July 25 saw the release of Gran Turismo 7's 1.49 update, which introduced a game-breaking but undeniably hilarious glitch. Instead of moving forward and obeying the top-notch physics that the series is known for, cars in Gran Turismo 7 can now just blast off?? vertically and bec??ome mostly uncontrollable.

As originally noted by VGC, the Internet is already filled with ??demonstrations of the update in action:

Please note that I wasn't joking when I used the words "blast off into space". That firs??t clip was but ??a taste to prepare readers to the full extent of the update's "power":

The trail of smoke left by the car almost makes this serious glitch go from very funny to ??just plain beautiful.

Most clips tend to feature the VW Van in such predicaments. This originally led me to believe the glitch was only or mostly just affecting this vehicle, but it turns out the glitch has to do w?ith car settings, not with any particular car. It seems as if pretty much any vehicle runs the risk of turning into a makeshift space shuttle. Developer Polyphony Digital has already apologized for the inconvenience and states t??hat it's currently working on a fix.

The weirdest part is that the glitch is so prevalent that it's even affecting Gran Turismo 7's cutscenes:

As well as the VR mode:

Once this beautiful mess gets fixed, Update 1.49 will allow players to properly revisit Eiger Norwand, a popular track from Gran Turismo 6, and gain access to six?? more cars. Until then, you can give the Pol??yphony Space Program a try on PlayStation 5.

The post Gran Turismo 7 ??update makes cars unintention?ally blast off into space appeared first on Destructoid.

Even though Turn10's new Forza Motorsport is already on the horizon with its October 10 release date, that's not stopping the Forza Horizon 5 developer Playground Games from pumping all-new content into its flagship open-world racer. Indeed, Forza Horizon 5 will receive a subst??antial new content creation update via EventLab 2.0, giving players even more features and functionality to use in custom events and races. While there's a bunch of other?? content also making its way into the game, like new aftermarket body kits, EventLab 2.0 is the biggest draw here.

Playground Games announced EventLab 2.0 mere days ahead of its release on September 14 as part of the Horizon Creatives update. While the fact that almost two dozen new Vorsteiner rims are being added to the mix sure is neat, EventLab 2.0 is the single biggest upgrade the game's about to get. In short, EventLab 2.0 will empower players more than ever before with a new selector tool, the ability to share prefab items and ??set up custom flyers, leaning even more heavily towards bespoke player creations than ever before.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRdxjafYSAo

Forza Horizon 5's EventLab 2.0 content update

The majority of content updates Playground Games releases for Forza Horizon 5 are on the scale of the game's prior Barbie vehicle update: new cars, seasonal events, and - yes - rims. EventLab 2.0, however, is a wholly different beast. Starting on September 14, all players will be provided access to an all-new customization area by the name of EventLab Island. This is an entirely separate world location that may ring a bell or two for Garry's Mod fans. More specifically, it's a flat 2km by 2km slab of concrete surrounded by the ocean on all sides. Its purpose? Purely to let players go h??????????????????????????am with whatever creations they wish to set up for themselves. Even those who aren't keen on sharing EventLab tracks and whatnot may find EventLa??b Island interesting, as they'll be able to set up custom sandbox tracks and vehicle testing platforms for their own personal use.

Playground Games is spicing things up further still with an assortment of new props, of course, and veteran fans have gotten a wealth of new vehicles to look forward to, as well. Some examples include two exotic Rivian vehicles, as well as four new BMWs. Players who purchase and play Forza Motorsport on October 10 will be able to add the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray to their Horizon garage as an extra boon.

The post Forza Horizon 5 reveals free EventLab 2??.0 and massi??ve community update appeared first on Destructoid.

How many seconds will pass before somebody builds The Homer?

The existence of the not-so-secret LEGO 2K Drive was made official yesterday when LEGO and 2K Games dropped the first trailer for the upcoming racer. Set in the expansive world of Blocklandia, players will step in the racing shoes of a rookie driver as they complete quests, play minigames and take on challengers in ridiculous races. As yo??u can see in the trailer below, split-screen and multiplayer are included in the package.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=A51anXqYIHA

I love the idea of being able?? to build my own LEGO car and take it into races, but I do wonder exactly how much freedom I'll actually have in the final product.

If you caught it in the trailer, you'll see that the neat Hamburghini is only available in one of the costlier editions of the game. That has me wondering just how much LEGO 2K Drive will limit the freedom to create the vehicles I want to create. That's part of the joy of LEGO, being able to make anything you set your mind to, and it would be a real shame if I wasn't actually able to "build my dream ride" because I didn't buy an expensive enough version of the game. According to a preview of the game over on Polygon, there will be "...over 1,000 pieces to toy around with," so maybe I'll be able to make my own burger mobile with a little time and e?ffort.

I guess I'll find out when LEGO 2K Drive releases on May 19, 2023, for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. The game will launch with three different editions. The standard edition goes for $69.99 for PS5 or Xbox Series X|S and is $59.99 on Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Please note the Switch physical version does not include a game card. The Awesome Edition retails for $99.99 and includes the first four seasons of DLC, 550 coins, and several items not available in the standard edition, including the Awesome Pizza Vehicle. For $119.99, you can get the Awesome Rivals Edition, w??hich includes everything in the Awesome Edit??ion plus the Awesome Rivals Bonus Pack.

The post LEGO 2K Drive looks like it has the mak?ings of a joyride appeared first on Destructoid.

Get ready

If someone told me they were creating a new OutRun with 3D graphics, I’d be extremely skeptical. OutRun was not merely a raster racer through and through, it’s the God-empress of raster racers. I would think that adding some depth to that would hurt the appeal. Not so, because OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast is about as faithful as I could imagine.

To be clear, OutRun 2006 is sort of the sequel to the sequel. OutRun 2 was released in arcades in 2003, and followed up with a port to Xbox in 2004. Afterwards, OutRun SP was released in 2004 as an upgrade to OutRun 2. OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast is a console (and PSP?) combination of the two titles. It is the ultimate version, and I have no idea why it hasn’t been ported since. Probably the Ferrari license. It’s always licensing.

[caption id="attachment_368300" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Magical Sound Shower

I feel like OutRun 2006 is unexpected since the racing genre had long moved on from the seminal 1986 arcade title. What I thought would have happened is some soulless simulation racing game with the OutRun name slapped on. Instead, OutRun 2006 is OutRun. The only thing that really changed is that now the gr?aphics are in 3D. New ??mechanics and progression are piled on top of it.

The setup is the same; you take the ??wheel of a Ferrari, with your girlfriend sitting next to you. Then, you take off on a journey across a branching course. While there are rivals on the road this time around, you’re not required to pass them. You merely have to get to the end of the course before your time?? expires.

That’s easier said than done, but the addition of drift is a welcome feature. The drift is that special kind of unrealistic that we’ve seen in the Mario Kart series. You can throw your car into a drift by pumping the break?? in a turn, and then it’s stuck there until you deliberately steer out of it. You can snake back and forth with it, in a way, never having to leave it at all. It’s an amazingly perfect fit for the series.

[caption id="attachment_368301" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Love kills

Or, at least, that’s the regular mode. There are two of these big branching courses: OutRun 2 and OutRun SP. That’s already a lot of course, but to ensure that you don’t put the game down immediately after completing a run of each, there are alternate modes. There’s something of a campaign that have you completing smaller missions and beating rivals in a race. That’s probably the best way to gather Out Run miles that can be used to unlo?ck more Ferraris and additional tracks on the soundtrack.

The most unique is perhaps the Heart Break Mode. While the OutRun games have classically had you travel alongside your girlfriend, this time around, she tells you to kill. Okay, I’m being slightly facetious. ??She doesn’t just tell you that you must commit vehicular manslaughter by crashing into other cars, sometimes she tells you to evade aliens or run into ghosts. If you’re unable to fulfill her perfectly reasonable demands, or even if you’re just too slow, she’ll start physically abusing you from the passenger seat.

I really think the protagonist of OutRun ??could do better. A woman ?who leaves you because you don’t wreck your high-performance sports car by turning it into a murder machine is probably not worth your time. I get wanting a little excitement, but my idea for excitement is going through the Popeye’s drive-thru.

[caption id="attachment_368302" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Splash Wave

There’s a wide spread of what you can unlock, from over a dozen Ferraris to remixed and classic tunes. Considering Splash Wave is unequivocally the best piece of music ever composed for a video game, it’s unusual that there are even other tracks available. However, there are three versions of Splash Wave, including the original. That’s immediately ?the best soundtrack ever assembled.

My biggest complaint is that it takes a long time to unlock new gear, and that means you’ll be driving the same courses a lot. Regardless of how much unique mileage is in the game, you’ll always have to drive the first stretch of road, and frequently need to see the second areas. As much as I love OutRun, I feel the formula works b??est in small sessions as opposed to gr??inding through it to unlock more stuff. You can choose individual slices of tracks, so you’re not just racing the same ones repeatedly, but I feel shortening the experiences drains Out Run of some of the things that make it special.

[caption id="attachment_368299" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Passing Breeze

I may be repeating myself, but I didn’t think a 3D OutRun would really work, let alone one that was created in the �0s. I suppose it’s important to remember that in the late-�0s and early-�0s, Sega was creating some of the most unique games that hit the market. Even if some of them aren’t the best (I don’t like the Sonic Adventure games, I’m sorry), titles like Crazy Taxi and Panzer Dragoon Orta were in a class of their own. They just don’t ma??ke games li??ke these anymore.

Speaking of which, it pains me that we haven’t gotten ports of any of the games I just mentioned. It feels like Sega was on an apology tour, and we chose to forgive and literally forget. OutRun is even worse since we’ve received ports of the original title but not Turbo OutRun, OutRunners, OutRun Europa, OutRun 2019, or OutRun 3-D. Considering Sega is one of the better companies when it comes to making its classic library available, this seems like an issue that needs addressing. Especially when it comes to OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast.

For other retro titl?es you may have missed, click right here!

The post OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coa?st is an unexpectedly faithful sequel appeared first on Destructoid.

Happy holidays, everyone

It's almost always difficult to dole out seasonal video game recommendations, and never is that challenge more appare?nt than now, at the beginning of the holiday season. We're only a few days out from Hanukkah, which means the holidays are here in full force. But with so few festive video games in existence, it's hard to f??igure out what, exactly, to play with hot cocoa in hand.

