Motor Raid

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Motor Raid is a futuristic motorcycle racing arcade game by Sega, released in 1997 for the Model 2A hardware. It mixes racing with fighting and lets players battle for position on the track.

You could play in single or two-player cabinets, and they could be linked for up to four players. The cabinets were sit-down, with model motorcycles, and Motor Raid was sold as an update kit for Manx TT Superbike.

Game modes include Championship and Practice, and there are four playable characters: Geila, Gunz, Io, and Robin. Unlike some other Model 2A racers, Motor Raid was not released on Sega Saturn or Windows. It did later appear in Judgment and Lost Judgment as an in-game arcade machine, letting players try it on modern consoles and PC.

Controls are simple for a motorcycle game: twist the handle to accelerate, lean to steer, and squeeze a brake lever to slow down. A turbo boost fills automatically in a three-layer gauge, and players can choose from three boosts:
- blue boost (100% gauge)
- green boost (200%)
- orange boost (300%, the strongest and can knock out opponents)

Boosts are activated by waiting for the gauge and twisting the handle twice when the desired boost is available. Players can use close-range fighting to block rivals. Primary weapons like a crescent sword or a pike slow opponents, and players can throw to steal or replace weapons. If a weapon is missed or you’re attacked, you can lose it. You can also use other moves like punches or permanent weapons (claw or whip). Kicking is allowed to defend against opponents behind you, but it doesn’t knock them out.

Races have a time limit that can be extended by finishing well and passing checkpoints. Time left after a race can help in the next one.

At the start, players pick a character and a mode: Championship (three planets, for the top prize), Battle (up to four players on one of five planets), or Practice. There’s also a secret sixth planet, Segal, which can be unlocked with a cheat code.

In Championship, races happen on multiple planets in sequence. The first race is usually on Yendas, followed by Junos, and then Bowel. If you win first place, you move to the next, tougher planet. If you win all three, you get a bonus ending and may unlock Segal. A cheat code can unlock Segal from the start by playing Practice, selecting Yendas, then entering a special button sequence.

An official soundtrack was released in 1998. In Japan, Motor Raid was listed as a popular dedicated arcade game in December 1997.

Even though it didn’t get a traditional home release, Motor Raid is playable on modern platforms as part of Judgment and Lost Judgment, inside their in-game arcades with other Sega titles.