Before Kazunori Yamauchi created the first Gran Turismo, he began his career with a title known as Motor Toon Grand Prix. Produced by “Polys Entertainment” (later to become Polyphony Digital), it’s a cartoon racing game featuring 8 karts and 10 tracks. Sony has just announced the game’s availability for download as a “PSOne Classic” on PSN for $5.99. So, if you want to see how it all really got started, grab the 251 MB download and give it a go.
Of course, it should be noted that the PSN version of the is technically Motor Toon Grand Prix 2. The first game of the series was actually a PS1 launch title in Japan, but was never released outside of the country. The second game was released internationally, and was known simply as “Motor Toon Grand Prix”. Interestingly, there is almost no official record of the first version of the game, and even Polyphony Digital’s own site does not acknowledge the fact that two versions exist. Game-play videos thankfully live on via YouTube – here’s what appears to be a primitive version of GT‘s Trial Mountain circuit…
Thanks to all who sent this in!
See more articles on Kazunori Yamauchi and Polyphony Digital.
So GT really started out as Motortoon. That game looks wierd. I’m gonna go look for a version for an emulator.
This is like one of those low budget nude movies that celebrities do before they make it big.
Boy can that statement be taken different ways…lol
Its not crazy to expect them to have updated it for a PSN release with trophies and online play. If its just the standard ‘as it was on PS1’ version then its worthless. I can probably go and buy the disk somewhere used for a buck!
I don’t see why people even buy PS1 classics on PSN! All PS3’s are capable of playing PS1 disk games as far as I’m aware so if there’s not extra incentive why bother.
One incentive is the same as any other digital media: ease of storing, no risk of damage. I don’t personally agree with it or use that motivation (hell, I still buy music CDs).
Another is the ability to play the games on the PSP, for which 99% of PSOne Classics on PSN you can. That’s not the case with this one, for some odd reason, but that is a big reason why people will buy PSOne Classics.
A third (also not applicable in this case) is that for some games, the physical disc copy is difficult to find or expensive if you do.
LOL, I hope not. Real carts I can deal with, but “mario carts” arcade stuff I stink at.
Yes, I knot you where J/k, but I just had visions of the collector edition being Kaz going back to his roots with Motor Toon Racer HD…. ;)
Maybe this is what was meant by go-karts in gt5? Just kiddin btw
If they would consider putting the games GT1 to GT4 on the PlayStation Network. I would buy for my PS3!!!
Yep me too . They should atleast put there GT1 and GT2 because these are biggest and best PS1 Classics .
now i was able to play number 2 when it had been out a while but i always thought when Polyphony Appeared I always though it was another delevopment studio sony opened and asked Kaz to run for them. I did not know that it Polys Entertainment/Polyphony was always his.
You learn new things everyday
no cockpit view ?? i wont buy it
how is this moist game news.like i care about a game that eeven my youngest brother wouldnt play.
So why bother posting about it?…..
Must’ve read the article at least, or you wouldn’t know enough to comment…..
Sounds like you cared more than you realized……
Guess the fact that that it’s a game from Kaz, and that people are interested enough to read and comment about it makes it news. Go figure.
Maybe i came on gtplanet to hear some news about GT…
I suspect ur a child if ur offended by what i said
Doesn’t sound offeneded to me. Sounds like adult logic actually.
By the way, adults spell it “y-o-u a-r-e”. That way we don’t sound like whiney children. ROFLMAO…
Guess he was so busy not reading the article, he missed the part where it’s news because it’s directly involved in the history of GT, and the part where everyone else is having fun remembering, (so obviously THEY care in one way or another), oh, and the part where it’s news because it’s a sony anouncement targeted at GT fans….
awwwwwww how emotional…
Ehhh, quite wasting your time guys. We all know it’s just a dumb kid troll. I’m guessing about 8 years old.
He knows what he’s doing. He just wants to take stabs at GTP cause he’s bored. Why else would he post that he doesn’t care, but comes back every few minutes to read and post?
if they ever release another demo its probably gonna be after the summer holidays…
I couldn’t stop laughing after watching how the kart skews whenever it turns.
good physic engine haha centrifuge force !
Motor Toon Extreme Racer Drift….. ;) That’s where Tokyo Extreme Racer ripped the idea off from. lol
I check here every couple days hoping to see headline GT5 DEMO NOW DOWNLOADABLE ON PSN…..instead we get this??????
i check ever 2 or 3 hours ………….
Every night after work for three years for me. Religiously.
@JayKayEm
^best comment ever. Congratulations! You’re now a TRUE fan!! ;)
So instead of a GT5 demo, we get a kid’s game.
Sony and PD never fail to find new ways of disappointing their “fans.”
the checkpoint times are the same style as those in gt
Is this sony blackmail against kaz? “release GT5 or we release your murky past”
What next a night vision sex tape with kaz and paris available on the video store!
Haha best comment on GTP.
lol ……
I want to play Gran Turismo 5 yesterday!
The original one is at play.com but none are in stock.
I bought the original Motor Toon Grand Prix while I was in Japan. Still haven’t tried it out though!
Hopefully this game is released on the european PSN aswell, would jump it in a heartbeat.
… And still no cockpit view lol
Things have got so bad at PD, they need to sell this to fund the franchise :D
I remember playing this game when I was very young
I hope these cars will be in GT5, lol just joking :D
WTH – engine sounds are still like vacuumcleaners. PD seriously need to fix this… Also, graphixx seemes downgraded from GT5 Prologue :(
HAHA very funny …. NOT .
