personal best times using all the cars, and given the different strategies for each one only having 3 tracks became less of a dealbreaker for me

[@n64glennplant]

Thanks for sharing!

[@fineworkscoverart]

Thanks for another great review, Glenn! I remember this game very well, because I won a copy of it in a contest of a then quite popular game magazine in German-speaking regions called TOTAL! - As others have said, even at the time this was new, I was rather unimpressed with the graphics and sound, but I liked the style and remember having quite a bit of fun with it - maybe because it's so simple in design and offers on-road and off-road options. Disappointingly, the cars didn't have licenses like you'd see in TOCA Touring Cars or V-Rally. I then really enjoyed playing the V-Rally Edition 99 for the N64, which is more of a simulation racer, but that's another story, and I see you have a separate review for that as well! Thank you!!! :)

[@Julian_Pepper]

I'd been waiting to hear about this one after what you said in your Top Gear Rally video.

[@TRJ2241987]

I rented this game when it was first released and liked it a lot, at that point I had played very few 3D racing games, so this one was a good introduction to the genre. You have to keep in mind there were hardly any Nintendo 64 games available at all at that time (most people know there were only 8 North American games in 1996, but I think a lot of people don't realize how few games were actually released in 1997, especially the first 75% of the year) I was mostly just really happen to play ANYTHING in 3D at that point. I remember looking in a Japanese magazine around this time and seeing a 3D sumo wrestling game for N64 and thinking "I'd play that"

[@pinkenbajedi2119]

Dam, haven’t thought about this since like 99. Crazy! I loved this game. But as you said, probably because there wasn’t anything else to play 😂

[@e.izaguirre2143]

I got this game by mistake. I asked for TGR and my dad got me this instead. However, I loved it, I had so much fun with its arcade feel. A couple of years later I got TGR and I hated it. I was so glad that he bought the wrong game.

[@tablekatzfilmreviews9265]

Great review as always. I played both games back in the day. Tbh I can't remember what they are like. But I do remember playing a load more top gear rally with my friend whilst listening to Queen. 😁

[@alexgreenwood404]

I played this so much with my brother. He along with my dad is a huge motorsport fan, so I had to play this with him a lot. I enjoyed those times though, a short game. But very enjoyable

[@atmycomputer1]

same for me

[@stonerdemon]

I remember being so hyped for the N64. There was this magazine called Club Nintendo where they used to hype each and every game for the console, no matter how bad it might look. MRC was one of those hyped games that got less than stellar reviews at the time. Photos were everything back then! I remember some photos from the game Lamborghini for the N64, they looked like a PS3 game hahaha!! Those photos hyped me a lot for the N64, but in the end I ended up getting a PS1 because Silent Hill, enough said.

[@BigHilm]

I loved this game back in the day, I also really enjoyed Top Gear Rally.

[@tropixx_xlr1549]

That presentation looks slick! And the music is memorable!!

[@samronmambriani5376]

Ah, I remember playing it a lot during the old days of N64 (especially because there was few few racing alternatives) and honestly I liked a lot (and I previous enjoyed Ridge Racer on PS1 while waiting the N64) Speaking about the value of this game, for me, it is necessary to contextualize its characteristics with respect to the period in which it was released: - Few tracks: for a racing game was a standard to have 3 tracks (like the first RR, Daytona, Sega Rally). At least this game had different routes, mirrored courses, weather and day/night cycle - Graphics: it was good, really good compared to other games (even comparing whit PS1 games): some nice effect, good amount of polygon for the cars and, like already said in the review, a very solid sense of speed (and the replay was very cool) - Handling: Well, it was an arcade style game but it also allow to drift easily and in a very satisfying way. Also it came from a japanese developer. So.. it really depends by the player's taste (For example, TGR has a more difficult learning degree, while this one is more friendly - ehi I love TGR but it has a more difficult grip (almost sim) In the end I really appreciate it when it came out and even in recent years when I played it again, i still liked the way it played. For me an hidden gem for N64 :) And thanks for the review: I enjoyed, good work

[@colinbaldwin7773]

Bought this game day 1, and as much i wanted to get into it, i just couldn't. Nice video Glenn

[@StrandgaZt]

Loved the day and night cycle. And the fun multiplayer to challenge different driving styles.

[@blazzing]

"Your coming up to a fork soon" 07:26 The cheat car if you like, meaning it's has the best stats during gameplay- Kingroader

[@FloridaManRacer]

Got the console, This game and Wave Race 64 for christmas in 97... played the crap out of it. Sadly, you kept missing the waterfall short cut in your gameplay footage lol.

[@RM-306]

One of my all time favorite channels!

[@blazzing]

Along with World Driver Championship, MRC is the best driving sim racing on N64. Love both games to death and still have them in my collection. These played far better than Top Gear Rally. Thanks for the reminder of this great game.

