Copy+Pasted:
From "Torfinn" on the OA boards..
Pretty interesting. Here it is..
Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Got the Japanese version and I can`t say I like this game much.
It feels very odd,like they couldn`t decide if they wanted to make it arcadey or sim.
You have tons of options to tune your cars etc like in GT.
I hate all this stuff, I want to play not go through endless menus.
So I mostly just played the arcade part.
The game looks pretty nice,60 fps but shimmering and jaggies is pretty bad. It`s got some nice effects like the exaggerated wind effects towards you car when racing at fast speeds and some other cartoony effects.
The tracks feels quite enclosed,there are almost always lots of trackside stuff so you don`t see much scenery.
The driving feels weird, you can`t really powerslide and when you let go of the gas the car slows down like you are breaking full force, weird.
The game just isn`t very fun to play.
I hoped for more arcadey racing but this basically feels like a dumbed down GT with cel shaded graphics.
And not as fun as that game either.
Overall,this game was quite disappointing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Having spent a few hours with the japanese version of Modellista, here are my early impressions...
GRAPHICS
Basically, looks like a cel-shaded GT3. There are some effects like the speed lines that are cool the first time you play, but become irritating after that (they can be turned off in the options menu). All the cars look like they should, so do the courses (the highway ones reminded me alot of Tokyo Xtreme). The graphics would have been awesome before GT3, but now they just feel kind of empty, like there's no point to the cel-shading.
SOUND
The cars sound okay, nothing to rumble the floor. The music is pretty generic techno.
CONTROL
Good control, the only problem I had was that some of the cars felt unrealistically unresponsive at relatively low speeds.
GAMEPLAY
I had looked forward to this for a long time, and after playing it, it feels like a little side experiment to GT3. The handling for the most part is very sim-like, you have to manage the gas and brake carefully or else you'll just be running into walls. I felt that the developers tried to make an interesting product, and forgot to make it fun. Except for the online play, I wouldn't bother spending $50 on this if you already have GT3.
1) Yes, most of the menus are in english (the option is in english, the description is in japanese). The track names are also japanese, but there are pictures so you know which ones are which...
2) I haven't counted, but there are about 12 tracks available from the start (and a "secret" button at the bottom for unlocked tracks), and around 30 cars, with more to be unlocked. A good selection, like GT3. You can pick a car, body style, transmission, and paint color.
3) I do think it is a good racer, it just doesn't really improve on GT3. It feels like they put a cel-shaded "skin" (think WinAmp) on GT3. But I like GT3, so I have a strange mixed feeling about AM.
4) I haven't gotten to the tweaking part of the game yet (I just jumped in and started racing), I'll let you know about that tomorrow....
One last note, on the rainy tracks, the frame rate drops to about 10 fps (no kidding). It speeds up when you go in a tunnel, then drops back to slomo when you go back outside. Not the kind of thing to be in a retail product.
I finally figured out a good analogy for this game (I've been trying for hours)...
AM compares to GT3 the same way all the Tomb Raider games do. Tomb Raider 3 (and 4 and Chronicles)was a fun game, but considering it came a year after Tomb Raider 2, it was like a level pack for full price. AM doesn't add much, but if you're a big fan of racing, or don't have (or are bored of) GT3, then you'll have all the fun in the world.
People were seeing my review as saying the game was no good, that's not what I meant, just that the lack of innovative features and some problems keep it from being a $50 game for me (also, I only need 2 or 3 racing games, because I usually play action games)."
And now a different view on the game:
"From: A1X | Posted: 8/20/2002 4:48:17 PM | Message Detail
i got the game also , and it's nothing like GT3. what are you talking about dude? the controls and the car response are like in Ridge Racer series(you can ride at 100 mph, touch some wall and car stops 0 mph) i always hated that unrealistic Ridge Racer feel.
overall, great racer with realy cool graphics but nothing special , GT3 still beats it any day."
Here's a much more positive set of impressions:
"Well guys, after waiting a while for this game, and highly anticipating it, I finally got to sit down with it and play it!
