[img width=700 height=700]https://store.playstation.com/store/api/chihiro/00_09_000/container/US/en/99/UP4389-CUSA08548_00-WRECKFESTUS00001//image?_version=00_09_000&platform=chihiro&w=720&h=720&bg_color=000000&opacity=100[/img]
Back in March, I had been looking to add a modern console racer to my collection. Stopped at a local game store, where the clerk recommended that I watch for the console release of Wreckfest, a demolition derby racer by THQ Nordic that had already been released on Steam. Intrigued, I anticipated its release, and immediately picked up a copy when it came out last month, and it's been money well spent.
From first glance, and a name like wreckfest, you'd think that this was purely an arcade racer. Just hit-the-gas and run-into-stuff type of action. But the reality is that it plays almost like a hybrid, crossing the lines between what to expect from a sim racer, and what to expect from an arcade racer. It really does feel like a simulation of driving a derby car, complete with physics and one of the best damage engines I've ever seen in a game. But then putting that realistic feel into unrealistic, and sometimes absurd, situations.
In terms of presentation, the game hits all the notes you'd want it to. While it doesn't have the photorealism of games like Gran Turismo and Forza, the game is gorgeous in its own right, with environments that complement the gritty feel the game is aiming for. Many environmental objects are fully interactive as well, meaning you can plow through billboards, bend guardrails, and explode tire barriers at your delight.
[img width=700 height=537]https://gamespot1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/scale_landscape/1406/14063904/3406784-vlcsnap-2018-06-26-16h54m13s630.jpg[/img]
This game is NOT about speed or sleek driving machines. It's about willing your rustbucket car around the track while forcing your will on your opponents, all the while keeping them from doing the same to you. That's the essence of this game, and in that respect, it comes down to driving skill, with the occassional bit of luck mixed in.
Some tracks are more circuit loops that resemble a traditional racing experience, while others are figure eights in which you have to cross through traffic, and still others in which the track is literally one-lane with turn-around sections at each end, and you find yourself navigating constant head on traffic as the race progresses. There are also Last Man Standing stadium challenges in which 24 vehicles are placed in an arena with the goal of trying to wreck all other vehicles while keeping yours running. After all, it is a demolition derby game.
This variety of course and race types keeps the game fresh, and adds to its replay value. While the selection of vehicles isn't massive, it is enough that players can find cars that best suit their skills. Another welcome aspect is the ability to customize tuning on the car as well try some wicked paint scheme combinations.
On the track, while the AI is aggresive and there is slight rubber-banding when cars get behind, it never feels unfair or out of place. One positive note I noticed early on was that it never felt like a 1 vs all game. Each race feels like a free-for-all, with computer opponents trying to take out each other as well as the human player. I can't think of a title that does a better job of this racing aspect, and it's just one of many instances I was impressed by Wreckfest's game engine.
[img width=700 height=393]http://www.playstationcountry.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Wreckfest_20190818175452.jpg[/img]
The game isn't perfect, however. While I know it's a thing of the past, this game would've lent itself well to local multiplayer, but only an online multiplayer is available. Get ready to sit through some long load times, sometimes from 30 to 60 seconds for a race.
Also, it's not the kind of game where you can just hit the gas and steer. There is constant braking and strategy involved, and while its driving mechanics are executed well, there is a learning curve to mastering the controls, and this may turn off some casual players looking for a quick pick-up-and-play option.
Nevertheless, this game does so many things well that any gamer who enjoys good racing action will find something they enjoy. It's all about driving, be it surviving mayhem or sideswiping opponents to help you cut corners tighter. It's crazy racing situations only add to its continuous adrenaline pumping excitement. It's a modern classic that always lives up to its name.
[img width=550 height=494]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/J-060/bf/J-060-S-00195-A.jpg[/img]
Normally when I do a review I beat the game and then go about reviewing my experience with it. With RPGs it makes sense, since I'm investing at least two dozen hours into the recent ones I've been playing. Sega Rally Championship can be beaten in less than ten minutes. Its an arcade checkpoint racing game, one of the best of them in fact. I remember in the mid to late 90's when arcades died down to the point where it was basically nothing but these checkpoint racers, fighting games, and NFL Blitz. That was about it in my hometown, and by that time we had already lost one of the two arcades here.
I never did play Sega Rally Championship in the arcades, I did play a ton of Hydro Thunder. In terms of Sega I played more Daytona USA. Anyway, now I have a Sega Saturn, and Sega Rally Championship is one of the absolute cheapest games for the system. I paid $4 for my copy, and it was complete with an excellent, non broken case! But is this game cheap for the wrong reasons, or the right reasons? There's only one way to find out!
[img width=700 height=837]http://gamesdbase.com/Media/SYSTEM/Arcade/Cabinet/big/Sega_Rally_Championship_-_1995_-_Sega.jpg[/img]
When you first start the game you have a menu of choices like the arcade mode, time attack, options and other normal console game selections. Time attack is just setting a course record and then racing the ghost. Once you're in the arcade mode you can choose whether or not to practice individual tracks, or jump straight into the race. There are only a grand total of three tracks in the entire game. Now it makes sense why the game is only ten minutes long. There are also only really two cars to choose from, with each car having an automatic or manual transmission option. There is a third unlockable car though.
Once you get that picked you're off to the races! In order the tracks go Desert, Forest, and Mountain. Each one is harder than the last. Even though Mountain is smaller than Forest it is jam packed with quick turns that can throw you off and have you crashing into the walls repeatedly. Desert is designed as the easy track to help you get used to the game mechanics. The first time you play the game don't be surprised if you get a Game Over on Desert, this game is a bit harder to master than most racers.
