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A good few years ago as I prepared to retire my trusty Playstation and palm it off on an unsuspecting buyer, I stopped and took stock of the collection of games that I had amassed. Destruction Derby, The Need For Speed, Gran Turismo 1 & 2, Road Rash, Driver...
I suspected that there was a pattern here. Much brow furrowing later, I came to the conclusion that nearly all of my games involved driving of some sort. I guess this is to be expected seeing as I am quite a fan of cars (I can even enjoy an episode of Top Gear for Pete’s sake!). I couldn’t help but realise that all the major gaming stars of recent history were missing from my games collection. Sonic, Mario, Solid Snake, Link, etc seem to have been muscled out by less well known characters such as Stallion, Subaru Impreza 22B and Lamborghini Diablo.
Maybe I’m missing out on something as I squander the majority of my time away racing around virtual tracks in cars that I could never even dream of affording in real life. But I don’t think there’s a problem. Many people like to immerse themselves in a game and imagine that they are the character, living out the story line. I’m the same! I just enjoy playing the part of an insanely rich man who, um, can afford every car he wants, and err, hire tracks to race them on. None the less, when it comes to gaming, for me the Car’s the Star! Thus I have compiled a series of “Awards” for my favourite Automotive Gaming Stars over recent times:
Award for Best “Ego” extension:
The Getaway: Brabus Mercedes Benz S-Class:
“In London, It’s not what you drive but who’s driving.” utters moaning cockney Mark Hammond. Err, I don’t think so! If you ask me, driving around London is all about looking like a pimp daddy. Especially if it’s just a game. So I look no further than the upper class Yardie choice, The Brabus S-Class. Black paint, leather seats, four exhaust pipes and chrome just about everywhere. And it actually takes a bit of stick before it begins belching oily smoke, which is superb! Fast driving aside though, I am also quite partial to burbling up and down Oxford Street like a D-list celebrity.
Honourable Mention: GTA:VC Lovefist Limo, GT3 Jaguar XKR
Award for Sheer Lunacy:
Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec: TVR Cerbera Speed 12
Whack the background music off, and revel in the symphony of the Speed 12 grunting, snorting and growling around the circuit like some sort of caged monster. This car practically negates the need for computer AI controlled opponents! Take off the Traction Control and you’ll find that just trying to complete a lap in less than 5 minutes, and without visiting every gravel trap on the circuit, causes you to break into a sweat! But when you finally pull off a nice bit of cornering and roar away up the straight, you get a kick that is probably only surpassed by actually driving the car itself. Which I guess is never going to happen. Humph.
Honourable Mention: GTA:VC Hot Ring Racer, GT3 Suzuki Pikes Peak
Award for Most Unlikely Driving Game Fodder:
Vice City: Golf Buggy
It had to be really, didn’t it? Comedy stylings await as you blast down the highway (or should that be fairway?) in this windowless plastic lump! All the fun of a cabriolet, but with none of the class, everybody’s probably had a quiz whiz about in this vehicle. Including the cast of Jackass, if the trailer for their movie is anything to go by.
Honourable Mention: The Getaway: Forklift Truck, Stuntman: Tuc Tuc.
Award for Best TV/Film Cameo:
Burnout 2: Tuned Coupe - as seen in The Fast and the Furious
Now, I’m not saying that I want to be Paul Walker, the bloke who played the wet behind the ears detective in said film, but there’s something quite nice about going for a blast in a Nitrous tuned car that looks awfully similar to the one that he sat behind the wheel of. Complete with the whistling clunk-ptschhhhk! noise and blurring scenery that accompanied each boost!
Honourable Mention: GT3 Aston Martin Vanquish - The World is Not Enough, GTA:VC Burrito - The A-Team,
We all have characters that we grow fond of in games, and others that we don’t like. Equally, most of us will have a favourite genre. Super Mario et al are the stereotypical heroes of computer games, but surely it doesn't need to stop there? I play driving games, and hence all my favourite “characters” are cars! Tragic I agree, but that's the way it is, and I bet some of you out there are the same!
I suspected that there was a pattern here. Much brow furrowing later, I came to the conclusion that nearly all of my games involved driving of some sort. I guess this is to be expected seeing as I am quite a fan of cars (I can even enjoy an episode of Top Gear for Pete’s sake!). I couldn’t help but realise that all the major gaming stars of recent history were missing from my games collection. Sonic, Mario, Solid Snake, Link, etc seem to have been muscled out by less well known characters such as Stallion, Subaru Impreza 22B and Lamborghini Diablo.
