Both of the sports reviewers for "Electronic Gaming Monthly" gave the Saturn version an 8.5 out of 10, saying it "has all of the action and adventure of its arcade cousin. If you were disappointed with "Daytona", you won't be with Sega Rally". Bruised Lee of "GamePro" praised the additional features of the Saturn version and technical improvements over "Daytona USA", but criticized that the sounds, while identical to the arcade version, are unexciting compared to other racing games. He said that the power-slide technique can be initially frustrating but once mastered is "effective and fun". "Maximum" decreed the conversion to be "every bit as good as anyone could have ever hoped", stating that aside from the frame rate being reduced to 30 frames per second, it is essentially identical to the arcade version. They also complimented the inclusion of a two-player mode, numerous options, and secret modes.