If you'd like to support our preservation efforts (and this wasn't cheap), please consider donating or supporting us on Patreon. Thank you!
Top Gear Rally (Nintendo 64)
Top Gear Rally |
---|
Developers: Boss Game Studios,
Kemco
|
To do: Figure out what the unknown cheat does. |
Top Gear Rally is the first rally game in the Top Gear series of video games.
Contents
Cheats
Press the following buttons while in-game for a desired effect.
Button Inputs | Reward |
---|---|
D-Pad Right, D-Pad Up, D-Pad Left, C-Down, C-Down, A, D-Pad Right, Z | Unlock Mirror Cars (Press C-Down over a selected car) |
D-Pad Right, D-Pad Up, D-Pad Left, C-Down, D-Pad Right, D-Pad Down, Z | Unlock Mirror Tracks |
C-Down, D-Pad Right, D-Pad Down, Z | Unknown |
Regional Differences
Build Dates
When holding all four C-buttons at the title screen, the build date is revealed.
- North America – 25AUG97 11:46:52
- Europe – 25SEP97 13:46:05
- Japan – 16OCT97 11:22:44
Intro Demo
The three versions each feature a different intro demo.
- The North American demo shows a calm drive through the Desert track. It is the only version published by Midway, thus the only version to show the Midway logo.
- The European and Japanese versions show a much more exciting drive through the Mountain track, however the Japanese demo is extended and features a series of quick edits at the end. The Japanese version also features a significantly different game logo.
Title Screen
The game uses high resolution (640x480) for the title screen and menus, click on the images to see the correct size.
US | Europe | Japan |
---|---|---|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Controller Pak Saving
The North American version can only save to the Controller Pak. The European and Japanese versions added EEPROM saving, but still support saving to the Controller Pak. The Controller Pak is required on all versions for saving custom car decal data.
Vehicles
All versions feature vehicles clearly based on real cars, but the Japanese version makes those resemblances even more apparent, as the decals were changed to resemble the liveries of the real rally cars they're based on.
US/Europe | Japan |
---|---|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
It also changed the default color of the Milk Truck, from green to the more fitting white.
US/Europe | Japan |
---|---|
![]() |
![]() |
While all of these original cars simply got different decals on the Japanese version, three others were replaced with entirely new ones.
US/Europe | Japan |
---|---|
![]() |
![]() |
First is the Ford RS200 lookalike "Type-RS" getting replaced with a vehicle resembling the Mitsubishi Pajero, made more apparent by the "Type-PJ" name.
US/Europe | Japan |
---|---|
![]() |
![]() |
Then there's the BMW M3 lookalike "Type-M3" replaced with the "Type-TR" truck, which resembles a Ford utility truck.
US/Europe | Japan |
---|---|
![]() |
![]() |
Finally there's the goofy bonus car Helmet replaced with a Mini Cooper. Despite this, the car still has the same clipping data as the original car, so it doesn't appear to touch walls, for instance.
The other bonus cars, the Cupra and Beach Ball, remain identical across all versions.
Interestingly, the three new cars would later be present on Boss Game Studios' 1999 PC title Boss Rally (essentially a port of Top Gear Rally minus the Top Gear name) alongside all the original cars, complete with altered paintjobs.
AI Cars
Computer-controlled cars in the European version are faster in the Desert and Jungle tracks. In the case of Jungle, the problem is exponential with faster cars, as they often produce lap times not humanly possible.
Japanese Version
- In all regions, the default car color of Player 1's car is green, and Player 2's is orange, however the player can choose any color. In the Japanese version however, the car's color will return to the default at the lap times screen after a race.
- Some text has been translated into Japanese, and some into Engrish.
- "KPH" and "MPH" have been replaced with "KM/H" and "MILE/H" respectively.
- E-Brake has been changed to H-Brake.
- Instructions on how to change the number of laps, as well as the BGM/SFX volume, have been removed.
- The three car handling types (Type 1, Type 2, Type 3) have been renamed to Slow, Normal, and Quick respectively.
- The Slippy/Grippy tire options and the Softer/Harder suspension options have been renamed to Slip/Grip and Soft/Hard respectively.
Title Screen and Menu Music
From composer Barry Leitch: "Top Gear Rally for the N64, probably the only N64 game ever to use 8 bit samples... Overall the audio design for this game was pretty bad, the poor listener was forced to listen to the same tune again and again while they tried to qualify for the next round... Poor buggers..."
"For some reason I was asked to do a mellow title tune for the game"
"Then suddenly for the Japanese release I was asked to do a more up tempo one. "
(The European version also uses this theme.)
