FMV classic MegaRace's rebirth brings back its original host along with cheesy videos

If you bought a Packard Bell PC back in the mid 1990s, chances are it came with a CD-ROM game called MegaRace that featured live-action full-motion video sequences and futuristic combat driving. Now, the classic is making a return, and the star of its FMV sequences is along for the ride.

Developer Zoom revealed today that it is working with actor Christian Erickson to bring back his character, Lance Boyle, who hosted the FMV sequences throughout the original three MegaRace games. The company released a teaser video today that has Lance Boyle announcing his return as part of a MegaRace reboot that Zoom and developer Jordan Freeman Games are working on for PC, mobile, and unspecified consoles. The publisher is planning to launch a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo soon that will pay for the development of the new MegaRace.

While Zoom is producing a new MegaRace, the company is also planning to rerelease the original three games. The MegaRace Trilogy is due out on iOS and Android later this year.

The Glorious Return of Lance Boyle! – MegaRace Reboot – IndieGoGo: http://t.co/zIXQyBmMno via @YouTube

— Lance Boyle (@realLanceBoyle) June 18, 2014

MegaRace originally debuted in 1994 for PC. It featured simple 3D visuals that had players driving down tracks and running down computer-controlled opponents. Packard Bell bundled the game with all of its PCs from 1994 through 1997. The game later hit 3DO and Sega CD. Developer Cryo Interactive went on to make a sequel, MegaRace 2, under a new publisher in 1996. In 2002, Cryo developed and published MegaRace 3, which was the first entry in the series to feature online multiplayer.

While MegaRace’s gameplay was fast-paced for its time, the game is perhaps best remembered as a good example of FMV gaming. As CD-ROM caught on in the 1990s, more studios turned to real actors and video cutscenes to add high production values to their projects. This almost always backfired. Today, fans remember games like MegaRace for their campiness — and Zoom’s reboot looks like it will attempt to re-create that for its modern release.

All three original MegaRace games are available on Zoom’s website. The first two come in a bundle for $3 and MegaRace 3 comes separately also for $3.