Drifting around Medium, Hairpins, and Fades are absolutely essential. Even on some of the Easy turns you'll need to do a bit of drifting. Don't worry, the game literally tells you what kind of turn you're getting close to and how long it is. The ones you have to be even more careful on are the turns where the announcer says "Maybe" at the end. He's not lying, "Long Easy Right... Maybe" might just make you hit the wall hard.
[img width=512 height=384]http://img.gamefaqs.net/screens/e/4/9/gfs_60367_2_6.jpg[/img]
The music in the game, at least the Saturn port, is just there. Its good but its there as a background noise instead of something to bump the speakers to. There's a lot going on in this game in terms of audio, so not having too much too much to focus on at any one time seems like it was a smart move overall. The bad part is that the Saturn port of the game has music played by Joe Satriani, and its just there in the background.
If you do get a game over, well, then you're treated to the greatest game over screen in the history of gaming. Its so nice that it just makes you want to keep playing not because you're angry, but because it kept you happy. This game is not trying to rub your failure in your face and make you feel worthless because you couldn't get to that checkpoint in time, it makes you want to try again!
To really beat the game requires mastery of it. These three courses are much deeper than they appear, and memorizing the layout is only one half of the equation. The other half is learning how to properly take these memorized turns and practice it until you can do it in your sleep. Actual execution is just as important as track memorization. These two features mesh well together and working on perfecting turns and the drifting mechanics after memorizing track layouts is actually fun and rewarding when switching between modes like ghost racing in Time Attack.
Sega Rally Championship is a game worth every penny. Even though it can be beaten in a few minutes it will take hours to master, and almost every second will be enjoyable. Any annoyance is pressed onto yourself for not having perfect control. If you have a Saturn and haven't picked this up and played it, and are mildly interested in racing games or arcade games in general, this one is worth every single penny and then some.
I try not to clog everyone's sidebars with blog posts relating to my other, more personal non-RFGenerations blog... I figure if you're gonna read it, you've already got it bookmarked, and don't need to hear about it here. haha
Still, for this one particular post, I figured I'd bring to your attention. It deals with a subject close to me, which is breast cancer.
I used to run in a NASCAR simulator online league, and made great friends (and fierce competitors) along the way. One of them was my friend Jared, who now races another game online.
He thought it would be a great idea to try and raise funds for the CIBC's Run for the Cure, which benefits the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. He's trying a variety of different methods of raising money, and he asked if I could have a shout-out on my blog for him.
I hesitated at first, not knowing how I'd relate to video games (because, after all, that's what my blog is 100% supposed to be about). Thankfully, I managed to write a lot more than I expected to, and in a round-about way, was still talking about video games!
http://www.controlpadblues.com/?p=1044
Check out the blog if you wish, since it's for a great cause.
Also, if his goal is met, Jared will paint his go-kart pink for the final event of his professional karting season. As someone who used to clash with him on the virtual track on a regular basis, I wouldn't mind seeing this come to fruition. 
Cheers, folks!
Today I will be reviewing a game that many of us have been begging for a sequel, myself included, for quite some time. Probably since 2003's F-Zero GX for the Nintendo GameCube. So in hopes of jump starting Nintendo I will be bringing up this classic title.
Overall the game is nothing more than your standard arcadey, fast-paced, white knuckle racing game. There is little strategy involved other than using the ample boost pads and tight curves. However that is what makes the game so enjoyable. The newly added story mode gives a little insight into the characters and their background. This mode also adds in more that just circuit racing, throwing in drag races. It makes for a nice change and doesn't deter from the overall package.
The simplicity of the game itself has variety if nothing else. There are over 20 tracks and 30 vehicles and Amusement Vision added customization aspects to allow for a little diversity in the vehicles you can drive.
All told, this is a must own title in your GameCube's library. It will never replicate the success of the Mario Kart franchise, but it doesn't try to. The controls are tight and are perfectly laid out on the GameCube's controller. 4-player local multiplayer should keep this game close to you system for quite some time.
Score: 8.6/10
You read that right, but may not be thinking about it correctly. As much as I would love to go to Japan one day, I don't know Japanese, nor will I probably ever have the funds to do it. That being said, I must resort to Video Games that let me explore Japan. The problem? I don't know too many. 
Noting that, could some of you recommend games that let you explore Japan? I know Shenmue, Yakuza, and Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3 (that one only sort of lets you) let you do it, but I need more than those. So...anyone?
P.S.
If I can customize the Character in the game/Make my own Character, even better! 
On another note, here's an excellent song from Wangan Midnight!
Hello everyone. Today, I present a short, simple video. All it shows is my first victory in Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3. Still, I think Shadow Kisuragi would be proud, considering he's partly responsible for getting me into this style of racing. Anyway, enjoy.
[img width=494 height=500]http://www.primetimeamusements.com/pics1/initial-D-3.jpg[/img]
See that bad boy? That's the Arcade Game, Initial D. I first discovered this thing in 2007 or so, in an Arcade at a Mall in Richmond, VA. I noticed it used ID Cards (of sorts) to save data, and took an immediate interest in it. I sat down and played this thing...
For 2 Hours, if I recall correctly! While I did suck at it, it was still fun, and I would love to play it again. Sadly, I don't think any Arcades around here have it, and buying the thing is impossible for me. Even if I did have the funds, I doubt any company would ship it. Also, no Emulator that I'm aware of will play this game. I could be wrong though. If I am, please correct me.
Anyway, I'm left with buying the Console Version of it on PS3, which leads me to my question: What's a good PS3 Steering Wheel with Pedals? If anyone can suggest one, I'd appreciate it.
