- 1-2 Players.
- Dual Shock Controller Compatible.
- Analog Controller Compatible.
- Revolutionary 3D Graphics.
- Simulation and Arcade Mode.
Product description
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Includes game disc or discs, manual and original case. Game disc
is in great condition. If there are any scratches they are only
minor and have no effect on game play. All of our games are fully
tested prior to being placed in our inventory.
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Gran Turismo is the new definition of a great racing game. With
wonderful graphics, TV-like replays, and an entire host of cars
to chose from, this instant classic goes beyond a driving game
into the realm of driving simulator. You can choose between the
arcade version (featuring classic cars such as Corvettes and
Aston Martins) or the simulation, which is the true heart of the
game. The simulation starts you on an entire racing career
beginning with a cheap used car and second-rate tracks. You will
find yourself longing for the Dodge Viper as your sad $10,000
starting fund puts you behind the wheel of a used Honda Prelude
or Mazda RX-7. As you win races, acquire money, and earn advanced
licenses, you are able to buy better cars and race in more
competitive matches right up to the GT World Cup.
Complete with cunning renditions of actual car models and a very
playable interface, this game is great for the serious racing
simulation fan and the casual gamer. It promises instant action
and the kind of gradual advancement that keeps gamers playing for
weeks. While the license tests can be hard, the fun track design
and sheer number (140-plus) and variety of cars to choose from
makes this an exciting race experience. --Allen Stewart
Pros:
* Great graphics
* More than 140 accurately modeled cars
* Awesome replays--actually looks like a TV race
Cons:* Steep learning curve
Review
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The US release of Gran Turismo has been a much-awaited event.
Sony made some changes to the domestic release, but for the most
part, it's still the same game. Gran Turismo is about as close to
driving a car you can without, well, actually driving a car.
Whether that's a blessing or a curse, however, depends on your
point of view.
There are two main modes to choose from. The arcade mode is a
quick and dirty race, which lets you pick from a number of cars
right off the bat and features slightly simplified physics for
more arcade-style play. There is a two-player split-screen option
in arcade mode, but the frame rate takes a horrible dive, making
it almost totally useless. The arcade mode easily rivals most
arcade-style driving games, but the simulation mode is where the
meat of the game is. You start the simulation with enough money
to buy a used car that should be good enough for the first few
races. Of course, you can't actually enter any races until you've
earned your license. There are three licenses in the game, each
one more difficult to attain than the last. There are eight
segments to each license test. Most of the segments involve
taking a set of turns in a certain a of time. These segments
are supposed to teach you the proper way to corner and make you a
better driver. Unfortunately, all they really do is block your
path to the interesting races and tracks in a very frustrating
way. You'll probably have more than one episode involving you
wanting to place your foot through your TV, all because you're
half a second above the required time to pass. The worst part
about it is that half the time you don't even know what you're
doing wrong. A post-test critique of your performance would have
helped greatly here. The license portion of the game would have
been better as a tutorial segment that wasn't a requirement to
race.
Once you've toiled through the licenses, you're cleared to race.
From here you can select from an array of races, ranging from the
fairly easy Sunday Cup all the way up to the GT World Cup. There
is also a collection of special event races, such as US vs. Japan
and front-wheel-drive cars only. Racing earns you money, which
you can use to buy one of over 140 real-life cars. Several
different manufacturers are represented in the game, including
Nissan, Chevrolet, Honda, Dodge, Toyota, and Mitsubishi. The only
glaring over is the lack of any Fords, but I assume there's
some grisly licensing story behind that. Once you've found a car
worth sticking with, you can purchase parts for your car,
including new engines, brakes, tires, suspension, and turbo. You
can also have your ports tuned and undergo different weight
reduction techniques to further streamline your ride. Whenever
you fit a custom part to your car, the change in horsepower is
displayed, keeping you from accidentally installing worthless
parts. Lastly, there is the car wash, which gets rid of the road
grime accumulated in everyday use.
The graphics in Gran Turismo are unmatched on the PlayStation.
The replays look especially realistic. There are a few problems
with polygons dropping out at the beginning of the race (the
camera does a wide swing around your car), but once you're off,
there's rarely a problem. The sound effects are perfect, and each
car is represented with accurate-sounding engine noise. The music
is pretty good and includes a track from the band Garbage, among
others. However, I miss the goofy car wash music from the
Japanese version. The game's control is very good with the Dual
Shock controller; the standard pad doesn't do the game justice.
All in all, Gran Turismo is the most complete driving game on the
market. The license tests may be extremely annoying, but behind
them is a pretty realistic driving game with scads of options.
Fans of arcade-style racers will probably become easily
frustrated with GT, but it will surely satisfy people looking for
more of a simulation-styled approach. --Jeff Gerstmann
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction
in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written
permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot
logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc. -- GameSpot Review