Luckily for you, I've got ten solid candidates for your playing pleasure over the next couple of weeks. I've tried my best to include something for everyone here, whether you're home for the holidays or stuck someplace you'd rather ?not be.

Let me make two things clear: For one, I'm only focusing on games that are readily accessible in 2022. Wii Sports is obviously the best holiday game, but, unfortunately, it is disqualified from this list (and Nintendo Switch Sports is not quite a worthy successor). Sorry, bowling stans. I'm also not simply compiling a list of Christmas-themed games or games with Christmas levels. While I would love to put Kingdom Hearts 2 on this list for its excellent Nightmare Before Christmas world, that game doesn't feel very holiday-ish to me. There are some Christmas-themed games here, but there are also games that?? simply feel like they belong in the holiday lineup. It's all about vibes. With that in mind, let's dive into the ten best games to ??play during the holiday season.

1. RuneScape

The holiday season can be a lonely time for many, so it's natural to want to find an online community of some sort. While my personal favorite MMO is Final Fantasy XIV, I think Final Fantasy will get its due on this list. Instead, I'd like to point to a particularly nice little title: RuneScape.

RuneScape is one of those rare MMOs where the community is generally friendly and inviting, and the game itself is downright charming. If you're like me and the falling snow outside always makes you a little nostalgic, then Old School RuneScape, an early-00s time capsule, is an even bette??r option.

2. Spider-Man: Miles Morales

The older Spider-Man is taking a well-earned working vacation, and he's left the new guy in charge... just in time for Christmas. Yes, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is, indeed, one of the few proper Christmas games out there, and exploring a thoroughly winterized take on the gorgeously realized Manhattan of 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man is an absolute treat.

At its core, this game isn't all ??that different from the 2018 title, but the 2018 title is great, so that's just fine. Swinging and flipping around Harlem is a blast, and there are plen?ty of engaging side quests that make this a perfect game to burrow into.

3. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Another rare game with some bona fide Christmas action is Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. I will forever associate this game with the holidays simply because I got it as? a Christmas present in middle school, but the final case in the game is a genuine Christmas story! It's also very good.

Murder mysteries have always been a perfect winter excursion, and the Ace Attorney series has some of the most engaging murder mysteries in video game history. Weeding out the killer from an ensemble of well-realized characters is an absolute delight. This first game in the series is great, but if it leaves you wanting more, you can always do what I do at least once a year and play all five of its sequels in quick succession immediately afterwards. The two newly-localized spinoffs, released as The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, also have some winter-set cases, so you should probably give those a shot, too. Oh, and Ghost Trick, while you're at it.

4. Cave Story

Something about Cave Story will always scream "holidays" to me. Maybe it's the cozy sprite art, or the sense of wondrous exploration. Maybe it's the adorable bunny-like Mimiga and the sense of community in their little village. Maybe it's the holiday ?overlay the game receives every year. Maybe it's just because one of the main characters is named "Santa?."

Whatever the case, Cave Story is an excellent way to spend a few cool winter evenings. There's also a free-to-play side story, Cave Story's Secret Santa, that is explicitly about Christmas, which is neat. As a side note, I've found a healthy handful of Christmas games for this?? list and absolutely no games centered on the other winte??r holidays. Curious.

5. Christmas Massacre

I know the holidays are usually a time for cheer and high spirits, but I'm also a horror fan, so I know people who enjoy horror do not rest for the month of December. So once you're done watching Black Christmas and Krampus (and Adult Swim Yule Log, a new but worthy addition to the canon), why not try out Christmas Massacre?

Puppet Combo, the one-man arm?y behind a wave of VHS-inspired low-poly horror games, delivered a very Puppet Combo-ish Christmas present with this?? title. If the idea of a serial killer dressed as Santa Claus appeals to you, you'll probably get something out of this one.

6. Final Fantasy IX

A lot of people find themselves with a bit of extra free time on their hands right about now. School breaks are beginning, folks are taking time off from work, and things are winding down before t?hey get hectic all over again. What to do with all that space in your schedule? Why not tuck into a big old JRPG?

Realistically, any Final Fantasy game could fill this space. Final Fantasy VI and VII are two of the greatest JRPGs ever made, so if you haven't already, you really should give those a shot. I'm currently in the midst of a Final Fantasy XIII replay (and I'm gonna finish it this time, I swear). If RuneScape wasn't your speed and you still need an MMO, XIV is great. But for my money, if you want a game that feels like it was made to be played with a blanket and a warm drink, Final Fantasy IX is the game for you.

7. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

It's not always easy to get the whole family onboard with a video game. When I'm at my folks' place, it can be tough to convince anyone to buckle down ??and play something together - video games just aren't their speed.

You know what everyone can agree on, though? Mario Kart. It is an indisputable fact of life that everyone loves Mario Kart. Your mom loves Mario Kart, and your grandma does, too. Your cousins? Huge Luigi-heads. Anyone who's coming to visit will be happy to play Mario Kart. That's just reality.

8. The Last of Us

I know The Last of Us doesn't exactly mesh well with "Feliz Navidad," but I still think now's a good time to give it a shot. At its core, The Last of Us is a game about a cynical, lonely old man learning to accept love and family into his heart. That is, to be clear, the exact same story as Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

I'm only half-joking with this one. Obviously, The Last of Us is neither whimsical nor cheery. Still, it's the kind of non-traditional famil?y narrative that I get a craving for right around this time every year. Plus, you're probably going to want a refresher before the HBO show next month.

9. Super Mario 3D World

Yeah, I put two Mario games on the list. Sue me. Super Mario 3D World is one of those games that just makes you feel like a kid ag?ain. It's not too big, it's not overly demanding, and it's just a dang good time. The unparalleled warmth of a bite??-sized Mario running through bite-sized levels is exactly enough to ward off that pesky winter chill.

10. Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics

When you've exhausted every track in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe but you still want something to play with your gaming-repulsed family, it's probably time to turn to Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics??. This collection of games (mostly board and card games, some faux sports) is the perfect remedy for a tired holiday gathering.

Every game in Clubhouse Games is simple enough that everyone at your party will be able to understand it. In fact, they probably already know the rules to a lot of these titles. Quite frankly, if your family is like mine, you're going to be spending a lot of time playing board games anyways. Why not play them in this extremely charming and polished package? It's even got bowling! And it almost feels like Wii Sports bowling!

The post 10 best games to play this holiday season appeared first on Destructoid.

I thought 2019 was horrible. Little did I know...

Remember in 2019, before the pandemic, when we cruised around in rocket cars? No. Well, Out Run 2019 is here to remind you of those good times.

In all seriousness, I love Out Run. It was a great arcade title with a terrific sense of speed and a relaxing atmosphere. In the Sega Ages release, you can even turn off traffic, which brings about an even better sense of stress relief. After all, Out Run was more about driving than it was about?? racing. Get behind the wheel of your Ferrari and hit the open road.

There were many spin-offs to Out Run. Some of them were pretty strange, such as Out Run Europa. Out Run 2019 is one game on Sega Genesis that took the concept to a strange new place: the unimaginably distant future! It’s also probably my favorite of the spin-offs, even if the Ferrari looks like it’s something more ou??t of a dystopian cyberpunk pulp novel than a car porn magazine.

I can never decide if it's one word or two

Out Run was the seminal raster racer, a type of 2D racing game that used ??the power of math to make the roads look 3D. I don’t know how it works. I once read an article on the graphical trickery and it lost me when it started talking about trigonometry.

Trigonometry. That’s not math, it’s? how you argue with a calculator.

I still love raster racers, though. Even modern ones like Buck Up and Drive and Splitstream. They don’t have to use the actual graphical style, just ??as long as they have those gentle curves and rolling hills.

I’m making no exaggeration that Out Run 2019 is the most impressive use of the effect that I’ve seen. Note that I probably haven’t seen every raster racer, but I’ll tell you: Top Gear was cool for having tracks that actually looped back in on themselves. Out Run 2019 has bridges. Bridges. I’m not sure how else to get how cool bridges are in a raster game outside of just repeating the word. Bridges.

BRIDGES!

That’s right. Bridges. You’re driving along, and suddenly the road lifts up and you’re elevated. You can even fall off the edge and tumble to the terrain below. It gets better, though! Sometimes the road splits, and you can either go up onto the bridge or under the?? bridge. Like, you?? can see it winding above you and intersecting the road. It’s magic is what it is.

Bridges aside, the gameplay is predictably similar to Out Run. You’re not really in a race, except against the clock. Your goal isn’t to rank, but rather to reach the end of every segment of course before time runs out. The biggest difference that separated Out Run 2019 from its timeless predecessor is that there are five courses to ch?oose from, rather than? just the singular branching one.

The courses are of different lengths and have their own configuration of branches, but none of the size of Out Run’s ?super-course. I’m not even certain why they did it this way, it kind of makes the game easier because you have a shorter sprint to reach the end. Each route is unique, but none of the tracks ??really have a cohesive theme, so I’m not certain why they weren’t just crammed into a single stage.

Highway to the danger zone

It’s unfortunate that there’s only one car in Out Run 2019, but it does have a manua??l and automatic transmission. There’s a red car on the cover which reminds me more of the original game’s Ferrari, but instead, you’re stuck with an ugly grey one. Everyone drives grey cars in the year 2019, it hides future dirt.

One addition is the ability to boost once you’ve maintained top speed for a short period. Turning is practically impossible while boosting, but Out Run 2019 smartly hands you straightaways so you can stretch your wings and melt your tires. At that point, it’s a matter of not bumping into other car?s on the road, which is much more manageable.

The music is pretty excellent, as well. I don’t think any of it is going to get permanently affixed to my ears like Splash Wave did, but they’re groovy little tunes in their own right. They’re each attributed to different artists in the credits, but I don’t know how true that is. The credits are set up to ?look like they’re from a movie with listings like “location supervisor�and “director of photography.�Most likely, they were all done by Shigeki Sako, but I’m not familiar with any other works by them.

A fun hour

Out Run 2019 might not be the most landmark game out there. In preparation for this article, I wrapped up medium difficulty in under an hour. It was a fun less-than-hour, and definitely not the first time I’ve played through the game. I’m also a veteran of raster racers. What I’m saying is: it ?might be best as a weekend rental. Hah! Ugh. I mi?ss renting games.