But wait! There's more to this post!
Wangan Midnight is another Illegal Japanese Street Racing game for the PS3. Shadow Kisuragi pointed me towards it. If anyone has played this game, could you please tell me about your experience playing it? I'd like to know more before I just go and import it.
Thanks for reading!
[img width=420 height=591]http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/gamecube-games/306-1.jpg[/img]
Here at Is It About My Cube, it is certainly my job to inform you of good games. I enjoy talking for paragraphs upon paragraphs about games that I honestly believe are worth your time and money. That goes without saying. However, it is also my duty to warn you of bad games. This is the tough part. I went into Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions expecting a slightly watered-down Yakuza game for the Gamecube. I wanted to beat up punks and thugs on the streets of Tokyo, the kind of things that the series is loved for. What I got was something very, very different. Fellow Gamecube fans and gamers at large, let me say with complete assurance that this is not Yakuza. Do not be fooled by the title; it means nothing. So, in that case, what is Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions? Let's explore this mess to find out.
Gameplay
From the moment I started playing Wreckless, I knew something was wrong. Actually, even well before that, I knew something was wrong, but since this section is about gameplay, we will leave that for later. When I started to play the first mission, the first thing I noticed were the controls. Let me preface this by saying that Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions is meant to boil down all the fun of the Yakuza games into driving missions alone, with most of the missions centered around destroying other vehicles or objects by ramming your car into them. Sounds passable on paper, but in reality, it makes for a disaster. Whenever you make even the slightest movement on the analog stick, your car goes fishtailing and careening into a 90 degree turn. Unless you gently tap the stick a little bit to turn, then you will crash into a wall, and essentially have no chance of completing the mission. Speaking of crashing, if you do hit a wall, then your car will spin out, come to a complete stop, and only then can you start driving again. In a game that is meant to be about crashes, this makes for insanely frustrating gameplay. It really feels like the developers didn't think about how the game was meant to be played in the context of the goals set out for you; it is more akin to a racing game, where crashing is meant to be a punishment of poor performance, as opposed to games like this where it is an inevitable part of gameplay.
Another badly-thought-out aspect of the game is the missions themselves. Almost all of the missions presented are single-minded in their goal: "Wreck this object, then go and wreck another object, but now you're being timed." The game presents a cripplingly narrow scope of mission objectives to complete, and many of them feel just like blatant copies of each other. They are uninspired, bland, tedious, and annoying to play. Adding this to the awful controls makes each mission a nightmare to complete. I have to admit that I was for once unable to finish this game before reviewing it; something that I usually will do out of principle. I apologize for this, but I simply could not force myself to play it any more, and it did not seem like it was going to get better anytime soon. Besides, with the missions being so repetitive, I feel like I could just replay the ones I had already beaten, and essentially have gotten the same result as playing through the rest of the game. It is a terrible shame to see such restriction brought on a game that is part of the Yakuza series; one known for its interesting and creative gameplay, being akin to a Japanese Grand Theft Auto. Wreckless, however, is nothing more than a terrible Burnout clone.
Gameplay: 3/10
[img width=640 height=480]http://xboxmedia.ign.com/media/previews/image/wreckless/yakuza33_640w.jpg[/img]
Story
Instead of following the standard Yakuza game formula of allowing you to play as a member of the titular Japanese Mafia, the first story mode puts you in control of the Flying Dragons police squad, assigned to stop the local Yakuza organization. The dialogue in the game's cutscenes are abysmal and make absolutely no sense and are inappropriate to the rest of the plot, taking on a lighthearted and silly feel that is completely out of place in a game of this genre. Actually, scratch that; it would be wrong to say that a coherent plot in this game, since it is mission-based and can be played out of order to a certain capacity. It is saying something when you actively try to do something else to occupy your time during cutscenes; not out of boredom, but out of disgust. Perhaps I am being too harsh, but it is my opinion that this game deserves such criticism. In fact, the only reason that I did not simply skip past the cutscenes altogether was for the purpose of this review. There is nothing of interest to be found in the story nor the dialogue. However, it should get a point for even existing at all, considering this is a driving game.
Story: 1/10
[img width=640 height=480]http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2002/gamecube/wreckless/w_screen001.jpg[/img]
Sound
The music in Wreckless is certainly not good, but it isn't terrible. In fact, it may be the most tolerable aspect of the game. It is bland and entirely forgettable [I actually had to go back to the game for this segment just to remember what it sounded like], but it was not outright offensive; something the rest of the game was unable to achieve. You will likely not notice the music at all, but that also means it will not distract you, so I am willing to cut the game some slack. One area where I must cast judgement, however, is the voice acting. *Sigh* Seriously, where do they get actors like this? Not only are all the voices done in a stilted, robotic monotone, they are out of sync with the character actions. It's kind of like watching one of those old Japanese movies that received a hilariously bad dub. This is essentially the video game equivalent of that, since it is a similar situation. The voices are annoying to listen to and bland. I strongly recommend skipping or at least muting all of the game's cutscenes. In fact, unless you were previously interested, I would recommend skipping the game altogether.
Sound: 3/10
[Sorry, this was all I could find for game music.]
