Midway Arcade Treasures 3 (2005; PS2)

[JohnBM01]

GTPlanet, this is all about racing games as Midway released their latest collection of arcade games. Midway Arcade Treasures 3 is all about racing games. And eight are included- San Francisco Rush 2049, Rush the Rock, Badlands, Super Off Road Racing and its Track Pak, Off-Road Thunder, Hydro Thunder, and Race Drivin'. Did I enjoy it? Would you enjoy it? Read on, players.

OTHER INFO: I will have a little special on "Race Drivin'" in a future post here. Regardless, you have games as old as maybe 1989 to as young as 2000. So there's over 11 years of parity. Some games can be configurable by modifying difficulty and some other options, if available.

PROS: old school Midway racing at its best; maybe find a classic you'll like; many of the arcade games are done impressively; relive old times;

CONS: some games come across pretty weak and offer very little to the classic arcade game; some long loading times; no Crusin' series?; Off-Road Thunder kind of sucks, even the lesser-favored Off-Road Challenge was better; no configurable button setups, so you must use the triggers to accelerate and brake in most games.

FINAL VERDICT: I was disappointed with the "Rush the Rock" game on here, but other than that, this is a great way to see the old classics To me, everything could have been arcade-quality, but the effort seems pretty short. I'd still get this game just to play the classics. Other than that, there's a good number of issues that keeps these racing games in the dust. One other big issue is that even though only eight games are in the collection, purists would say this collection is somewhat incomplete, if not COMPLETLELY incomplete. And you thought I can't be picky as a reviewer. (Final Verdict: 7.50/10.00)

 

[JohnBM01]

Okay, as promised about the "Race Drivin'" game in this collection. Allow me to first show you what the game provided on Race Drivin', then I'll offer my commentary.

(Description Game Provides for Race Drivin'):

"Race Drivin' includes all the innovative game features that made Hard Drivin' the industry's first true driving simulation game, plus many more new features.

"Race Drivin' is a driving simulation game in which the player can choose from four different cars (three with manual transmission and one with automatic) and race in various courses that require precision manuvers and tons of skill. The game features brand new tracks, such as the 'Super Stunt Track' that'll challenge even the best of Hard Drivin' stunt racers. New tests of skill include a corkscrew loop, a jump loop, and a winding mountain road."

Now, let me provide my commentary on how this game works. You can basically select between the Hard Drivin' course (granted you remember Hard Drivin' and played it), an easy Autocross course, and a challenging Super Stunt course. The game is very slow, so don't think you'll be travelling at 200 mph into a smooth corner. You have three cars which look like Ferrari Testarossas, then one that's kind of like an Austin Healey Sprite roadster.

Here is where the game gets tough. If you choose the only Automatic car, you must turn the key (Press and hold "X,") then depress the accelerator (press and hold R1) to start the car. Even after crashing, you must do this process. Now, the "X" button serves as the brakes, so make sure that after turning the key, you QUICKLY hit the gas to accelerate. Easy, huh? Manual is much tougher. You have three to choose from. After selecting a Manual car, here is how to jump off the line effectively. First, you must hold down the clutch (press and hold L1). During holding down the clutch, turn the key to start the engine. Keep holding down the clutch, press down on the acclerator. After some revs, get off of the clutch and take off. If you crash, you must do all this over again with a Manual/Standard car.

To handle the automobile, don't drive like it's Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport. I found that getting off the gas, turning, then feather the throttle into a corner. This way, you avoid having to use the brakes. And if you have to brake, brake about 100-150 feet before the corner if you're carrying a lot of speed. This tip is CRUCIAL when on the Super Stunt Track when you must take a chicane on a winding mountain road. So for best handling, get off the gas, turn, and feather the throttle. Believe me, it is tough, but when you get the hang of it, you can perform better on certain tracks. And to think, this is one of the first simulation racing games before anything of Codemasters, Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport, or even GTR. Since Race Drivin's prequel was Hard Drivin', maybe Race Drivin' should have been called Harder Drivin'.