Maybe I’m missing out on something as I squander the majority of my time away racing around virtual tracks in cars that I could never even dream of affording in real life. But I don’t think there’s a problem. Many people like to immerse themselves in a game and imagine that they are the character, living out the story line. I’m the same! I just enjoy playing the part of an insanely rich man who, um, can afford every car he wants, and err, hire tracks to race them on. None the less, when it comes to gaming, for me the Car’s the Star! Thus I have compiled a series of “Awards” for my favourite Automotive Gaming Stars over recent times:
Award for Best “Ego” extension:
The Getaway: Brabus Mercedes Benz S-Class:
“In London, It’s not what you drive but who’s driving.” utters moaning cockney Mark Hammond. Err, I don’t think so! If you ask me, driving around London is all about looking like a pimp daddy. Especially if it’s just a game. So I look no further than the upper class Yardie choice, The Brabus S-Class. Black paint, leather seats, four exhaust pipes and chrome just about everywhere. And it actually takes a bit of stick before it begins belching oily smoke, which is superb! Fast driving aside though, I am also quite partial to burbling up and down Oxford Street like a D-list celebrity.
Honourable Mention: GTA:VC Lovefist Limo, GT3 Jaguar XKR
Award for Sheer Lunacy:
Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec: TVR Cerbera Speed 12
Whack the background music off, and revel in the symphony of the Speed 12 grunting, snorting and growling around the circuit like some sort of caged monster. This car practically negates the need for computer AI controlled opponents! Take off the Traction Control and you’ll find that just trying to complete a lap in less than 5 minutes, and without visiting every gravel trap on the circuit, causes you to break into a sweat! But when you finally pull off a nice bit of cornering and roar away up the straight, you get a kick that is probably only surpassed by actually driving the car itself. Which I guess is never going to happen. Humph.
Honourable Mention: GTA:VC Hot Ring Racer, GT3 Suzuki Pikes Peak
Award for Most Unlikely Driving Game Fodder:
Vice City: Golf Buggy
It had to be really, didn’t it? Comedy stylings await as you blast down the highway (or should that be fairway?) in this windowless plastic lump! All the fun of a cabriolet, but with none of the class, everybody’s probably had a quiz whiz about in this vehicle. Including the cast of Jackass, if the trailer for their movie is anything to go by.
Honourable Mention: The Getaway: Forklift Truck, Stuntman: Tuc Tuc.
Award for Best TV/Film Cameo:
Burnout 2: Tuned Coupe - as seen in The Fast and the Furious
Now, I’m not saying that I want to be Paul Walker, the bloke who played the wet behind the ears detective in said film, but there’s something quite nice about going for a blast in a Nitrous tuned car that looks awfully similar to the one that he sat behind the wheel of. Complete with the whistling clunk-ptschhhhk! noise and blurring scenery that accompanied each boost!
Honourable Mention: GT3 Aston Martin Vanquish - The World is Not Enough, GTA:VC Burrito - The A-Team,
We all have characters that we grow fond of in games, and others that we don’t like. Equally, most of us will have a favourite genre. Super Mario et al are the stereotypical heroes of computer games, but surely it doesn't need to stop there? I play driving games, and hence all my favourite “characters” are cars! Tragic I agree, but that's the way it is, and I bet some of you out there are the same!
Looking at some old Getaway screens...
There were going to be Jaguars, Audis, BMWs, and Aston Martins.
Damn Damn Damn those prudish car manufacturers.
Bah.
Old Jag, and old Aston Martin Vantage on the right:
http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/ image/getaway_e3_3.jpg
Brabus S-Class:
http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/ image/getaway_1213_18.jpg
5 series Beemer:
http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/ image/getaway_e3_2.jpg
There were going to be Jaguars, Audis, BMWs, and Aston Martins.
Damn Damn Damn those prudish car manufacturers.
Bah.
Old Jag, and old Aston Martin Vantage on the right:
http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/
Brabus S-Class:
http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/
5 series Beemer:
http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/
Bonafide wrote:
> There aren't any Mercs in 'The Getaway'. I think you got them confused
> with the Lexus.
>
> There ARE TVRs though, and their hot!
