Tag Archives: driving game

Sunday Driving: Rigged to Blow – Split/Second #1

I fancied a bit of a change from OutRun this week, so I present to you one of my all-time favourite arcade racers: Split/Second, developed by Black Rock and published by Disney.

Split/Second is a tragic tale, really; it was a spectacularly good game that came out at a bad time, had no marketing whatsoever and consequently flopped so badly that Black Rock had to close down and Disney stopped doing anything interesting like unusual cinematic arcade racers ever again. Booo.

Still, at least Split/Second still exists, and we can still enjoy it for ourselves, so let’s do just that!

Continue reading Sunday Driving: Rigged to Blow – Split/Second #1

Sunday Driving: It Keeps Happening – OutRun 2006 Coast 2 Coast #5

Oh, Flagman. Why do you taunt me so? Why does beating Clarissa in a straight-up race through the easiest courses in the game seem to be such a challenge?

Who knows. And apparently after today’s experimentation, it is not the car that is to blame — though it may well be my driving. It seems that flipping over your extremely expensive sports car on the final corners of the race may well cost you a few valuable seconds as well as a few thousand dollars.

Hit the jump to see today’s efforts…

Continue reading Sunday Driving: It Keeps Happening – OutRun 2006 Coast 2 Coast #5

Sunday Driving: Timeless Classics of Video Game Music

OutRun has endured in popularity for so long for a number of reasons.

First and arguably foremost is its sheer “pick up and play” nature. It’s simple to understand, easy to get into and tricky to master — exactly what you want from an arcade game — and this overall feel has continued into its later console incarnations.

Secondly is its soundtrack. Classics like Magical Sound Shower and Splash Wave sound just as good today as they did back when the first OutRun game hit arcades — and Sega very much understands this has always been part of the appeal!

Continue reading Sunday Driving: Timeless Classics of Video Game Music

Sunday Driving: Coast 2 Ghost – OutRun 2006 Coast 2 Coast #3

Let’s go for another drive, shall we? Get ready!

Today’s road trip adventure once again takes us beneath the Sega blue skies into the world of OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast by Sega and Sumo Digital. This is an arcade racer that more than holds its own against modern titles, and I sincerely wish we could see a modern rerelease. Unfortunately, the Ferrari licensing almost certainly means that will never happen, but at least you can still grab copies of the old versions!

Hit the jump to see the long and winding road we took on this leg of our tour…

Continue reading Sunday Driving: Coast 2 Ghost – OutRun 2006 Coast 2 Coast #3

Sunday Driving: Sega Blue Skies – OutRun 2006 Coast 2 Coast #1

It’s time to start our engines and kick off a new series of Sunday Driving.

This time around, we’ll be exploring Sega and Sumo Digital’s wonderful OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast, which you may recall is a game that I am a big fan of.

This is a classic racer that I’ve been meaning to revisit for quite some time now, so what better time than the present to jump back into an officially licensed Ferrari (from before Sega lost the license) and set course for the distant horizon?

Continue reading Sunday Driving: Sega Blue Skies – OutRun 2006 Coast 2 Coast #1

Sunday Driving: I’m At My Limit – Auto Modellista #5

Well, it’s been a fun ride, but I think I’m going to call time on my Auto Modellista career… for now, anyway.

I’ve reached a point in the game where I just don’t seem to have the right combination of cars, parts and raw skills to be able to pass the challenges I’m presented with. And so after today’s attempts, in which I experiment with a few different cars to see what difference they might make to my performance, I think it’s time to move on.

Hit the jump to see exactly what led me to this conclusion… and if you know this game well and have any suggestions on how I might be able to progress, I’ll gratefully hear them!

Continue reading Sunday Driving: I’m At My Limit – Auto Modellista #5

Sunday Driving: If You’re Not in First Place, You’re Not Gonna Win – Auto Modellista #4

Who’d have thought it, eh? It’s amazing the kind of inane stupidity that spills out of one’s mouth while attempting to concentrate on something else.

This week we continue our attempts to master Capcom’s visually arresting arcade racer Auto Modellista, and start to encounter some serious resistance. And, it seems, overcoming that resistance isn’t as simple as just picking the car with the best stats from the list…

Hit the jump to see how things went in this week’s races.

Continue reading Sunday Driving: If You’re Not in First Place, You’re Not Gonna Win – Auto Modellista #4

Sunday Driving: More Faster Than I Was – Auto Modellista #3

AUTOOOOO MODELIIIIISTAAAAA!

Yes, it’s that time when we strap in and go for a bit of a drive, once again in Capcom’s beautiful 2002 “Gran Turismo lite” affair, Auto Modellista.

Today we take on some tougher challenges, and either start to hit the limits of what my dear little Yaris has to offer… or perhaps my own skill ceiling. Hit the jump to see what happened.

Continue reading Sunday Driving: More Faster Than I Was – Auto Modellista #3

Sunday Driving: Fear the Mighty Yaris – Auto Modellista #2

I enjoyed Auto Modellista so much when I tried it for the first time last week that I felt it deserved another look or two. So that’s what we’re up to today!

For the unfamiliar, Auto Modellista is a 2002 release from Capcom that, alongside Monster Hunter and Resident Evil Outbreak, was supposed to be Capcom’s big break into online gaming. That, uh, didn’t quite work out — indeed, the initial Western release of Auto Modellista didn’t have any online modes at all — but it didn’t stop it being a cool, immensely stylish game.

Hit the jump for the latest video to see what I mean!

Continue reading Sunday Driving: Fear the Mighty Yaris – Auto Modellista #2

PS2 Essentials: Auto Modellista

Even today, Capcom’s 2002 racing game Auto Modellista stands out as a bold and striking experiment.

By combining relatively conventional arcade-style racing gameplay with an eye-catching cel-shaded visual style, the game successfully distinguished itself from many of its peers — though sadly, relatively mediocre reviews, mostly focusing on the game’s handling and its attempts to straddle the line between deep simulation and arcade racer, meant that it sold fairly poorly.

That doesn’t mean it’s not worth checking out by any means, however — particularly if you are someone who, like me, enjoys the customisation aspect of deep sims but hates “realistic” handling. Let’s take a closer look — and keep an eye on Sunday Driving for the next few weeks to see the game in action for yourself!

Continue reading PS2 Essentials: Auto Modellista