Those boys down under at Bugbear have been hard at work. Rally Trophy is the newest Rally game to come out and is a must have selection to add to YOUR library of racing games!

Unlike all the other Rally games already out, Rally Trophy comes with one big twist, all the cars and race locations are vintage. Yup, this one takes you a couple of steps back in time to the dawn of Rally racing, with a selection of Rally cars that include the 1964 Mini Cooper S, 1963 Ford Lotus Cortina MK1, 1962 Volvo 122 Amazon, and the 1967 Saab 98 V4.  The gravel back roads of Russia, the country roads of Finland, and dirt trails of Kenya are just a few of the locations where you will get to race these vintage Rally machines, each with several stages of variable difficulty, and weather conditions. Tuning your car according to the conditions will help you obtain the best stage times.

My first impression of this game was WOW! The cars and tracks are all wonderfully done. The graphics are beautiful and realistic. There are many touches that lend to the realistic, including sun-glare, reflections, particles, Oh..and watch for crossing wildlife! And the car and track geometry's are just about perfect, you get a very good feel of the Rally experience as you slide around the turns and launch of the jumps, of course all the while, following the directions of you navigator who will throw you little jabs about your driving ability with just the right amount of sarcasm. But be careful to follow his every direction or find yourself upside down along the roadway with his biting words asking you how you ever got your license to begin with! Not if, but when you damage your car, you will be provided the option of repair, which is really nice as your cars performance is degraded as damage accumulates. Crashes, flip, and spin outs abound as the obstacles are numerous and sometimes seem to appear from nowhere. Drive fast, but be careful!

Installation: Easy

Gameplay: 9
The game gives you several Gameplay options. You can race in Arcade mode, against several other cars on the track at the same time, in either a Championship or a single Rally, or a single stage. Or you may elect to race in a Rally, in a Championship, single Rally, single stage, or in a time trial. All of the Rally modes are against the clock. Regardless of which mode you choose, the racing is intense and fast paced, race well and finish high in the standings and you may progress to the next Rally, do well in several and you might even get a new Team Car! In Championship mode they have also thrown in another very nice option that I have not seen in any other Rally game, the option to repair your car based on the amount of time you earned from the previous stage. Now that is really cool, as damage to your car does effect its handling in this game, and believe me, you will incur damage, there are lots of trees, rocks, fences, wildlife, guardrails, and other obstacles just waiting to jump out and bite your car! Flips, rolls, and spin outs are common place.

Graphics: 8.5
Graphics are very well done in this game and you have many options to configure the game to run on your system. While they are not "Cutting Edge" graphics, they are still well above average, and should run well on just about any system.  The placement and number of models in the game is impressive and gives a very realistic feel. They include a great sun glare that will have you squinting through the windshield if you are driving straight into the sun. Particles, skid marks, shadows, and reflections are also very well done.

Sound: 8.9
This games sounds ROCK in every way! The sound track is killer, add to that the wide array of realistic sound effects and you have a game that sounds as good as it looks! Tire skids on the gravel, the crowd along the track, fenders scraping guardrails, all have great sound effects. And all the car engines have their own distinct tone...very nice! Then of course you have the ever present voice of your navigator directing your every turn, and if you don't follow his every direction, you then get to listen to him tell you what he thinks of your driving! In other Rally games the navigator is usually some monotone voice that only gives you the direction, your navigator in this game has some attitude and is actually kinda funny at times! Very cool!

Difficulty: 8.5
As with all good driving games, the difficulty is usually based on your ability to negotiate the track with all the speed and skill you can muster. In this game that is still the main factor, you are given the option to set the game difficulty as your skills advance. Even in the novice mode, the tracks have enough twists and off-camber turns to keep you on your toes. As your cars get faster and you progress through the stages, the game does get more difficult. Oh and watch out for live stock and wildlife crossing the track!

Concept: 9.2
While all Rally games must follow the format of Rally racing (stages raced against the clock) this game gives you several conceptual twists. First you race Vintage machines, no turbo, no aerodynamics, no big block V-8's, just simple four cylinder machines, all with their own particular quirks. Second, you get the option to race in an Arcade mode against several cars on the track at the same time (cool) ! Third, the range of countries and surfaces to race on is large, from mud, to gravel, to tarmac, and even sand.
 The concept of this game while following all the presets for a game of this genre, also has enough extras to make it stand apart from the rest of the crowd.

Multiplayer: 8  
Multiplayer is supported through the On-line "Gamespy Arcade" network, providing all of you who want to play against others on-line, a premier connection devise. "Gamespy" has always been one of the best for Internet play. This is another nice addition that helps this game stand out from the crowd.

Overall: 9
Being a huge fan and player of racing games of all types, it is sometimes difficult to impress me. This game DOES impress me in several ways. I did like the Vintage aspect of the game, so few have ever gone there, and the boys at Bugbear did it with flying colors! The graphics provide you with a very realistic race environment and were very well done. The car geometry's are realistic and lend a sense actually being in the car, the car sways and bounces when it should and if your not careful will end up on its top also! Then you have your ever present navigator, and what an attitude he has, he lends a touch to the game that is...well, you got to hear him for yourself, he is too funny! With all the game has to offer, the replay value is very high. You can run a single stage or a full Rally Championship. Add to all of the above Multiplayer support through the "Gamespy Arcade" and you have a racing package that stands apart from the norm and deserves a place in your gaming library! To the Guys at Bugbear and at JoWood, Great Job!