I'd share some tidbits on a couple racing game reviews they did, which was
Mobil 1 Rally Championship and F1 2000.
First up, Mobil 1 RC... the mag, like a couple others, has some "stand out"
print in between of the columns of text, just a quick sentence, which kind
of acts as a very "quick take" kind of thing. Here's the 2 they had for
M1RC...
"Driving a car in Mobil 1 Rally Championship is like trying to steer a stone
as it skips over the water." (That's not a putdown, by the way, read on,
hehe)
"You don't have to mesmerize and practice driving in every stage. If you
simply pay attention to what your co-driver says, you can still be
competitive."
Now here's some stuff from out of the 4 pages worth of text and screenshots
they devoted to it. (Yes, 4 whopping, full fledged pages devoted to it. :)
Under a paragraph with a red heading of "The Real Deal"....
" Don't be fooled into thinking that Rally Championship is like the
arcade game Sega Rally. In Sega Rally, Sega turns down the realism a few
notches for the sake of ease and fun, and the tracks are extra wide in most
places. In Rally Championship, as in most racing simulations, it will take
you about an hour of practice just to get used to how the cars handle. And
all of the roads are usually one lane wide, with high banks on each side
that will cause your car to flip if you take a turn too wide.
Althought Rally Championship is as realistic as any simulation, it's
not too difficult to play. That's because instead of sacrificing realism for
ease of play, R.C.'s cars drive so realistically that you won't have much
trouble getting used to them. The problem many people have with driving
sims, is that the car's physics are so abnormal and unpredictable that they
can't quite get the hang of it's handling. In well-made driving sims, the
cars handle like you would expect them to, allowing you to get good at the
game in no time."
Sound to me like they liked this game alot!! Sounds like what everyone
says about GPL too. Now here's some of the more funny stuff that got me to
giggling...
"It's a shame that Americans don't enjoy rally racing. Particularly in
England, rally racing draws a lot of attention. Last time I was in London,
it seemed like there was a race on every night. Watching these guys blast
down narrow back road made up of gravel surfaces, or covered in mud and
snow, is a riot. And what's even crazier is the crowds watching the race
from the side of the road with nothing more than a rickety old wooden fence
between them and certain death if a car loses control."
Ok, I fess up, I giggled quite a bit over that, I mean, seeing how ***
the rally fans are, and the Americans over here with question marks over
there head like they got no clue what this racing is all about, or the fun,
skills, etc it brings. :)
So how did they rate and compare M1RC??
Scale they use is 5 max, 5 is awesome/great/etc, 1 is shoddy, poor, sucks,
etc
Graphics: 4
Graphics comment: "RC's graphics might not be as spectacular as NFS: High
Stakes, but they still look realistic.
Sound: 4
Comment: "The great variety of effects when driving over different terrain
really adds to the realism."
Multiplayer: 3
Comment: "Although it's awkward playing on the same split-screen computer,
it's still a nice option to have."
OVERALL: 5!!
Comment: This will probably be the one of the best racing games of 2000 -
even for non-rally racing fans. Pick it up!!"
Also
Pros: Some of the best car physics you'll find in any racing sim, cars
handle predictably, sex events means lots of variety.
Cons: Time consuming steering controller setup process, co-driver's British
accents annoying"
Ok, moving on to F1 2000
Some of the quick text that caught my eye, some funny, some impressive....
"On the Imola course in Northern Italy there is a tradition among fans to
climb the fence in the night and paint graffiti on the track. In F1 2000,
there is graffiti on the exact same spot on the course. Get ready to get
real."
"Michael Schumacher attacks the curbs like Darryl Strawberry attacks a gram
of coke."
(Their comment, not mine!! Don't sue me!!)
By the way, only 2 pages devoted to F1 2000, but then, it's a "Preview" and
not a full "Review". But alot of it is hilarious, more coming. Don't get me
wrong either, they seem to love this game.
"The designers studied hundreds of hours of video from F1 races to be able
to create spectacular and realistic crashes. Hawkins explains, "We spent
hours discussing the subject: Where is the border between believeable action
and tasteless entertainment in a racing game? What we have come up with is
that once in a while you will experience some serious crashes with airborne
cars that land upside down. It will be a risk you will have to get used to,
just like in real motorsports."
LOL, I can see it now, first online race will be a demolision derby with
everyone trying to come up with the most spectacular crash to save on a
replay file for future gloating, ROFLMAO. Ok, maybe I will be a part of
that, who knows, lol. Back to the details....
"The attention to detail in inescapable. After hard braking, the brake
discs will glow. When drivers go around sharp curves or slam on the brakes,
their heads are affected by the g-forces.***pits are exact replica's of
those in the real cars. The design team has made individual 3D models with
exact specifications of all 11 car brands in the season, and the motor
sounds are also very realistic."
"F1 2000's attention to detail and great game dynamics promises to give
Formula 1 fans what they've been waiting for in a driving game. Get ready
for some serious speed this spring."
And I left out quite a bit, stuff about even the wheel being details that if
you nudge, or hit a wall hard enough, your tire might give out, deflate
even, wobble, get to the point that you'll see peices of *** coming off
it as it shreds apart, wheel then sparking and even coming off totally.
Damn, this sounds like one good game so far!!
Ok, time for some serious humor, they did a "Our wish list for F1 2001",
ROFL....
1. When a Formula 1 race starts, a doctor's car and an ambulance drive in
the back of the pack. They will be included in the next version of the game,
or so promise the producers of F1 2000. If an accident occurs, an ambulance
will show up.
2. Whenever Jaques Villeneuve crashes, and that happens all the time, his
car is towed away or lifted off the track by a tractor. That will be a part
of the next version of the game, according to the folks at EA Sports.
(If it's in the game, it's in the game?)
3. Producer James Hawkins won't confirm that future winners will be kissed
on their cheeks by beautiful women wearing tight sponsor T-shirts. Come on,
EA, This is the best part of winning the confounded race!
ROFLMAO....they include pictures to go along with all 3 wishes, ROFL, and
wow at the babes at the F1 winners circle. :)
Oh, one last thing, as if this wasn't long enough, forgot about the
"Insight" Q&A section, only 2 questions. :)
Q. Will I be able to get with my buds for a full race weekend?
A. Since 22 players will be able to race simultaneously on LAN or INTERNET,
you will be able to arrange a full race weekend with training,
qualifications and a full-scale race.
(Damn, I want this game now!!)
Q. Why has EA Sports been so secretive?
A. Certain F1 teams have tight restrictions on the use of their logos until
the start of the season. They do not want their brand-new sponsorships
announced by a computer game.
Did I say I want this game??? ROFL, look out MGPRS2, there might be a new
kid on the block. Doh!! Anyways, hope you guys didn't mind the huge post
here. But hey, it was a bit funny? Poor Darryl. :/
Destin