Graphics
The visuals in Wreckless were passable, but not particularly notable. The game was actually originally designed to be an Xbox-exclusive, but late in development, it was also ported to the Gamecube and PS2. Now, the Xbox version looks great, using many fancy graphical effects and high-resolution textures that the system could accomplish standing on its head, but something went very wrong during porting. Activision clearly didn't know their way around the Gamecube's hardware, as it actually ended up with the worst version of the game. Even worse than the PS2! It is not a matter of whether the system is powerful enough or not, because the Gamecube certainly could unquestionably handle the graphical flair present in the Xbox version, it was simply the fact that the developers were lazy in porting the game properly. But, still, these are certainly not the worst graphics I have seen on the Gamecube, but they are only good enough. Good enough to justify the fact that this is a next-generation console with distinctly next-generation graphics from the 32/64-bit era. Technically, the game is equally mediocre. The on-screen action often makes the game take a sizable framerate drop, and then jets back up to 60 FPS in a heartbeat. I am impressed [for lack of a better word] that the game can manage 60 FPS at all, but the constant fluctuation between low and high is disorienting and makes gameplay difficult.
Graphics: 3/10
[img width=640 height=480]http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/images/2002/gamecube/wreckless/w_screen004.jpg[/img]
Extras/Value
There are a good amount of unlockable cars available in Wreckless, each which do seem to have distinct strengths, and a great deal of the cars are outlandishly-designed and bizarre, so in that respect, the cars available in the game are certainly interesting; the game does have a decent selection of vehicles to drive, and features two separate story modes to play through, but it all turns out to be effort wasted when attached to poorly-conceived game mechanics. I do admire the game developers trying anything extra they could to make the game appear substantial, but it comes off more as trying to put lipstick on a pig than anything. There are also bonuses for completing secondary objectives in missions, such as hitting a certain number of scenery objects before completing the mission, which qualifies as the game's Hard Mode. The game also features a Multiplayer mode, but the aforementioned slowdown can make missions a bit of a chore when 2 people are playing. Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions is currently going for $1.99 at Gamestop, which is actually quite fair. You are indeed likely to get approximately $2 worth of fun out of Wreckless. This is actually probably the biggest thing the game has going for it right now; that it has a price so low that it makes ramen noodles jealous. If you are still interested after this review, then I supposed you don't have much to lose.
Extras/Value: 5/10
[img width=640 height=480]http://media.teamxbox.com/games/ss/39/image4315.jpg[/img]
Overall
Unless you are a big Yakuza fan, then stay away from Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions. It is a poorly-made, uninspired game that has no resemblance to the other games in the series. But I must stress that even standing on its own, it is a bad game. Even if the other Yakuza games never existed, this would have been a disappointment. Why did it turn out the way it did? Perhaps it was because it was made by Activision, and is just a case of a western developer trying to develop for an eastern franchise. Perhaps it was a lack of budget and motivation. Perhaps it was always destined to be a quick cash-in game for the franchise. All of these are likely components of the truth, but I can say with certainty that Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions for the Nintendo Gamecube is a bad video game.
Overall: 3/10
This is Lisalover1, scaring the living piss out of driving instructors.
The Gamecube has always been a controversial console amongst gamers, mainly because it was a very experimental console for Nintendo. They were trying a lot of new concepts during this period, and came out much wiser from the experience. In the process, many fans felt like their favorite series strayed too far from their paths, and became too different than what they are used to. This happened to Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and yes, also Kirby. All these series received Gamecube games that were radically different than previous games in their respective series. While all of these were arguably great games, the latter franchise's Gamecube entry always gets the most flak among this crowd. The game of which I speak is Kirby Air Ride. Many fans have dismissed it for being too simplistic, even for a kart racer. Also, of course, for not being a traditional platformer. But, does it really deserve all the hate? Is Kirby's Gamecube debut something that should be overlooked by gamers? Well, to put it bluntly...
[img width=243 height=150]http://s3.amazonaws.com/kym-assets/photos/images/original/000/070/111/halolz-dot-com-nope.avi.gif?1283697184[/img]
Gameplay
The main point of contention for Kirby Air Ride was that it is essentially a one-button game. Yes, all of the game's racing functions can be performed with the Analog Stick and "A" button. Mario Kart used multiple buttons, so gamers were wondering why Nintendo decided to take an even more simplistic route. Well, just let me say that it is always better to build a game around the functions it was designed for, rather than try and shoehorn in a bunch of different ones. There is a reason why Kirby Air Ride technically only uses one button; it only needs one. Your character automatically accelerates to the fastest speed over time, and the A button is either used for breaking and boosting, or is context-sensitive based on different parts of the track. Sound confusing? Well, I will admit that it did take some getting used to, but the end result actually ends up being one of the more intuitive control schemes I have seen in a Kart Racer. The game employs a "Boost" system, which, when you press the A button, slows you down, and a meter builds up at the bottom of the screen. When the meter reaches the maximum point, you can perform a speed boost. This allows the button to function as a brake, as well. The game's tracks allow for some rather clever exploitations of this mechanic, as well. Braking and boosting around sharp turns, or boosting when you are on moving portions of the track are ways that you can use boosting creatively. As I said, the A button can also be context-sensitive. If you press the button while over a flashing green arrow on the track, you will automatically boost, even at full speed. Pressing the button over curious-looking patches of track can open up secret passageways, shortcuts, or generate different power-ups. The implementation of all these functions into one button would almost certainly spell disaster in most games, but Nintendo's masterful game design shines through as clear as day in Kirby Air Ride. All the tracks are designed in such a way that the times in which the button does not do what you intend are few and far between, creating a brilliantly simple yet adaptable racing experience.
