▁it ' s ▁certainly ▁the ▁most ▁enjoy able ▁way ▁to ▁sust ain ▁a ▁conc uss ion ." ▁[ emph asis ▁in ▁original ] ▁Tod d ▁V aug hn ▁of ▁PC ▁G amer ▁US ▁wrote ▁that ▁" It ▁bl ends ▁a ▁devil - may - care ▁attitude ▁with ▁the ▁crowd - ple asing ▁violence ▁of ▁gl adi atorial ▁combat ▁and ▁the ▁man - and - machine ▁sym b ios is ▁of ▁a ▁demol ition ▁der by ▁to ▁create ▁an ▁instantly ▁attract ive ▁and ▁demand ing ▁would - be ▁sport ." ▁ ▁The ▁one ▁common ▁criticism ▁of ▁the ▁game ▁was ▁the ▁un av ail ability ▁of ▁multi player ▁on ▁release . ▁Crit ics ▁noted ▁that ▁despite ▁the ▁box ▁art ▁prom ising ▁L AN ▁multi player , ▁the ▁feature ▁was ▁not ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁game , ▁and ▁that ▁despite ▁inser ts ▁saying ▁that ▁a ▁patch ▁to ▁fix ▁this ▁problem ▁was ▁available ▁on ▁the ▁S ega So ft ▁website , ▁the ▁linked ▁page ▁only ▁gave ▁further ▁exc uses . ▁Game Sp ot ▁and ▁Next ▁Generation ▁both ▁stated ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁have ▁r ated ▁the ▁game ▁higher ▁if ▁the ▁patch ▁were ▁available ▁upon ▁release ▁as ▁promised . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁PC ▁Data , ▁which ▁track ed ▁computer ▁game ▁sales ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁sales ▁of ▁Ro cket ▁J ockey ▁reached ▁nearly ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁copies ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁Er ica ▁Smith ▁of ▁C NET ▁Game center ▁described ▁these ▁figures ▁as ▁" gr im ". ▁Writing ▁for