Sega Rally Championship: PS2 Review | The Forgotten Japanese Exclusive

Sega Rally Championship is one of the most influential rally games of all time. It was a giant of the arcade in its day and almost singlehandedly defined the modern rally game.
Back in the ’90s, it was ported to both the Sega Saturn and PC but sadly, it has never seen a remaster or even a re-release since then. Or has it? In 2006 it was released for the PS2 as a limited bonus with Sega Rally 2006 exclusively for Japan/Korea. This wasn’t some horrible rush job or lazy port either. In fact, the PS2 port is the closest thing to the arcade original outside of emulation. Sega was no stranger to releasing exclusive Japanese PlayStation 2 games. There are plenty of hidden gems in the Japanese sega ages collection. But unlike those games, which saw standalone releases, Sega Rally PS2 was only made available in very small numbers.
Due to its limited release, it has unsurprisingly faded into obscurity, being generally unknown by western audiences. This is a crying shame as it’s a fantastic way to play the game and shouldn’t be missed by anyone who is a fan of the game.
In this retro review/retrospective we look at its origins, how it compares to both the arcade game and the Saturn port and what it’s like to play today.
#segarallychampionship #segarally #review
PlayStation 2 gameplay captured off an original PS2 slim via the mighty RetroTink 5x Pro.
Saturn, Mega Drive and Model 1 gameplay were captured via emulation.
00:00 Intro
2:19 Game overview
3:25 Is it arcade perfect?
4:07 Gameplay
6:00 Sega Saturn Comparison
7:50 Final thoughts
8:50 Bonus
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[@Larry]

Always puzzled me why it wasn't part of the Sega Ages PS2 collection in Japan. Too bare bones possibly, but they could have just put Sega Rally 2 on the disc in that case.

[@goukigod]

Its presentation is very similar to the other Sega ages 2500 discs. My theory is that was probably on the cards but they bundled it with sega rally 2006 for the 10th anniversary of the game instead.

[@Larry]

@@goukigod They did that with the 10th anniversary of Virtua Fighter as well, didn't they? Remade it with the Virtua Fighter IV engine if I recall.

[@rustymixer2886]

@@Larry they did?

[@goukigod]

A small correction/clarification. Sega Rally 2006 Also came out in South Korea. Sorry to my Korean friends, I meant no disrespect. 미안합니다. There's also some incorrect labels here 3:27. Not sure the mega drive could have handled such a port...

[@vmicka]

Did you play it in 480p mode (supported by the game)? In this mode the game should have the same resolution as arcade version.

[@goukigod]

Yes, it’s a hidden option and while it does present the game in 480p it doesn’t increase the quality of the assets.

[@camerongodsey9847]

This channel needs to blow up like yesterday. GoukiGod puts so much effort and wonderful production into his videos and dear lord does it show

[@goukigod]

I appreciate that. Maybe one day!

[@rustymixer2886]

Great production

[@SegaKid_V]

Sega Rally, Vitua Fighter and Panzer Dragoon were my first games I own for the Saturn back in the day. And Sega Rally still remains one of my favorite games of all time.

[@goukigod]

As much as I love Sega Rally on the Saturn I don’t think I truly appreciated how good it is until now. Clearly this PS2 port is a superior version but what was achieved on the Saturn is really amazing!

[@Estorium]

03:24 Damn, I didn't realise that the Genesis was THAT powerful :D Jokes aside, great video. I played the Saturn version to death as a teen. It is one of my all time favourite games.

[@goukigod]

I played the Saturn version so much the laser in the console had to be replaced...

[@davef1731]

Blast processing in action mate

[@Right_Said_Brett]

Sega does what Nintendon't.

[@GlaciusXL]

I never knew this existed! The feature I loved on Saturn that doesn't exist on arcade was the TIME LAG in versus. For those who don't know, once a player gets ahead by a range you choose (between 1 and 6 seconds I think), the Player in 2nd's engine turns off but you can still coast across the checkpoint. My dad and I would get into epic 45 minute battles. The Saturn "B" button branded onto our thumbs.

