Kudos is King (Metropolis Street Racer (DC))

Member Name: Emm Dub

Product:	Metropolis Street Racer (DC)
Date:	14/02/01 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It's simply the best

Disadvantages: Only if you hate driving games

One game precedes all others irrespective of console when it comes to driving games. That game is Gran Tourismo (1 & 2) on Playstation. But now there is a new pretender to the crown. In Gran Tourismo’s defence it has taken quite a while to arrive and does require the power of a next generation console. Dreamcast is the console, Metropolis Street Racer is the game.
MSR has everything that Gran Tourismo gave us – realistic handling, physics and sound, a large (not as large) number of cars to choose from, and hundreds of tracks to tear around. However, if you are to take the crown you have to raise the stakes. So, what does MSR offer over and above GT? We are comparing a 32 bit console to one with 128 bit, so obviously the graphics on MSR are far superior and silky smooth however many other cars are on screen. Next thing you’ll realise is the wonderful pick up and play feel. Then there is probably the most publicised part of MSR – the faithfully recreated cities of London, San Francisco and Tokyo. They haven’t just put the buildings in the right places, they’ve even mapped the road surfaces, so if a part of the road has a different colour tarmac in San Francisco, it does in the game. Incredible. You’ll spend most of your time initially admiring the scenery rather than racing. The next big improvement is the game structure. Whilst GT was revolutionary at the time you did need to spend a lot of time playing it to get anywhere, usually around the same track to build up your money. MSR trades in a different currency – Kudos. Quite simply it’s not just ‘how fast you drive’ but also ‘how you drive fast’. It’s about style. Do a challenge in a fast time and you’ll get an OK score. Do a challenge in style i.e. using the handbrake to glide around corners, and your score will increase dramatically. It works brilliantly giving the game considerable longevity.
Add in a plethora of opt
ions including numerous two player options and the ability to down load other people’s ghost laps via the Dreamcast’s online capability and you have the greatest racing game ever to grace any platform including PC. It’s just unfortunate that it arrived too late to save the Dreamcast as it appears, according to recent trade press, it will soon go the way of the Saturn. Life just isn’t fair.

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