R.C. Pro-Am

Overview

R.C. Pro-Am is a racing game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in North America in February 1988, and then in Europe on 15 April. Presented in an overhead isometric perspective, a single player races a radio-controlled car around a series of tracks in vehicular combat. Each track qualifies its top three racers for the next track. Collectible power-up items improve performance, hazards include rain puddles and oil slicks, and missiles and bombs can temporarily disable opponents. Originally titled Pro Am Racing, it was ported to the Sega Genesis in 1992 as Championship Pro-Am, an enhanced remake with enhanced graphics and additional features. R.C. Pro-Am spawned two sequels: Super R.C. Pro-Am in 1991, and R.C. Pro-Am II in 1992.

As one of Rare's first successful NES games, R.C. Pro-Am was well-received for its visuals, sound, gameplay, and enjoyability. Its overhead perspective distinguishes it from earlier first-person racing games. It inspired subsequent games such as Super Off Road, Rock n' Roll Racing, and the Mario Kart series. It has appeared in many "top games of all time" lists and is regarded as one of the best of the NES library. It was re-released in Rare's 2015 Rare Replay compilation for the Xbox One, and on the Nintendo Classics service on February 21, 2024.

Gameplay

R.C. Pro-Am (NES) Playthrough, NintendoComplete. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Racing

Developer

Rare

Publisher

Tradewest Inc, Nintendo

Series

R.C. Pro-Am

Platforms

Arcade, Sega Genesis, Nintendo Entertainment System

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

No

Co op

No

Age ratings

CLASS IND

L

Release dates

Editions

Check out the store

Space and patches

Update patchNo patch

DLC

No DLC. NES games had no downloadable content.

Playable today

Playable offline todayYes

Single player only, with no online features. The cartridge runs on any NES, and the game is sold today in Rare Replay.

Online

Plays offlineYes

Reception

Critics

Outlet	Score	Scale
AllGame	4.5	5
Computer and Video Games	90	100

Staff and cast

Staff

Role	Name
Developer	Rare
Publisher	Nintendo
Designers	Tim Stamper, Chris Stamper
Programmer	Paul Proctor
Composer	David Wise

Notes for collectors

• You race a radio-controlled car against three rivals, seen from an isometric view above the track.
• Sold 2.3 million copies and made Rare a major NES developer.
• A reviewer at the time missed a two-player mode.
• One of the 30 games in Rare Replay on Xbox One in 2015.

Credits

Publisher

Nintendo

Developer

Rare

Released

1988-02-01

Age rating

Not rated (pre-ESRB, before 1994)

Region

US

Time to beat

about 1.3 hours