[@goukigod]

I remember having a blast with that mode too. The saturn port is really incredible!

[@jonathansharp8256]

The PS2 version supports Logitech wheels as well such as the G27 and Driving Force GT!

[@goukigod]

I didn’t know this, although I don’t have a wheel for the PS2.

[@jonathansharp8256]

@@goukigod I use the PS3 era ones via the ps2 USB ports. Awesome video. Loved it.

[@julienboyer7317]

I’ ve just set it up with a G27, it s so good … Anyone know if force feedback can be increase ? Any hidden menu for this ? At first, I thought there was no ffb… but yes there is one, and it is nice , but a little too light … if anyone know

[@SumnerTube21]

@@julienboyer7317 just use the Nebula Model2 emulator to emulate the actual arcade rom instead

[@MarkyV83]

This game was so ahead of its time on the Saturn. The handling still feels good today. It's a pity the PS2 version didn't have the original Saturn music, I love it!

[@goukigod]

That would have been incredible for sure. You get the senes that not a lot of time was spent on this port though outside of getting it to run well.

[@kismet8010]

Another excellent video man. You need a larger following!

[@goukigod]

Thanks buddy!

[@alejandrovaldez9848]

I was researching wether this version had D-pad support. Found this video and what I got was an amazing analysis comparison between the two versions of this beloved game. Fantastic work man! 👍

[@goukigod]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@afriend9428]

*Wonderful review sir! And fantastic info man on that secret Japan ONLY* ⭐️ 💡 ⭐️

[@goukigod]

Awww thanks!

[@b6eunos]

Great video. The handling model on the Saturn was better in my opinion as the cars tended to slide more like a 4 wheel drive car on varying surfaces. Plus the Saturn music is 10 times what the arcade had, it's something truly special. Keep up the great work

[@MrThunderwing]

Nice retrospective! It always amazes me that this game (and by association SR 2006) never got released outside of Japan on the PS2. I mean, it's not like Sega Rally was some weird obscure title, it was literally one of the biggest games on the Sega Saturn and yet for some utterly bizarre reason, someone at Sega though "Nah, no one in the UK, Australia, America, Europe or South America's going to be interested in that!". I'd have snapped up a copy of this on the day it was released if they'd brought it out here in the UK.

[@goukigod]

I know right! I would have happily paid full price back then for this port. I guess they just figured it wouldn't have sold enough to be worth printing discs.

[@drifter4training]

Wish Sega re release outrun 2 (with or without Ferrari license) Daytona racing, Sega Rally and dynamite deka series (die hard arcade game) for Nintendo switch including physical release..

[@goukigod]

My kingdom for any kind of arcade perfect port of outrunners! Daytona got an amazing port for the 360 and PS3 though. I think you can still buy it too in their respective digital stores.

[@SaminPK]

Brilliant review of one of my most played games. I do believe you can pick Lancia Stratos once you finish the Lakeside course in first place in "Championship Mode" on Medium difficulty. Which is bloody hard and I haven't been able to yet as always short of a two or three seconds.

[@goukigod]

Many thanks! I've finished lakeside in first place many times and sadly there is no Stratos. This was only in the Saturn version I believe.

[@SumnerTube21]

there is absolutely no Stratos in the arcade version, people have literally looked through the rom for any evidence

[@loop5]

your comment about the only difference with the arcade being the "press start button instead insert coin", as a matter of fact, that detail is what actually makes me think is a straight port from arcade. you see, it even includes the "free play" text at the left bottom, which you can see in the arcade instead of "insert coin" when you setup the machine on free play. I know because I have the arcade version (in emulator) and got it setup on free play to save me a couple key strokes each time i play. PS2 is arcade as arcade gets, and very likely they just reduced the resolution so it would run on PS2, hardcoded it on freeplay mode, and called it a day.

