Rock n' Roll Racing

SNES, Genesis, Game Boy Advance, Windows +31993

  1. JP—
  2. NA1993
  3. EU1994
  4. RUDendy

Rock n' Roll Racing was released under the same name in North America and Europe; during development it was called RPM II. Today it is part of the 2021 Blizzard Arcade Collection for Windows, Switch, PS4 and Xbox One, which includes the original game and a Definitive Edition.

Rock n' Roll Racing is a vehicular-combat racing game by Silicon & Synapse, the studio later known as Blizzard Entertainment. Interplay published it for the Super NES in June 1993. It began as RPM II, a sequel to the studio's earlier RPM Racing. Four racers compete in each race, and up to two of them can be human players.

The soundtrack is built on rock songs such as "Bad to the Bone", "Highway Star", "Paranoid", "Peter Gunn" and "Born to Be Wild"; the developers first wanted ZZ Top, but the fee was too high. Races are called by commentator "Loudmouth Larry", voiced by Larry "Supermouth" Huffman.

A Genesis version followed in late 1994, and it is the version that made the game popular in Russia. A 3DO version was announced for E3 1995 but never released. In Japan the Super Famicom version was published by Namco. Blizzard itself released a Game Boy Advance port in 2003 and included the game in the Blizzard Arcade Collection in 2021.12

Names and releases

RegionTitle on the boxPlatformDatePublisherSrc
NA Rock n' Roll Racing SNES Jun 4, 1993 Interplay Productions 1
NA Rock n' Roll Racing Genesis November 1994 Interplay Productions 1
NA Rock n' Roll RacingEurope 15 August 2003 Game Boy Advance Jun 23, 2003 Blizzard Entertainment 1
EU Rock n' Roll Racing SNES Mar 31, 1994 Interplay Productions 1
EU Rock n' Roll Racing Genesis Dec 2, 1994 Interplay Productions 1
WW Blizzard Arcade CollectionIncludes the original game and a Definitive Edition; also Switch, PS4 and Xbox One Windows Feb 19, 2021 Blizzard Entertainment 1

Also known as: RPM II US1Гонки под рок-н-ролл RU2

Box art by region

  • Rock n' Roll Racing box art, North America release
    NA Rock n' Roll Racing
  • Rock n' Roll Racing box art, Europe release
    EU Rock n' Roll Racing

Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.

Version differences

  • GraphicsGenesis

    GamePro found the Genesis version's graphics, digitized voice and sound effects noticeably weaker than on the Super NES.1

  • AudioGenesisDefinitive Edition

    Golden Earring's "Radar Love" is heard only in the Genesis version and the Definitive Edition.1

  • AudioBlizzard Arcade Collection

    Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" is missing from the 2021 collection, and the Definitive Edition uses a Gary Hoey cover of "Peter Gunn"; it also adds "Breaking the Law", "Red Barchetta" and "Power of the Horde".1

All differences (4)

Reception

The SNES version holds 82.67% on GameRankings. Electronic Gaming Monthly named it Best Driving Game of 1993, and GameSpot called the GBA port the best Game Boy Advance game of July 2003.1

Sources

  1. 1en.wikipedia.org
  2. 2ru.wikipedia.org

Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13

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