I went straight to Arcade mode for some instant action. As my first car I chose a Honda CRX SI. I own the car in real life (13 second car BTW ;D) so I figured I'd take it for a spin in the game. I noticed that there are 2 default "styles" to choose from, much like in Tokyo Xtreme Racer. They were ugly as hell with racing stripes and stickers, so I chose the default, stock looking model. I was VERY impressed with the games handling. I was carving a lot of turns at full throttle, and when the sharper ones came, I tapped the brakes, downshifted, and accelerated right out of there with NO problem whatsoever. While racing I also noticed my 5th gear was VERY weak...until I drafted. Drafting is when you drive directly behind another car for less wind resistence. Drafting plays a major role in this game, when you're drafting, you fly!
After playing around in Arcade mode, I entered "Garage Life" mode. I was immediately impressed, yet again, as you were able to choose from 3 different garage styles! I chose my beloved CRX again, and started modding it.
I first did visual mods, then performance mods. To sum modding up, EVERYTHING is licensed and REAL! They had the Mugen Flared body kit for my CRX, and it was exactly like the real one. You get to choose from companys like HKS, Apexi, 5Zigen, Tein, Mugen, C West etc. There are MUCH more companys. You can basically mod every aspect of the car. Visually, you can choose a paint scheme (racing stripes and graphics), Stickers, Hoods, Body kits (front bumpers, sideskirts, and rear bumpers are all chosen seperately, so you can mix/match kits), Mirrors, Spoilers, Headlights etc. etc. I know there are things that I missed. You can also paint each part of the car seperately, so if you want a black front bumper, red rear, blue body, and white sideskirts...for whatever reason, you can do that (sleeper anyone? ;D)
Mechanically, you can mod Suspension, Turbo (if applicable), Exhaust, ECU (computer), Engine (different motors to unlock), Weight Reduction, etc. Basically the same as GT3. There are more that I can't think of at the moment. Again, all the aftermarket parts are licensed as well. After slightly modding my CRX with some extra's I won out of the first race, I noticed that the car had more power and I had a stronger 5th gear which gave me a higher top speed. Mods definitely play a large role in this game.
After racing a little more in my CRX, I decided to choose something faster. I then chose a Nissan Skyline VSpec-II. I modded it COMPLETELY and took it for a race. I noticed that they change your opponents, because you have a faster car...but all the races you've won still count. The Skyline was A LOT faster, however, the handling was GARBAGE. The game just became horrible, I kept smacking into walls, and it was A LOT harder to control. Maybe I was spoiled by my CRX. I turned the game off shortly after, to come down and write this review, so maybe I'll take what I just said back after sitting down with it a little longer.
On the topic of handling, I remember somebody mentioning drifting. There IS an E-Brake button (O), but it's very hard to use. As you press it, and cut the wheel, it doesn't kick in IMMEDIATELY, then it swings the car all the way around. Maybe I had to choose different tires, and suspension to drift properly...and maybe a nice S14 Silvia ;D
(continued in reply)
From: Goldfingiz | Posted: 8/20/2002 10:58:16 AM | Message Detail
There are few things that worry me with Network play. First, all the cars are free, so what's stopping one guy from buying a Japanese supercar like a Skyline and EATING my little CRX alive? Nothing. I don't think this is fair. Even with the CRX's MUCH MUCH MUCH better handling, the Skyline would probably eat me. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe only certain cars can enter certain races. I'm not sure, but I would love to have my beloved CRX, or even a MR2 or Silvia and be able to compete with the "faster" cars. That's really the only thing worrying me though...oh, and all the rice that will be driving around with HUGE wings, racing stripes, and stickers all over the place! Hahaha JK
So what's the verdict? This game is AWESOME! The graphics and framerate are GREAT. It gives you a sensation of speed, with all the effects. Online play will be AMAZING. My only concern is what I stated above...hopefully slower cars will have enough potential to hang with the big boys As I play the game, I'll add more to my review through new topics, or replying to this one. I still have VR mode to check out (replay editing) and A LOT to unlock and discover. Stay tuned"
Sorry if they're been posted b4
From "Torfinn" on the OA boards..