Development Text
Starting at 0xA7410 in the ROM is a bunch of development related text.
sizeof(UltraCarHeader)=%d sizeof(Vehicle)=%d sizeof(Enemy)=%d savedRecordingLength = %d WRONG TRACK (%d!=%d) TRACK=%d PLAYLIMIT=%d specials: %d airplanePathLeft = %08x airplanePathRight = %08x airplane = %d airplanetrigger = %d waterfall = %d # Format SB BitSize 24 Rows %d Columns 1 %.02x %.02x %d: %d<%d=%d || %d!=%d=%d || %d<=%d=%d veh[%d]->recIndex[%d] = %d bestNumber = %d, bestIndex = %d Allocating %d bytes for data_buf ERROR: unhandled texture size: %d HUGE GLIST ERROR Initializing controller pak Car %d too big (%d vs. %d) Loading car %d (%d / %d) Track %d too big (%d vs. %d) Loading track %d (%d / %d) hmm = %04x %04x Scalars: %d/%d ERROR: instances (%d) > MAX_INSTANCES (%d) ERROR: Track header size mismatch! (%d!=%d) => faultproc - got a fault message Matrix4Inverse: singular matrix gate for %d(%d): %d.%d (dist=%f) enemy %d loses slot %d (dist=%f) saving lap (%d/%d) and gate (%d/%d) init slot %d to being open enemy %d acquires slot %d restoring lap (%d/%d) and gate (%d/%d) %d went backwards, from gate %d to gate %d Hmm %d == %d %% %d && %d < 0 ? %d lapping %d forward to -1 %d went forward, from gate %d to gate %d moved ahead one gate, getting %f seconds veh->lapTimeFinal[%d]=%f lapping %d back to 0 (a) ******* LAP #%d ******** veh->lapTimeFinal[%d]=%f granting technically-earned lap %d/%d to %d lapping %d back to 0 (b) VAR SAVE OVERFLOW (%d avail, %d used) SAVING LAST LAP INFO ERROR: Sound buffer allocation overflow on car sound %d Car sound effect space used: %d/%d Car sound effect overflow BAD VTX DL Bad Final Matrix: in=%d (%s), s=%f ------------- %f %f %f %f.%f %f %f %f.%f %f %f %f.%f %f %f %f ------------- %f %f %f %f.%f %f %f %f.%f %f %f %f.%f %f %f %f ------------- %f %f %f %f.%f %f %f %f.%f %f %f %f.%f %f %f %f ------------- invalid block type invalid stored block lengths too many length or distance symbols invalid bit length repeat 1.0.4 unknown compression method invalid window size incorrect header check need dictionary incorrect data check oversubscribed dynamic bit lengths tree.incomplete dynamic bit lengths tree oversubscribed literal/length tree incomplete literal/length tree oversubscribed literal/length tree incomplete literal/length tree invalid literal/length code invalid distance code invalid literal/length code stream end file error stream error data error insufficient memory buffer error incompatible version Insufficient memory for zcalloc Insufficient interface memory (need %d, have %d) ERROR: AllocPaintShopGfxMem given image %dx%dx%d = %d bytes but uncompressed rom image is %d bytes Allocating %d bytes (x2) for decal buffers Initializing controller pak Loading decal %d Saving decal %d Loading color palette Saving color palette Color palette loaded successfully! Color palette saved successfully! err_code = %d Length = %d Restartfrom = %d %d Patterns found %d Instruments found Now doSamples WANKER fuck off no 16bit, no Ping fucking pong Sample Space used = %d bytes Real Frequency is = %d %1.7f Creating I entries Creating Note Frequency entries Starting Mod Force = %10.4f, %10.4f, %10.4f, %10.4f, %10.4f, %10.4f F/T = %10.4f, %10.4f, %10.4f, %10.4f, %10.4f, %10.4f ----%d------------------------------- dotp = %f -- Stand Dist = %f -- Stand Vel = %f -- Stand Point = %f Wank CT1 case Triangle Edge to CubeFace Cube Edge to Triangle Face Resistive collision %10.3f Standing on it's F'in Nose damnit
The Top Gear series | |
---|---|
SNES | Top Gear • Top Gear 2 • Top Gear 3000 |
Genesis | Top Gear 2 |
Game Boy Color | Top Gear Pocket 2 |
Nintendo 64 | Top Gear Rally • Top Gear Rally 2 • Top Gear Overdrive • Top Gear Hyper-Bike |
Game Boy Advance | Top Gear Rally |
Nintendo DS | Super Speed Machines (Top Gear: Downforce) |
Cleanup > To do
Games > Games by content > Games with hidden development-related text
Games > Games by content > Games with regional differences
Games > Games by developer > Games developed by Boss Game Studios
Games > Games by developer > Games developed by Kemco
Games > Games by platform > Nintendo 64 games
Games > Games by publisher
Games > Games by publisher > Games published by Kemco
Games > Games by publisher > Games published by Warner Bros. Interactive > Games published by Midway Games
Games > Games by release date > Games released in 1997
Games > Games by series > Top Gear series