Still, it’s probably a better use of your time than Out Run Europa or Outrunners. I wish we’d get a re-release of it. There have been about a million Sega collections throughout the years, and not one of them has it? Why? I’d rather play it than Altered Beast. Does Altered Beast have bridges? No. I rest my case.

For other retro titles you may h?ave missed, click right here!

The post Out Run 20?19 is a fun de??piction of a distant future appeared first on Destructoid.

Pro tip: Mines can be used to attack people behind you

This Weekly Kusoge comes courtesy of a request from Destructoid’s favorite child, Wes Tacos. I ??bring this up to drag out the fact that he’s an enabler. When kusoge has reduced me to a bitter husk of a human being, the intervention is going to be really awkward. I’ll point to him and shriek, “this is what you wanted, isn’t i??t!?�before diving out the nearest window and escaping back into the wilderness.

Anyway, I don’t know who Jimmie Johnson is. I thought he maybe made sausages, but then I realized I was just?? mixing together Jimmy Dean and Joh?nsonville brands. Try getting that association out of your head.

Turns out, he’s a NASCAR driver. I am both Canadian and a woman, so my only intersection with NASCAR has been to make the revelatory observation that they’re just driving around in circles. Luckily, Jimmie Johnson’s Anything with an Engine is a cart racer and doesn’t feature many cars of the NAS variety. Unfortunately, the new tracks for Mario Kart 8 just dropped recently and ??I’d much rather be playing that.

I’ve never really strayed far from the Mario Kart games. I think Wacky Wheels is the only other racer I’ve played, and I didn’t expect to make such a deep cut. I’m pretty sure I own various Sonic the Hedgehog racing games about six times each, but I’ve never played them. And yes, Crash Team Racing people, this is when your monocle pops off an?d falls into your wine glass because I’ve never touched them.

So, the closest I’ve come to a bad cart racing game is playing Mario Kart Wii with the motion controls on. It seems like its own little neighborhood of kusoge city. I could explore M&M’s Kart Racing or�Ew, there’s a Woody Woodpecker Racing. That sounds lik?e ??the embodiment of everything I stand against.

James Stephanie Sterling, in their Destructoid days, handled the review of it. Their closing argument was that “Few videogames can claim to be 'good in a bad way,' but Anything With An Engine definitely comes close.�While I respect my senpai, I have to disagree. I find very little in Anything with an Engine that I’d actually consider worthwhile.

Let me back up a step and say that I don’t think Anything with an Engine is a bad game, it just underachieves in every way. There were times during a standard race when I was left thinking, “this isn’t too bad,�and then a time trial or endurance race would come around and I’d think, “this is what hell has in store of my putrified soul.�/p>

The tracks are fine. Some of them kind of suck, and because they’re all built as though they’re tracks?? within a stadium they feel flat, but they’re not the worst. I never really gelled with any of the drivers. They’re all just conceptually dumb. There’s a guy who drives a bathtub in an old-fashioned diving suit, but he’s a dope. There’s an incontinent sumo wrestler, and I’m not sure if I’m offended because I??’m not a fan of toilet humor or because it’s disparaging sumo wrestlers. I wound up playing as the vampire because she has big tires.

The ?weapons are similarly fine. They’re mapped to the four face buttons, and each driver has essentially the same ones. They look different, and I think they have different efficacies. However, if you select a new driver, you’re not exactly relearning everything. You gradually build up yo??ur armaments by gaining crowd approval, which is a neat system. However, it doesn’t make for the most chaotic of races.

Where the game starts getting intolerable is with the rubber-band AI. I found it amusing that Mr. Johnsonville told me that “every lap counts�in a standard race when you might as well just crui??se until the final lap. Opponents stay glued to you, and if you fall behind, you will noticeably rocket back up to the pack. A few well-placed rock??ets and nitros at the end is all you need.

The worst is when you’re racing Jimmie in the final event of each cup. Anything with an Engine is determined to keep the two of you glued t??ogether. I wouldn’t even use turbo on the first two laps, because I’d just gain speed automatically ?as I got further away from the sausage man. I’d save my rockets, then just make his life miserable for the last lap. Worked every time.

It’s not the most egregious rubber-banding I’ve seen in a racing game, but it is a great deal?? more brazen than it has to be. It might be necessary because the drivers aren’t that aggressive, but I don’t think it needs to be quite so blatant and easily manipulated.

I mostly hate the time trials, which provide you with an ideal track and a chevron i??nstead of a proper ghost. Then there are the endurance races where you accumulate points the better you do during each lap. It’s monotonous. There are matador races where half of your opponents run the track in reverse, but this mostly just makes it difficult to tell how close you are to qualifying.

Then there’s the voice acting, which I turned off. They have these announcer people who comment on your racing, and they don’t shut up. Just imagine Mario Kart where Toad’s raspy, chain-smoker voice pipes up to tell you that a mushroom can help you get ahead of the pack. It’s like that. The one dude was very insistent on telling me what mines are for at least twice a lap. I get it, guy. They’re good for cleaning people off my tail fea??thers. They deter tailgaters. I was amply aware of this that past twelve races, maybe cool it on the unsolicited reminders.

Oh, hilariously, there’s an anaglyphic 3D mode. I think there’s a standard 3D-TV mode, as well, but my Playstation TV is in storage, so it was time to dawn my Blockbuster Video branded red and blues. Wow, it sucks. I mean, it doesn’t. It works like it’s supposed to, but I found myself unable to make out small details like rockets in that weird color haze my eyes make when trying to reconcile the two colors they’re seeing. Kind of funny, though. Takes me back to my Rad Racer days.

Like I said, Anything with an Engine isn’t awf??ul, I just don’t know why anyone would play it unless Wes asked them to. Who is it for? NASCAR fans? Jimmie Johnson is the only NASCAR driver in it (I think). Is there a lot of crossover between NASCAR fans and kart racing fans? I don’t know.

It’s rare that I feel like I wasted my time playing a game, but this is one of those moments. I have accomplished nothing. I have only learned that Jimmie Johnson doesn’t make sausages. This is time I spent that would have been better put to use on Mario Kart 8’s new tracks. Anything with an Engine rea??ches this level of unexcitedly, inoffensively bad that I didn’t know it existed. I’m going to put this back on my shelf and just be apathetic towards it from ?now on.

For previous Weekly Kusoge, check this link!

The post Anything with an Engine is anything but fun appeared first on Destructoid.

10 runners-up will win a Switch key!

ATTENTION: Destructoid is in possession of a custom-skinned Nintendo Switch console, and your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to win it! Aren't I super cool with my super relevant references? But seriously, developer PikPok is dropping their latest console game, Agent Intercept, and they're kicking in the door like the Kool-Aid Man by giving away a brand new Switch console! When I dropped my first console game, Super Hot Dog Bun Racing, I tried giving away my Olive Ga??rden leftovers but no one ??seemed to care. I probably should have given away a Switch, too.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DtrBeFx58k

Fix your eyes upon the official summ?ary. I'll provide commentary at a later date.

Jump behind the wheel of the Sceptre, a sleek spy car with an arsenal of high-tech weapons and the ability to instantly transform into different vehicles. Blaze across la??nd, sea, and sky on dangerous missions to stop the nefarious organization CLAW and save the world from total destruction! Dodge enemy fire, mines, and lasers while performing over-the-top stunts and racking up points with classic arcade-inspired controls. It’ll take all the Sceptre’s firepower and cutting-edge technology to uncover CLAW’s secret plots and stop t??hem once and for all.

Progress through three escalating chapters in Campaign Mode, where CLAW’s nefarious plans threaten the very foundations of the world itself. Complete thrilling, action-packed sequences punctuated by setpiece boss battles and uncover a story full of espionage, my??sterious characters, and enough high-tech weaponry to challenge even the most seasoned spy.

Dive deeper into the life of a secret agent by completing side missions, unlocking secret experiments, and enjoying endless replayability with three Score Attack modes. Take aim in Target Practi?ce, push the Sceptre to its limits in Time Trial, and claim the top spot on the Highscore Chase global leaderboard! With a high-energy original soundtrack and art inspired by beloved spy fiction, Agent Intercept’s emphasis on action creates an experience unlike any other.

PikPok decided the be??st way to promote the game is to give away a brand new, custom-skinned Switch console! We don't yet have a mockup of what the skin looks like on the unit, but here's an artist's* render. (*I'm the ??artist.)

Again, this isn't the final prize, but I'm sure it'll be more or less the same. Mostly. That's right, today you can win a brand new Switch c?onsole! We've also got Switch keys for 10 lucky runners-up. If you're entering for just the console which you don't have, and win a key for a console you don't have, then the fates have truly aligned. Write the key on a bathroom wall at Wendy's and complete the Circle of Life.

We have one grand prize winner who'll get the console and a key for the game, as well as 10 runners-up who'll win a Switch NA key. There are no substitutions for any prize. Not even if you ask nicely. As this is a physical prize, you'll need a United States shipping address to qualify for?? the grand prize. Or at least, the vendor will ?only ship to a United States address. We can't control where it goes from there. Bake it into a birthday cake and send it to prison, for all we care. We'll draw winners around this time next week.

Agent Intercept is available NOW for Nintendo Switch and other home consoles.

Contest: Win a custom??-skinn?ed Nintendo Switch, courtesy of Agent Intercept

The post Contest: Win a custom-skinned Nintendo Switch, courtesy of Agent I????ntercept appeared first on Destructoid.

It's long and slick and olive green

I’m surprised it has taken me this long to talk about Road Rash 64. My affection for the title greatly outweighs its quality, but I played it during the N64 days, then rediscovered it with a roommate of mine after college. We had a time. Lyrics from its repetitive soundtrack worked their way into our personal vernacular (we often just referred to the game as "Mean Machine"), and many evenings were spent howling with laughter at just how ridiculous it is. It’s not that we were laughing at the game �okay, we sort of were �but it poked at the same part of our brains that had us clutching our sides while watching golden-age Popeye cartoons.

I’ve introduced many others to it in the years since, but I don’t think that others see the same thing we saw in it. In a way, it’s sort of our game, my old roommate and I.

