| Top Gear Rally 2 | |
|---|---|
 North American box art | |
| Developer | Saffire |
| Publisher | Kemco |
| Series | Top Gear |
| Platform | Nintendo 64 |
| Release | |
| Genre | Racing |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
Top Gear Rally 2 is a racing video game developed by Saffire and released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. It is a sequel to Top Gear Rally.
Top Gear Rally 2 is a racing game where players drive rally cars through a series of tracks. The game features a random and dynamic weather system.
Unlike the original Top Gear Rally, which was developed by Boss Game Studios, Top Gear Rally 2 was developed by Saffire.[2] The company conceived Top Gear Rally 2 as a more realistic game than its predecessor, with more simulation-like elements such as real-time car damage and weather effects. The physics engine was completely rewritten.[2] All the vehicles in the game are licensed versions of real rally cars such as the Ford Focus and the Renault Alpine.[3] During the final stages of the development cycle, developers had to work between 16 and 18 hours a day to complete the game.[2] The game supports the Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak, which allows the game to be played at a resolution of 480x480 pixels.[2]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 73%[4] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| AllGame |    [5] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 4.625/10[6][a] |
| Famitsu | 24/40[7] |
| Game Informer | 6.75/10[8] |
| GameFan | (L.B.) 72%[9] 69%[10][b] |
| GameSpot | 7.6/10[11] |
| Hyper | 60%[12] |
| IGN | 8.2/10[13] |
| N64 Magazine | 90%[14] |
| Next Generation | [15] |
| Nintendo Power | 7.5/10[16] |
Top Gear Rally 2 received "average" reviews, according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[4] GameFan and GameSpot gave it favorable reviews while it was still in development.[9][11] N64 Magazine considered it the best rally game for the Nintendo 64, but not as rewarding as World Driver Championship.[14] Mike Wolf of NextGen praised the selection of 15 cars to choose from, realistic weather conditions that affect car handling, a paint shop customization, shortcuts to find and exploit, and multiplayer support for four players.[15] In Japan, however, where the game was ported for release on February 3, 2000, Famitsu gave it a score of 24 out of 40.[7]
The Freshman of GamePro was generally positive to its gameplay, the race tracks and the selection of the cars, but considered that there were better racing games on Nintendo 64.[17][c] In another GamePro review, The Bamboo Carabao said that the game was a welcome change of pace for those who want more of a simulation than Beetle Adventure Racing, but less complex and demanding than World Driver Championship.[18][d]