Pretty interesting. Here it is..
Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Got the Japanese version and I can`t say I like this game much.
It feels very odd,like they couldn`t decide if they wanted to make it arcadey or sim.
You have tons of options to tune your cars etc like in GT.
I hate all this stuff, I want to play not go through endless menus.
So I mostly just played the arcade part.
The game looks pretty nice,60 fps but shimmering and jaggies is pretty bad. It`s got some nice effects like the exaggerated wind effects towards you car when racing at fast speeds and some other cartoony effects.
The tracks feels quite enclosed,there are almost always lots of trackside stuff so you don`t see much scenery.
The driving feels weird, you can`t really powerslide and when you let go of the gas the car slows down like you are breaking full force, weird.
The game just isn`t very fun to play.
I hoped for more arcadey racing but this basically feels like a dumbed down GT with cel shaded graphics.
And not as fun as that game either.
Overall,this game was quite disappointing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Having spent a few hours with the japanese version of Modellista, here are my early impressions...
GRAPHICS
Basically, looks like a cel-shaded GT3. There are some effects like the speed lines that are cool the first time you play, but become irritating after that (they can be turned off in the options menu). All the cars look like they should, so do the courses (the highway ones reminded me alot of Tokyo Xtreme). The graphics would have been awesome before GT3, but now they just feel kind of empty, like there's no point to the cel-shading.
SOUND
The cars sound okay, nothing to rumble the floor. The music is pretty generic techno.
CONTROL
Good control, the only problem I had was that some of the cars felt unrealistically unresponsive at relatively low speeds.
GAMEPLAY
I had looked forward to this for a long time, and after playing it, it feels like a little side experiment to GT3. The handling for the most part is very sim-like, you have to manage the gas and brake carefully or else you'll just be running into walls. I felt that the developers tried to make an interesting product, and forgot to make it fun. Except for the online play, I wouldn't bother spending $50 on this if you already have GT3.
1) Yes, most of the menus are in english (the option is in english, the description is in japanese). The track names are also japanese, but there are pictures so you know which ones are which...
2) I haven't counted, but there are about 12 tracks available from the start (and a "secret" button at the bottom for unlocked tracks), and around 30 cars, with more to be unlocked. A good selection, like GT3. You can pick a car, body style, transmission, and paint color.
3) I do think it is a good racer, it just doesn't really improve on GT3. It feels like they put a cel-shaded "skin" (think WinAmp) on GT3. But I like GT3, so I have a strange mixed feeling about AM.
4) I haven't gotten to the tweaking part of the game yet (I just jumped in and started racing), I'll let you know about that tomorrow....
One last note, on the rainy tracks, the frame rate drops to about 10 fps (no kidding). It speeds up when you go in a tunnel, then drops back to slomo when you go back outside. Not the kind of thing to be in a retail product.
I finally figured out a good analogy for this game (I've been trying for hours)...
AM compares to GT3 the same way all the Tomb Raider games do. Tomb Raider 3 (and 4 and Chronicles)was a fun game, but considering it came a year after Tomb Raider 2, it was like a level pack for full price. AM doesn't add much, but if you're a big fan of racing, or don't have (or are bored of) GT3, then you'll have all the fun in the world.
People were seeing my review as saying the game was no good, that's not what I meant, just that the lack of innovative features and some problems keep it from being a $50 game for me (also, I only need 2 or 3 racing games, because I usually play action games)."
And now a different view on the game:
"From: A1X | Posted: 8/20/2002 4:48:17 PM | Message Detail
i got the game also , and it's nothing like GT3. what are you talking about dude? the controls and the car response are like in Ridge Racer series(you can ride at 100 mph, touch some wall and car stops 0 mph) i always hated that unrealistic Ridge Racer feel.
overall, great racer with realy cool graphics but nothing special , GT3 still beats it any day."
Here's a much more positive set of impressions:
"Well guys, after waiting a while for this game, and highly anticipating it, I finally got to sit down with it and play it!
