<s>
Colin	B-Application
McRae	I-Application
Rally	I-Application
is	O
a	O
racing	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Codemasters	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
2D	O
version	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
in	O
Europe	O
in	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Colin	B-Application
McRae	I-Application
Rally	I-Application
is	O
a	O
rally	O
simulation	O
game	O
,	O
featuring	O
the	O
works-entered	O
cars	O
and	O
the	O
rallies	O
of	O
the	O
1998	O
World	O
Rally	O
Championship	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
re-released	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
"	O
Value	O
Series	O
"	O
budget	O
label	O
in	O
2000	O
,	O
Rally	O
Monte	O
Carlo	O
was	O
renamed	O
as	O
Rally	O
Austria	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sales	O
soared	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
sequel	O
Colin	B-Application
McRae	I-Application
Rally	I-Application
2.0	I-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
December	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Codemasters	O
have	O
cited	O
the	O
arcade	O
game	O
Sega	B-Application
Rally	I-Application
as	O
a	O
strong	O
influence	O
on	O
Colin	B-Application
McRae	I-Application
Rally	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
influences	O
included	O
the	O
PC	O
game	O
Screamer	B-Application
Rally	I-Application
and	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
game	O
Wave	B-Application
Race	I-Application
64	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
initially	O
had	O
some	O
reservations	O
on	O
the	O
viability	O
of	O
a	O
realistic	O
rally	O
simulator	O
,	O
as	O
similar	O
games	O
of	O
the	O
period	O
such	O
as	O
V-Rally	B-Application
are	O
only	O
loosely	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
sport	O
,	O
essentially	O
being	O
head-to-head	O
racing	O
games	O
in	O
a	O
rally-esque	O
setting	O
similar	O
to	O
rallycross	O
;	O
such	O
an	O
arcade	O
mode	O
would	O
later	O
be	O
introduced	O
in	O
Colin	B-Application
McRae	I-Application
Rally	I-Application
2.0	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
included	O
an	O
Easter	O
egg	O
in	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
an	O
alien	O
abduction	O
scene	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
car	O
is	O
beamed	O
upwards	O
into	O
a	O
ship	O
on	O
certain	O
special	O
stages	O
upon	O
activating	O
a	O
cheat	O
code	O
(	O
akin	O
to	O
Codemasters	O
 '	O
own	O
Game	B-Device
Genie	I-Device
cheat	O
devices	O
prior	O
)	O
,	O
parodying	O
the	O
alleged	O
abduction	O
of	O
Barney	O
and	O
Betty	O
Hill	O
by	O
extraterrestrials	O
in	O
1961	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
1999	O
Milia	O
festival	O
in	O
Cannes	O
,	O
Colin	B-Application
McRae	I-Application
Rally	I-Application
took	O
home	O
a	O
"	O
Gold	O
"	O
prize	O
for	O
revenues	O
above	O
€30	O
million	O
in	O
the	O
European	O
Union	O
during	O
the	O
previous	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Colin	B-Application
McRae	I-Application
Rally	I-Application
received	O
"	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
on	O
both	O
platforms	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
GameRankings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
were	O
even	O
less	O
positive	O
about	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
port	O
,	O
criticizing	O
its	O
lack	O
of	O
originality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
were	O
split	O
,	O
praising	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
's	O
skill-based	O
nature	O
and	O
its	O
strong	O
simulation	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
criticizing	O
the	O
PC	O
version	O
for	O
being	O
less	O
exciting	O
than	O
traditional	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Official	O
UK	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Magazine	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
graphics	O
and	O
variety	O
,	O
and	O
said	O
that	O
it	O
"	O
pushed	O
the	O
boundaries	O
of	O
the	O
off-road	O
racer	O
to	O
somewhere	O
near	O
the	O
heights	O
of	O
Gran	B-Application
Turismo	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
