This motorcycle racing game earned many fans with its rhythmical soundtrack and comical style, as well as the simple controls and easy-to-understand gameplay. The porting of the game to home consoles was another reason for its popularity.
RALLY BIKE
Japanese title: ダッシュ野郎
| Release | 1988 |
| Genre | Vertically scrolling race action |
| Platforms | Arcade Famicom Others |
Controls & How to Play
The game is played with an 8-way joystick, an Acceleration button, and a Brake button.
Move the joystick up to accelerate, and down to decelerate.
Move the joystick left and right to move sideways.
The goal is to cross the finish line within the specified ranking.
The qualifying ranking is displayed at the start of the race.
Your rank increases by overtaking bikes and cars participating in the race or by destroying them.
If you hit an obstacle such as a car, motorcycle, train, or the terrain, you will fall off your motorcycle.
Falling consumes fuel and forces you to restart the race from where you fell.
You will not be able to move if you run out of fuel.
The game is over if you run out of fuel and are unable to reach the finish line, or if you finish the race outside of the required ranking.
Including the bonus stages, there are eight stages in total, and your fuel tank will be filled after each completing each stage.
The game ends when you complete the final stage.
【Items】
During the race, a helicopter may appear on screen and drop items for you to use.
GAS tank
Refills your fuel tank slightly.
TURBO
Increases the speed of your motorcycle (2 levels).
HELPER
Assigns an extra helper bike to each side of your motorcycle.
These bikes can destroy an opponent's bike or car by crashing into them.
They will be lost once they have destroyed a certain number of enemies, or if they hit an obstacle that can't be destroyed.
1,000 Points
You will receive 1,000 points for each one that you pick up.
GAS station icon
Pick up this item to pull into the gas station and replenish some of your fuel.
Since you are not in the race while refueling, you will be overtaken by your opponents and your rank will decrease somewhat.
- POINT1
- There are additional points that can be earned in each stage, and you can acquire them by driving over them.
You will earn bonus points after clearing a stage, depending on how high your rank rose.
- POINT２
- You can play special bonus stages that occur after completing certain stages.
In these bonus stages, you will race for 60 seconds or until you crash, and you can earn extra points upon completion of the stage by picking up items that are dropped by a helicopter.
Impressions
This action title featured a laid-back soundtrack and a somewhat comical touch, making it more of a leisurely tour through various cities than a racing game. It definitely felt like something that could only have been made by Toaplan. You can see why players were so hooked on the title at the time. In addition, there were overseas video game magazines that rated the arcade version as high as 80/100. The game was also ported to home consoles, and it was well-received by video game magazines in both Japan and overseas. Just thinking about the game will make you want to hit the arcades and give it a play!