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It's not very often that you run into a 3D title from the late nineties that is still
impressive. Most PS1 and N64 games have aged more like milk than wine, and the graphics
can be an eyesore today compared to the stunning capability of 1080p. Much more important,
however, is the playability of the games and how much fun you'll have with them. One series
from the late nineties, however, broke the mold and became timeless in both its presentation
and fun factor through the joy of automobile racing, and in its first sequel, grabbed the
gaming world by the ball bearings. Developers Polyphony Digital, publishers Sony Computer
Entertainment, and lead designer Kazunori Yamauchi decided to capitalize off the unprecedented
success of their highly acclimated racing title Gran Turismo and took it back to the
studio for a shinier coat of paint, and this time, there's two discs, with almost 650 cars
and 27 race tracks for you to tear up. The reason you should try out the Arcade mode
first is because everything is there for you to use without having to unlock anything by
budgeting cash. Basically there's more room for error, and trust me, if its your first
time with any Gran Turismo game, you'll want to get as much practice in as possible before
you tackle the more difficult simulation mode. The premise of Arcade is simple: You have
a choice of three types of races. Pick one and its off to the garage where you select
one of many vehicles likely in Jay Leno's personal collection at the time. Hell, there's
so many cars to choose from they have to be split up into three classes, from the top
A class including cars like the Lotus Elise Sport and the Mazda RX-7, all the way down
to the city driver class that includes cars you will see in rush hour traffic, like the
Volkswagen Golf or the all too familiar Mini Cooper. Compete in rally mode to take command
of supercharged vehicles like the Peugeot 206 and race that sucker on a tough and bumpy
dirt road, arguably the most fun I've had driving any car in this game. As cliche as
it may sound, GT2's controls feel like you are actually in the driver's seat, since the
speed and more importantly the handling for each vehicle is different. Each level is beautifully
designed as well, stocked with product placement, clear blue skies, and shiny vehicle detail.
You'll almost feel bad about trading paint during a road race. Even if the control takes
some getting used to, there's nothing like the feeling of beating your best time by a
hundredth of a second or making the final pass towards the finish line on the race track
against the ethereal ghost car that mimics every move you made on the previous lap. After
you've reached the checkered flag, there is a replay mode where you can watch it all happen
again. Gran Turismo 2 Arcade delivers impressive racing action and gorgeous detail in a game
that will still impress you in the new year of 2012.