[@goukigod]

I think you're right. Apart from the resolution and the 'insert coin', they appear to be the same thing.

[@loop5]

@@goukigod check this one out, an arcade machine displaying "free play" (as in the PS2 version) instead "insert coin" kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJicaaqVqtGtesU and it says "PUSH" START instead "PRESS" because it's refering to an arcade machine big ass button :P not a little button in the console control pad haha

[@kayrakaanonline2615]

Never heard the game(not a racing game fan) but i loved the video! Amazing review.

[@goukigod]

Never heard of this game before? I think Sega single handedly got me into racing games in the ‘90s. That and Daytona USA. You didn’t have to be into cars or racing but it was impossible to ignore those big flashy cabinets

[@kayrakaanonline2615]

@@goukigod Yeah, i'm young, that's probably why i didn't heard it. But to be honest, i am interested in trying it after this video. I like retro games, so maybe i will give it a go! Edit: If i can find it somehow.

[@goukigod]

Honestly your best bet is finding an iso and either using Open PS2 Loader, or if you don’t have a PS2, emulation

[@kayrakaanonline2615]

@@goukigod My PS2 had an accident unfortunately, i might try an emulator. Thanks.

[@rustymixer2886]

Great video

[@goukigod]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@feps9555]

Amazing vídeo

[@Camtrack]

Genesis versión looks really good for a 16 bit console

[@goukigod]

ha, you know you're the first person to pull me up on that. The labels accidentally got swapped in the editing process.

[@afriend9428]

*It was suppose to say PS2!* 😂

[@TechRyze]

Sega Model 1!

[@dktha]

I bought the Sega Rally 2006 from Play Asia only for this original version that came with it. Also I bought a new PS2 slim and paid for modding so I could actually play this Japanese port. Worked flawlessly, I could not believe my eyes I could finally play the arcade version at home that blew my mind back in the day. But then, M2Emulator came out and I can today play this on my 4K TV with amazing graphics, so I haven't launched the PS2 version for years.

[@sdmayday]

If I had known about this port 20 years ago I would have bought 10 copies of the game. There is a port of Last Bronx also? Holy cow!

[@goukigod]

Yes, I felt somewhat robbed when I discovered that this existed too.

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

This is really interesting, I had always heard that this was actually arcade emulation on the PS2 with slight tweaks to the game, and the first resolution mode actually matches that of the Model 2 board the game ran on, which makes me assume it is emulated somehow. I wonder if someone could decompile it and find some way to port the emulator (if there is one) to PC, as it might more accurate than M2Emulator (formerly Nebula Model 2) since it’s official. I did notice that it uses the the dithered-transparency by default, which M2Emulator didn’t for me. I might need to track down some of these discs, I had no clue so many Model 2 games got ported to the PS2 back then, even if they do run at an interlaced resolution (presumably 496x384p inside a 512x448i frame.)

[@goukigod]

I'd love to see more solid emulation options for Sega's arcade games. So many titles have been lost to time.

[@NeoRocket64]

What a fleeting dream Would love to see if they did different on each model 2 port to ps2, like slight modification just to make the specific game more accurate or runs better perhaps

[@metropoliszx9961]

Still looking forma the dame info. How was this beauty portes yo ps2. Is there any chance of reverse engineering?

[@deckofcards87]

Oh, hell yeah! The Saturn soundtrack is a bop!! Fingers crossed that one day someone will hack the SRC arcade game with the Saturn osts included. Maybe port it to the Dreamcast!

[@goukigod]

Oh that's a cool idea. I'd love to see the Overjump Rally tribute game (kzbin.info) get offical support so that it could include the classic tracks

[@Clara_Page]

Still my favourite racing game to this day, sadly I've never found a modern racing game like it :( and a modern port seems out of the question with sega ending its Sega Ages line.

[@goukigod]

Hotshot racing is about the closest thing to a modern 90's arcade racer. It's definitely worth checking out!