[@peachflavored]

Fun fact: Kingroader is the best car in the game, it’s written on the sides of the vehicle.🤣

[@IcePakOG]

I enjoyed this game from the limited play I've had so far. I like the multiple routes through the tracks because it forces you to learn the course so you know which route is the best for your vehicle. I also like the arcade style handling, although the crash physics are really bad. That said, I wouldn't call it a top tier N64 racing game, but it's fun nonetheless. Spot on review, Glenn.

[@Greenmould]

I bought this recently. Always thought it looked great back in the day. Not nearly as good as top gear rally though. This was a really good review. Good stuff.

[@nobel11]

As a young N64 player, I loved Top Fear Rally, mainly for being able to customize the paint job on my car, which I'm certain I spent more time doing than actually racing. Now, I prefer this game. Actually, Destruction Derby 64 is probably the racer I play the most, or maybe World Driver Championship

[@Pantostadoh]

Glenn never disappoints :D

[@crimsonshadow1140]

I picked this up for cheap from a local second hand store and ngl is a neat little racer, I had an absolute blast

[@danpreston564]

I never realised that there wasn’t a single round corner in an N64 game. Looking at all the footage I see that all corners were just sets of small straights. I don’t recall the PS1 being like this.

[@benwilliams5760]

I preferred TGR. The over the top bouncy suspension and general 'physics' did a good job to feel rally like. Also, I spent way too long on the livery editor! A feature the WRC series is only just adding! 😄

[@Tom_Van_Zandt]

I've always enjoyed this game. As far as racing games go on consoles, the N64 and Dreamcast are, by far, my two favorite consoles for that genre.

[@scamtrickslothfuss8207]

A real nice game and one of our beloved N64 classics. Keep up the good work and kind regards from the HQ.

[@GaigeStorm]

Me and my brother use to play both evenly. I never really had a preference between them since they were different enough that I could enjoy both. I played this game way too much back then and unlocked everything.

[@michaelangello1]

Got this game and the steering wheel. I played it to death but it was terrible! Got Top Gear after and was sooo much better.

[@yandman26]

I was arcade racer crazy and jealous 0f my friend having Sega Rally, this was my answer. It's really not very good, but I played it forever. The intro however is brilliant.

[@jasonbrown467]

is there anyone like glen who covers the cube? i really enjoy the adult tones of this channel

[@spooky_electric]

I never had the chance to play this game back in the day, but watching this review makes it look like Sega Rally meets Ridge Racer, and that's right up my alley!

[@turbinegraphics16]

I rented this along with 1080 and had great fun, it had good multiplayer too. Later got top gear over drive and the graphics looked incredible.

[@retrostansolo]

MRC for me all the way, Top Gear rally to me was a mess and still is to this day and believe me I've tried playing it again. MRC was the 3rd game I brought back in the day for my N64 and tbh I was disappointed in it when I first tried it out, I thought the overall look and sound could of been much better. I recently bought it again as I sold my original copy years ago and I actually like the game more than I did originally. It's probably because I'm getting older and find looking back on old retro games quite interesting.. Lol.

[@iMichael123S]

If you like this racing game then you’ll absolutely LOVE Cruis'n USA on the Nintendo 64! That is probably the racer of the generation.

[@ThatWolfFromHyruleGaming]

I loved this game! I always picked the truck. Unlocking the two extra cars were a total PITA but worth it.

[@cloudstrife1983]

Actually quite sad to see a lot of big names from the 80s and 90s either dead, or very different. Like Genki, Imagineer and Kemco. Along with Ocean, Gremlin and more.

[@maximillionroivas3893]

Kemco is around. They're selling RPGs made from RPG Maker, lol.

[@reyrico5807]

Top gear wins it easy. More tracks a more memorable soundtrack and also having plenty of unlockables. And being able to paint your car your own way was great back then

[@sacredclown.613]

Good to see you back,Now we need a live stream!!..Back me up guys!!!

[@Gooner333333333]

This was more like a tech demo than a game with only 3 courses. Plus they made 2 cars so over powered that the others were just filler

[@BlackJohnnyCage]

Like N64 F1 Grandprix The only Cars that was some what usable were the Gold & Silver Car once you put you in Code.... Overall this game & Waverace 64 were boring at times but was somewhat therapeutic for me as a child looking back.

[@claybaxter3202]

MRC was a game I traded some football cards for. Lots of fun!

[@DeNintendoCollector]

I have the Japanese version, I bought it used and everything is unlocked. Unfortunately there is no way to delete the Save... I need a sealed American version. Great video

[@mrwill219]

Open the cart up. Inside there are 3 chips. The smallest one says bu980 738 h84. It has 8 pins soldered to the board. Flip the board over where the pins are soldered, take a soldering iron, and carefully remove the solder from the bottom right pin. This will disable the carts save feature, and reset it to factory settings. You can still save all progress and settings to a memory pack, but race Hayanna again!

