evergreen

The month is May 2010. Just four weeks before E3, one of the biggest games ever is about to launch: Red Dead Redemption. However, the month will be fondly remembered by arcade racing game fans for another reason.

Driving music. Some will tell you the very concept is wrong — the engine and tires provide all the auditory stimulation you could possibly need. Others cannot possibly get behind the wheel without it.

Welcome to Mirror Mode, GTPlanet’s series that shines a spotlight on retro racing games. In this installment, we take a look at one of the original PlayStation’s forgotten first-party racers. 

My real-world racing experience is very limited. When it comes to tracks, I’ve only actually visited two my entire life, and they couldn’t be any further apart.

Welcome to Mirror Mode, GTPlanet’s series that shines a spotlight on retro racing games. In this installment, we take a look back at Namco’s realistic Ridge Racer reboot, R: Racing Evolution. 

I have a friend named Chris. I’ve known Chris since grade school; my earliest memories of going to his house involve wading through a garage filled with motorcycle parts, gear, and a Honda VTR1000F. His dad raced for Honda and Suzuki in the ’80s, which to a couple of eight-year-olds may as well have made him a superhero.

Welcome to Mirror Mode, GTPlanet’s series that shines a spotlight on retro racing games. To commemorate the upcoming release of Need for Speed Payback, we’re revisiting one of franchise’s most iconic installments. 

Want to feel old? Nearly as much time passed between the first Gran Turismo and GT4 — about seven years — as between GT5 and GT Sport.

Welcome to Mirror Mode, GTPlanet’s series that shines a spotlight on retro racing games. To commemorate the release of Forza Motorsport 7, we’re revisiting the franchise’s landmark first installment. 

It turns out Kaz and company meant it when they said GT Sport was intended for anyone aged 7 to 77. Japan celebrated Senior Citizens Day on September 18, and the Japan Activity Association marked the occasion by using the upcoming racing sim to help seniors stay sharp.

For some of us, Gran Turismo was our first driving simulator. For those of us who have been around a bit longer, there were other toys, like Tomy’s Turnin’ Turbo. Back in 1983, this tabletop marvel was all the rage among budding young gearheads — so we’re told — with its Porsche-inspired design, sleek instrument cluster, and Tron-like visuals.

Welcome to Mirror Mode, GTPlanet’s series that shines a spotlight on retro racing games. For this, the fourth round, we’re looking at a franchise long tied to the PlayStation brand: Ridge Racer. Ridge Racer V arrived alongside the PlayStation 2 early in 2000.

For this installment of Mirror Mode, we celebrate the upcoming release of F1 2017 with a look back at one of the most influential F1 games of all time.

Something pretty remarkable is set to happen this fall, when Nintendo releases the SNES Classic Edition. No, it’s not that you won’t be able to buy one, nor is it the fact that unscrupulous scalpers will try and bleed every red cent from your childhood nostalgia.

Welcome to Mirror Mode, GTPlanet’s series that shines a spotlight on retro racing games. This time, we explore one of the most influential sim racers of the PlayStation generation: Colin McRae Rally 2.0.

What do you call the person that graduated at the bottom of their class in medical school? The answer is deceptively simple: doctor.

Imagine if a company made software that could run Forza Horizon 3 flawlessly on PS4 Pro. Now imagine if it widely distributed that software for a small fee, and required only a retail copy of the game to operate — no modding or hacking required on the part of the customer.

Welcome to Mirror Mode, GTPlanet’s new series that shines a spotlight on retro racing games. For our second installment, we’re revisiting one of the most unique sixth-generation driving titles: Auto Modellista.

Welcome to Mirror Mode, GTPlanet’s new series that shines a spotlight on retro racing games. For our first installment, we’re taking a look back at one of the competitors Gran Turismo inspired during the franchise’s early years: Sega GT.

There’s been a ton of really good fictional tracks throughout the racing genre. Often memories of our favorite circuits are intertwined with our favorite games too. There’s no way this is simply a coincidence.