Still, I’m going to try and explain to you what makes Road Rash 64 so amazing. It’s a game that stands out from the rest of the Road Rash series that started back on the Sega ??Genesis. In a lot of ways, it’s slapdash and feels thrown together, but not in a way that makes it seem like none of the develo??pment team cared about it. It feels more like they were more focused on seeing what they could get away with.

If you’re unfamiliar, Road Rash is a racing series where you’re allowed to beat the stuffing out of your competitors. Marrying violence to a sport is a pretty reliable way to make me interested. For example, I wouldn’t typically play a hockey game, but the brutality of NHL Hitz gets me on the bench. Similarly: Mario Strikers.

With classic Road Rash, however, the fighting seemed more for identity reasons. Your?? primary goal is to just win the race, and fighting was useful to achieve that, but not necessary. Which isn't to detract from the classic titles, I’m just setting up for a comparison here.

Road Rash 64 is still abou?t hitting the finish line first, but it really wants you to f??ight. I’d go as far as saying that it isn’t really that committed about the whole racing thing. You heard me. You need to cross first, but it’s more about whether or not you can survive that long, rather than if you’re the fastest.

Even if you wanted to focus on speed, you’re not getting past the strict rubber-band AI. Normally, I hate rubber-band AI with a molten-hot passion. However, I can’t imagine Road Rash 64 without it.

The ?goal of the hyperactive rubber-banding is to keep all the racers in a tight pack. It’s a bit ridiculous because every track keeps the roughly 10 racers bunched together at all times. If you jam a banana in the spokes of one racer, it’s a minor inconvenience; they’ll be rejoining in short order. The same goes for you, however, if you take a dive, you’ll find yourself rocketing back to everyone else.

The downside to this is that much of the race is inconsequential. If you want to drive at the stereo?typical speed of an elderly motorist to preserve the structure of your motorcycle, you can still capture victory if you hit the accelerator a reasonable distance from the finish line. That’s not to say that driving skill doesn’t factor in, but if you think you’re going to be able to just climb to the front and sit in the lead, it's a bit more precarious than that.

It’s one of the ways that Road Rash 64 differs from its predecessors. In the classic titles, you’d start at the back of the pack and slowly claw your way up the ranks, trying to reach first before hitting the finish line. It’s rather strange for Road Rash 64 to ditch that formula w?hen there’s still a decent amount of its ancestor’s DNA sloshing around.

The track design still smells like Road Rash, and by that a mean a lot of gentle, sloping terrain. It’s all cut out of one big map, and occasionally there are incredibly dangerous 90 degree turns, but largely it’s open road. Don’t expect much from the scenery �a bridge, a city, suburbs, a cliffside, and a whole lot of empty plains. ?It’s as ugly as a particularly unspectacular butt. Even the bikes and the character models look like something that should be decorating a far-off setpiece. They’re like the high-detail close-up model hasn’t popped in yet and refuses to do so.

Hilariously, there’s a high-res mode enabled by the Expansion Pak, but it does little to make Road Rash 64 look pretty. This was late-1999 and it looks like a launch-window game. Pilotwings 64 looked better than this.

Sorry, I should stop shaming the game?? for being so dramatically unattract??ive.

The upside is that there are nearly a dozen riders on screen at a time, but the cost is a bit high. F-Zero X had 30 racers a year earlier. However, those racers just exploded. T??hese ??ones will go sailing over the horizon.

Also, the soundtrack is incredibly limited and he?avily features "Mean Machine" by Sugar Ray. Weirdly, the extremely repetitive soundtrack never began to grate on my nerves, but I honestly don't know why. I couldn't possibly tell you a situation where having hard rock Sugar Ray on repeat is acceptable, but I don't hate it.

There’s a 4X damage multiplier you can pick up, and combined with a gentle kick will launch an opponent with incredible force. It’s Road Rash 64’s true strength: it’s ridiculous. Th??e rocket kick is but one facet of that. Potentially the greatest facet if you wi??tness it in multi-player.

No, there’s plenty of ludicrous mechanics to Road Rash 64. For example, observe the elegance of the spoke-jam, where you sacrifice a weapon to send an opponent end??-over-end. It’s deadly, but not even a sure take-down, because sometimes the physics just sends the opponent flying. It’s funny and effective regardless of whether your foe survives it.? It gets more amusing when you find you can do the same action with a sledgehammer or giant banana.

Then there are weap??ons that stun; mace, taser, cattleprod. They temporarily incapacitate an opponent, which isn’t that deadly until you give them a kick and send them sai??ling into a wall or over a cliff.

The main event is "Big Game", which isn’t too far off from the typical Road Rash formula?. You win races to gain money that you put towards bigger and better bikes. The biggest and best bikes are amazing. Barely controllable contraptions that travel at impossible speeds. For a disorienting time, try riding a few races on the sl??owest class of bikes, then switch it over to the fastest.

The very last race deserves special mention since it is just a straight stretch of road that ends in a wall that everybody plows into directly after passing the finish line??.

Maybe I have bad taste, but Road Rash 64 is still a game I pull of the shelf occasionally. In fact, if you had me pair my N64 collection down to the bare essentials, there’s a good chance it would make the cut. It’s just chaotic, goofy, and fun. Grabbing a friend and turning on cheats can just enhance the whole experience. It might be the least Road Rash out of all the Road Rash g??ames, but it’s also on a whole new leve??l of entertaining.

I feel that Road Redemption, an independent homage to the Road Rash games must have drawn inspiration for Road Rash 64 in particular. It too is over-the-top and wacky. Sadly, it omitted the spoke-jam, but in?? its plac?e, you can grab someone and drag them into traffic. So, there’s that if you can’t take the N64’s graphical haze and awful graphics, but, personally, I'd say it’s worth the cruise.

For previous Weekly Kusoge, check this link!

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So much greenery

With Forza Horizon 5 absolutely sucking up all the attention from racing game fans as of late, it's easy to forget we're just a couple of months away from the release of the latest entry in Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo franchise. GT 7 is the first numbered entry in the series since 2013, and following the less-than-stellar reception of Gran Turismo Sport, I think a lot is riding on this game knocking all of our socks off and showcasing the power of the PlayStation 5. We've seen some trailers already for the racer, but this weekend PlayStation dropped a new look at the game with a lap around the Gran Turismo 7 Deep Forest Raceway.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsvYQd-axrw

Yeah, I can't wait to see that on my big screen in 4K. I remember driving the Deep Forest Raceway quite often back in college in Gran Turismo 4. It taught me everything I needed to know about cornering. If you're familiar with the track, you should have been able to see some of the changes in the trailer that have been made to t??he track's layout, including more? barriers and a hairpin turn in the last half of the track. If my experience with hairpin turns in other racing games is any indication, I'm going to be slamming into other cars a lot in that spot.

Gran Turismo 7 will release on March 4, 2022, for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. As a reminder, if you purchase the PS4 version and wish to upgrade to the PS5 edition, there will be a $10 digital upgrade charge.

The post Gran Turismo 7’s Deep Forest Raceway looks fantastic on PS5 appeared first on Destructoid.

All hail President Snail!

I’ve long wished for the perfect road trip game. Since the early days of 3D, I’ve wanted the open road, not for racing, but for travel. I’m still searching. There is certainly a share of games about driving, but none have completely satisfied my craving. Euro Truck Simulator 2, My Summer Car, Jalopy -- they’re all just missing that special sauce.

It took me quite a while to come across the aptly named Road Trip. The title was introduced to me by a jbsgame.community member and I hurried to seek it out. It wasn’t just the title, it was also because it was part of the Choro Q series. Choro Q is a long-running racing franchise based around the toy cars of the same name. We got some of the games over here under titles like Penny Racers, but many didn’t leave their homeland.

Regardless of how familiar you are with the Choro Q series, Road Trip was a pretty bizarre departure.

Choro Q started off as a pure, light-hearted racing game based around the series of toys. As the Playstation years wore on, it began to mutate in various ways, and I’d say it peaked -- but didn’t end -- on Road Trip. Known as Choro Q HG 2 in Japan, it’s technically the sequel to Gadget Racers in North America. However, while Gadget Racers was a pure racing game, Road Trip is�something else.

It’s an�uh, adventure. It’s like if you replaced Zelda’s dungeons and puzzles with racing. Not qui??te an RPG, but certainly with elements of it.

It takes place in a rather large, seamless world. You drive around doing quests and completing the races offered in each of the various towns. Quests, yeah. Like you drive into a house and the car who lives there is like, “Hi, I need a peach to make wine, go get me a peach,�and you go do that biz. And yeah, the cars are the characters. They talk. There’s no indication that there are humans anywhere, especially not behind their wheels. This is a world?? inhabited by cars. Maybe all the people died of carbon dioxide poisoning because they were keeping their cars in their houses.

And what a world it is. You start out in a little country town, and the very next locale is a classic, Edo-era Japanese city. Each o?ne is themed, unified only by the fact that they have a Q-Factory that lets you swap parts and race.

See, there’s a central goal here, and that’s to win the championship and become president. Apparently, the current president isn’t too keen on the job and wants to hand it off to whoever races the best. I guess in a world of cars, racing ??prowess is perhaps as good a metric for judging leadership as any.

You need to upgrade your license, and to do that you have to clear all the races at your level in each of the cities. Once it’s upgraded, you do it again a couple of times until you can challenge the president. Rest assured that fast travel opens up ?if you’re not the type to enjoy the open road, but if you’re like me, driving around the world is part of the fun.

There’s a lot of incentive for completing quests and gathering collectibles. It’s the main way you unlock new parts and partners. You can upgrade and customize your car to the nines, and recruit two partners to help secure victory. Oh, you also have to customize your two partners. Vexingly, there’s no ??way to tell what partners are worthwhile. The ones that talk a big game, are they better than the shy ones that say please?

That also means you have to buy parts for them, and the best parts can get expensive. That means you’ll be playing the same races repeatedly, and since they all pay the ??same, you’ll probably be seeing Peach Raceway more ?than you’d like.

Speaking of the best parts, getting them requires a lot of collecting. There are coins, photo booths, ?and stamps, and the game kind of expects that’s where you’ll be spending a lot of your time. I’m not joking when I say that you’ll need all of one of the above to get parts that are probably required to actually compete in the big races. Unless you’re a lot better than me, which you might be.

