Drome Racers (Video Game)

Drome Racers is a LEGO racing video game released in 2002 by Attention to Detail. It is a follow-up to LEGO Racers 2, which was also developed by ATD, and was internally named LEGO Racers 3.https://www.rockraidersunited.com/topic/5194-canceled-lego-racers-4/ A sequel, Drome Racers 2 (also internally known as LEGO Racers 4), was in early development at ATD, but canceled before it was ever a playable game.https://www.rockraidersunited.com/topic/8386-information-from-one-of-the-designers-of-drome-racers/ Another Drome Racers game, LEGO Racers CC, was also canceled.
The Nintendo GameCube version was released the following year in 2003. The Xbox version had the same enhancements as the GameCube version. Although it was completed, it was left unreleased for reasons unknown, even to its developers. A build of the Xbox version from July 11, 2003 was eventually found on a devkit, and posted to the internet in March 2020.https://www.obscuregamers.com/threads/lego-drome-racers-july-11th-2003.1989/
== Premise ==
Tensions are high as you await the first stage of the Drome Championship. You've trained for the intensity of Multi-Challenge Racing; each race a seamless set of stages, mixing tracks from realistically stunning City, Mountain, and Canyon environments. Now you must prove you're up to that grueling challenge. With high-tech racing machines based on new cars from the 2002 LEGO Racers construction toy range, Drome Racers is a racing experience like no other.
== Introduction ==
Set in the year 2015, Drome Racers is a combination of racing gameplay with the LEGO license, offering vehicles based upon the 2002 LEGO construction toys. Career mode puts the player in the role of Max Axel, who is tasked with winning the coveted Drome Championship. To do so, he must work his way through the ranks by completing a number of Multi-Challenge Races; a series of races in which the completion time in one round is carried over to the next. For example, if Max finished three seconds behind in the last race, the leader is awarded a three-second head start in the next. The overall winner is the first to cross the finish line in the final race of the series. Preceding each Multi-Challenge series is a qualifying drag race, where victory is determined by a good start and proper gear-shifting.
 
Max Axel is aided by other such Team Nitro members as Shicane who handles cars and upgrades, Rocket who gives advice and also gives challenges from other teams, and Slot who saves or loads the progress. The winnings can be put toward building a new car or upgrading the existing one. The former allows players to select the wheels, chassis, and body type of the new vehicle, each of which is suited to specific conditions and environments. The latter offers five level upgrades in categories, such as engine, aerodynamics, turbo, armor, and tires. Weapons also play a vital role. The arcade mode presents players with Normal or Time Attack racing through a variety of courses, weather conditions, and routes. The Quick Race option allows for instant action by randomly selecting any pertinent variables, including cars and tracks, for either one or two players.
== Cars ==
The following is a list of the playable cars in Drome Racers.
=== Street ===
* Pulse Concept
* Torq Racer
* G-Force
* G-Force Street
* Hornet
* Stealth Roadster
=== Off Road ===
* Crusher
* Crusher Beach
* Tremor
* Dune Striker
* Raptor Stunt
* Raptor
=== Dragsters ===
* Mosquito
* Grinder
* Burner
* Tsunami Street
* Burner Desert
* The Behemoth
== Tracks ==
The Following is the list of Tracks in Drome Racers
=== Road ===
* Foundry
* Array
* Rocky Canyon Speedway
* Blue Valley
* Nokong Raceway
=== Off-Road ===
* Battery
* Rock Worms
* Monument Park
* Red Creek Cavern
=== Drag Strips ===
* Foundry Drag
* Blue Valley Drag
* Rocky Canyon Speedway Drag
== Characters ==
* Max Axel: Team Nitro's driver
* Shicane: Team Nitro's chief mechanic
* Rocket: Retired Racer/Team Nitro adviser
* Slot: Team Nitro's data analyst
* Sever: Team Exo-Force's driver
* Tag: Team Zero's driver
* Ransack: Team Maverick's driver
* Katsu: Team R.E.D.'s driver
* Exceta: Team H.O.T.'s driver
* Dromulus: Commissioner of the Drome Racing League
== Teams ==
* Team Nitro
* H.O.T.
