R.C. Pro-Am - Gameplay

Gameplay

R.C. Pro-Am is a racing video game in which a single player controls a radio-controlled car against three opponents around a track from an overhead isometric perspective. Players use the horizontal buttons on the control pad to steer their car left or right, and they use the other buttons to accelerate, fire weapons, and pause the game. Consisting of 24 tracks total, the goal for each of them is to qualify for the next race by finishing in the top three in the four-car field. The game ends if players finish in fourth; however, they have two continues in which they can restart the previous race, but they will lose all points accumulated up to that point. For each successful completion of a race, the player receives a trophy; larger "High Score Trophies", leading up to the "Super Trophy", can also be obtained for achieving high scores. After the game ends, players can record their scores on "Top Pro-Am Drivers" list, but the scores are erased when the console power is turned off.

Throughout the courses, there are items on the track that players can collect by touching them. "Tune-up items" help increase the car's performance, such as turbo acceleration, "hotter engines" for higher top speed, and "super sticky tires" for increased traction and cornering; these additional abilities are displayed on the "track conditions" screen between races. Players can also collect weapons that can temporarily disable other vehicles: missiles take out the opposing vehicles from the front, while bombs take them out from the rear. The number of missiles and bombs carry over to the next race, and players can collect extra ammunition, represented by stars, on the track. Roll cages, which opponents can also collect, help protect cars from crash damage, stationary "zippers" give cars an extra speed boost, and "bonus letters" give players large point bonuses and the ability to drive an upgraded car if they can spell "NINTENDO" with them. Players can upgrade from a standard truck to a faster 4-Wheeler and then to the fastest Off Roader. There are also various hazards that must be avoided: oil slicks that cause cars to spin out of control, water puddles and "rain squalls" that slow them down, pop-up barriers that crash cars, and skulls that decrease ammunition.

The Sega Mega Drive/Genesis port, Championship Pro-Am, features some gameplay differences from the NES version of the game. In this port, players race against five other vehicles instead of three, but players still must place in the top three to move to the next track. Another feature is that race records are recorded; players are prompted to enter their name before the game start to track high scores and race records. Finally, players try to successfully spell "CHAMPION" in order to upgrade to a new car.