You have to be in a certain mindset for Road Trip. If you want a racing game -- and this may sound strange -- look elsewhere. Choro Q, despite the prestige of the name, isn’t a very good racing franchise, mechanically?. They’re loose, clunky racers. They’re mostly saved by the depth of their customization options, but I’ve never found that it feels great behind the wheel.

No. Instead, you’re more likely to get a kick out of the game if you’re feeling laid-back and just want to drive. There’s no real traffic, just a lot of empty road. In each area, you’ll be scouring for collectibles, and the ga?me is so set on you grabbing them all that you can get hints in various places around town. Need to find a photo booth? Find the previous one in the sequence, and it will tell you where the next one is. Not sure if you have all the areas coins? Hit the bar, the guy there will tell you.

Racing happe?ns, but the best strategy to winning is to have better parts than your opponents. Can’t win? Time to upgr??ade. Find the shop that sells the best transmission or tires, then get back out there. That’s not to say that skill doesn’t come into it, but the actual driving is so clunky that the ceiling is low on what you can do behind the wheel.

If you haven’t really picked this up, it’s a weird game. Beyond just a wide variety of car bodies you can equip, weirder ones become available. Want to drive a snail with monster truck tires? Say hello to president snail. An ice cream truck, a bus, a train. If it can fit on four wheel??s, you might just find it here. And there’s no real downs??ide to choosing them, as the body doesn’t affect the stats of the vehicle.

There’s also a city that you build by finding people looking for a change in their life. There are usually a few cars roaming around in each area that are bored with life and just want to live in a city where they can do what they want. The result is a mish-mash called M??yCity, and yeah, that means there’s yet another thing to collect: sad people.

Choro Q isn’t the most well-executed game, but it is still very special. It’s relaxing to me since I can swap between questing, racing, and collecting out in the open world. It’s also extremely positive and quirky, this little fossil-f??ueled happy place.

The series would continue, but not necessarily in the same direction. Choro Q HG 3 was similar but more restrictive. Choro Q HG 4 was a full RPG -- a car PG, as they put it (that’s actually pre??tty clever). Aside from that, it was mostly racing, and whether or not ?they got localized was a craps shoot. A 2012 mobile release was the last time we saw the series.

The series has always been charming, but rarely actually good. It would be nice if Tomy revisited the franchise, but that wouldn’t guaran??tee we’d see it over here.?????????????????????????? I just want more of my weird toy car games, and if someone wants to put them back in a stupid open world, that would just be gravy. Could we at least get a port? A collection? Is that too much to ask?

For other retro titl?es you may have misse??d, click right here!

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Racer Revenge could only have been conjured by hatred for me specifically

Oh, I loved Star Wars: Episode 1: Racer. I admit that it’s based on the most pointlessly ostentatious scene in a bad movie, but in video game form, it was divine. Hi??gh-speed racing thro??ugh dangerous tracks. Weaving through narrow passages while managing your engine temperature and damage. It was a thrilling early 3D racing game. Completely top shelf.

I had known for years that there was a sequel to it on PS2, Star Wars: Racer Revenge, but I also heard it wasn’t very good. I didn’t even try to rationalize that maybe �just mayb??e �the press wasn’t hot on the first game, either. It reviewed about as well as a stubbed toe, so, if I dare to dream, the reception to the sequel could just be a repeat of that. 19 years after release, I finally jumped in to find out for myself whether or not I had missed out on something special.

I did not.

I would have been happy with a new Racer that simply added additional tracks, updated graphics, and that’s it. Don’t polish what already glows. Racer’s Revenge is not that. Racer Revenge isn’t even close to that. While I hate to lay my cards down early, Racer Revenge is the most disappointed I ??have ever been by a sequel. It is like someone took a list of everything I liked about the first game and went out of their way to destroy it.

Let’s begin.

The concept of Racer Revenge is, at the very least, identical to the first game. Pod racing is back, go jump in your future space chari??ot and win races. Upgrade your parts using your winnings and aim for first place. Try not to die.

There’s certainly a lot that’s familiar here, and if you squint really hard, the two games are nearly indistinguishable. Indeed, for the first race or two, you might actually fool yourself into believing that this is ju?st that fresh sequel we all wanted. Sure, there’s a tweak or two that may seem like a step back, but it’s still pod racing. But the more you race, the?? more you realize that’s not true.

The central problem of Racer Revenge is that focus has been moved to combat. Combat; something that was not really an option in the first game. That’s fine. F-Zero X and GX both allowed you to take out the competition as a legitimate strategy to climbing the ranks. It was fun! It ??marked the person who was trailing you, and if you killed them, they got no points and were immediately bumped down the rankings.

The problem is that Racer Revenge didn’t add a combat system. You can’t shunt other racers, you don’t have weapons that allow you to strike at them. No, the best way to wear them down is to rub paint with them or ram into them repeatedly when the opportunity presents itself. This is something that was not possible in the first g??ame because if you tried something like that, you would explode.

Everything would make you explode in Episode I: Racer, which was p??????????????????????????art of the fun. Look at a wall the wrong way, and your engine would suddenly deconstruct itself. You were gliding on a dangerous, rickety vehicle through terrifying tracks. Your skill meant the difference between life and a twisted wreck. That has been completely stripped away here.

This has a massive impact on the game because the fragility of your pod has been stripped away. You can suddenly bump walls, scrape against them, slam into them head-on, and your damage gauge will just ?decrease. But you can still repair yourself! So, just shrug it off, you baby, and get back on the track.

The only interesting feature of the combat focus in Racer Revenge is that you can increase your winnings by taking out the other racers. That would be cool if any effort was spent making th?e comb?at interesting. Instead, I just ignored it in later races, because it’s hard to drive when you need to dry hump the guy next to you.

Yeah, there’s nothing to it. It’s an easy game. Sort of. To allow for combat, a very strict rubber-band AI was implemented. I don’t even remember the first game using rubber-band AI at all, but here it is prominent??ly. Scrape a wall at the end of a course and watch your lead just disappear because someone was glued to your ass the whole time. Should have killed that guy instead, I guess. Should have scratched up his pod until he died of embarrassment.

Speaking of embarrassment, the tracks are terrible. There’s no actual variety to them. Oh, sure, they take place on different planets, the backgrounds are different, but in? contrast to the rather creative death roads of the first game, they’re all just humdrum circuits. If they even did try to put more hazards on th?e course, they’d be more of an annoyance, since you’d just bump off them and stop dead.

But do you know what’s really humiliating? They finish the game with a remake of the Boonta Classic, amazingly recreated in the original Racer, and completely screwed up here. It’s less detailed??, it’s shorter, and it’s nowhere near as challenging.

To demonstrate this, at the end of the N64 Boonta Classic, you have to roll onto your side to get through a narrow gap. In Racer Revenge, that just doesn’t exist. You can’t roll onto your side to begin with, but? even if you could, missing t?he gap would just mean another dead stop. How thrilling.

Why would you do that? Why would you offer up such a stark comparison between the two games when you’re not even going to put ??up the effort to match the success of the original title? It just underlines what a disappointment it is. It’s this cherry on top, but then you realize the cherry is just a roc??k painted red. It’s both disappointing and causes physical pain.

Was I too gentle? Hopefully, I was able to convey why Star Wars: Racer Revenge sucks. If I was desperate to give praise, I’d say that the graphics are at least better than they were on the N??64, but since the courses are so uninteresting, what use is that?

Racer Revenge is anti-fun. It took a perfectly enjoyable game and completely sucked the life out of it. The game is a laser-guided strike against my good fai?th. Malicious intent was key in its design; it’s the only explanation for how something so dismaying could hit the shelves. The press reaction to this, in retrospect, was too gentle. This game should have been buried. Get me my shovel, let’s get it in the ground before it manages to stink any worse.

For previous Weekly Kusoge, check this link!

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And it's arriving in style

Do you love the heart-pounding style of arcade racers, but don't want to have to leave your own home? Well, Nintendo has some good news, because Cruis'n Blast, the beloved arcade racer which was previously only playable in cabinet form, is headed to the Nintendo Switch. This makes a ton of sense when you consider t?hat the game was originally licensed from Nintendo back in 2017.

The new console port is set to hit the Switch this fall with 30 tracks, 23 v?ehicles, and four-person multiplayer.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3px1hVaBgIU

The post Arcade favorite Cruis’n Blast is coming to Nintendo Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

'[Nintendo] already has Mario Kart' as far as 'fun and accessible' games go, he says

It's a good day when I get to talk about F-Zero.

I feel like I only get the chance a few times a year at most, but this Nintendo series has been dormant for far too long, and deserves a relaunch. Former producer (and now Yakuza franchise developer) Toshihiro Nagoshi thinks so ?too.

Speaking to Red Bull France, Nagoshi explained that he "wouldn't mind" working on F-Zero again. Here's the full quote, as translated by Nintendo Everything:

“Mmm… Putting aside the odds of it happening, I must admit I have a lot of affection for F-Zero GX. If the opportunity were to present itself, I wouldn’t mind. And in that case, I’d like to make it a challenging game. I believe that if Nintendo just wants a racing game that is ‘fun and accessible’, they already have Mario Kart for that purpose.”

You can tell he's clearly thought about this before the question was asked. Nagoshi has a vision for the franchise: one that involves a bit more technicality, and creates its own niche. It's amazing how Nintendo will trot F-Zero out every now and then like a mascot, but won't???? give it another go.

It's also not an impossible situation; to see Nagoshi working on F-Zero one day. Nintendo frequently taps other studios to work on big franchises, especially long-dormant ones (see Platinum and Star Fox, among many others). I think we'll see F-Zero make some sort of return eventually, ?and I hope passionate ex-developers like Nagoshi are involved.

Toshiro Nagoshi [Red Bull France via Nintendo Everything]

The post F-Zero producer ‘wouldn’t mind making a new one, wants to make it ‘challenging’ appeared first on Destructoid.

The week-long trial is playable from December 30 to January 5

Full game trials are something I'd like to see more of in general and also?? specifically for multiplatform games. Sometimes you want to see – and feel – how a particular game runs on Switch, y'know?

This week, Nintendo is hosting another one of its infrequent Nintendo Switch Online game trials. If you have a membership and you're in a kart-racing mood, you can play the full version of Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled from Wednesday, December 30 at 11:00 a?.m. PT until Tuesday, January 5 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

By "full version," they mean you play CTR Nitro-Fueled alone, locally, or onli?ne – the latter is a bloodbath! This is one of those games that ??a lot of folks are bewilderingly good at. They're monsters. Trust no one.