[@constantinelheman]

I didn't know they released it for PS2! Damn!!!

[@goukigod]

My reaction exactly

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

In the arcade the Lancia Stratos was a button combination if I remember correctly, the PS2 version probably works the same way.

[@goukigod]

Yeah. It's the cheat I mentioned. Sadly there's no car model, only a change in performance and handling.

[@ldmun]

Do you know the cheats? I tried to find them but only found for the Saturn

[@SumnerTube21]

@@ldmun arcade rom, you must move the gears through 1-2-3-4 on the car selection screen (start in a gear thats not 1st) It actually changes the turbo boost pressure of the car and that is it, still 4 wheel drive and even quicker than before (separate leaderboard too). *Also both car are actually slightly different though the most important difference is the Delta is shorter in length

[@azmune]

I'm a huge fan of the series. Played a ton of this at the arcades back in its heyday. Also logged hundreds of hours with the Saturn port. Recently, I got to play it's sequel (at a place that preserves original coin-ops) and got to relive it's former glory with the works (force feedback steering wheel, shifter, pedals). Shame I never got to experience Sega Rally 3. But Revo did the trick and supersedes its predecessors in every possible way. Unfortunately, it too never hit the critical mass developers had hope it would. I guess what I'm saying is, popularity and quality don't always go hand in hand.

[@goukigod]

I think by the time Revo came out rally games had moved on and become much more sim like. Revo is an excellent game that came out at the wrong time. It's sad but arcade racers have never really recovered.

[@azmune]

@@goukigod Yeah, timing wasn't Sega's forte. They were usually ahead pushing the boundaries. You make a case for attaining commercial success and profit. And while this is true for the continuity of a franchise, personally I feel there is never a "wrong time" to release a quality game as some do not seem to age.

[@stringfellowhawk5361]

PC emulator of the Arcade version is still great

[@albanmahoudeau1779]

B.PORT Good EASY

[@lmcshera]

This will do progressive scan mode with buttons held at bootup. I can’t do it from OPL though just disc

[@goukigod]

It is possible from OPL. The timing is just a bit harder to get right.

[@stewarth7662]

Remember getting sega rally and virtua fighter 2 for xmas 96 and holy cow they are both phenomenal games even now, arcade perfect or not, for me virtua fighter 2 was THE best fighting game of that generation, forget tekken 3 virtua fighter 2 was the daddy 😁 But back to sega rally....what a game, once you get to grips with it it is a joy to play, and addictive as hell, soundtrack on the saturn blew the arcade version away, condition reflex (desert stage) is the best piece of music in any video game for me, really gets the adrenaline pumping, i need to buy a sega saturn again now 🤦🏻‍♂️😂

[@goukigod]

You can emulate the Saturn version pretty easily but I know what you mean. The nostalgia of playing on OG hardware is undeniable!

[@MH-yp6wg]

Saturn's arranged OST completely destroys the arcade-music-tracks. I hope someone made a mod for the original arcade-image and put the Saturn's tracks in, so you can enjoy the best of both versions on a Model-2 emulator.

[@goukigod]

Or here's a novel idea, what if Sega re-released this game like they did with daytona about 10 years ago.

[@Kapojos]

Do you need a japanese ps2 to play this? Or will it also work on a region free european ps2?

[@goukigod]

If you have a disc then you'd need a Japanese PS2. I ran it off a USB drive via OPL.

[@roastbeef3000]

I'm guessing you don't own a Saturn to connect to the Retrotink? Great video but the side by side comparison seems weird to me when genuine hardware vs emulator (sorry to nit pick 🫠). Side note if anyone happens to have a CFW PS3, both Sega Rally 2006 and this arcade port both have shockingly bad (I'm talking unplayable) performance in PS2 BC mode 😓

[@goukigod]

No, sadly my Saturn died many years ago and it's one of the few retro systems I don't currently own. I generally don't play anything via emulation but the Saturn gameplay in this video was captured using RetroArch. Interesting that the backwards compatibility on PS3 is so bad.

