Description of Sega Rally 2 Championship
Sega's track record on the PC has been less than sparkling. Conversions of its top arcade games have generally failed to please PC gamers who tend to look for longer lasting challenges than the coin-clutching arcade goer. With the Dreamcast console currently flying high, it appears that Sega Rally 2 could be the last PC title to come from their development studios for some time. It's a shame, as the Japanese giant has finally done itself justice with this stunning racing game. Quite simply, Sega Rally 2 is one of the best racers seen on the PC and deserves to be stuck right at the top of your Christmas shopping list.
We extensively previewed a near-complete version of Rally 2 just last month and this final version is virtually identical - which is a good thing, as the BETA version of the game was superb! We'll obviously try not to repeat too much of the preview in this review, so we'd recommend referring back to it if you want to read even more about this thrilling racer.
Fans of the arcade machine will be pleased to see that the coin guzzler has been almost perfectly recreated on the PC. Sharp visuals (although no sharper than 800x600), fast frame rates, and that slick Sega Rally handling have all been put in place. If you can get your hands on a steering wheel and a suitably massive monitor, you've practically got the arcade machine in the comfort of your own home. Of course, there's a lot more to the PC version of Sega Rally 2 than a perfect conversion of the arcade game.
Sega have added a ten-year championship mode to the home versions of Rally 2. Sporting a good 40 courses, this is an awesome mode which should keep even the most adept racers busy for some time. Admittedly, some of the tracks are repeats with varied weather conditions but, nevertheless, it's an impressive line-up for any PC racer. Each track has been superbly designed along the same lines of the original arcade courses. There's no supplement for great course design and Sega have more than delivered with a superbly balanced set of corners, bends and hazards. Combined with precise handling and a vast range of cars which you can set-up yourself, this is one seriously comprehensive rally game.
Those looking for head-to-head action will not be disappointed by Rally 2. There's a network/Internet mode which allows up to four PCs to connect and race against each other. For those without net-access or LANs, there's a two-player split screen option. This is a great addition and works exceptionally well - provided you've got a suitably powerful 3D card to keep the frame-rates high. The split-screen mode has obviously been carried over from the Dreamcast version, but it's nice to see it here as it remains foolish for developers to assume that everyone has access to a LAN! Needless to say, playing head-to-head is an compulsive experience. The level of skill required to take corners at optimum speed ensures gruelling contests and incidents of road rage. If you're playing against poor competition, you can always turn on 'catch up' mode where the losing cars have higher top speeds.
Powered by a Voodoo 3, Rally 2 ripped along at a smooth 60 frames per second in 800x600. The PC version of the game looks even better than the Dreamcast title, but Sega have thoughtfully remembered to retain options to reduce detail levels for those with lesser PCs. Visually, this is a great game. The cars are realistically modelled (Sega have acquired licences for all 21 vehicles), the trackside scenery is great and, of course, that Sega Rally helicopter is back to swoop over the course.
There are plenty of nice incidental details - such as the cars acquiring a layer of mud as they tear around the tracks and the cool weather effects. There are only two very minor gripes with the game. Firstly, those cardboard cut-out spectators are back! They may be smoothed by 3D cards and in high resolutions, but if you drive into them it looks a bit iffy. The second problem is that the maximum graphical resolution supported by the game is 800x600. Although it looks slightly better than the Dreamcast version when its flying along at 60 frames per second in 16-bit colour, you've can't help but feel that Sega could have taken full advantage of the more powerful 3D cards currently available. There are plenty of 3D cards that can comfortably handle 1024x768 modes now, so it's a shame that Sega have not taken advantage of these.
In-game audio is exactly the same as the Dreamcast game. The music thumps through your speakers, your co-driver yells instructions, and the engine roars as you accelerate out of that last corner. As the clichés go, pump up the volume and put the pedal to the metal.
Sega Rally 2 is an arcade game which has been given one major-overhaul for the home gaming systems. It's set to be a massive smash on the new Dreamcast console this Christmas and deserves to reap equal success on the PC. Slicing another second off that first stage is all that you can think about when you play Rally2. It's compulsive gaming with fantastic presentation. Quite simply, Sega Rally 2 is the best PC game Sega have ever made and, more importantly, is one of the best arcade rally games you can lay your hands on.
