Name: Rock N' Roll Racing
Platform: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive
Region: USA
Media: Cartridge
Controller: Gamepad
Genre: Racing
Gametype: Licensed
Release Year: 1993
Developer: Silicon & Synapse
Publisher: Interplay Entertainment
Players: 1 or 2 VS
_________________________
Rock 'n Roll Racing is an arcade combat racing game. Combat plays a heavy role in the game, as each car has a frontal weapon, such as a laser or missile, and a drop weapon, such as spikes or mines. As you complete races, you get more money to upgrade your car.

Gameplay:

The game pits four racers against each other, with up to two of them being player-controlled and the rest being AI opponents. Races are viewed from an isometric viewpoint.

While it is a racing game, there is heavy emphasis on attacking competitor's vehicles; since the cars always reappear with full health just a few seconds after blowing up, the only "harm" done is falling behind in the race. Players are rewarded with a monetary "attack bonus" each time they provide the finishing blow against another car using their projectile weapons (and a similar "lapping bonus" when they gain a full one-lap lead on an opponent during the race). To this end (the continual destruction and restoration of the racing vehicles), the tracks are littered with mines and health power-ups, as well as money power-ups. Other hazards include oil slicks, snow drifts, and lava, depending on which planet is hosting the race.

Players are updated on the race by commentator "Loudmouth Larry" (Larry "Supermouth" Huffman), who makes comments like "The stage is set, the green flag drops!" (or "Let the carnage begin!"), and "Rip: is about to blow!" in an enthusiastic tone at appropriate moments during the race. (There is a slight pause between a character's name and any given phrase, as each name and each phrase is its own sound effect, which can be heard in the F/X screen.)

Between races, players can spend the money they've earned on more advanced equipment for their vehicle (engines, tires, shocks, and shielding) or on increasing their capacity for the frontal weapon (energy blasts or missiles), rear weapon (slip sauce or mines), and turbo boost (jump jets or nitro boosts), each of which can max out at seven. Despite their limited capacity, every racer will have their weapon and boost charges replenished at the start of each lap in a race.

Each race goes on for four laps, and the final standings provide rewards. Money is used to buy upgrades and new cars, while points are used to advance to the next racing division or the next planet. In two-player mode, when only one player has sufficient points, the character in charge of advancement asks "Leave your loser friend behind?", allowing that player to continue alone by removing the other player from the game. Once left behind, the player has no choice but to hope that they had written down their most recent password (available from the F/X screen) and that the other player will reset the game and let them try again at some point.

- Selectable characters -

    - Snake Sanders (Earth)
    - Tarquinn (Aurora)
    - Jake Badlands (Xeno Prime)
    - Katarina Lyons (Panteros V)
    - Ivanzypher (Fleagull)
    - Cyberhawk (Serpentis)
    - Olaf from The Lost Vikings (Valhalla)

There are six characters that are readily selectable, each of which has a +1 enhancement for two of the four skills that are related to how well their vehicle handles: acceleration, top speed, cornering, and jumping. Olaf, from The Lost Vikings, another Silicon & Synapse game that was in development at the same time, is a hidden character, requiring a code to access him, and instead of two skills, Olaf has three. At the character selection screen (with Snake showing on the screen), while holding down L, R, and Select, press left then right on the d-pad, and Olaf will appear. There is an eighth character, also hidden, who has no picture or name but has the +1 bonus for all four of the available skills. This character is sometimes called the "Phantom", and he/she/it is only accessible using specially-crafted passwords.

Many of the characters, location names, etc. take their name or likeness from hard rock music. Snake Sanders is based on Whitesnake vocalist David Coverdale, Jake Badlands is named for Jake E. Lee, guitarist for a band called Badlands, and Cyberhawk is most likely a reference to the cover art for the Judas Priest album Screaming for Vengeance.

