Publisher: Interplay
Developer: Silicon & Synapse
Release Date: November 1991
RPM Racing is a somewhat obscure early SNES racer most easily compared to the popular NES game R.C. Pro Am. Based on the 1985 Commodore 64 title Racing Destruction Set, it was the first game ever developed by Blizzard, which at the time was known as Silicon & Synapse. It was also the first American-developed SNES game.
RPM is a fairly basic isometric-view racing game. You choose from three cars and may upgrade them in a shop area between races. Mines, nitro, and oil slicks may be purchased and used as well. There are over 100 tracks, with some variety as to surfaces, such as pavement, dirt, and ice. The basic goal is to finish first in each race to earn money for car upgrades and for purchasing entry to more lucrative races and competitive classes. Also included are a track editor and a two-player mode.
Technically, RPM Racing is most notable for being one of a handful of games to use the Super Nintendo's high-resolution graphics mode, and the only one to use it exclusively in-game. This allowed for sharper, more detailed visuals, but sacrificed color, as the Super NES could only show 16 colors in that mode. It altogether made for a very bland-looking game compared to other titles of the SNES launch period which featured stunning(at the time) 256-color graphics.
A sequel to RPM Racing was developed and eventually released as Rock N Roll Racing in 1993. The latter game did not use the high-resolution mode, and featured far more color and personality, along with licensed music tracks, and was distinctly more popular than its predecessor.
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