Review By GamesDomain
External links
Captures and Snapshots
Comments and reviews
Sh4Sh 2024-10-13 0 point
There seems to a trojan in the portable version, Trojan:Win32/Phonzy.A!ml
Not saying the game doesn't work but it seems to come with something attached.
Mariano 2024-10-13 0 point
Hi! I´ve got a (maybe dumb) question: Can I play this game on cooperative mode? e.g: Pluggin in 2 joysticks. Thanks in advance!
BlueBlob 2024-07-31 0 point
Took my chances on portable version. Ran fine on Win11, no issues so far and no viruses or trojans, no weird calls to anywhere that I can see.
I played this at local gas station back in 90's, then bought it to my PC early 2000's and for some odd reason, still play it sometimes and still love it in 2024.
Dreamcast version is shit compared to PC that is still worse than the original arcade but playable.
Laqzi 2024-06-12 0 point
the game works fine but after i installed the patch once i reopened the game and the audio wasnt working. and im not talking about the cd music, im talking about no sound is being played in the game. has anyone got this same problem?
CoolioTHEcool 2024-05-05 0 point
the joytokey doesn't work properly. i open it up and then it runs in the background. any fix?
TURBOSALT 2024-02-21 1 point
love this game and cant thank alcino major enough for making this game work out of the box. have had the game on various PCs since I found it in 2020 and have had ZERO viruses or false positives. Have no idea what people here are talking about and wanted to vouch as it genuinely bums me out seeing someone with so much talent resign due to this. Do you guys have any idea how much of a pain in the ass this game would be to play if he didn't put all the work in? there's multiple DLLs and external programs working together so the game actually works.
sega sure as hell wasn't going to do it themselves.
Radial 2024-02-09 0 point
I cannot speak for others but I have this win10 machine installed since dec 2022 and never had an issue with it until I installed this custom Standalone Sega Rally 2 yesterday. I thought Windows Defender was giving a false positive like everyone else. Now I can't disconnect my internet connection cause it says "the connection may be using other protocols.." and I can't fix the issue because even the Safe Mode doesn't boot anymore. I also trusted that guy from his upload but now I wonder.
rev 2024-01-08 -3 points
people deserve nothing, who the fuck would add a trojan for an old racing game barely anyone remembers on the most reputable abandonware site???? get afucking grip or stop visiting this site PERIOD.
Asd 2023-11-04 1 point
Thank you for the great game! I downloaded the iso version, it works on windows 10, only on 640x480 resolution. 800x600 crashes the game.
Managed to get it widescreen without having to do all that hex editing and stuff... I used the graphics control panel, in my case intel, changed my option to scale fullscreen, ticked overide application settings...and it works flawlessly in 1366x768 resolution..even the writing has been scaled up perfectly. Hope this may help someone.
New 2023-05-22 1 point
It's working. Just had to add an exception to Win32/Wacatac.H!ml to be allowed by Windows.
Udon911 2023-03-30 -3 points
According to my antivirus, the portable for windows 10 version contains a virus. Please have an antivirus on your computer, even if this site usualy doesn't give files containing them.
jmpt14 2023-02-13 -1 point
If you really aren't going to continue this, is there a chance you could post the files to make the launcher? also i'm having trouble with the original launch menu where you set display and controller options, it only shows up on 32-bit windows and i'm on 64-bit.
thanks anyway.
Alcino Major 2023-01-07 20 points
Sorry guys, game is over.
In my unreleased final version, I've fixed most of the problems and added some features. But also I have now more false positives with this build, which means more paranoid people that don't understand basic shit about programing will complain, complain and complain...
Some are sending me very arsh messages which makes me very sad and disappointed
So, due to the fact people are accusing me of infecting their machines with malware.
I've decided I'm not supporting this portable versions in this free form anymore (at least for now). And this includes all other portable launchers projects I have in the works.
I will not be wasting my time on this anymore. There's a limit for everything and everyone, and I hit my limit.
Have a good one.
Maarcis 2023-01-06 0 point
Hi, @Alcino Major, i wanted to ask, is there any to fix the ntdll.dll issue, because my game keeps crashing on that
apollonas 2022-04-21 1 point
i have tried all the patch dont work and not find in it
the game isn t running
Viper 2022-02-15 1 point
I used to have this running easily but with my new system & no version ive tried will launch, only on an old i7 laptop strangely enough.