[@delboy0409]

Great review, have this game in the collection but doesn’t come out very often, waiting for you to do a paper Mario review

[@kurbydreamland180]

Glenn, you are the best reviewer.

[@professionalmoron8051]

Oh I reviewed this as well recently, I remember renting it from Blockbuster in Horwich. Good game but my big issue was just the absurd 3 tracks. 3?! What were they playing at? I preferred MRC over Top Gear Rally, but yuss… not enough tracks!

[@polaniecj]

Used my Birthday money to buy this at Toy's R Us when it came out for $70usd. I enjoyed it but like everyone else was disappointed at the number of tracks...was thankful for mirror mode. When it's the only arcade racing game one owns, one beats it 100%.

[@miljororforsprakpartiet290]

This looks like a DOS game rather than something N64-awesome.

[@guarapo66]

I did not play this game back then, i think i have it now, i have to check 😂😂 , that aside , Top Gear Rally is my favorite racing game, i did not like it at first, but when you get new cars things changes, and the tracks are very good, way way more elaborate than the ones in MRC, and the car suspension phisics are so cool, you have to think ahead of time when going over a bump , its so much fun

[@AgentXRifle]

Was going through a lot of your old videos and I see there was serious issues with interlaced footage not being converted to progressive. Might be worth re-doing some of the big games again.

[@lmcgregoruk]

I remember my brothers friend had this game, and we borrowed it, the texture on the Kingroader saying "This car is the best car, the best car" So why would you use any of the other default cars?

[@darkjapan]

I never noticed that! You can see it at the end of the video! It's not wrong. It really is the best car in the game. I guess the Devs thought that putting a hint on the actual car was necessary lol

[@crimsonshadow1140]

while yes having just only three tracks is a bummer, all the alternate routes with varying terrain in each track more than makes up for that in my opinion

[@loena446]

For me Top Gear. Me end my friends liked to smach our cars on the beach section. MRC was great,still the 3 cources was a lett down for me.

[@Rountree1985]

One of the first n64 games I played and I barely remember it.

[@samusvikerness661]

What silliness to suggest buying an N64 for this of all games.

[@_SereneMango]

...I also love the handling, but I know it's not good lmfao... Transitioning into oversteering is straight up cartoonish. Idk this game is like *just good enough* to let me enjoy at least for a short while. I'm sure it's the sense of speed, plus trying to take turns without oversteering, which is (very?) doable. Might also be its presentation/personality... They really were going for something.

[@sitrep123able]

I don't know man. I love this game. Just like early ridge racer on PS1 I suck at it. But the charm is off the charts

[@ChipMunkGuerrilla]

I thought top gear rally was a better game! I love how narrow the tracks were and how often the rally cars would bump into each other

[@Chiller31916]

I never realized the Nintendo 64 had so many arcade car-like racing games. Personally I prefer wacky kart racers like Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing, the "realistic" looking car racers all look the same to me

[@illustriouschin]

I loved this game, played the hell out of it.

[@caseyn720]

I told mom I wanted Gran Turismo. This is what she got me.

[@n64glennplant]

I’d be hurt….

[@barc0deblankblank]

Absolutely loved this one to bits!

[@FarmerSlideJoeBob]

the only rally like simulation racing games were top gear rally, F1 World Grand Prix and also V-Rally I kinda thing🤔But anyways it's Glenn N64 Monday, the only way against Monday Blues😆

[@nightruler666]

This is a interesting racer for the N64

[@stewartmatthews1551]

Very awesome have not played this but very cool

[@Ficehdulah]

Top Gear Rally, once you become used to the handling, is better than MRC IMO. Getting past the handling unlocks a much more thrilling game here.

[@M1XART]

I played this game years after the release and i must admid it's pretty good arcade-like racer. I don't think this appeals to same gamers who like first Top Gear Rally. MRC is actually closer to Automobili Lamborghini, in terms of playing experience.

[@edcorps2876]

I remember renting this game and thinking... three tracks? Where's Mario Kart?

[@workplaydiewpd5652]

I liked and own mrc but preferred top gear rally out of the 2. Loved tgr2 and world driver I even liked ridhe racer on the 64 😂

[@fazares]

next week ill buy the japanese version along with top gear rally and kirby 64

[@bblythe1988]

Was this in the west as well?

[@boogie5]

turn the SENSITIVITY UP and Top Gear Rally is one of the best racing games EVER!!! and Im dead serious! try this! THANK ME LATER

[@szeltovivarsydroxan9944]

Nah, fam. I'm camp Top Gear Rally over this one.

[@deafomega]

i remember thinking this had some great graphics for n64 at the time