Kirby Air Ride has three gameplay modes, all of which support 4-player multiplayer. The main mode, Air Ride, is the racing game that most people were expecting to get. There are nine tracks to choose from, and over a dozen vehicles to ride. Other than the notably well-designed and intricate tracks, there is not much else to say about Air Ride mode. If you have played a kart racing game before, then you know what to expect: Fast, fun, and cartoony racing action. Although, I have to say that the tracks in Kirby Air Ride do have a very different feel to them than ones in Mario Kart. In Mario Kart, your racer is, for the most part, not going to leave the ground throughout the whole race. Kirby Air Ride, however, has vehicles that allow you to fly for a short period after jumping, and even one that allows you to fly from anywhere. This means that you will not only be able to explore the lateral areas of a track, but the vertical ones, too. It makes the tracks feel very 3-dimensional by allowing this degree of freedom. The second game mode available is called Top Ride, a single-screen, top-down racing game reminiscent of games like RC Pro Am or Speed Sprint. The tracks in this mode are short but nicely-detailed, and should be more than sufficient for fans of this subgenre of racing games. I personally am not a fan of this kind of game, but I know that people who are say that this game mode is very good, and has a lot of personality. The last mode is possibly the best on of them all, called City Trial. This mode puts you and 3 other racers in an open city area to explore and collect power-ups for a brief period of time. After time is up, you race your upgraded vehicles in a randomly-chosen arena, track, or mini-game. I cannot stress how much fun this mode is in multiplayer. You and three other friends battling over power-ups, stealing items from one another, or even another person's upgraded vehicle makes for some hilarious and competitive gameplay. Random stage events also occur throughout the course of a City Trial match: A giant monster comes out of nowhere and wreaks havoc on the city, the nearby volcano erupts, etc. If this mode ends up being total chaos in multiplayer, then you're doing it right.
Gameplay: 9/10
Story
There is no story in Kirby Air Ride. Absolutely none. Not in the main game, not in the end credits, not even in the instruction manual. There is absolutely no explanation for why Kirby is racing with clones of himself on Warp Stars. I was kind of expecting to find something in the game, but now that I think about it, there are actually very few racing games, especially kart games, with stories to them. In fact, the only major kart racer that I remember to have a real story to it was ModNation Racers, so maybe racing games don't need a story. I am not going to be able to say much more here, as I can only stall for so long before you realize that I just wrote a whole paragraph specifically about nothing, so I will just end here.
Story: 5/10
[img width=700 height=437]http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/5500000/Kirby-Air-Ride-Wallpaper-kirby-5558741-1280-800.jpg[/img]
Sound
I was pleasantly surprised by the music in Kirby Air Ride. Like Star Fox Assault, most of the music is orchestral, and very well-done. Kirby's music however, has a much more lively and perky tone to it than Star Fox. Every track is well-written, and is perfectly suited to each track. I greatly enjoyed listening to the music, and it stands out as one of the best parts of the game. I don't think I will ever forget Kirby Air Ride's soundtrack. I am hesitant to say this, but it may be worth getting the game just to hear the music. The audio quality is astounding, and uses the Gamecube Disc's enhanced storage capacity to the fullest. If you have a good speaker setup in your gaming den, then prepare for some serious ear candy. HAL put their heart and soul into creating this game's music, and it shows by passing with flying colors. It is just a shame that there was never an official soundtrack released, because I would buy it in a heartbeat. As for the sound effects, they are all crisp and clear, but my only complaint is that some variety in the effects would have helped. Different crashing sounds, etc. But, that is a minor complaint.
Sound: 9.5/10
Graphics
Kirby Air Ride features some awfully respectable visuals for a Gamecube game. The environments are detailed with features that often go deep into the fantastical and give each track its own distinct personality. The lava dragons in the Magma Flows level, the futuristic lighting in the Machine Passage stage, and plenty of other things make the game feel alive. The character models are quite good; Kirby certainly looks as puffy and round as ever, with none of the jagged edges that were in the beta version of Kirby Air Ride when it was still a Nintendo 64 game. Yes, the graphics were completely revamped for the Gamecube final version, and I am certainly glad they did. The game's textures could have used some work though; you can still see the boundary lines on the edges of some tracks, which looks awfully bizarre when compared to the good character models. If you have a component cable for your 'Cube (and you really should by now), the game can run in 480p, which helps smooth things out even more, and makes for a much cleaner picture. I will say it again; the Gamecube has probably the best-quality 480p of the past generation. Kirby Air Ride isn't the best demonstration of this higher resolution, at least, it doesn't use it as well as The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, but it is a nice touch that I like to have in Gamecube games. As this is a racing game, the game has to be able to handle a lot of action on-screen at once. Thankfully, I never saw Kirby Air Ride drop in framerate even once while playing it, even in multiplayer! Behold the processing power of the mighty Gamecube!
Graphics: 8/10
[img width=377 height=300]http://img.neoseeker.com/screenshots/R2FtZXMvR2FtZUN1YmUvUmFjaW5nL0dlbmVyYWw=/kirbys_air_ride_image4.jpg[/img]
Extras/Value
There is something interesting in this game that often gets overlooked, but I always regard as an important inclusion. It has somewhat of a precursor to achievements, in that by completing certain hidden tasks, you can open up squares on a grid. Some squares give you unlockables upon clearing them, such as new vehicles, characters, tracks, modes, etc. There are a ton of things to unlock, so you can be sure that there will always be something to do in Kirby Air Ride. Nintendo later re-used this unlockables grid in Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii. I don't think many people will ever legitimately complete this game, but that level of replay value certainly means you will get your money's worth. It should also be mentioned that this game was one of the few Gamecube games to support multiplayer LAN play, allowing you to hook up 1-3 other Gamecubes, and play over the wired network. I have not been able to try this, as I do not have two Gamecubes with Broadband adapters, but I can assume that it is quite fun to play. Don't forget that with the help of a program like Xlink Kai, you can actually play Kirby Air Ride online by tricking the Gamecube into thinking it is connected to a local network, when it is really online. The Gamecube's online scene is still alive and kicking, so get a friend or two to join for an online match together. If you all have Gamecubes with Broadband adapters, that is. Kirby Air Ride is currently selling at Gamestop for $20. That is certainly a bit more expensive than I expected, even for a first-party Gamecube game. This is an excellent game, but I am not sure if a used copy is worth that much. I recommend buying it, just find somewhere where it is cheaper.