Technically there aren't, but there are two "Brabus" tuned mercs(hence negating the copyright, in the same way there are RUF Porsches in GT3). The A-Class, which is all over the place, and the S-Class, that some of the yardies chase you in on mission 12 on the way to the Ship.
Trust Me!
*smiles nervously*
> There aren't any Mercs in 'The Getaway'. I think you got them confused
> with the Lexus.
>
> There ARE TVRs though, and their hot!
Technically there aren't, but there are two "Brabus" tuned mercs(hence negating the copyright, in the same way there are RUF Porsches in GT3). The A-Class, which is all over the place, and the S-Class, that some of the yardies chase you in on mission 12 on the way to the Ship.
Trust Me!
*smiles nervously*
There aren't any Mercs in 'The Getaway'. I think you got them confused with the Lexus.
There ARE TVRs though, and their hot!
There ARE TVRs though, and their hot!
A good few years ago as I prepared to retire my trusty Playstation and palm it off on an unsuspecting buyer, I stopped and took stock of the collection of games that I had amassed. Destruction Derby, The Need For Speed, Gran Turismo 1 & 2, Road Rash, Driver...
I suspected that there was a pattern here. Much brow furrowing later, I came to the conclusion that nearly all of my games involved driving of some sort. I guess this is to be expected seeing as I am quite a fan of cars (I can even enjoy an episode of Top Gear for Pete’s sake!). I couldn’t help but realise that all the major gaming stars of recent history were missing from my games collection. Sonic, Mario, Solid Snake, Link, etc seem to have been muscled out by less well known characters such as Stallion, Subaru Impreza 22B and Lamborghini Diablo.
Maybe I’m missing out on something as I squander the majority of my time away racing around virtual tracks in cars that I could never even dream of affording in real life. But I don’t think there’s a problem. Many people like to immerse themselves in a game and imagine that they are the character, living out the story line. I’m the same! I just enjoy playing the part of an insanely rich man who, um, can afford every car he wants, and err, hire tracks to race them on. None the less, when it comes to gaming, for me the Car’s the Star! Thus I have compiled a series of “Awards” for my favourite Automotive Gaming Stars over recent times:
Award for Best “Ego” extension:
The Getaway: Brabus Mercedes Benz S-Class:
“In London, It’s not what you drive but who’s driving.” utters moaning cockney Mark Hammond. Err, I don’t think so! If you ask me, driving around London is all about looking like a pimp daddy. Especially if it’s just a game. So I look no further than the upper class Yardie choice, The Brabus S-Class. Black paint, leather seats, four exhaust pipes and chrome just about everywhere. And it actually takes a bit of stick before it begins belching oily smoke, which is superb! Fast driving aside though, I am also quite partial to burbling up and down Oxford Street like a D-list celebrity.
Honourable Mention: GTA:VC Lovefist Limo, GT3 Jaguar XKR
Award for Sheer Lunacy:
Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec: TVR Cerbera Speed 12
Whack the background music off, and revel in the symphony of the Speed 12 grunting, snorting and growling around the circuit like some sort of caged monster. This car practically negates the need for computer AI controlled opponents! Take off the Traction Control and you’ll find that just trying to complete a lap in less than 5 minutes, and without visiting every gravel trap on the circuit, causes you to break into a sweat! But when you finally pull off a nice bit of cornering and roar away up the straight, you get a kick that is probably only surpassed by actually driving the car itself. Which I guess is never going to happen. Humph.
Honourable Mention: GTA:VC Hot Ring Racer, GT3 Suzuki Pikes Peak
Award for Most Unlikely Driving Game Fodder:
Vice City: Golf Buggy
It had to be really, didn’t it? Comedy stylings await as you blast down the highway (or should that be fairway?) in this windowless plastic lump! All the fun of a cabriolet, but with none of the class, everybody’s probably had a quiz whiz about in this vehicle. Including the cast of Jackass, if the trailer for their movie is anything to go by.
Honourable Mention: The Getaway: Forklift Truck, Stuntman: Tuc Tuc.
Award for Best TV/Film Cameo:
Burnout 2: Tuned Coupe - as seen in The Fast and the Furious
Now, I’m not saying that I want to be Paul Walker, the bloke who played the wet behind the ears detective in said film, but there’s something quite nice about going for a blast in a Nitrous tuned car that looks awfully similar to the one that he sat behind the wheel of. Complete with the whistling clunk-ptschhhhk! noise and blurring scenery that accompanied each boost!
