When it comes to fan-made enhanced versions of games, I was very surprised that Re-Volt was one of them. A dedicated community of fans have recreated an extremely accurate open source engine that runs great on modern systems. There is even a good amount of fan-made tracks and cars, alongside an optional Dreamcast pack. For this playthrough, I stuck with what was available in the N64 version.

Re-Volt is a kart-style racer where you race RC cars across various locations, such as a supermarket, street, museum, a toy store, or a massive kid’s room. The driving mechanics definitely take some getting used to, but they have captured the feel of controlling RC cars perfectly, from how they turn to how they reverse. The CPU racers are very unforgiving, though, and it’s quite a difficult game – yet still a lot of fun. Driving small toy cars around larger-than-life environments is always a lot of fun.

There are different options for handling and collision, so you can adjust the game between being more “simulation” or “arcade”, and a lot of cars to unlock. There aren’t a lot of tracks, and unfortunately the themes do repeat, giving multiple versions of the same track (but completely new layouts). There’s a certain charm the game has in how they don’t try to inject extra personality in it – they just let the RC cars be RC cars, and it somehow just works extremely well like that.

While Re-Volt isn’t a game that will appear on many “best of” lists, it still had a unique feel and charm due to nailing how the RC cars look and feel. It’s great to see that the game has captured the hearts of a solid community that is eager to keep the game alive.

Fun

Re-Volt is just about the most frustrating racer we’ve ever played. Attempting to control the game’s tiny radio-controlled vehicles has reminded us exactly why the last RC car we owned ended up being stamped on and thrown in the bin. It’s a miracle we haven’t done similar things to the Re-Volt cartridge itself.

Mark Green, N64 Magazine #33. Review Score: 73%

Remake or remaster?

The fan made “remaster” – called RVGL – does an amazing job at keeping the style of the original game while bringing other things up to date, with great compatibility for modern operating systems. The extra courses are a much welcome addition, too.

Official ways to get the game.

The license for the original IP has been thrown about, but fans are keeping it alive with the RVGL project.