Extras/Value: 7.5/10
[img width=605 height=388]http://firsthour.net/screenshots/kirby-air-ride/kirby-air-ride-checklist-filled.png[/img]
Overall
Nintendo is arguably the king of kart racing games with Mario Kart, which all but invented the genre, but Kirby Air Ride is a good enough and unique enough game to stand on its own. It is still a kart racer at heart, but it does things different enough that it is a worthy contender for Mario Kart and other games of the genre. It is absolutely worth your time, and should be in every well-rounded Gamecube library. Nintendo may have lost the console war in the last generation, but that doesn't mean that it didn't show the Gamecube all the love that they could while it was around. Games like Kirby Air Ride show that trademark Nintendo gusto and heart that reminds us why we became gamers in the first place.
Overall: 8/10
This is Lisalover1, wishing on a shooting warp star for a maxim tomato.
This is the second part of a five part series looking at those titles in the Ridge Racer series of games that have been launch titles. Part 1 covered the first Ridge Racer game, for the PS1. This entry covers Ridge Racer V for the PS2.
[img width=639 height=202]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/fba68463.jpg[/img]
The first Ridge Racer was arguably the highlight of the PS1 launch, being the only game featured as a launch title in all three major regions. It was also the only arcade-style racer released at that system's launch, and so for many it had helped to define Sony's first console from the very start as the place to go for arcade quality titles. Certainly Sony had high hopes that Ridge Racer V would live up to this legacy.
When the PS2 launched ten years ago this month (October 2000 in the USA), the gaming landscape was markedly different from what it had been when Sony's PS1 hit stores five years prior. The second golden age of the arcade (the mid 90s) had ended, arcade style racing games were losing market share to driving simulation games such as Gran Turismo, and gamers had become accustomed to graphically polished and in-depth experiences from the racing genre. They had also become accustomed to choice, as there were probably a dozen racing franchises in active production at the turn of the millennium. Fortunately for Namco, Ridge Racer Type 4 had been quite successful and so hopes were high for Ridge Racer V. Nonetheless, V certainly had to contend with a different context than its PS1 launch game predecessor. How did it fare? As a launch title, it is significant for several reasons:
Ridge Racer V
[img width=299 height=235]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/rrv1.jpg[/img] [img width=314 height=235]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/rrv2.jpg[/img]
It was the only traditional racing game at the PS2 launch. The PS2 launch had no shortage of opportunities for gamers to drive fast . On launch day, Smuggler's Run, Wild Wild Racing, Midnight Club: Street Racing, and Moto GP offered racing fans a wide selection of titles that could address their need for speed, but only Ridge Racer V offered the option to drive a racing car around a traditional track in an arcade style racer. This seems like it was probably a deliberate choice by Sony, as they did this with the first Ridge Racer game at the PS1 launch and would repeat this model with the PS3 launch.
It was a return to the series' roots. In an often criticized move, Ridge Racer V stripped away many of the additions the series had seen over the years in terms of gameplay, car selection, customization, and other more simulation style racing enhancements. The main track is similar to the one featured in Ridge Racer 1, and all the tracks are quite similar to one another. The main gameplay mode is a Grand Prix mode for trophies, but there are only a few interesting rewards for doing well. In other words, it is very much like the first Ridge Racer.
[img width=283 height=235]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/rrv3.jpg[/img]
Ridge Racer Type 4 shipped as a special edition with this Namco JogCon force feedback controller. The controller could also be used in Ridge Racer V.
It was a showcase for PS2 graphics...but not in a good way. Graphically, Ridge Racer V is a competent title and arguably looked better than the previous entries in the series with the possible exception of Type 4. The tracks have more shading, lighting is better implemented, some nice spark effects are used, and the menus are slick. But, the game features lots of flickering and aliasing problems (or "jaggies") which were a major concern at the PS2's launch. One argument that some Dreamcast owners made was that their games featured a smoother look than those on the PS2, and Ridge Racer V was a common punching bag for these criticisms.
[img width=314 height=235]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/rrv4.jpg[/img]
An example of the "jaggies" found throughout the game.
It was really hard. Well, at least I thought so. I can do pretty well in most of the Ridge Racer games without running into many problems until the latest levels. Not so with V. I've struggled with this game from some of the very earliest stages - in part because of the looser steering, in part because of some of the issues with graphics, but mostly because of the cheap AI and unresponsive controls. It isn't that I can't drive the cars, but there often seems to be a disconnect between what I want the car to do and what it actually does. This is certainly one of the more punishing games from the PS1 launch.
It failed to showcase many of the PS2's best features. The audio CD-swapping trick, the unlocakables, and the mini-game features found in the original Ridge Racer all showcased the capabilities of the PS1. There is nothing about Ridge Racer V which suggested the PS2 was a machine that could do new things or do old things better. Part of the reason the PS2 sold well out of the gate was because it was a DVD player and because DVD-based games could hold much more information. Ridge Racer V shipped on CD and didn't really feature very much content compared to some of the earlier CD-based titles in the series. Furthermore, it didn't provide surround sound, use the new ports found on the system, or really push the hardware the way that some of the other launch titles did.