Honourable Mention: GT3 Aston Martin Vanquish - The World is Not Enough, GTA:VC Burrito - The A-Team,
We all have characters that we grow fond of in games, and others that we don’t like. Equally, most of us will have a favourite genre. Super Mario et al are the stereotypical heroes of computer games, but surely it doesn't need to stop there? I play driving games, and hence all my favourite “characters” are cars! Tragic I agree, but that's the way it is, and I bet some of you out there are the same!
I suspected that there was a pattern here. Much brow furrowing later, I came to the conclusion that nearly all of my games involved driving of some sort. I guess this is to be expected seeing as I am quite a fan of cars (I can even enjoy an episode of Top Gear for Pete’s sake!). I couldn’t help but realise that all the major gaming stars of recent history were missing from my games collection. Sonic, Mario, Solid Snake, Link, etc seem to have been muscled out by less well known characters such as Stallion, Subaru Impreza 22B and Lamborghini Diablo.
Maybe I’m missing out on something as I squander the majority of my time away racing around virtual tracks in cars that I could never even dream of affording in real life. But I don’t think there’s a problem. Many people like to immerse themselves in a game and imagine that they are the character, living out the story line. I’m the same! I just enjoy playing the part of an insanely rich man who, um, can afford every car he wants, and err, hire tracks to race them on. None the less, when it comes to gaming, for me the Car’s the Star! Thus I have compiled a series of “Awards” for my favourite Automotive Gaming Stars over recent times:
Award for Best “Ego” extension:
The Getaway: Brabus Mercedes Benz S-Class:
“In London, It’s not what you drive but who’s driving.” utters moaning cockney Mark Hammond. Err, I don’t think so! If you ask me, driving around London is all about looking like a pimp daddy. Especially if it’s just a game. So I look no further than the upper class Yardie choice, The Brabus S-Class. Black paint, leather seats, four exhaust pipes and chrome just about everywhere. And it actually takes a bit of stick before it begins belching oily smoke, which is superb! Fast driving aside though, I am also quite partial to burbling up and down Oxford Street like a D-list celebrity.
Honourable Mention: GTA:VC Lovefist Limo, GT3 Jaguar XKR
Award for Sheer Lunacy:
Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec: TVR Cerbera Speed 12
Whack the background music off, and revel in the symphony of the Speed 12 grunting, snorting and growling around the circuit like some sort of caged monster. This car practically negates the need for computer AI controlled opponents! Take off the Traction Control and you’ll find that just trying to complete a lap in less than 5 minutes, and without visiting every gravel trap on the circuit, causes you to break into a sweat! But when you finally pull off a nice bit of cornering and roar away up the straight, you get a kick that is probably only surpassed by actually driving the car itself. Which I guess is never going to happen. Humph.
Honourable Mention: GTA:VC Hot Ring Racer, GT3 Suzuki Pikes Peak
Award for Most Unlikely Driving Game Fodder:
Vice City: Golf Buggy
It had to be really, didn’t it? Comedy stylings await as you blast down the highway (or should that be fairway?) in this windowless plastic lump! All the fun of a cabriolet, but with none of the class, everybody’s probably had a quiz whiz about in this vehicle. Including the cast of Jackass, if the trailer for their movie is anything to go by.
Honourable Mention: The Getaway: Forklift Truck, Stuntman: Tuc Tuc.
Award for Best TV/Film Cameo:
Burnout 2: Tuned Coupe - as seen in The Fast and the Furious
Now, I’m not saying that I want to be Paul Walker, the bloke who played the wet behind the ears detective in said film, but there’s something quite nice about going for a blast in a Nitrous tuned car that looks awfully similar to the one that he sat behind the wheel of. Complete with the whistling clunk-ptschhhhk! noise and blurring scenery that accompanied each boost!
Honourable Mention: GT3 Aston Martin Vanquish - The World is Not Enough, GTA:VC Burrito - The A-Team,
We all have characters that we grow fond of in games, and others that we don’t like. Equally, most of us will have a favourite genre. Super Mario et al are the stereotypical heroes of computer games, but surely it doesn't need to stop there? I play driving games, and hence all my favourite “characters” are cars! Tragic I agree, but that's the way it is, and I bet some of you out there are the same!