Ciaran_Z 2021-12-11 0 point
NEVER MIND
launching the game attempts to install trojan malware DO NOT DOWNLOAD.
Ciaran_Z 2021-12-11 7 points
People keep saying its malware but I scanned it with my anti virus and nothing came up. No idea who to believe.
Nick 2021-12-08 -2 points
I don't know why there was a negative point given to someone just pointing out that the Windows 10 portable version is malware. Because I can confirm it is. I'm glad I have a strong Antivirus program on my PC that removed it very quickly.
YP_3 2021-11-10 0 point
tried downloading it dosent work. keeps saying that it is currentlly in use.
solitaire2511 2021-10-09 1 point
Simply change file extension "_inmmserv.exe" or delete it and you have only one error by launching the game and then everything is fine, no sound error (with the popup)
Alex 2021-10-05 -1 point
Where can i download the audio tracks? Or how can i extract the portable version?
POE_UK 2021-08-20 1 point
Sega rally revo is NOT better, it has a nasty bug that forces the game to run at 62.5fps instead of 60, causing massive stuttering.
soloplayer 2021-07-17 0 point
this is incredible
i download iso version work perfectly on my win10
shitbits01 2021-06-17 0 point
Another alterative-a much better one- that you could see is the original arcade version using the Supermodel Emulator. You would have to find your games elsewhere, but I will not say where. As they say, Google is your friend.
yesno 2021-05-14 2 points
i have only played this game at an arcade and it was so fun i hope it works
demontrace 2021-05-01 1 point
Any ideas on how to get it to work? Using the ISO version. Installed in Windows 98 compatibility, and run the installed .exes in Win 98 compatibility along with Administrator privileges. Using the CD audio fix, along with the no cd. Dunno if that is a pointless fix, the audio cd one that is.
How did Alcino make this thing work with Windows 10? I am also using the DGvoodoo wrapper, with the D3D wrappers, and am having no luck.
SOLIDG 2021-03-19 2 points
Hey guys! Unfortunately I'm unable to get the game to start. I first tried running Alcino's portable version but I was running into the same errors Jake Davis mentioned below: "The first time it loaded to the menu screen but when I clicked on the options in the game it crashed. It then wouldn't boot at all after that. It created a file called 'sega rally 2.data' with 2 x 'sega rallly.exe' files inside. Whenever I clicked on the exe files it says 'Do you want to remove the application and all of its setting and files' Then, when I click in the original 'sega rally 2.exe' it says 'error could not find the data file'"
I then tried the ISO version but no luck once more. I mount the ISO and then click on the autorun.exe file but when I try clicking on the option to install the game nothing happens. Did anyone get any luck with the ISO version? Do I have to run the installation file on compatibility mode or do any other step?
I'd appreciate if anyone could give me some help.
H.R. 2020-10-28 1 point
ONEBADNINJA, just ditch your original disc and use the ISO or Portable for Win10 instead. It's useless anyway.
oneBADniNja 2020-08-28 1 point
I NEED SOME HELP I HAVE THE ORIGINAL CD GAME BUT MY INSTALLATION DICK IS TOO SCRATCHED TO INSTALL SO ALL I NEED ARE THE INSTALL FILES HOW DO I EXTRACT ONLY WHAT I NEED FROM HERE???
Scout3605 2020-08-25 -1 point
If you cant run it on windows.
Then you can run it on a virtual machine ;)
SpeedWarrior1 2020-08-21 -1 point
I'm glad to report that this particular game -ISO version Under Win 98 Compatibility with administrative privileges, that is- works flawlessly on Windows 10. My only beef so far is regarding the gamepad bindings -I'm currently using an official Microsoft XONE (as in XBOX One) gamepad on all my games for that matter- as i couldn't, for my life, set up the primary joystick for steering. Otherwise, it's been a blast to race as an aspiring rally hero so far.
As an advice for those having issues with the portable version, make sure to add an exception for the launcher inside your AV suite, just for starters as it can treat the included DgVooDoo wrapper as malware rather wrongfully. -Trust me. I've been there before.-
GAME ON!
