Format: PlayStation
Publisher: Prism Arts
Developer: Prism Arts
First release: 1998
Availability: NTSC-J Only
Following on from their fairly poor 1996 release Circuit Beat, Prism Arts moved to off-road racing with two games almost certainly inspired by the classic Sega Rally. Where Circuit Beat failed in not having decent vehicle handling, the Rally de games managed to succeed as both offer a fun and challenging handling model. Although these are both different games, they both feel very similar in terms of design, structure and gameplay so we’ve decided to review both in a single article.
Graphics:
Visually from the off you can feel the Sega Rally influence. The cars are chunky but well modelled, the dirt on the very first Africa track is strikingly similar to the Sega classic. The graphics engine feels solid and doesn’t suffer notable warping or clipping to any severe degree and runs at a rock solid frame rate of around 30fps. Prism Arts went for a more realistic look with the environments so colours can be a little muted against the super bright cars but it looks decent. Dirt is thrown up behind the car as expected but it is kept to a minimum, presumably to keep performance smooth.
On the whole both games look similar and offer a good variety of locations. From the smooth dirt of Lake Victoria to the punishing snowy mountain roads of Karlstad, it keeps the player eager to check out the next track.
Both games have aged well visually in the context of 32 bit racing games and offer a chunky, almost charming visual presentation.
Sound:
Audio is certainly interesting here. Africa goes for a tribal style soundtrack which admittedly can sound a little hollow but does manage to fit the theme well and does add to the charm. Musically Europe leans more to traditional Japanese rock and it actually sounds pretty good, it has that wonderful 90’s feel so many games from Japan had back then.
Engines sound good and boosted cars get the usual flutter and whine of a turbo engine.
How Do They Play?
Both Rally games handle the same and both feel very good to play. They aren’t perhaps as loose as Sega Rally but the cars slide well and you can feel the weight shift nicely in the corners. The biggest issue with the control is more the third person camera which has a habit of snapping behind the car as you straighten up and can feel a little unwieldy. Until you get used to it, it can make you think you have overdone the turn as you end up overcompensating in attempts to correct it. This doesn’t present an issue in the first person view mode but the downside of that view is naturally the lack of visibility of the winding courses.
The courses are varied and really quite devious in both games. Even the most gentle track is more difficult than the classic Desert track from Sega Rally. Surface changes do not feel hugely pronounced like in more serious rally games as this is purely an arcade based experience.
There are four classes of car and each brings a boost in speed or weight. All of the cars feel fairly similar to drive but you will find a car that suits you better. Some stick to the dirt a touch better but have lower top speed, some are more slippery but are faster, the usual thing in arcade racing games.
Rally de Africa and Europe offer hugely satisfying rewards to the player when in the zone. Europe in particular can be very challenging due to some very twisty circuits but when you pull of a series of perfect turns and overtakes, it feels absolutely fantastic. Contact with walls is devastating to your chances so you will need to learn each and every bend of the five courses that each game offers.
Negcon and dual-shock support is available for both and digital control is well handled for those that somehow still don’t have a dual-shock!
Content:
Both games offer multiple modes for one and two players. Spot Entry events are just one off racing, ideal for practice and the championships events offer a series of challenges, each need to be completed so you can unlock the next class.
Two player battles are just that, split screen racers for two that run really smoothly but offer no opponents, just 1v1 although a slow car boost feature is there if needed to keep things competitive.
Memory Battle is the most unique feature and sadly it’s more frustrating than fun. In Memory Battle you load CPU AI from the CD and race them, we think in order to unlock more cars. However these racers are extremely difficult and due to the nature of the AI, the collision system breaks and they are able to just plow through you. A good idea, but not one that works particularly well and should be ignored.
Five tracks are available for each game and four classes of car. Very little is unlocked to start so you will need skill and maybe some luck to see all of the content. There is good variety in vehicle with Kei cars, Super 1600 style rally, WRC rally cars and even huge 4×4 off roaders! Even a VW camper makes an appearance as a bonus unlockable.
One brilliant thing with Rally de Europe is that once you complete the championship mode, all of the Rally de Africa circuits are unlocked and you can play the championship. However, this is brutally hard to achieve and we have yet to manage it!
Summary:
Rally de Africa and Rally de Europe are both quirky but really enjoyable racing games. They feel somewhat low budget but they also feel polished and playable within that budget. Both games were clearly made with a lot of love and are well worth adding to any racing game fans collection. Europe is technically the definitive package but that brutal difficulty means Africa is still well worth a purchase to enjoy the circuits.
Both games are very easy to play with enough English in the menus to allow progress.
Verdict: Good.
Links to gameplay footage below. Courtesy of World of Longplays.
Digital Drift/Racer 
Super blog! Keep at it 😀
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