@Martin9909
HAHA very witty …. NOT
If you watch the first related video, that course map sure has a striking resemblance to the High Speed Ring (Reverse).
that is cool, old games come back to life! :)
I notice that the game track in video “primitive version of GT’s Trial Mountain” is very challenging, alot of corners and bumpy roads, GT grandpa! lmao :)
Like most other old games, they leave fond memories, but are best left as that – just memories.
i would love to see the cockpit view of these things. i hope my g27 works with this
i’m too old for this sh!t :P
when i was young i played alot of this kind of kart games.
now i buyed MOD Nation Racers. Its a good game but not my “thing” anymore. i played it a week. and now i never play it…
so i don’t buy such games anymore from now on.
@Maxitsu
I would agree because some of the games I’ve had since my birthday months back, I no longer play.
So usually, I just rent them.
I thought this was a gran turismo website
one of THE BEST of them all!
rtfa
Oh no, there is no skid marks, reverse lights, too much wind noise, cars sound like vacuums, only two premium cars out of eight.I’m not buying this.
I swear one of those cars looks like a Porsche….
I’m not going to buy this, if cars don’t have cockpit view…
Epic!
OOOOooooo! … …
Ha, primitive version of Trial Mountain! LMAO! Right, so it has corners, a rock face, and tunnel, so it must be a primitive version… :o/
It’s nothing like it, at all.
Think what Jordan did there mate was something called humour lol
Rubbish.
Don’t think Tokyo is familiar with the concept….
LOL WTF 2D trees and no skidmarks? I won’t buy that!
This.
Good to know nobody expects progress from 1999 to 2010.
The sad part is the trees are almost comparable to GT5’s trees haha. Except for the floating in mid air part.
So that’s where they got their sounds from…
its obvious, isnt it? xD
If you wont respect this game then you have no respect for Gran Turismo series or Polyphony Digital .
thats sad
wow…if u dont respect a ps1 title that he made 10 years ago w/ cartoon racing, then u dont respect the entire PD company or GT series…thats a harsh assumption. stop taking things so seriously
I agree with Devin.. This game is just a lot less serious than Gran Turismo. It’s like hating Need for Speed because you hate The Sims… Both from EA.
Just respect the game and Yamauchi.
It’s the law. If you don’t swear blind allegiance, right now, to motor toon GP, a gaint cartoon PSX comes out of your computer and takes all your previous copies of GT….
Respect the name, and the gam,e lest ye be punnished.
The guy makes video games. Yah, that deserves blind respect. Not like saving lives in a hospital or pointless garbage like that….
So, Hows that Mustey Respectey thing workin out for ya?
Come on mate, Gran Turismo is a damn good game and PD is my fave developer but it ain’t a mystical force dude. Take that stick out your arse! lol.
Crap! Not a mythical force you say? That stupid old hermit lied to me. Now we’ll never beat the Empire in online mode. All hope is lost.
Luke, trust in your feelings…Use the Kaz Luke…
Hopefully they’ll use this a gauge to see if we want GT1 & GT2 in the store ;)
Jordan, the “primitive version” video won’t play on iPhone :(
Buy a computer.
Zing! : )
Or get an android phone they do flash
Double Zing! :)
Does this come with trophies or online play? Also has it been tweaked like with widescreen or HD support?
WTF this is PS1 game no way there is online play or trophies .
no. it’s just like every other of the dozens/hundreds of PS1 games that’s been released on PS3. it’s the same as it was in 1998 or whenever it came out.
im trying to beliebe it, … i mean come on, really ? thats a HUGE change…
Pretty much the first racing game I ever played, it taught you so much, like hugging the apex of a turn, and to not contact your opponents. That’s a lot for a 6 year old to comprehend back then XD
This is what they give us to ease the wait for GT5?! o_O
5 whole race tracks, such an astounding number
This may mean that they will also release Gran Turismo 1/2 on PSN! I’ve been waiting for that since forever….I hope they do.
I really really wouldn’t count on that. You can get them off ebay for just a little more then you’d pay for them on PSN anyway, and the PS3 will play PS1 discs… So why keep waiting?
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
If that happened i would probably choke myself lol
I’m still having a hard time trying to grasp that this was made by the father of Gran Turismo. Its so…indescribably hard to comprehend.
guy just starting out, kart racers easier to market at the time, guy starting out likes racers… understanding in three easy steps.
okay, so best prank ever:
Its November 2, and you run into the living room with your copy of GT5, stick it in the PS3, and then this game starts. That would be classic.
If you think thats hard to belive, Polyphony Digital made A shooting game after GT1. Look it up. Omega Blast.
Actually it’s Omega Boost
Where it all began..
peinguin brothers !!
WTF !
NEWSFLASH
—
Hurricane Force is underaged.
weird…
LOL, what does the KA rating stand for? Kick Ass?
kids through adult
lol! hell yea kick ass
This game was so awesome. I remember having it for the PSX way back in the day. Gonna buy it on PSN. :3
298 km/h while taking corner lol!
watching that made me realize…gamers those days had it rough compared to now :/
mmmmm
Forza 3 is more realistic; just a tad
i really do see some comparison between..forza and this! only that this has unique characters, not stiffed armed unhappy robotic animated helmet wearing humans :/ <<<am just hating coz forza fans think they won against GT5, but yes they did the AGAINST***PROLOGUE VERSION*** I hate friggin forza fans
ima get this for the love of gran turismo!
awwwwww