Jay 2020-06-02 0 point
I am using the ISO version, no disrepect to Alcino Major intended, but I just like it because it can launch the game directly without launchers. But my problem is I can't get any controllers to work fully. I have tried with joytokey, and I can turn but I cannot accelerate. I have tried all the different options in the Launcher xbox 360 keyboard etc... but it seems to not work and make no difference somehow? Any help would be appreciated.
Alcino Major 2020-05-22 1 point
@JAKE DAVIS
Theres conflict with your antivirus or antimalware software
also you must clean previous leftovers files and reg keys from prefious instalations
Soon I will update my portable version with zero false positives and no conflits with older instalations leftovers files
Altaviq 2020-05-01 0 point
Unfortunately the game does not start on Windows 10, I get the message "please start under Windows 9x" even though I made the game start as under Windows XP.
Please helm me :)
Jake Davis 2020-03-31 1 point
Hey Alcino, thanks for your work on this.
Unfortunately, it is not working for me on win 10. The first time it loaded to the menu screen but when I clicked on the options in the game it crashed. It then wouldn't boot at all after that. It created a file called 'sega rally 2.data' with 2 x 'sega rallly.exe' files inside. Whenever I clicked on the exe files it says 'Do you want to remove the application and all of its setting and files'
Then, when I click in the original 'sega rally 2.exe' it says 'error could not find the data file'
I have also tried this from a memory stick and have tried unzipping a new version several times but I still get the same issues.
Do you have any ideas what might be the issue?
arf 2020-03-30 0 point
@ALCINO don't let harsh accusations get to you man...not many posses your skills, even if some do,...they most prob'ly don't have the will, the effort to share their works to common abandonware fellowships like us, bro...
So, please don't mind those who cannot appreciate your hard work... I am most sure that many others, including myself, thanks you and see you as a saviour and preserver for old nostalgic memories... Stuffs that The Millennials of today can awe to.
I know that my son thinks so...he enjoys retro games because of the originality and outright creativity of the day.
Cheers bro!
ALCINO MAJOR 2020-02-15 2 points
Hey ADSYEDGE, I just saw your comment...
do you know what false positives are? Do you even took the time to see what file was supposed infected?
My launcher is 100% safe, the false positive comes from dgvoodoo 2 tool that is included into the launcher, the false positives from Dege (the official dgvoodoo 2 creator) is well documented)
You know, it's sad, this gave me a lot of work to make it playable on windows 10, and here it comes some smart ass making assumptions about my work and my integrity!
Comments like this are making me rethink my free support for this community, maybe I should make it private or pay to play...
AdsyEdge 2020-02-15 -1 point
This is just a heads up for any of you avid AW gamers out there. Alcino's version that he commented and patched appears to have a Trojan inside of it (according to MalwareBytes). I recommend using extreme caution when downloading and only recommend at your own risk to go ahead with it
Alcino Major 2019-11-14 3 points
SEGA RALLY 2 - 1999 [Portable]
Originaly made for PC (Windows95/98) this is an unofficial portable version made by me for modern PCs (compatible with: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10)
GAMEPLAY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WDq31EFBoM
- This game version is 100% portable, the game is virtualized on a sandbox, so there is no risks for viruses and no OS dependencies.
ADVANTAGES OF PORTABLE APPS: No Installations, no dependencies, no Issues, just Click N' Play
Portable / Virtualization / Emulation apps are a key for future preservation of Abandonware games (working games), I see games like I see a book or a movie, they all are intellectual properties of humankind. No book, movie or game should be abandond and lock for public access.
We are better than that.
MY CONTRIBUTION TO FUTURE PRESERVATION:
I try to preserve and most important I try to recover content and make it playable on modern hardware.
NOTE: This is not piracy, this game is legally registered with the "DMCA" as Public Domain Property.
This Game is available on archive.org here: https://archive.org/details/segarally2_portable
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Download Sega Rally 2 Championship
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Windows Version
Game Extras
Various files to help you run Sega Rally 2 Championship, apply patches, fixes, maps or miscellaneous utilities.
Arcade ROM
- Year: 1998
- Publisher: SEGA Enterprises Ltd.
- Developer: Sega AM5 R&D Division
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