[@roastbeef3000]

@@goukigod Yeah don't sweat it! I have nothing at all against emulation it just seemed odd for a direct comparison. With CFW you can play PS2 games 'natively' much like how PS2 classic games purchased off the PSN store worked, without having the rare launch model PS3 that has true hardware based BC - It works flawlessly for 90% of games but just so happened to be awful on these 2 Sega Rally games I really wanted to play 😵

[@MuJoNeSs]

Game over, YEEEAAAAHHHHH!!

[@jakescartoons6045]

Correction: Yes (はい) and No (いいえ) are written in Hiragana, not Kanji.

[@goukigod]

My bad. Thanks for clarifying

[@meecob]

@3.26 Just wondering why your screen to the left say "Mega Drive ? Is it meant to say Ps2 ? P.s I play the Sega Model 2 version.

[@goukigod]

yeah sorry, it's an editing error that I didn't catch in time. The left should say Model 1 and the right should say PS2

[@meecob]

@@goukigod Cheers. All good. I was hoping that was the case. 👍

[@Vvewa]

I prefer the saturn 240p version on my crt tv. I have a ps2 but hardly use it because of the 480i flicker. I also prefer the janky early 3d

[@goukigod]

That Saturn version is still incredibly playable. Probably the best arcade port on the platform and I'd even argue of the generation!

[@Vvewa]

@@goukigod Just found out you can hex edit the ps2 iso so its 240p, no flickering on a crt

[@littlemonkey993]

It’s model 2.

[@goukigod]

Correct

[@FezTheSpaceBiker]

Honestly I think the Saturn music is just objectively better, much like Daytona's original home port.

[@goukigod]

Agreed, there's really no competition.

[@nikolazgeo]

What about the PC version? PC Version is the saturn port but perfect.

[@goukigod]

The PC port has the same features as the saturn game but from what I understand has terrible performance. That said, it's been ages since I've seen the PC version running and it's possible that it's been fixed and/or runs better on newer hardware. In which case I'm ready to eat my words.

[@nikolazgeo]

@@goukigod It is fixed i was playing it a month ago on my windows 10 and performance was solid.

[@duncanmacleod7287]

@@nikolazgeo There are side by side comparisons out there, pc ports sucks compared to arcade and ps2.

[@toweleeielite]

get a PS2 emulator downloaded and if youve got one..... put it on the steam deck..... just epic!

[@NeoRocket64]

This is what i dont like from arcade perfect conversion It's so perfect they dont really want to add more This game and other ps2 sega ages model 2 ports lacks more stuffs found on actual console port Unrelated, but This is what i also dont like from philosophy of m2 on porting arcades perfectly. They only add some stuff but definitely not something major that has existed on older console port (like virtua racing for switch) before it There are rarely arcade remaster/remake that adds more than just simply being perfect nowadays And it's hell for me.

[@goukigod]

The only time I can think of an arcade perfect port with more features was the Daytona port for PS3/360 about ten years ago. I'd prefer if all ports were arcade perfect with added features, modes, etc. That said, if I had to choose between a bare bones arcade perfect port or a less faithful version that had additional features I'd take the arcade perfect version every time.

[@spooky_electric]

@@goukigod Technically Outrun 2 on Xbox as well, but that's kind of cheating since it ran on an Xbox-based board in the first place. Similar to Dead or Alive 2 for Japanese Dreamcast in that respect.

[@goukigod]

@@spooky_electric Yep, the various outrun 2 ports are solid gold. Especially the Xbox version because I believe it included the OG arcade game

[@spooky_electric]

@@goukigod And it had a lot of those challenges with unlockable cars, songs, and tracks as well! And the original Xbox port, not 2006, is the only way to play (modified) versions of the Scud Race and Daytona 2 tracks at home. 2006 dropped those for whatever reason.

[@gianlucag6976]

SIGA? Where are you from?

[@goukigod]

Australia via the UK.