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Formula 1 2000 (PS)
by bhayanid
This is a review of a game that I grew up playing and one of my favourite Formula 1 games at the time. Now like football games, Fifa for example, this is essentially no different in that you get to replicate what happens in real life. Here there is a career mode where you can drive as any one of the formula 1 drivers at the time. Of ... course at is a few years old there wasnt the likes of Vettel, Raikonnen or Hamilton, however legends like Schumacher were certainly there.
Other modes include time trial, where you can try and beat your own personal bests and also if you want to compete against a mate then the two player mode is for you. The great thing about this game is that you can tweak a lot of the settings, depending on how you want to play. So for beginners you can add additional controls and as you develope and become a better driver you can loosen the controls. It is one of the first Formula one games like this and a reason it became one of my favourites at the time.
I love the A.I for the other cars, with a lot of them being pretty competitive. Of course with the weaker teams it is easier to pass, but as the cars increase in strength it is visibly noticeable how much harder it is to pass them and this is great at representing real life situations in Formula 1.
For the time the graphics were pretty good, but what with it now being 2009 and two generations later in the form of the PS3 the graphics do not hold up to the standards of todays games, which is of course why in no means would I recommend anyone buying this games at the moment or any time in the future.
The sounds are also great and I recommend getting some nice hifi headphones so you get the full effect and really feel like you are in the car, and this goes for any of the current formula one games as well. I love that whilst racing there is advice from your team, just like real drivers get, and this is just one of many great little additions to the game.
Overall due to all of the above I have to give this four stars, as there are no major weaknesses with the game, and of course the only downside is that it doesnt compare to the much more modern powerful games.
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Crash Team Racing (PS)
by GramiWay
A little bit of childhood gaming nostalgia prompted me to write this review. The PlayStation was a brilliant console back in the day with stars like Spyro the dragon and of course Lara Croft and Crash Bandicoot amongst others. I don't really care for the technical upgraded versions that keep getting released as I just like good, fun ... video games not a games console that can open my can of Fanta or something.
Released in 1999 Crash Team Racing was the fourth installment in the Crash Bandicoot series following on from the very serialised format of it's predecessors. As of such there aren't many changes here with regards to the storyline and such but the best part is... IT'S ALL DONE BY RACING!
Crash and friends are planning to enter a kart riding tournament, though a villainous new opponent called Nitros Oxide, sees this and travels to Earth. He claims to be the 'fastest racer in the galaxy' and challenges the planet's fastest driver to an all out race. If he wins, he win turn the entire planet into a concrete parking lot. If the challenger defeats him, he will leave the planet unharmed.
The great thing about the game is you can choose from eight main characters to begin with and unlock more as the game progresses. Before playing the game you will be asked to select from the list of the characters who are rated by their speed, acceleration and difficulty in handling. As well as the obvious Crash Bandicoot, there's also his sister Coco, arch nemesis Dr. Neo Cortex and his henchmen N.Gin, villains from previous games, Dingodile and Tiny the tiger and the adorable polar bear and tiger that you rode around on in the previous Crash games who in this incarnation go by the name of Polar and Pura.
I would have to say that knowing how difficult each character will be to control is a great help as it makes the game a lot easier for children. Polar and Pura for example are the lightest characters so will be easy for children to use whilst the much larger characters like Dingodile and Tiny lack in speed and require a different kind of skill in order to win. This is a fantastic inclusion as it makes the game just as challenging for children and adults alike.
There are a variety of different modes to play from:
Adventure Mode
This follows the main storyline and sees you and your character battle your way through four worlds. Much like the previous Crash games the aim is to complete all four levels in each world before you race against a boss and are able to move onto the next world. You have to come first in every race though so make sure you rely heavily on the various weapons that are lying around each track. Once you've completed a level you can re-enter and test your skills against the time trial record which allows you to race through the level without any distractions and grab the time crates to freeze time for a few seconds and see if you're able to make a new record. Once all 16 levels and four bosses have been defeated, you then have to race against Oxide.
Arcade Mode
This enables you to particpate in one of four cup circuits [these will be each of the worlds].
This is just all about winning the four levels though I find it very helpful to get a lay of the tracks before I face the levels themselves.
Versus Mode
This allows up to 4 players to race against each other on any of the game's tracks.
Battle Mode
This mode just chucks you straight into an arena complete with a whole ream of different weapons to demolish your opponents. You can also create teams here which can lead to some very interesting combinations.
The game may be simplistic and the actual Adventure mode may be very easy to complete, but unlocking the hidden characters and completing all the time trials will ensure that the most dedicated game players will be glued to the controller for hours.
The Crash team have updated the graphics again, not only in just the more modernised look of its characters but the racing tracks themselves are just flawless. There is so much detail in the scenery and the various obstacles that will get in your way from blocks of ice to even skid marks that your kart might leave on the ground. It's not breakthrough graphic work but it's still pretty damn impressive and makes the experience feel a lot more realistic than most racing games in the same style.
The music can be quite annoying sometimes as the game has adopted a lot of the very childlike and cartoonish jungle noises it seemed to have given up after CB2, but other than that this game is a great play whether you want to get stuck into it by yourself, need something to amuse the kids or just want to challenge your friends and find out who's the best.
I played it again the other day and I didn't feel immature at all as it's a very fast paced and challenging game with the other seven characters in Adventure Mode, played by the computer getting stronger and smarter as your progress through the levels, you're constantly having to think on your feet. Move over Mario Kart I say!
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Crash Team Racing (PS)
by anaguma_kun
This racing game made the PS1. It was the best multiplayer racing game you would play. Just simliar to mario kart in its style but however they have their own spin on everything, it was very well crash like.
The tracks were great fun espcially if you have a multitap on your ps1. But the fun part was the battles and the races ... all the power ups you can use are brilliant, and characters like Tiny etc are awesome.
The single player mode had to be my favourite as when I was playing this game I used to find it difficult as it was one of my first racing games and it really brings back good memories when you play a game like this. The graphics arent all that bad still and they gameplay is still really awesome so you couldn't be asking for any less from an old game like this.
I'd reccomend finding your copies of this game or getting one and playing it . Definately an interesting one.
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