If you're wondering if this limited-t??ime promo is w??orth the trouble, I'd say so. The file size is 9.3 GB.

Crash Team Racing isn't currently on sale on Switch, but it's down to $14 on PS4 and Xbox One.

@NintendoAmerica [Twitter]

The post Nintendo Switch Online h?as a full trial for Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fu?eled this week appeared first on Destructoid.

The best leaves in gaming history incoming

Late last week, Slightly Mad Studios CEO Ian Bell dropped a few tweets demonstrating his excitement for the company's upcoming road-ripper Project CARS 4, which i??s currently in development for next-gen platforms.

In messages since deleted f?rom the head honcho's social media account, Bell focused on the incredible advancements in technology that will make the next iteration of Project CARS "the most realistic simulation ever made." Specifically, Bell spoke of the intricate details that will go into c?reating a true-life atmosphere, including amazing shadow effects, bump-mapped tracks, 14-hour weather cycles, and even real-time leaves, that will whip around and even stick to the player's windscreen.

While this, of course, is no reflection on how Project CARS will actually play, it's a telling sign that Slightly Mad is going all-in on the technological capabilities of next-gen platforms, creating as close a photo-realistic racing?? experience as is possible. While the release might still be some time away, hopefully franchise fans will be given more screens and footage of this momentous project soon.

Project CARS 4 will be "the most realistic simula??tion ever made" [PlanetGT]

The post Slighty Mad St?udios CEO ex??cited for Project CARS 4 tech appeared first on Destructoid.

Technically the game's first Polish car

[Update: It'll be ?available tomorrow, seemingly for everyone who ??plays the game.]

All roads lead to Night City. Get the Quadra Turbo-R V-TECH starting tomorrow. @TheGameAwards. @CyberpunkGame pic.twitter.com/cG8BGpVCli

— Forza Horizon (@ForzaHorizon) December 11, 2020

Forza Horizon players can rip around England with some futuristic flair. CD Projekt and Playground Games have collaborated to make the Cyberpunk 2077 car playable in Forza Horizon 4.

Judging by the naming convention from Forza Horizon 4's car tiles, its make is "2058 Quadra" and its model is "Cyberpunk 2077 Quadra." That's just specific stuff. Everyone knows it as "The Cyberpunk car." It probably has a V-Tech. Get it? V-Tech.

Here's what it looks like, courtesy of user acreamymeme on reddit:

Technically the Quadra isn't available yet. It's supposed to be some sort of Game Awards surprise planned for tomorrow and Playground Games is denying it with a wink, the way companies do when their secrets have been spoiled. It's unclear who will get the Quadra. It might be everyone, it might be Cyberpunk buyers, it might be a reward for some so?rt of seasonal challe??nge.

However, the Quadra is totally available right now. It was accidentally implemented early as part of yesterday's Super7 update. Players can use the Quadra while going through the Super7 chal??lenge mode, but not in th??e larger game. That'll have to wait until tomorrow (or whenever it's officially added).

Probably no huge rush, though. Everyone will be too busy playing Cyberpunk tomorrow to take time to cruise the Cyberpunk c??ar up and down the lefthand s?ide of the road. 

The post (Update) For??za Horizon?? 4 gets the Cyberpunk 2077 car appeared first on Destructoid.

Super7

Forza Horizon 4 is one of the best Xbox games in years and it just keeps getting better. Playground Games has supported it far beyond the treatment these games usually get -- that might be a pleasant byproduct of being an Xbox Game Pass standout -- with a couple major expansions, a free battle royale mode, a bunch of big ?title updates, and weekly content update??s.

Tomorrow, it gets a little wackier and a lot more dangerous. Forza Horizon 4 will receive a new gam?e mode called Super7 that places floating out-of-place ramps all over England. Check out the trailer above to get an id?ea of how it looks.

Here's the description from the Forza forums: Introducing the Horizon Super7, an all-new game mode that celebrates community-created challenges. Create individual challenges based on drift, speed, air, and more. Then, when choosing to play Super7, seven randomly selected challenges appear, with each being a total surprise. If you can win all seven challenges in a row, you'll get your hands on an exclusive reward. You'll be able to enhance your challenges with Blueprint Builder, a first in Forza history, that lets you place stunts, structures, and scenery in your challenge -- wha??tever you want, wherever you want."

So, it's part stunt extravaganza and part level editor. And part infuriating randomness when you need to knock out seven challenges consecutively with no way to practice them. It's also worth noting that this isn't a PvP mode. Super7 seems t?o be strictly singleplayer (aside from the fact that you're playing other people's creations). You don't need to compete with other players while trying to knock out these stunts.

It all arrives December 8 as part of a free update. Playground gets a little closer to its vision of turning En??gland?? into an amusement park.

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Dirt McGirt cinque

At a certain point in my life, religiously chasing racing games? ki??nd of passed me by.

Don't get me wrong, I'm always up for a digital drive: I just might not be partaking in every single entry of a franchise. Although Codemasters has been a paragon in the genre for decades now, for whatever reason the Dirt series was always in my rear view mirror.

Until I gave Dirt 5 a go.

Dirt 5 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X [reviewed])
Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Codemasters
Released: November 6, 2020 (PC, PS4, Xbox One) / November 10 (Series X/PS5)
MSRP: $59.99

Dirt 5 takes a more arcadey turn, which should delight a lot of the folks lo?oking to pick it up with their shiny new console for the first time in a while (or ever); and possibly piss off hardcore simulation enthusiasts. As someone who has skirted both lines (I have a Logitech wheel system for Xbox One, which works on Series X), I feel like Codemasters has reached a comfortable medium here. As an off-road racer, that's a tough nut to crack. You want the physics to be on point enough, even if you're going for an arcade feel, so that the tracks don't suffer.

As far as looks go, Dirt 5 hits that zone where it looks great without feeling dull. Draw distances are on point on some of the more elegant tracks, but the cars themselves are often colorful in a silly way. On the Series X everything looks a little snappier, coupled with a smooth framerate that's a must for racing titles. That smoothness isn't immune to glitches. I did, however, fall out of the map once on a race, which forced me to restart.

The tracks themselves are extremely strong, even if the raw count doesn't feel like a lot. Dirt 5 features Brazil, China, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Norway, Nepal, South Africa, and two USA circuits (Arizona, Roosevelt Island) with two to five courses each. The globetrotting presentation helps keep things fresh, like a modern day Cruis'n. Because the focus is mostly offroading, Dirt 5 continues the series tradition of varied?? design. I particularly love the return of one-way downhill/uphill races where you can really feel like you're going for broke when driving.

Make sure you're ready to play these tracks un??prompted, because the campaign is barebones. Codemasters tries to inject a little personality into it but the lack of choice and uninspired challenges (like "trade paint with a few cars") are a dull way to facilitate the otherwise entertaining nature of the racing itself. I just couldn't get behind the "podcast" presentation of the campaign: sorry, Nolan North and Troy Baker aren't selling points on principle without a good script to back?? them up.

Given that there's 13 different types of cars (a few of which are a little too similar in terms of handling), you can really head back into individual tracks with plenty of new angles: but the campaign stringently feels like it's moving you away from that freeing arcade nature. You can also race freely online or head to the create-a-track mode. The former has a few standout fun modes like "Vampire," which involves two teams of cars trying to tag or avoid each other. King (basically King of the Hill in vehicle form) and Transporter (grab the object) also remind me of the ill-fated OnRush in the best of ways. Dirt 5 is really good for a "quick match."

The creation mode offers up several potential frameworks, including score attack (Gymkhana from Dirt 3), gate crash (checkpoints), ?or good old fashioned races. It's early yet, but the community has come up with some really fun stuff so far, especially with the more esoteric gate crash creations. It doesn't have nearly as many raw assets as I would like, but the potent??ial with that limited number is high.

You can craft giant funhouses of tracks layered on top of on?e another and really go buck wild when you're sett??ing everything up: leaderboard support to chase high scores is the cherry on top. As long as you're looking for bite-sized experiences beyond the campaign, there's lots to do.

If you're the type of person who plays racing games for hundreds of hours, Dirt 5 might let you down and I completely understand why. But for everyone else, it's a very accessible and personality-filled game ??that should ??keep you busy for a while.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Dirt 5 appeared first on Destructoid.

Speed Demons

PS5 fans are finally getting some details and extended footage taken from the brand new platform exclusive Destruction AllStars, in development at Lucid Games and WuShu Studios. Publisher Sony Interactive has released an extended trailer for the over-the-top and super-kinetic racing title, along with more details regarding AllStar's concepts and modes.

Destruction AllStars will see a madcap roster of dynamic and charismatic characters battle it out in vehicular warfare - the fender-bending impact of games such as Destruction Derby and Twisted Metal mixed with the personality of Overwatch, so to speak. Some of the modes available at launch will include the free-for-all chaos of Mayhem, the grand theft auto action of Carnado?, zone-capturing team game Stockpile, and finally the battle royale action of Gridfall.

Racers will also be able to hone their death-defying driving skills in a deep training mode, and bag themselves in-game rewards in a series of single-player challenges. For artistic types, Destruction AllStars will also boost customization options, allowing players to change up their racer and vehicles looks to nail that crowd-pleasing color schemes - a must-have given AllStars' vivid rainbow aesthetic.

You can check out the trailer below. It has to be said that Destruction AllStars doesn't see??m to have captured many eyes out of the gate - not helped by receiving an unf??ortunate delay before it even got the green light - but I still think it's worth keeping an eye on, especially for those who - like myself - tend to forget that the brake button even exists.

Destruction AllStars launches in February as a PlayStation Plus game.

The post Destruction AllStars shows off its 2 fast 2 furious PS5 ??action appeared first on Destructoid.

God made DIRT, and DIRT don't hurt

In today's contest you can win DIRT 5 Amplified Edition for PS4, Xbox One, or Steam!

No disrespect here, but man how does a game called "dirt" sell so many copies? It's crazy! You've gotta have some cajones to name your game after stuff you swi?sh off your feet after walking around outside.

