[played on original PS1 hardware]

I first heard about RC de Go thanks to Game Sack’s video about PS1 games that ran at 60fps. I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for games that faithfully simulate a real-life activity, so I thought it’d be a fun playthrough. And now that I have played it, I can say it certainly was!


Like usual, I’ll start off with the controls, which are fantastic! When playing with a DualShock, you’re given the option of using both sticks to move and accelerate your vehicle, mimicking the actual layout of an RC car remote. Not only does this make great use of both sticks, but it’s a really fun control scheme that feels great to use and improve with! Combine that with the incredibly tight and responsive physics, and it makes zipping around the courses an absolute blast!

Speaking of the courses, I thought they were good! In terms of layouts, they didn’t stand out too much, but that’s more than made up for with some really nice environmental variety. You get to race near cascading waterfalls, on your typical circuits, snowy hills, and even a harbor! I also appreciated how many of them there were, which helped to give the game a bit more variety.

All this is well and good, but my favourite thing about RC de Go has to be the Championship Mode! Instead of racing on tracks back-to-back like in Quick Race, you choose which ones you want to take on, and depending on your placement at the end, you’ll earn credits which can be used to purchase upgrades that’ll boost your stats. This does mean your car starts off feeling a bit more sluggish at the beginning, but I absolutely adore how much strategy and player choice this adds! Some pieces boost a certain stat whilst negating others, so you’ll have to decide on what your build will focus on in order to secure a win. It also creates a really fun gameplay loop of constant improvement, as you’ll be replaying the courses to earn more credits, which results in you naturally getting better! It also gets really tough near the end, which is always a plus for me.

The presentation’s also very nice! Like I mentioned at the beginning, this game runs at 60fps, meaning everything feels buttery smooth. This does come at the cost of some slight screen-tearing, but I usually didn’t notice it. I don’t have as much to say about the graphics and music, but they were also nice and fit the game’s tone well.


For the most part, I got what I expected with RC de Go, but also had plenty of pleasant surprises! I wasn’t expecting to get as into the Championship Mode as I did, but I’m so glad it’s there, as it really improves the package. But overall, this is an underrated gem that I absolutely recommend!