 - Music -

Song running order (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis):

    - "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath
    - "The Peter Gunn Theme" by Henry Mancini
    - "Highway Star" by Deep Purple
    - "Radar Love" by Golden Earring (only in the Mega Drive/Genesis version)
    - "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf
    - "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood

Hints:

- Codes for any character and powered up cars in any division -
These codes allow you to play with any player including Olaf the Last Viking (hidden character) with a fully powered up car.
RM20 RS!V XWJ!Rookie - Flea
8M2H RSYV XWJ!Rookie - Hawk
RM1H RSKV XWJ!Rookie - Jake
8M20 RS6V XWJ!Rookie - Katarina
RM10 RSTV XWJ!Rookie - Olaf
RM2H RS2V XWJ!Rookie - Snake
8M1H RSFV XWJ!Rookie - Tarquinn
HM2W RS!V XWJ!Veteran - Flea
0M2C RSYV XWJ!Veteran - Hawk
HM1C RSKV XWJ!Veteran - Jake
OM2W RS6V XWJ!Veteran - Katarina
HM1W RSTV XWJ!Veteran - Olaf
HM2C RS2V XWJ!Veteran - Snake
0M1C RSFV XWJ!Veteran - Tarquinn
8M28 RS!V XWJ!Warrior - Flea
RM2R RSYV XWJ!Warrior - Hawk
8M1R RSKV XWJ!Warrior - Jake
RM28 RS6V XWJ!Warrior - Katarina
8M18 RSTV XWJ!Warrior - Olaf
8M2R RS2V XWJ!Warrior - Snake
RM1R RSFV XWJ!Warrior - Tarquinn

- Passwords for Veteran skill level -
6!!W R429 RJ6Qpart 1 of planet 2
3KWW C92J RJ6Qpart 1 of planet 3
4SBW Z52N 8S8Ppart 1 of planet 4
7!7V 7G1X 8S8Ppart 1 of planet 5
XFDW S60V WS6Mpart 2 of planet 1
Y26W M609 RJ6Qpart 2 of planet 2
WHGW CL0D 8S8Ppart 2 of planet 3
X0NV MT0N 8S8Ppart 2 of planet 4
3LLW RGZX 5TF9part 2 of planet 5

- Play as Snake, fully loaded car, any difficulty, any planet, any division -
These codes allow you to play as Snake with loads of money and a fully powered up car.
SPFH 7G2B XWJ!Rookie - Bogmire
J5YH Z70B XWJ!Rookie - Bogmire, Div A
Q40H HT23 XWJ!Rookie - Bogmire, Div B
HQWH T80V XWJ!Rookie - Chem IV, Div A
G!!H JN03 XWJ!Rookie - Drakonis, Div A
Q40H HT23 XWJ!Rookie - Drakonis, Div B
S5YC Z70B XWJ!Veteran - Bogmire, Div A
JPFC YG2B XWJ!Veteran - Bogmire, Div B
RQWC T80V XWJ!Veteran - Chem IV, Div A
Q!!C JN03 XWJ!Veteran - Drakonis, Div A
G40C HT23 XWJ!Veteran - Drakonis, Div B
T5YC Z70L XWJ!Veteran - New Mojave, Div A
K5YC Z72L XWJ!Veteran - New Mojave, Div B
L5YC Z7ZV XWJ!Veteran - NHO, Div A
B5YC Z71C XWJ!Veteran - NHO, Div B
15YR Z70B XWJ!Warrior - Bogmire, Div A
9PFR 7G2B XWJ!Warrior - Bogmire, Div B
0QWR T80V XWJ!Warrior - Chem IV, Div A
Z!!R JN03 XWJ!Warrior - Drakonis, Div A
740R HT23 XWJ!Warrior - Drakonis, Div B
W5YR Z723 XWJ!Warrior - Inferno, Div A
45YR Z713 XWJ!Warrior - Inferno, Div B
25YR Z70L XWJ!Warrior - New Mojave, Div A
!5YR Z72L XWJ!Warrior - New Mojave, Div B
V5YR Z7ZV XWJ!Warrior - NHO, Div A
35YR 271V XWJ!Warrior - NHO, Div B

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_N%27_Roll_Racing
http://www.mobygames.com/game/genesis/rock-n-roll-racing
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/genesis/code/586430.html