Preview: Cro-Mag Rally

Reviewed By: Kirk Hiner

Review Date: November 7, 2000

Genre: Racing

Format: Preview CD

Developer: Pangea Software

Availability: November 2000

Does anyone remember a movie called "Caveman?" It had Ringo Starr in it, and I think Shelley Long as his love interest...maybe even Ringo's real life wife as the dark haired vixen (one of those Bach women?). I can remember that in the early 80s it was on HBO every Saturday for something like three years straight, second only to the number of airings of "Jake Speed." I ask not because the movie is worth talking about, but because if I don't soon quit playing Cro-Mag Rally I may need to borrow that movie to feed my sudden caveman addiction.

Cro-Mag Rally is an OpenGL based racing game from Pangea Software, the company that brought us Bugdom, Mighty Mike and Nanosaur, amongst others. They've also become Apple's favorite son, apparently, as Pangea Software games shipped pre-loaded on the iMac and iBook computers. And why not? Filled with enough action to satisfy hard core gamers yet colorful and tame enough to keep children happy (or perhaps more importantly, the parents of children), Pangea Software games have traditionally done a great job of showing off that of which the Mac is capable. And hey, aside from the recent PC port (yes, you read that correctly) of Bugdom, Pangea Software games are Mac only.

Considering his streak of great titles, Brian Greenstone of Pangea Software was pressured to keep up the pace. I'm happy to report that, judging from the pre-release CD I tested, Cro-Mag Rally will not disappoint.

In Cro-Mag Rally, you become either Brog or Grag, depending upon sexual preference, and you get to race a choice of "carts," each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Want the speed of the Logmobile (after all, all kids love log), for example? Take it, but you lose the suspension of the Geode Cruiser. You then take your cart onto one of nine tracks, ranging from the desert to medieval villages to the Lost City of Atlantis. Three of the tracks are available immediately for practice, the others have to be unlocked by winning races on the previous tracks.

And trust me, winning is not as easy as you'd think. Unlike Star Wars: Episode One - Racer, I didn't complete ten tracks before someone beat me. On the contrary, I have yet to win a race in Cro-Mag Rally, and I'm playing on the easy setting! I haven't raced this poorly since the Pinewood Derby back in Cub Scouts. Of course, that was pretty much my dad's gig; I don't think I ever actually saw my car until race day. Anyway, I'm trying to say that Cro-Mag Rally is difficult. Extremely difficult. Not only do you have to beat five other carts to win, but you also have to collect arrowheads along the way. If you don't get them all, you don't get the victory.

To compete, you'll have to learn to use more than just the accelerate button (or stick or key, depending upon how you configure the controls). Braking in tight corners is key, and there are plenty of obstacles to avoid along the way; some static, some not. Power-ups such as Sticky Tires and Super Suspension help, but in the end, it's all about your mastery of steering and weaponry.

Yep, in the tradition of Speed Racer, these drivers don't play clean. You can toss oil, snowballs and who knows what else at your opponents in an attempt to get them off course. If that doesn't work, try smashing them into the giant polar bears or twisting tornados. Surprisingly, I never thought to try these tactics back at the Pinewood Derby. Cub Scout Bike Rodeo, yes, but not the Derby.

Although the action is intense in all Pangea Software games, there are two other elements that keep bringing me back; graphics and music. I'm thrilled to report that Cro-Mag Rally does not disappoint in either aspect. Considering that even the best of today's 3D games can't seem to wallow out of brown and grey, I'm always amazed at the colors Brian manages to force into his games. Moving from other 3D games to something by Pangea is like landing in Oz with Dorothy or flipping from a daily to a Sunday Flash Gordon strip in the late 1930s. And the music is equally colorful. Brian has once again brought in Bugdom and Nanosaur alumnus Michael Beckett to score the game, and the result is some of Michael's best work to date. In fact, this pairing is now as natural to me as that of Yes and Roger Dean; musical artists and the visual artist extraordinaire.

The only drawback to the game thus far, aside from its difficulty level, is that multiplayer action is only available on a LAN, no internet. Two people can play on one computer, splitting the screen horizontally or vertically, but that's it without the benefit of a local network. Too bad, as I'd sure like to see how well Jimmy Moler does when he doesn't have his dad to design his pinewood race car for him.

Cro-Mag Rally is due for release later this month, and a full Applelinks review will follow.

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