[img width=314 height=235]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/rrv5.jpg[/img]
It would be the only PS2 Ridge Racer game. Perhaps all you need to know about Ridge Racer V's ability to hook people on the PS2 or get them interested in future racing games comes from this fact. Whereas the PS1 had seen four Ridge Racer titles in five years, the PS2 turns ten this year with only one Ridge Racer game to its credit.
In retrospect, even though Ridge Racer V offered a fully fledged arcade racing experience, it seemed like a rushed and incomplete project that failed to distinguish itself amongst the PS2 launch lineup the way that the first game in the series had on Sony's first console. In future installments, we'll explore whether or not the series' other launch titles addressed these shortcomings.
Some of you may instantly recognize the title of this post, others of you may be curiously scratching your heads. If you don't recognize the quote, those are the immortal words uttered by the in-game announcer at the start of every race in the very first Ridge Racer game for the Sony Playstation, one of the system's ten launch titles and one of its best known racers. Many things can and have been written about the Ridge Racer series of games published by Namco, but they are interesting for this blog because five of the eleven games in the series have been in a console launch lineup. The launch titles were:
[img width=639 height=202]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/fba68463.jpg[/img]
This five part series of blog entries will look at each launch title in the Ridge Racer series and what, if anything, they did to showcase the new capabilities of each system.
Ridge Racer - Sony Playstation
 [img width=320 height=240]http://www.gamesetwatch.com/rr.png[/img]
The Playstation's U.S. launch in September of 1995 featured only one game that had also been released when the system premiered in Japan the prior December: Ridge Racer. In fact, Ridge Racer was the only launch game featured in all three major game markets (JPN/NA/EUR ). It seemed clear from the start that Sony was banking on Namco's arcade hit to help sell systems.
In the U.S., Ridge Racer was one of two racing games that new console buyers could choose from when entering their favorite game or electronics store on that Saturday morning in September. The other, ESPN Extreme Games, featured an assortment of X-Games events such as street luge and mountain biking. Only Ridge Racer provided a traditional automobile racing game. So, new buyers looking to take the arcade racing experience home were faced with little choice but to buy it on launch day. As it turns out, they couldn't have done much better: Ridge Racer is an absolute gem of a racing game that accomplished many technical feats fifteen years ago and holds up well to this day.
Arcades in the U.S. were still doing quite well in 1994 and 1995, and though the focus for many players had shifted from fighting games to racing games, there was a lot to choose from in coin-ops around the country in the mid-90s. Increasingly, the best arcade games were seeing high profile ports for home consoles. During the period of time that the Saturn, Playstation, and N64 were released (between May 1995 and September 1996) each console had a racing game associated with it, a game that promised to push the limits of the console. For Nintendo, that game was Cruisn' USA (though the game didn't make the N64 launch). For Sega, the game was Daytona USA. For Sony, it was Ridge Racer.
At the time, I was a die-hard Sega fan and insanely jealous of my friends who were able to enjoy their copies of Daytona USA at home. Sure, the Daytona USA port didn't look arcade perfect, but it seemed close and impressed me nonetheless. When I couldn't play on a friends' Saturn, I would still frequently pump quarters into the Daytona USA arcade machine as my home racing was limited to Virtua Racing for the Genesis for several more years (an excellent game in its own right). By the time I finally joined the 32-bit generation and picked up a Playstation in late 1996 (skipping the Saturn altogether!), I was anticipating the release of new racing games for the PS1 (most notably Gran Turismo) and passed on picking up Ridge Racer. I'd had my fill of racing with Daytona and Crusin' and decided to pick up games for other genres in the interim.
So, I only recently acquired the classic PS1 launch game, and now wish I had done so a decade ago.
[img width=235 height=314]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/rrcase.jpg[/img]
Early PS1 games didn't feature many of the icons on the back indicating compatibility with memory cards, number of discs, etc.
As a launch title, the game is significant for several reasons:
The graphics. There's no denying that an important draw for purchasers on launch day is graphics horsepower. The graphics put out in the PS1 port of Ridge Racer are simply better than they were for the Saturn port of Daytona USA. The polygons are less blocky, the sense of speed is faster, and the scenery is more diverse. There are usually more things happening on the screen at any given time, and aside from the poorly designed menus, the interface is quite polished. Daytona may have been better in the arcades, but if these racing games were meant to show off what the system could do, Ridge Racer was an early harbinger of the doom of the Saturn. Ridge Racer's graphics are bright, pop in is quite good for a first-gen title, and the scale of the landscape surrounding the courses is impressive.
It allowed you to choose your own music. Once the game was loaded and a race started, you could swap out the Ridge Racer CD for your own favorite disc. The game would then randomly select tracks on your CD to play while you raced and navigated menus. Since Daytona USA was a frequent point of comparison at the time this game came out, I should note that I also prefer Ridge Racers original music over Daaaaay-tohhhhhhh-nah's ( especially given the "classic" nature of the latter's songs). That said, nothing beats choosing your own musical selection. In playing the game again for this post, I chose the era-appropriate Beck album "Mellow Gold." Hearing track 11 playing over the credits was a sweet bit of randomness. In an age where CD sales were really catching on, this was a nice way for the Playstation to showcase its versatility.
[img width=314 height=235]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/better.jpg[/img]
Place this in the CD drive to make Ridge Racer unplayable.
