MegaRace (DOS)

MegaRace

Platform:	DOS
Year:	1993
Developer:	Cryo Interactive Entertainment
Buy:	Amazon

MegaRace is a vehicular racing game that takes place wholly in virtual reality. Starring you as the Enforcer and Lance Boyle as your host, you are pitted against speed gangs on virtual racetracks in a fight to the (virtual) death.

Screenshots

The title screen.

Racing.

Vehicle selection.

More racing.

Lance Boyle, our fabulous host.

Music

This is the AdLib version of the music. The titles are from the areas in which they are played.

While NewSan and Maeva's music files have the same names as the racetracks that they play in, the other filenames are much more cryptic. For example, Factory Land's music is called "DETRITUS" in the game's files. Detritus is a synonym for debris, which is fitting for Factory Land's wasteland environment.

According to the composer, Stéphane Picq, the "PAGA" filename is in reference to the Progressive Jazz Rock band "Paga Group", headed by bassist Bernard Paganotti, which served as inspiration for the "Skyholder" track. "Lenny" is in reference to singer-songwriter Lenny Kravitz. "ALARME" (french for alarm) is in reference to the song's alarm-like melody, which is suppose to be reminiscent of a car alarm.

The music for Maeva is exclusive to the DOS port. A track by the filename of "SHARK" is used for both the Sega CD and 3DO ports instead.

Recording

This soundtrack to MegaRace was recorded on a geniune Yamaha YMF262 enabled sound card.

This recording is incomplete.

#	Title	Composer	Length	Listen	Download
01	NewSan	Stéphane Picq	2:58		Download
02	Maeva	Stéphane Picq	2:38		Download
03	Factory Land	Stéphane Picq	0:00	-	Download
04	Skyholder	Stéphane Picq	3:20		Download
05	Fractalian Space	Stéphane Picq	0:00	-	Download
06	Terminal City	Stéphane Picq	0:00	-	Download

Credits

Ripper: SynaMax
Recorder: JisengSo and SynaMax
Game Credits:
- Music and Sounds: Stéphane Picq

(Source)

Studio Recordings

As part of Stéphane Picq's creative process, the music for MegaRace was first written and recorded in the studio before being re-arranged for the final FM versions heard in-game. This is also what happened for Picq's two previous soundtracks, Dune and KGB. These tracks never saw an official release and the recordings would end up being used as the in-game music tracks for MegaRace's 3DO port, albeit heavily edited and compressed due to the 3DO's limitations. According to Picq, sadly, the master tapes for both KGB and MegaRace soundtracks were destroyed in a fire. The only recording that survived is Terminal City (aka Alarm), which can be heard, completed with an unused ending, on Picq's SoundCloud page.

Because the music for Maeva was changed for the Sega CD and 3DO ports of MegaRace, it is unknown if Picq made a studio recording for the DOS-exclusive Maeva track.

In 2024, a surviving copy of the studio recording for "PAGA" aka "Skyholder" was uploaded on Picq's YouTube channel.