LONG BLOG
Review: Smash Cars
Do you like driving simulators or arcade racing games?
For awhile it was hard for me to tell the difference between a driving-sim and an arcade racer.
But when Burnout and Project Gotham came out, almost side by side, that was the defining moment when I realized there is a huge difference. I don't consider myself much of a racing fan. I'm not too into Gran Turismo or Project Gotham Racing. I'm more into Burnout 2, San Francisco Rush-Rush 2049 racing. What would be considered arcade based racing. Micro machines on the NES, Need For Speed (1994) on the PC. It's not that I'm not very good at driving simulators Gran Turismo or the Project Gotham series. I'm OK, I do well when I play them.
I find there is this strangely enjoyable sense of lucidity in arcade racing games that you don't get from racing games that try to strongly base themselves in reality. San Francisco Rush had the sense of speed, crash damage, and traffic that is now synonymous with the Burnout Franchise of arcade racing games. Rush 2049 had cars with deployable wings so you could pull off crazy mid air stunts. In Rush 2049, it wassn't just about going face and trying to outlast your opponent, it was also about hitting a jump so you can wall ride and glide too. That and rocket powered F1 type vehicles romping to the finish. Maybe it's the speed, maybe it's the damage, but I much prefer it to what I can now see strongly defined as driving simulators.
I used to subscribe to The Official PlayStation Magazine, when I took ownership over my brother PlayStation 2 some years ago. I picked up the magazine only for the demo disc enclosed with each copy. On one such disc there was this demo for an arcade racer called Smash Cars, so I checked it out - turns out I loved it. I could never find the game in any stores and ended up wearing out the disc, playing that damn demo so much.
Fast forward a few years after my brother repossessed and sold his PS2. Fast forward some more and I've got a PlayStation 3. No racing games at all, totally avoiding them.
So I'm pursuing the PSN Store one day and what do I find? Shit in my pants.
Bibbly
For awhile it was hard for me to tell the difference between a driving-sim and an arcade racer.
But when Burnout and Project Gotham came out, almost side by side, that was the defining moment when I realized there is a huge difference. I don't consider myself much of a racing fan. I'm not too into Gran Turismo or Project Gotham Racing. I'm more into Burnout 2, San Francisco Rush-Rush 2049 racing. What would be considered arcade based racing. Micro machines on the NES, Need For Speed (1994) on the PC. It's not that I'm not very good at driving simulators Gran Turismo or the Project Gotham series. I'm OK, I do well when I play them.
I find there is this strangely enjoyable sense of lucidity in arcade racing games that you don't get from racing games that try to strongly base themselves in reality. San Francisco Rush had the sense of speed, crash damage, and traffic that is now synonymous with the Burnout Franchise of arcade racing games. Rush 2049 had cars with deployable wings so you could pull off crazy mid air stunts. In Rush 2049, it wassn't just about going face and trying to outlast your opponent, it was also about hitting a jump so you can wall ride and glide too. That and rocket powered F1 type vehicles romping to the finish. Maybe it's the speed, maybe it's the damage, but I much prefer it to what I can now see strongly defined as driving simulators.
I used to subscribe to The Official PlayStation Magazine, when I took ownership over my brother PlayStation 2 some years ago. I picked up the magazine only for the demo disc enclosed with each copy. On one such disc there was this demo for an arcade racer called Smash Cars, so I checked it out - turns out I loved it. I could never find the game in any stores and ended up wearing out the disc, playing that damn demo so much.
Fast forward a few years after my brother repossessed and sold his PS2. Fast forward some more and I've got a PlayStation 3. No racing games at all, totally avoiding them.
So I'm pursuing the PSN Store one day and what do I find? Shit in my pants.
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About Bibblyone of us since 11:41 AM on 02.16.2011
Hi!, My name is Aaron but you can call me Bibbly if you like. I make stuff out of things. Here's a sample of a thing made with stuff: 
I am from Canada.
It is important you know that I am from Canada because we spell colour and flavour with a U and sometimes use British vernacular, probably because of Coronation Street and East Enders.
I'm a student in something called 'pre professional journalism'. Whatever that is. I'm a major of Philosophy and a minor in Sociology, mostly because critical thinking and the analysis and understanding of social behaviors makes me horny.
My ambitions include creating a fully animated rotoscoped feature length animatronic musical and to build a 'fusion' reactor in my backyard out of little more than a high power laser and an industrial vacuum. Both of these things are possible believe it or not.
My hobbies include Canadian Moose Throwing which is easier than it sounds and Snow Mobile Diving which is a sport that takes place after a failed attempt at extended hydroplaning or bad jump.
You can hit me up on Skype @: Bibbly53
And Email me @: [email protected]
Stay classy.
I am from Canada.
It is important you know that I am from Canada because we spell colour and flavour with a U and sometimes use British vernacular, probably because of Coronation Street and East Enders.
I'm a student in something called 'pre professional journalism'. Whatever that is. I'm a major of Philosophy and a minor in Sociology, mostly because critical thinking and the analysis and understanding of social behaviors makes me horny.
My ambitions include creating a fully animated rotoscoped feature length animatronic musical and to build a 'fusion' reactor in my backyard out of little more than a high power laser and an industrial vacuum. Both of these things are possible believe it or not.
My hobbies include Canadian Moose Throwing which is easier than it sounds and Snow Mobile Diving which is a sport that takes place after a failed attempt at extended hydroplaning or bad jump.
You can hit me up on Skype @: Bibbly53
And Email me @: [email protected]
Stay classy.