I went straight to Arcade mode for some instant action. As my first car I chose a Honda CRX SI. I own the car in real life (13 second car BTW ;D) so I figured I'd take it for a spin in the game. I noticed that there are 2 default "styles" to choose from, much like in Tokyo Xtreme Racer. They were ugly as hell with racing stripes and stickers, so I chose the default, stock looking model. I was VERY impressed with the games handling. I was carving a lot of turns at full throttle, and when the sharper ones came, I tapped the brakes, downshifted, and accelerated right out of there with NO problem whatsoever. While racing I also noticed my 5th gear was VERY weak...until I drafted. Drafting is when you drive directly behind another car for less wind resistence. Drafting plays a major role in this game, when you're drafting, you fly!
After playing around in Arcade mode, I entered "Garage Life" mode. I was immediately impressed, yet again, as you were able to choose from 3 different garage styles! I chose my beloved CRX again, and started modding it.
I first did visual mods, then performance mods. To sum modding up, EVERYTHING is licensed and REAL! They had the Mugen Flared body kit for my CRX, and it was exactly like the real one. You get to choose from companys like HKS, Apexi, 5Zigen, Tein, Mugen, C West etc. There are MUCH more companys. You can basically mod every aspect of the car. Visually, you can choose a paint scheme (racing stripes and graphics), Stickers, Hoods, Body kits (front bumpers, sideskirts, and rear bumpers are all chosen seperately, so you can mix/match kits), Mirrors, Spoilers, Headlights etc. etc. I know there are things that I missed. You can also paint each part of the car seperately, so if you want a black front bumper, red rear, blue body, and white sideskirts...for whatever reason, you can do that (sleeper anyone? ;D)
Mechanically, you can mod Suspension, Turbo (if applicable), Exhaust, ECU (computer), Engine (different motors to unlock), Weight Reduction, etc. Basically the same as GT3. There are more that I can't think of at the moment. Again, all the aftermarket parts are licensed as well. After slightly modding my CRX with some extra's I won out of the first race, I noticed that the car had more power and I had a stronger 5th gear which gave me a higher top speed. Mods definitely play a large role in this game.
After racing a little more in my CRX, I decided to choose something faster. I then chose a Nissan Skyline VSpec-II. I modded it COMPLETELY and took it for a race. I noticed that they change your opponents, because you have a faster car...but all the races you've won still count. The Skyline was A LOT faster, however, the handling was GARBAGE. The game just became horrible, I kept smacking into walls, and it was A LOT harder to control. Maybe I was spoiled by my CRX. I turned the game off shortly after, to come down and write this review, so maybe I'll take what I just said back after sitting down with it a little longer.
On the topic of handling, I remember somebody mentioning drifting. There IS an E-Brake button (O), but it's very hard to use. As you press it, and cut the wheel, it doesn't kick in IMMEDIATELY, then it swings the car all the way around. Maybe I had to choose different tires, and suspension to drift properly...and maybe a nice S14 Silvia ;D
(continued in reply)
From: Goldfingiz | Posted: 8/20/2002 10:58:16 AM | Message Detail
There are few things that worry me with Network play. First, all the cars are free, so what's stopping one guy from buying a Japanese supercar like a Skyline and EATING my little CRX alive? Nothing. I don't think this is fair. Even with the CRX's MUCH MUCH MUCH better handling, the Skyline would probably eat me. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe only certain cars can enter certain races. I'm not sure, but I would love to have my beloved CRX, or even a MR2 or Silvia and be able to compete with the "faster" cars. That's really the only thing worrying me though...oh, and all the rice that will be driving around with HUGE wings, racing stripes, and stickers all over the place! Hahaha JK
So what's the verdict? This game is AWESOME! The graphics and framerate are GREAT. It gives you a sensation of speed, with all the effects. Online play will be AMAZING. My only concern is what I stated above...hopefully slower cars will have enough potential to hang with the big boys As I play the game, I'll add more to my review through new topics, or replying to this one. I still have VR mode to check out (replay editing) and A LOT to unlock and discover. Stay tuned"
Sorry if they're been posted b4