It seems that someone over at Rockstar is really, really interested in Turtle Wax. They’ve taken their love for the polishing line and applied it to the new packshot for Midnight Club LA with some very, very shiny results. It’s possibly one of the shiniest covers ever, although it will be interesting to see if it gets the embossing and extra shininess that GTA IV’s cover managed to get.
SimBin have unleashed a new trailer of their forthcoming super-sim Race Pro. The video makes it very clear that they’ve spent a long time making this as much of a simulation as possible with real cars, real drivers and real coffee, but it also indulges us with a look at (at least some of) the classes which will feature in the final release. They are:
GT Sport
Audi R8 (single car class)
WTCC
Koenigsegg CCR (single car class)
WTCC Extreme
Dodge Viper (single car class)
GT Club
Mini Cooper S (single car class)
GT Pro
Caterham (single car class)
F3000 International Masters
I’m going to file the possibility of racing between classes in the “highly unlikely and probably never going to happen” pile. Look for the game on shelves in November, exclusively on Xbox 360.
I don’t know if I’ve just been spoiled by the visual splendour of GT5: Prologue, GRID and Formula 1 Championship Edition over the past few months, but these new shots of Race Pro are looking decidedly lacking in the visuals department. That image above shows that a lot of attention has been paid to the car models but when it comes to scenery it’s almost as if SimBin couldn’t be bothered. Now I’m no expert, but I’d imagine there’s something more than completely flat grass in the middle of that circuit and it’s too bad it didn’t get rendered. Check out all three of the new images below:
These new TrackMania DS screens might cause you to squint a little but it’s looking like this game is going to come out and set the console alight with lust for a racing game not seen since Mario Kart a couple of years ago. Word is that it will be in players hands by the end of the year.
Damion Pinnock, a producer with Sony in the USA, has just updated the community on how things are going on the WipEout HD front. He starts by reiterating the point that the game’s going to have full 1080p support, something which was no mean feat to achieve alongside the constant 60 frames per second it’s pushing. Don’t believe PS3 is capable of this? Check out the new trailer:
He also let the world know that the game will have support for trophies (yay) and is one of the first racing games on the platform to include custom soundtrack support. If you’re feeling really brave, Sony Liverpool has also thrown in SIXAXIS control, although your time spent with that will probably involve hitting the wall repeatedly. Lastly, there’s six brand new screenshots to have a look at today too:
Fresh news out of Leipzig today is that Konami will be publishing a totally reworked version of GTi Club on the PlayStation Store in November. While it’s possibly not the most memorable of arcade games, the new version – titled GTi Club+ – is in development at Sumo Digital. Yes, that Sumo Digital.
The game is said to have been brought “bang up to date” and it seems that a pretty good job has been done on all fronts with the artwork. Konami is eager for everyone to know it’s being developed in Europe, possibly because we’re the only ones who could cope with the complexities of the VW Golf GTi and Lancia Delta Integrale. There’s no word on pricing yet, but there are a whole bunch of new screenshots:
In slightly unexpected news today, Codemasters announced that it’s expanding its footprint in the dirt racing genre by publishing FUEL, a new title from French studio Asobo. The game is set to feature all manner of unlicenced vehicles and slams them into a barren world full of realistic weather effects and with the option of going anywhere you like.
In the developer preview video, it’s revealed that the game has a story based on an “alternate present” where global warming has gripped the world. Apparently this parallel universe didn’t include GTA IV or Burnout Paradise, as one developer claims it’s “the very first time in a car racing game where you can really go where you want”.
EA just announced its final line up for Games Convention, which begins tomorrow in Leipzig, Germany. Among the list was word that the next iteration of Need for Speed, subtitled Undercover, will be shown. There’s nothing more specific than that but with this being the most important public gaming event of the year you can bet that they’ll want to get the game into players hands and see what they think.
In super unexpected news today, Criterion and EA announced that they’ll begin selling the full version of Burnout Parardise on the PlayStation Store later this year. Yeah, that’s the same game you bought back in January, but I’m guessing they’re hoping that by throwing it on the store they’ll get some new customers.
They may well be right. The game will easily slide into the “best games on the PS Store” category in most minds as it doesn’t really have much competition, aside from GT5: Prologue and Theme Hospital. It will be one of the more pricey titles up there however with an asking price of $29.99.
The time has come for another game to roll onto The Weigh Bridge as we look at its merits and failings. Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli is the much-delayed racer which features one manufacturer but plenty of tracks and which is possibly most famous for being released for every platform except Xbox 360. From the web of prancing horses:
IGN UK (83%) – “Race weekends encompass a qualifying session and two 15-minute endurance races – that, while plausibly faithful to the source, can prove infuriatingly time consuming. Whilst the option is present to reduce the races to more readily digestible five minute chunks, it remains a frustration throughout.”
Gameplanet (80%) – “Ferrari Challenge is a well-rounded driving package, and even though once again we find ourselves playing a modern racing simulator with inconsequential vehicular damage, the level of attention paid to the handling and overall accuracy more than makes up for it. Great fun, even if it is a bit anti-social.”
Eurogamer (70%) – “Overall though, Ferrari Challenge is a promising physics engine welded to a game that may be a little too anal for its own good. Dedicated followers of the brand will obviously find much to enjoy, as will those who like their racing dry and technical. It’s just a shame the game doesn’t do more to win over everyone else.”
Chequered Pad is dedicated to providing speedy and detailed coverage of all types of racing and driving games. It doesn't matter if it's a hardcore sim or a kart game with powerups - you'll find it here.
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