Get ready to celebrate Rare's 40th anniversary, because our friends at Retro-Bit Publishing just announced that they will be bringing out brand-new, limited-edition collector's sets for both R.C. Pro-Am II on the Nintendo Entertainment System, as well as the Game Boy version of Battletoads & Double Dragon. We've already talked about that Battletoads & Double Dragon game multiple times in the past, but we so rarely get a chance to talk about R.C. Pro-Am II, one of my favorite 8-bit games of all time. This upcoming release will not only include the physical cartridge, full-color instruction manual and a nice hardcover magnet box, but will also come with a set of holographic stickers. I may love this game, but what about the critics? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro, Nintendo Power and more classic magazines that reviewed R.C. Pro-Am II when it first came out. Get ready to stab-it and steer, because it's time for another speedy episode of Retro-Bit Review Crew.


If you were a fan of racing games and had a Nintendo Entertainment System in the late 1980s, then you probably owned Rad Racer. However, if you owned a second racing game, then chances are good that it was R.C. Pro-Am. While not as pretty as its competition, Rare's remote-controlled racer was fast and offered a ton of content. The same is true for the sequel, but you may not know that, because it came out in 1992, at a time when most gamers had fully embraced the 16-bit generation. As a result, R.C. Pro-Am II is something of an overlooked gem. Rare created one of the fastest, most exciting and action-packed games on the NES, and I'm not just talking about racing. This is a sequel that not only pushes the hardware as far as it can possibly go, but it does that while supporting up to four players at the same time. I have been a champion of this game for as long as I can remember, but what did the critics say?

When it comes to Electronic Gaming Monthly, everybody agreed with me – R.C. Pro-Am II is the best racing game on the NES. In fact, Sushi-X straight-up says that in his glowing review: “This is how an NES game should be programmed! The control is right on the money, and the numerous power-up options really add variety to the gameplay. The graphics are delightfully colorful, and the challenge is consistently better as you race along. RC Pro-Am II is the best racing game for the NES.” Steve agreed, but admits to initially being skeptical: “Racing games are my favorite and after hearing of a new NES cart, I wasn't excited. After all, how could the 8-bit deliver the excitement that you get from playing a good Genesis racer? But I was wrong! This is a must have cart for anyone who still uses the NES as the gameplay, graphics and car options are outstanding.” With an average score of 8 out of 10, R.C. Pro-Am II was EGM's best-reviewed racing game on the Nintendo Entertainment System.

You want to know what makes EGM's score even more impressive? That 8 out of 10 is actually the second-lowest score I could find from any magazine published in 1993. The lowest comes from Nintendo Power, who gave it a solid 3.8 out of 5. They liked “being able to choose the items you want to boost the power of your vehicle,” saying that “it adds an element of strategy to the game.” However, they complained that “some of the enemy vehicles that appear, like the airplanes that drop bombs, give you very little time to adjust and dodge. The result is that you can lose a race without doing anything wrong.”

As we climb the scale, we see Nintendo Magazine System gush about the four-player action and high-speed thrills of R.C. Pro-Am II, giving the game a score of 87%. That's the exact same score we saw from Game Players, who decided to talk more about the wealth of content. “There are 24 different tracks in R.C. Pro-Am, as well as three types of courses, with bonus stages, too. As you race, you can pick up useful bonus items and money you can use to soup up your vehicle. You also get cold hard cash at the end of each race – although how much you earn depends on how well you perform. Give R.C. Pro-Am II the checkered flag – you'll want to keep playing it over and over again.”

If you're looking for the highest score, then look no further than GamePro, who went with a perfect 5 out of 5. However, as is so often the case with GamePro, just because the game may have earned their highest score, they were not afraid to criticize its outdate presentation. “Keep your eyes on the road and your ears plugged. The 8-bit graphics and sound do their respective jobs, but they won't compel you to buy this cart. Your cars are just recognizable and the tracks are no tourist attractions. But you're here to race, not sightsee, and the game's quick-moving animation is top-notch. Pro-Am's sounds? Well, they exist. R.C. Pro-Am II is a slick sequel that out-races the original, so hit the road, Jack! Every red-blooded American feels a need for four-wheel speed sometime – even if it's only a little burst.”

This is, without question, one of my favorite NES games, and Rare absolutely pushes that system to its limits with this four-player racing game. Look, the critics are right, the graphics aren't very impressive, but there's a ton of content here, and this type of racer holds up remarkably well. I love that Retro-Bit and Rare are going to be giving this overlooked gem a second life, and I suggest you check out the pre-order campaign.