* R.E.D.
* Maverick
* Zero
* Exo-Force
== Power ups ==
Repulsor power-up makes the car faster. The car's wheels fold in under itself, jets emerge from them and blast the car along the track.
Hatchet power-up fires a spinning disk missile. It travels in a straight line bouncing off walls until it runs out of power or causing light damage to any opponent car it hits.
Mine power-up creates it and is dropped on the road behind the car. When a car drivers over the mine it suffers serious damage.
RC Missile power-up targets onto a car and fires it. It will inflict serious damage to the targeted car. 
Flare power-up fires white flare into the sky and blinds all other competitors in a white screen for a few seconds.
Disruptor Field power-up surrounds your car with a power force field that destroys anything in its path.
EMP Drone power-up electrifies the target car disabling the electrical systems and prevents it using a power up
Energy Pod power-up repairs your car when your car is damaged which restores 25% or 50% for each one.
Shield power-up shields you car for up to 8 seconds. This power-up is exclusive to GameCube edition
== Gameboy Advance ==
This features different concepts from other counterparts.
It doesn't have a career mode, but instead have championship mode.
It features much more tighter controls, making the game easier to play.
It received higher score than other versions from critics and audience, making it the best version of this game. 
== GameCube ==
This version is an enhanced port and it has notably several changes.
=== New enhancements and features include ===
* A battle mode allowing up to four players
** The goal is to destroy the other player's car with power-ups (Though there are variants such as keeping a flag the longest without getting hit). This uses a unique car that cannot be used in normal races (a slightly modified version Lego set 4585 Nitro Pulverizer) and takes place in several special arenas loosely based on the game's tracks (Such as the City Arena which is based on the Foundry track).
* A shield power-up
* A revised menu UI
* An in-race announcer
The Xbox version had the same enhancements as the GameCube version.
== Release, Platforms and Price ==
Setnumber	Platform 	Price 	Released
14559 	PC 	US $19.95 	2002
14560 	PlayStation 2 	US $39.95 	2002
14642 	Game Boy Advance 	Unknown 	2003
14643 	Nintendo Gamecube	Unknown 	2003
14644 	Microsoft Xbox 	UK £29.95 (canceled)	2003
== LEGO.com Description ==
Second LEGO.com description
"DROME RACERS
You are Max Axel, pacing your pit area, tensions high as you await the first stage of the Drome Championship. Prove you're a match for the intensity of multi-challenge racing-each race a seamless set of stages, mixing tracks from realistically stunning City, Mountain and Canyon worlds."
==Gallery==
2002 Dealer Catalog LR3.png|Early logo and box art in a 2002 LEGO dealer catalog
Drome Racers Trailer
Drome Racers GCN PS2 PC Trailer
Drome Racers PS2 Trailer
Drome Racers ECTS 2002 Trailer
Drome earthquaker (1).png|Artist's renderhttps://rockraidersunited.com/topic/8647-unusual-dromeracers-2-content/
Drome power.png|Artist's render
LR3 f1car.png|Car render
LR3 offroad96.jpg|Car render
LR3 4585.jpg|A car cut from the game
LR3 mini offroad.png|Cars cut from the game
LR3 minioffroad1.jpg|Cars cut from the game
LR3 minidragster1.jpg|Cars cut from the game
Cr blue f1 2.png|Car concept modelhttps://rockraidersunited.com/blogs/entry/2571-research-mega-dump/
Cr blue f1 1.png|Car concept model
Mountian 03 1024.png|Concept render
Mountian new2.png|Concept render
Tunnel1.png|Concept render
Tunnel3.png|Concept render
LR3 weapons.png|Render of weapon power-ups
==References==
Category:Drome Racers
Category:Video Games
Category:2002 media
Category:2003 media
Category:Articles that use descriptions from LEGO.com