It featured a mini-game with a generous reward during the only loading screen. Popping Ridge Racer into a console usually meant a few resets until all the enemies in this one screen version of Galaxian were cleared. Clearing all the enemies in the limited time granted you access to three times the number of cars that would be available otherwise. Not only did you have more options, but many of these were better cars. Furthermore, the game only loads once at the very beginning, a welcome change from the frequent and frustrating waits experienced by owners of many other CD-based consoles at the time. The fact that the loading screen is a game itself was icing.
The game featured a hefty amount of unlocakbles. There were certainly games with unlockables in the previous generations, but Ridge Racer was one of the first CD-based games to offer multiple versions of tracks to unlock, cars that could be won, and other goodies for the devoted player to discover. The ease of saving data on a memory card (times, unlocked tracks, etc.) meant that you could take these unlocked items with you, one of the key selling points for Sony's console.
[img width=314 height=235]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/rrback.jpg[/img]
The back of the manual provided alternate cover art.
Taken as a package, it is easy to see why Sony pushed for Ridge Racer to see a release in every major region on launch day. Better racing games would eventually come, but compared to racers on other consoles that preceded Ridge Racer, Sony clearly had the upper hand and could better capitalize on the ongoing arcade craze. The game is far from perfect; it is single player, some of the drifting feels too loose, the various tracks are all variations of one main track, the announcer voice is annoying, and the difficulty ramps up considerably in later stages. However, the game is still worth playing today despite these weaknesses, if only to appreciate how different it was compared to what had come before. The game would go on to see huge sales and win numerous awards in the next year. It would also become Sony's first pack-in game.
Ridge Racer spawned over 10 sequels. We will revisit some of those games in future installments.
Next Up: an "end game"
So here it is, hopefully time again for the two biggest names in racing games to go head to head.
Forza 3 and Gran Tourismo 5
On the one hand Forza 3 has just sort of popped up, very little hype compared to Forza 2 (no show on speedtv etc) GT5 on the other hand has been known about for years but yet no offical release date has been announced, although its being said that the game could launch at anytime. Could it be that october might be the racing sim fans dream month?
Heres some numbers (subject to change of course)
Forza 3- 400+cars, 100+ tracks including the circuit de la sarth (aka LeMans)
GT5 - 500+ (hasnt been said for certain but its sure to be more than in GT4) same goes for tracks, Daytona and Indy are two biggies
Improvements on forzas side includes 10 times more polygons per car, improved physics (including visable tire flex as shown in the trailer) a true in car view and real to life damage.
GT5 gets a dashboard as well, damage for the first time in the series, and another first ferrari. As well as the return of rally (Now officially WRC) and NASCAR ( yep another series first)
Both games will have online play (another first for GT5)
Forza is adding more types of racing as well-drag,drift,oval.
Thats just covering the basics on the whats new bin on both games.
Forza 3 has been announced as 2 disc, while GT5 is at 1 right now, of course in the modern gaming world expect lots of little goodies to become available on your live/psn account shortly after launch.
So putting they're repective systems aside which will be the game to have?
After seeing the trailers I have to say I dont think graphics can be the deciding factor if they're not equal they're damn close to it.
Watch the trailers, check out the pics and give your thoughts.
Later
   
BTW yes I know its says of, it was an oops lol
So a couple of mornings ago I was taking the dog out and he tripped me up (100 ibs of his muscle vs my 180ibs of muscle and flab.) I put my foot down to balance out and CRUNCH! I heard plastic break I look down and see the shifter of my Mad Catz MC2 steering wheel sitting lower than it should be, its what I get for not putting it up. I decided to take it apart to see if I can fix it and luckily I can, as im putting it back together I notice how the shifter works and an idea pops in my head.
I can shorten the shift needed to activate the switches that run the shifter. Hince this mod was born.
The stock length the shifter needs to travel in either direction is over one inch after the mod it takes less than half that and there is room for more. Why you ask? Well ask any hardcore fighting game player that spends 100s of bucks on a fighting game pad the faster the buttons the better, same principle just diffrent kind of game.
How its done. And no you dont have to break your controller to do it and it takes less than 20mins to do.
1. On the bottom of the wheel is a bunch of phillips screws, take them all out and remove the bottom cover (dont worry none of the hardware is connected to the bottom so just pop it off)
2. Look up the shifter shaft (from the bottom), you'll see a small screw in towards the top, take it out and remove the knob
3. On the side of the shift shaft (toward the wheel) theres a plastic piece with two screws in it, this is where one of the dollys of the shift shaft fits, unscrew it and carefully remove it (shifter might come with it)
4. If shifter doesnt come out with last step simply pull shifter out towards the wheel
5. See the plastic peg thats molded to the shift shaft pointing out towards the side of the controller? Thats what is getting modded. It activates the switches that tell the game to shift.
6. The switches are 2 metal tabs connected to the circuit board next to the shifter find them because there the guages of how much modding can be done
7. Heat up glue gun and add glue to the sides of the peg, test fitting the shifter during the process (when the glue is dry!!). When you've shortened the clearence to your liking thats it! The mods done.
8. Reassembly is the reverse of taking all apart.
9.Pick your game and test it it out!
[img width=221 height=198]http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s6/mn12sskiller/steeringwheelmod-1.jpg[/img]
Notes:
Im sure other things will work besides glue, basiclly all your doing is making the peg thicker to shorten the distance between the peg and the switches.
To much glue? Use the tip of the glue gun to melt of the excess, or scrape off with a razor blade
This was done on a Mad Catz MC2 for the Xbox 360 but im pretty sure all Mad Catz wheels with the shifter work the same way.
While its apart, nows a good time to grease up any moving parts in the wheel (springs etc)
Sorry about the sorry drawing I didn't think of taking pics until after the fact
Thanks for reading
Later
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