Well, DIRT 5 is upon us, so you know what that means -- contest time! We're giving away the Amplified Edition, which includes all post-launch DLC and other goodies. I'm also going on a technicality on this one, but since the game has a free upgrade to PS5/Xbox One Series S/X (God I hate typing?? that), you're technically getting the next gen for free, too!

Read some press info while I make sure? my car doors are l?ocked.

DIRT 5 delivers breathtaking wheel-to-wheel pack racing on multiple surfaces including rugged terrain, harsh desert sands, snow, ice, tarmac and more. Weather conditions change in a heartbeat, cars flip and crash as the action heats up, and players must keep their wits about them to stay in the race. With a variety of game modes including Career, Arcade, Time Trial and Multiplayer games, DIRT 5 is an adrenaline rush from start to finish. DIRT 5 also introdu?ces split-screen which can be played offline in co-op and competitive modes for up to four p?layers.

For those who crave variety, the trailer ends on th??e new Playgrounds feature. Create, share and discover custom arenas across three event types: Gate Crasher, Smash Attack and Gymkhana. All published Playgrounds are hosted online with a global leaderboard allowing players around the world to upload an arena and post their best score.

After ??five entries, I think you know whether or not you want this? one.

The Amplified Edition comes with ??the base game, a??s well as:

• Access to every post-launch addition to DIRT 5
• 3 exclusive vehicles: Ariel Nomad Tactical, Audi TT Safari, VW Beetle Rallycross
• 3 exclusive player sponsors with fresh objectives, rewards and liveries
• Currency and XP boosts
• Pre-order bonus: Ford F-150 Raptor PreRunner by Deberti Design

To enter to win, use the widget below to leave your name and email address. You can enter daily. For bonus entries, click around and follow the instructions within, and be sure to hit up PC Invasion for more chances to win!

We have five keys each for PS4 (NA), Xbox One, and Ste??am. Our winners will be drawn next Thursday.

DIRT 5 is available now for PS4, Xbox One, and Steam.

Dtoid Contest: Win DIRT 5 Amplified Edition for?? ??PS4, Xbox One, or Steam

The post Contest: Win?? DIRT 5 Amplifie??d Edition for PS4, Xbox One, or Steam appeared first on Destructoid.

Dirt 5's a looker

During almost any other time, I would not be interested in Dirt 5. I say this confidently because I was not interested in Dirt Rally 2.0 or Dirt 4. There have been seven previous Dirt games (!!) and I did not have a ??lick of interest in any of them.

Dirt 5 is different though because it looks so goddamn pretty on PS5 and Xbox Series X. That's the way it goes with new hardware. Racing games are a technical showcase because they always end up looking the most impressive. Dirt 5 is the next-gen racing launch game -- Gran Turismo 7 and Forza Motorsport don't have release dates yet -- and it seems like it'll nicel?y play the role of visual stu??nner.

The dates are a little staggered over the next two weeks. Dirt 5 first launches on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 6. Then it hits both new consoles on their launch days -- Xbox Series X on November 10 and PS5 on November 12. That's where Codemasters is promoting options for 4K resolution and 120fps gameplay. If you want to start early, know that both PlayStation and Xbox offer free next-gen upgrades. Just ?remember that saves won't transfer over from PS4 to PS5.

The post Ugh, next-gen racing games look so damn good appeared first on Destructoid.

Sonic Mania and Team Sonic Racing

[Update: After sitting on the listings for two months, Sega has finally confirmed the double-packs officially. They are: Team Sonic Racing + Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces + Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD. They're out today for $39.?99 eac??h and you can find images for them below.]

Sega loves to bundle all their games together from time to time: bonus points of a bunch of Sonic titles are headlining it!

While I miss the days of rampant economical collections (sometimes we still get them!), double-packs are alive and well, as evidenced by a new Amazon listing from Sega. Simply titled Sonic Mania + Team Sonic Racing Double Pack,? t??he Switch bundle is a physical release for both of the aforementioned games in one SKU. The retail price? $39.99.

As a note: this isn't a horrible deal, especially for hardcore collectors. Sonic Mania and Team Sonic Racing will run you around $35 each for new physical copies on Switch. Digitally, Sonic Mania is $19.99 on the eShop, with Team Sonic Racing clocking in at $39.99. At the worst, this bundle could drive the physical prices down for each game. We've reached out to Sega to see exactly what version of Sonic Mania is included here.

Sonic Mania + Team Sonic Racing Double Pack [Amazon] Thanks Jeff!

The post (Update) It looks like we’re getting a Sonic double-pack on Switch because why not appeared first on Destructoid.

Mach my day

The essence of a lot of the Forza Horizon experience is "Go fast, go as fast as ??possible." That's not always true for racing and its strategic braking and positioning. But, for speed traps, stunt jumps, drag races, etc? Yep, just go really fast.

Reddit user CarBoy0001 has figured out how to go faster than anyone else, making him the de facto best Forza Horizon 4 player of all-time. Making use of the game's constantly-running train, he positioned his car on the tracks while wedged against a brick wall. When the train hits him, the phy?sics sort of pinch him against the corner of the wall, sending the car instantly flying and nearly hitting 700KPH. That's about 430MPH, I did the maths for the Americans.

Check out the clip below. (Sorry, ??you have to click through. There's no way to properly embed reddit clips.)

I knew the glitch was gonna be wild but n??ot this much from r/ForzaHorizon

Land vehicles can go a lot faster than that though. The sound barrier is broken when something reaches Mach 1, which is achieved at 767MPH. CarBoy0001 falls well short of that. On a related note, give us some Thrust SSC DLC, ??please. That's the cheat code for winning all the drag races.

I knew the glitch was go??nna be wild but not? this much [reddit]

The post This Forza?? Horizon 4 glitch will get you going about 400mph instantly appeared first on Destructoid.

November 12 release date confirmed for the PS5 version

Even when it comes to games we've known about for a while, the PlayStation 5 launch lineup isn't set in stone just yet. Today, Codemasters confirmed Dirt 5 will make the November 12 deadline.

In a tweet, the studio also reiterated several features: 4K and 120fps support, faster load times, cross-generation multiplayer with the PS4 player base, and "DualSense haptic feedback and adaptive triggers." As we previously learned, there's a free upgrade from PS4 to PS5 – but saves won't transfer.

Aside from the save-file caveat for PlayStation users, the rest of that list should sound familiar. Codemasters is making a similar pitch – including a 120Hz mode – for the Xbox Series X version.

As it now stands, Dirt 5 will hit PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 6, followed by Xbox Series X/S on November 10, and finally PS5 on November 12. There are a lot of dates to keep track of next month. (Speaking of: Dirt 5 will come to PlayStation 5 in "other territories" one week later, on November 19.)

The last time I got a racing game for a just-launched console was Project Gotham Racing 3.

@dirtgame [Twitter]

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The best racer of its generation

When we look back at the launch of the Nintendo Wii, there are a few titles that immediately come to mind. They're the ones that would go on to define the console throughout its lifespan. There’s Wii Sports, obviously, the pack-in that your grandmother probably still plays today. Then there is The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Nintendo’s first cross-gen hit that was saved from the Wii’s poorly performing predecessor to find massive success in the new generation. Those two titles were enough to sell the console to millions of people and radically expand the market for console gaming. As much as I enjoy both them, when I look back at the Wii’s start and the titles it launched with, honestly, it’s Excite Truck that fills me with the warmest memories.

The Excite series has never been a priority for Nintendo. The NES original didn’t see a sequel for more than 15 years when Excitebike 64 hit the Nintendo 64 near the twilight of its life. In fact, I’d say more people know the game from its inclusion in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe than as its own franchise. I don’t think Excite Trucks did enough to move the needle in the franchise’s favor — and really, what do you expect launching alongside Wii Sports — but it did prove popular enough to give us a sequel that remains one of my most treasured racing games of all time: Excitebots: Trick Racing. 

One of my favorite things about the Wii is how it took those little habits we have as gamers and turned them into actual gameplay elements. Think of how many times you’ve played a racing game and instinctively turned your controller as if that would help your car? Or every time you’ve played Super Mario Bros. with a parent and they flick the controller up as if that’ll make Mario jump higher? Most of us did that growing up (and some of us still do) and playing through Excitebots, Monster Games took those little tend??e?ncies and gamified them for an absolutely wild arcade racer experience.  

When Nintendo first revealed the motion-control capabilities of the Wii, a racing game where you tilt the controller to steer your vehicle was an inevitability. Excite Truck did it well. Need for Speed: Carbon, eh, not so much. And as fun as it was to take those massive jumps across China and Fiji in Truck, Monster Games went back to the drawing board for ‘Bots to see just how much more it could fit into these tracks. The sequel would still be an arcade racer like the or?iginal, one that rewards speed and big jumps while giving players the ability to reform the track as they drove it. But it would be infused with what the Wii, by this point, had become best-known for: mini-games.

Imagine having to compete against five other racers and also bowl a perfect strike? Or hit a drift just right while kicking a field goal? Or getting a boost in speed but only if you hit the last two notes of “Shave and a Haircut” on a tambourine? Excitebots asked players to do that and more. Racing here just wasn’t about taking first place or doing a trick off some sick jump. It was also about throwing a pie into a clown’s face or atta??cking your opponents with some chattering teeth. And that's to say nothing of the poker races that were a blast to play while drunk, when you couldn't tell the difference between a club and spade so you'd argue the game is broken because you totally had a straight flush. It’s a silly experience; sadly, one mo??st Wii owners didn’t get a chance to try out for themselves.

Nintendo was really weird with the Wii. Most of us probably remember the whole "Operation Rainfall" ordeal to get it to localize three of its core-gamer titles, one of which is now a million-seller franchise for the company. Excitebots had no trouble finding its way to North American stores in 2009, but it only made it to Japan in 2011 as a Club Nintendo reward, and European players were left to mod their Wiis and import it if t?hey wanted a shot at it. Even when it was re-released as a downloadable title on the Wii U, it stayed on this side of the Atlantic.

Diving back into it this past month, my original save file lost to the ages, it struck me how timeless of an experience Excitebots is. Sure, it looks like a GameCube title, and the motion controls don’t always work as fluidly as I’d like, but ten minutes in, I was reminded about why this game remains one of my all-time favorites. It’s like somebody took carnival games and turned them into an arcade racer. Racing is fun. Throwing darts is fun. Throwing darts while driving at speeds that make Mario Kart Wii look like a race between 1??2 Model-Ts is incredibly fun.

