Oh, Wheely?
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday May 15, 1999
If you're ready for elite sports racing, these titles will test your abilities.
SPORTS CAR GT
Runs On: PC/PSX Category: Racing Developer: EA Distributor: EA Players: 1-6 Price: $89.95 Classification: G
Rating:
WE don't get to see much GT racing on TV in Australia, so it may be an unfamiliar code to many. GT racing is designed to showcase the world's elite sports cars and has levels of refinement - from barely modified Porsche 911s to fully tweaked Mercedes CLK racers, the same models used in last year's Le Mans 24-hour race. Only a few drivers will ever get to experience this rarefied elite racing class because it's very expensive.
Of course, for players the thrills can come at a lower price.
Electronic Arts's previous efforts in the racing genre have concentrated on its big-selling Need For Speed series. Thankfully, Sports Car GT has been left free of the limitations and mass-market sensibility of those titles. It doesn't have super accurate physics and friction modelling, but it still feels good enough to allow you to really drive your car and feel the road while you're doing it. The cars stick to the road a bit too well, but careful braking is still needed when cornering. The end result is a game engine that is both satisfying and a lot of fun, particularly when playing on the Net or local network.
Graphically, Sports Car GT is at least as good as TOCA 2, if not better. The engine samples are a bit thin, though, and could have been improved. Structurally, the game is set up so that you have access to two car types and four tracks at the beginning, with the rest being bought or unlocked as you go through the championship. New parts can be added as you earn the money to buy them, and a big debt to Sony's Gran Turismo
can be seen here (as well as in other parts of the game) as the layout is very similar. Easily the best racer EA has ever made, Sports Car GT is well worth a look.
GEORGE SOROPOS
RUSH 2:
EXTREME RACING USA
Runs on: Nintendo 64 Cate-gory: Racing Players: 1-2 Developer: Midway Publisher: GT Interactive Price: $79.95
Classification: G Rating:
RACING continues as console gaming's flavour of the moment, and Rush 2 follows on from Beetle Racing Adventure to give the Nintendo 64 a quality racing library to match the PlayStation's impressive roster. San Francisco Rush was an arcade smash that was successfully ported to the N64 last year (less successfully on the PlayStation). Rush 2 is a curious sequel, in that some areas have been improved, but some of the original charm is gone.
The graphics have been tweaked (although it's still not the best-looking racing game around) and the control has been tightened, making it easier to powerslide around corners. There are more courses on offer, with the action moving from San Francisco to other locations - Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Los Vegas and Hawaii - although San Fran is still represented with the Alcatraz track.
While the courses are well-designed, a lot of the fun (outrageously huge jumps and resulting air-time) has been taken away. There are still secrets and short cuts galore, but the emphasis has shifted towards racing rather than exploratory fun. This may disappoint fans of SF Rush, but Rush 2 does have its compensations. There are now a challenging racing game on offer, for a start, and the computer-controlled opponents will give solo players of all skill levels a workout (with five difficulty settings ranging from very easy to extreme). For two players there's the usual split-screen racing, as well as a five-minute game of tag. The big addition, however, is the Stunt Track, where players race through a huge level littered with obstacles in a bid to earn points, which are earned by successfully landing stunts (flips, two-wheel driving etc.). It's highly addictive and highly competitive in two-player mode. The stupid stunts of San Francisco Rush may be missing, but the fun factor is not. Definitely worth a spin.
STUART CLARKE
* Hints and cheats
ALPHA CENTAURI (PC)
During gameplay, press Control + K to bring up the map editor, then enter the desired code:
Create unit - Shift + F1
Discover technology - Shift + F2
Switch sides - Shift + F3
Edit energy credits - Shift + F4
Change year - Shift + F5
Kill opponent - Shift + F6
View replay - Shift + F7
View FMV - Shift + F8
Edit faction diplomacy - Shift + F9
Full map - Y
SIMCITY 3000 (PC)
To activate the cheat mode, press Control + Shift + Alt + C and then in the window type the desired code:
i am weak - makes building, zoning, utilities and transport free.
garbage in, garbage out - garbage buildings are available any time.
power to the masses - power buildings are available anytime.
water in the desert - water buildings are available any time.
call cousin Vinnie - an offer of cash "no questions asked".
MOTORHEAD (PlayStation)
For access to three new cars and two extra tracks enter COWRULES as a code on the Options screen.
MEDIEVIL (PlayStation)
For access to the basic cheat mode, pause the game, hold L2 and press Down, Up, Square, Triangle, Triangle, Circle, Down, Up, Square, Triangle.
For access to the extended cheat mode, pause the game, hold L2 and press Triangle, Circle, Triangle, Circle, Circle, Triangle, Left, Circle, Up, Down, Right, Circle, Left, Left, Triangle, Right, Circle, Left, Left, Triangle, Circle, Down, Circle, Circle, Right.
© 1999 Sydney Morning Herald