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"Boy Racer or Toy Racer?"

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Wed 27/06/01 at 09:25
Regular
Posts: 787
Racers. Every console has dozens of them. They pretty much fall into two catergories: Boy Racer, and Toy Racer.

A Boy Racer is a realistic driving game, such as Ridge Racer or Gran Turismo. The idea is to simply beat you opponent in a straight out race using superior driving skill.

A toy racer is the 'kart' style games such as Mario Kart, Crash Team Racing and Konami Crazy Racers. These differ from the 'boy racers' by allowing you to pick up and use items to help you, such as having more coins to make you go faster, or firing off a shell to take out an opponent.

Everyone has a favourite style, and mine has to be the 'toy racer'.

Why? Because I find them to be more fun! With you're run of the mill driving fast around a circuit game I get bored. It's just driving after all! I can see the appeal, but it just isn't for me.

Stick in a bunch of novelty features, however, and I'm all for it! Racing on a beach, or a haunted house is more fun, and using the items to your advantage adds an extra tactical level to the game. Certain items are best used in certain positions, like the feather than shrinks your opponent is best used just before they have to make a jump. Things like this make the game more fun, in my opinion.

So that's me, a toy racer. Which are you?
Wed 27/06/01 at 13:16
Regular
Posts: 6,492
I have two viewpoints on this one.

Firstly from a single player perspective, the challenge set by a very good driving game cannot be matched by any Toy Racer, the thril of hammering a very fast car around a track and beating your immensly intelligent CPU opponent is unbelievable, and when the game will look as good as GT3, you can't really complain!!

But from a multiplayer viewpoint all change, how much fun is it when you have enough talent to sit behind the leader all race, and when he is about to cross the line smash him with that red shell you have been saving?? How good is the feeling when you and four mates, who have mastered the game, srape around every corner, or when there is about one second between first and last and you manage to get that Spikey shell. Oh, thise were the days, can I get a Mario Kart for the PS2, please Ninty??
Wed 27/06/01 at 13:04
Regular
Posts: 16,558
Would you classify F-Zero or Wipeout as Boy races? CAn be either these kind of racing games have the futuristic feel to it and speed.
F-Zero X was a simple game with no weapons at all but the speed all but made up for it.
Wipeout had weapons in it but would you call it a toy racer because it has Mario Kart esque powerups?

I love Mario Kart it doesn't give you difficult obstacles to jump over or huge turns that makes me either fall over my Bike (ExciteBike 64) or completely ruin my cornering and crashing into a wall at 150mph(ie Ridge Racer)
Mario Karts provide light fun that Racing simulations do not have look how many F1 there are already, i find them serious about the license that they sometimes miss out on the fun factor of the game.

You will always be a Arcade nut or a Simulation nut because one of the kind of racing game you will love or hate.
Wed 27/06/01 at 10:54
Posts: 0
My two favourite racing games are Driver (and its sequel) on the Playstation and MarioKart on the SNES.

In general I prefer ToyRacers, however I like the freedom of driving games like Driver although its not strictly a racer.
Wed 27/06/01 at 10:35
Regular
"Fishing For Reddies"
Posts: 4,986
Well... the graphics are ace and the special effects are cool... you have those boost flames come out the back of your car when you speed!

The power-ups, as I said, are amaxing, Tornados, rockets, snowballs!!!?

I think you can powerslide as well... although i'm not sure.... basically it is a Playstation answer to Mario Kart with 'real' cars... just not as good... purley because of the Mario Experience.

It would be the first game i'd get on my PS2, if I had one!

The only problem is the damn annoying commentator who goes on.... and on... and on... commenting on this race as if it were some house American destruction derby! Luckily you can turn him off!

I'd definitely rent it... being a racer it will do one of two things:

1) Last ages and prove to be very fun
2) Bore you quickly... and end up as a drinks mat.

it all depends on your atttude towards racers! You have GOT to rent it... not in case you don't like it, but you can't afford to miss it! £3.50 2 nights... have a look.

Game
Wed 27/06/01 at 09:58
Regular
"Eff, you see, kay?"
Posts: 14,156
No, tell me more about Rumble Racing. It only got 8/10, do you think it deserves more?

How long does it last?
Wed 27/06/01 at 09:49
Regular
"Fishing For Reddies"
Posts: 4,986
Toy Racer... definitely!

I love racing games, I have always played Mario Kart 64 now and again since I got my N64 those years ago. There is something about Boy Racers I don't like. It could be that i'm not really into cars... you get these people who'll tell you about a 16V Compressions Engine Cosworth with a 2.5 Plate Trim etc... but I haven't got a clue what any of that means.

There is so much variety in games like Mario Kart... you don't have to stick to a track... you can racer anywhere. The same could be said for games like Rumble Racing... now there's a game!! I love it, it is the erfect blend of Boy and Toy racers... Want realistic-ish cars but need cool power-ups and weapons as well, man, this game is your baby... you can even send hurricanes down the track... finnaly a racing weapon better than the Wipeout earthquake!

Its ace... you can also pull of amazing stunts to get boosts if you don't have time to collect them, or don't collect them anyway in fear of hindering your finishing time.

But back to the topic at hand... I definitely prefer Toy Racers... there is much more excitement to be had. You can team up, cheat, hit people, you're never certain to win until you have!!

I think that the originality factor was what made Mario Kart so successful. All your favourite 'Mario' Characters in a racing game where you race over snow, wood, sand and even a rainbow!

Game
Wed 27/06/01 at 09:40
Regular
"Eff, you see, kay?"
Posts: 14,156
I like all kinds of racers, as long as they're good.

I think you should add another category, arcade racers. Ridge Racers is in no way a realistic racer, so it should go in arcade.
Wed 27/06/01 at 09:35
Posts: 0
I prefer toy racers. They are much more fun in multiplayer and the weapons/boosts/power ups give the game variety. I've played Krazy racers a lot more than my GT Advance because I think racing sims are too boring.
Wed 27/06/01 at 09:25
Regular
"not dead"
Posts: 11,145
Racers. Every console has dozens of them. They pretty much fall into two catergories: Boy Racer, and Toy Racer.

A Boy Racer is a realistic driving game, such as Ridge Racer or Gran Turismo. The idea is to simply beat you opponent in a straight out race using superior driving skill.

A toy racer is the 'kart' style games such as Mario Kart, Crash Team Racing and Konami Crazy Racers. These differ from the 'boy racers' by allowing you to pick up and use items to help you, such as having more coins to make you go faster, or firing off a shell to take out an opponent.

Everyone has a favourite style, and mine has to be the 'toy racer'.

Why? Because I find them to be more fun! With you're run of the mill driving fast around a circuit game I get bored. It's just driving after all! I can see the appeal, but it just isn't for me.

Stick in a bunch of novelty features, however, and I'm all for it! Racing on a beach, or a haunted house is more fun, and using the items to your advantage adds an extra tactical level to the game. Certain items are best used in certain positions, like the feather than shrinks your opponent is best used just before they have to make a jump. Things like this make the game more fun, in my opinion.

So that's me, a toy racer. Which are you?

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