And I love the fact that it isn’t explained why you’re no?w driving motorized bugs, rodents, and reptiles. Why am I racing in a turtle with wheels? Hell if I know, but if I’m able to grab this hammer, I can literally smash my competition. I tell you, there is no joy in racer like going off a mad jump, completing three full rotations, and then landing on the ladybug in first place. That’s exhilarating and exactly what’s been missing from my Switch.

Any Nintendo fan will tell you the company isn’t the best when it comes to treating its racing franchises right. We’re all still waiting for a new F-Zero, Wave Race hasn’t been seen since Blue Storm, and let’s not forget about Stunt Race FX (no matter how hard we try). All of those series take a back seat to Mario Kart, and while I understand why Nintendo would put all its eggs in the basket that sells 25 million copies, I can’t help but picture what new entries in these?? series would look like on Switch.

All of those franchises creep into my mind, but mostly I think about Excitebots. I think about blazing across the moors of Scotland in a bug vehicle, a truck, a bike, or even all three. All three of the different Excite vehicles together in one game where winning doesn’t matter as much as having fun. That’s what Excitebots is to me. It’s the game that?? never lets you forget that it’s?? just a game, and games are meant to be fun.

The post Revisiting the ?infinite j??oy of Excitebots: Trick Racing appeared first on Destructoid.

Feel the Need?

One of the most popular entries in the Need for Speed franchise is getting ready to excite road-racers all over again, as Electronic Arts and Criterion Games have finally announced that Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered ??is coming to PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in November.

Originally released back in 2010 on PS3, PC, and Xbox 360, NFS: Hot Pursuit takes the gloss and sheen of the long-running racing franchi??se and applies it to a super-dramatic knock-down, drag-out road rager. Players can choose to hit the tarmac in a selection of high-performance roadsters, while others chase them?? down and take them off-road in several souped-up police cruisers, armed with a bevy of hi-tech gadgets and weaponry.

You can check out a cheesy-ass trailer, that doesn??'t fe?ature nearly enough gameplay footage, below.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered is described as the "ultimate edition" of Criterion's debut entry in the NFS franchise, and will feature 60 FPS gameplay in stunning 4K resolution on PS4 Pro, PC, and Xbox One X. Other visual tweaks include a longer draw distance, support for more on-screen particles and objects, and improved shadows and reflective effects. All of the base game's modes and content will be included, as well as its DLC expansions. The new remaster will feature cross-play support and will see the re?turn of the "Autolog" synchronous profile/multiplayer system.

While it appears that there will be a lot of minor changes in terms of overall resolution, lighting, and visual effects, in all the remaster doesn't look like a ground-up, redrawn affair. Still, Hot Pursuit has always looked and played solidly, and ho?pefully this new edition will give fans new and old a fresh opportunity to get out there and? smash some roadblocks.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered launches ??November 6 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and GOG. It ?will follow on Nintendo Switch on November 13.

The post Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remas??tered coming to PC and consoles next month appeared first on Destructoid.

'If that changes, we'll let you know'

Bringing our save files from PS4 over to PS5?? isn't something we should have to wonder about – it should be one of those invisible "it just works" features – but that's not how things are shaping up.

Dirt 5 is another game that will be available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 but will not let players transfer their progression from one console to the next when they freely upgrade to the PS5 version.

"Currently on Xbox, all progress can be carried over between generations," Codemasters said in response to a question on Twitter.?? "On PlayStation, your Playgrounds creations can be carried over, but other game progress (Career, currency, saved liveries) cannot. If that changes, we'll le?t you know!"

We're still making sense of how widespread this issue will be for PlayStation fans hoping for a smooth console transition, but for now – with Spider-Man: Miles Morales supporting PS4-to-PS5 saves and Maneater and Yakuza 7 proactively announcing otherwise?? – it's very much a case-by-case basis.

I'm curious to hear specific details about the transfer process for Miles Morales "closer to launch."

[Via VGC]

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Ratings boards strike again

So often, the path that connects rumor and reality passes by all the same landmarks. A lot of times, we'll get a leak by way of retailer listing. A little while later, some country's?? ratings board will confirm a game long before a publisher announces it. By ??then, the suspense is long gone.

That's the route we're taking with an upcoming remaster of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. In June, VentureBeat first outed the remaster. Then, in August, Amazon UK went live with a new Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit listing. Now, the Korean Games Rating and Administration Committee has a new page for the remaster.

One, two, three strikes and you're a real game. Sources say that the Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit remaster is due in November, but that might've changed because of COVID delays. Switch is the primary platform that has been mentioned, but it'll probably come elsewhere too. We'll find out the details whenever EA feels like formally announcing it. For now, however, it seems pretty likely that Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit remastered is more than just a rumor.

The sti?ll-unanno?unced Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit remaster has been rated [Video Games Chronicle]

The post Here’s more evidence that points toward a Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit remaster appeared first on Destructoid.

3... 2... 1... GO!

The racing game scene was once a far more colorful place. At any time you could be driving a Volkswagen Beetle through Jurassic Park or going up impossible climbs in your futuristic turbo bike. The early 3D era was, after all, a time of experimentation, but as the market progressed, and all the acids and bases were boiled down, we were left with a pretty monotone genre. No, I don&r??squo;t know anythin?g about chemistry.

Today’s racing market is dominated by racing simulators; your Gran Turismos, Project Cars, Need for Speeds. Arcade-style racing games still exist, but even high-profile franchises have waned out of existence, such as Burnout and Motorstorm. It’s a bleak time to be an arcade racer, stuck somewhere between the success of Mario Kart and Forza. It’s times like these we turn to the indie market to deliver us back to an era where we struggled to pass those checkpoints. It’s time for games like Hotshot Racing.

Hotshot Racing (PC, Switch [reviewed], Xbox One, PS4)
Developer: Lucky Mountain Games, Sumo Digital Limited
Publisher: Curve Digital
Released: September 10, 2020
MSRP: $19.99

With a developer that has had its hands in games like Burnout and Midnight Club and assistance from Sumo Digital, the people behind the recent Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing games, Hotshot Racing certainly has pedigree papers. It’s inspired by classic Sega arcade racers like Virtua Racing, Sega Rally, and Daytona USA with drifting mechanics similar to games like Ridge Racer.

Hotshot Racing looks the part. Its chunky, low-polygon models and bright colors hearken back to a time when standing out meant more than just ??having the most simulation features. The level of detail has not been sacrificed either, with every vehicle having its own gorgeous cockpit ?view with optional knickknacks for your dashboard. Drivers demonstrate unique personalities with exaggerated animations and expressiveness. It’s an infectiously cheerful game.

The retro aesthetic carries through to the sound design. You’re treated to the disembodied voice of an enthusiastic announcer who merrily shouts out every chec??kpoint you pass and gives you a brief introduction to every track. Drivers are also quite talkative too, expressing their personality at every turn and criticizing every bump you take. The music will also take you back to the ‘90s with its chirpy, lighthearted energy. I didn’t find any of the driving tracks stood out, exactly, but they blended well into the racing.

Tracks also demonstrate the exaggerated features of ‘90s racers. I made a reference to Beetle Adventure Racing at the start of this review, and that’s because a lot of the track dressing remi??nded me of it, straight down to having you drive through a dinosaur park. Some will have you drive through the interior of a casino, while others simply treat you to visuals of rolling waterfalls. If you can take your vision off the track for a moment, you’ll always have something to delight your eyes.

On the other hand, the track design itself left me a little wanting. Each one is basically a simple circuit; some mutation of an oval. There are no figure-8’s or overpasses, no impossible jumps across hazardous terrain, no shortcuts for those daring enough to attempt t?hem. This may be more realistic in design, but I thought we abandoned realism when we put a stegosaurus next to the track.

There are four grand prix to participate? in, each containing four tracks for a total of sixteen. I can do math. You can race them at three difficulties. I tore through normal and hard, but have barely managed to scratch expert. It’s not a bad career mode, but when a lot of the tracks feel overly similar, it weighs in a little light.

You’re given money as a reward for your successes that you can then spend on cosmetic it??ems, but the money is a bit much. There’s eight drivers, each with their own garage of four cars, but are you really going to go to the effort of unlocking everything for each one, or are you just going to pick a few favorites and make them look pretty? After you’ve done that, cash just kind of piles up.

Alongside grand prix, you’ve also got your additional modes. Time trial is sort of a given, but there are a couple flavorful additions. Cops & Robbers mode has you make a getaway from the police as they try to dama??ge your car and deputize you like they’re carrying some sort of law enforcement disease. There’s also Drive Or Explode in which you have to do exactly that; make all the checkpoints and keep your speed up or your car will abruptly disintegrate. They’re fun little modes, especially if you have someone to split screens with.

As for the driving, it works how you’d expect it to. Any turn tighter than a curve and you’ll want to t??hrow your back tires out into a drift. Tapping the break button is all it takes to kick up some smoke, a?nd the drifting feels nicely tuned. Each car has its own drifting stat and you can really feel its variance between cars. I found myself able to play just fine in both third-person and cockpit view without much difficulty.

The other racers feel a bit rubber-band?y. I’m always wary about bringing this up, because I’m quicker to blame myself for my failures than any game facet. However, even on normal mode where I dominated the track, my opponents were never far behind. They stay nestled in a tight pack at all times and getting sucked into it can mean getting banged around. On the other hand, they won’t slow down for you if they get too far ahead, the jerks.

Speaking of which, the other drivers seem to have no regard for the vehicle they’re piloting. They will bash into you unapologetically. Most of the time when I fell behind in normal and hard difficulties, it was because I was spun out ??by one of my opponents. It lends to the arca?de feeling, but can be a bit maddening.

I should also mention that the online mode seems unfortunately empty. I queued a few times, and we always struggled to accumulate the required four players to start a race. Once I was in ther??e, I didn’t have any issues, but finding people was a problem.

I have to admit, I found Hotshot Racing to be quite enamoring. I don’t have much no?stalgia for the early days of 3D racing games, but I do appreciate a good arcade racer, and that’s exactly what this is. Its cheery sound design and visuals are endlessly charming and the driving feels exactly as it should. If you feel the need to go back to the simpler days of racing games, this certainly fits? the bill. This likely won’t be the last time I take it for a lap around the track.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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