Please talk PS2 racing games with me, eh?

[k.vlaros]

The only sixth gen racer I've played lately is Auto Modellista and it's unique (sort of) but needed a sequel or two to really be "good". Though I think it's better than the professional reviews described it. The uphill / downhill races with slower cars (especially after you've placed your decals and changed colors) are probably the heart of the game.

I was thinking about tracking down R Racing Evolution and made the "mistake" of watching the 9 minute story mode cutscene compilation on youtube. I really shouldn't have done that. It would have been fun to play through the story, however small. I do like some of the music cuts and the "aggression" system.

And due to this thread, I revisited some videos of Most Wanted and it looks like something I need. GameCube copy ordered- thanks!

PS, Gran Turismo _does_ have an arcade mode. No car-building knowledge required. If you have even the faintest interest in PS2 driving games, GT4 is a no-brainer based on cost and 480p support.

[Valkyrie-Favor]

Downhill Domination, $1 at Gamestop and pretty awesome.

[kiteJargon]

I'd like to second Auto Modellista. It's a cell shaded tougé style game (basically racing uphill/downhill through twisty Japanese mountainside). There are also other types of racing available including standard track racing. The controls are definitely quirky but once you get them down the game can be a whole ton of fun. I tried playing it with a wheel and the FFB just never felt quite right but it's a blast on a controller.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDSxH6E ... re=related

You can also check out a Japan import called Initial D: Special Stage which is quite a bit of fun as well which is solely of the uphill/downhill variety.

If you are down with SSX style racing with a HEAVY emphasis on tricks definitely check out Sled Storm or Freekstyle. They are essentially re-skinned versions of each other with Sled Storm taking place on Ski-doos and Freekstyle on dirt bikes. Both are extremely fun and don't require a huge time sink to get into. Very pick up and play.

Then there's the MX vs. ATV Unleashed series which are a blast in their own right but not quite as outrageous as the two I've just mentioned.

The PS2 is a haven for quirky arcadey racing games. Go nuts!

[videogameexperiment]

Auto Modellista had some good ideas and the graphics were definitely unique to the genre. But those controls.... They were way too touchy and uphill/downhill controlled wildly different to prevent myself from ever having consistent control over my car.

For a better touge style racer, look at Tokyo Extreme Racer Drift 1/2. As someone who is a huge fan of import cars, you will notice how authentic the cars and parts are. Have a nissan and want to upgrade? Put a SR20DET motor in. This got me hooked on the games. The racing is fun and very manageable. However, you can definitely tell it's a budget game compared to Gran Turismo or NFS.

Midnight Club series is great too. I like the first one, since they gave you better sandbox cars to play with(Taxi with a plow). But 2 and 3 are the better games.

[D.D.D.]

PS2 Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2 (Scroll down a little)

One of the best Need For Speeds, drives like the older PC releases with aggressive cops keeping pace.

I f'n loved that game! The soundtrack was pretty cool too (didn't know most of the songs before either).
Fun thing too is to be Smokey and get the bandit.

Oh and Riiiiiiiiiiidge Racer V was fun when I got the PS2 at launch; haven't played it since but again, the soundtrack was pretty good too (BoomBoom Satellites etc).

[noiseredux]

I'm glad this thread is growing!

Auto Modelista I have played. I was split on it. I love the cell shaded look of it, but it seems to be of the GT style of "you have to build a car to play well." I'm no good at "sim" racers I guess. Pretty much my perfect racing experience is OutRun so I prefer games that are decendants of it.

R: Racing Evolution has always intrigued me. The "GT Jr" tag is interesting. I guess it's light on the sim stuff? So maybe it could ease me in. Definitely one I'd keep my eyes peeled for.

I haven't played any Ridge Racers after the first. I remember dsheinem saying RRV was a pretty lousy game (at least as a launch title) so I had avoided it thus far.

What are the Midnight Club games like? Are they basically NFS?

@ k.vlaros: thanks for the heads up on GT4's arcade mode then. I might just scoop that one up afterall!

[CRTGAMER]

Midnight club is more of an open world layout similar to the Grand Theft series, Midnight Club III Greatest Hits has an extra track. Speaking of Rockstar, try Smugglers Run, the first release. A little dated on graphics but a lot of fun with aggressive cops hounding like Need for Speed. The flag capture aspect is great, the opponents are ruthless stealing your heist. Reminds me of 2600 Indy 500 mad dash to get the next treasure.

I gave PS2 Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2 another run last night, such a cool game. A must play in driver view .

[kiteJargon]

For a better touge style racer, look at Tokyo Extreme Racer Drift 1/2. As someone who is a huge fan of import cars, you will notice how authentic the cars and parts are. Have a nissan and want to upgrade? Put a SR20DET motor in. This got me hooked on the games. The racing is fun and very manageable. However, you can definitely tell it's a budget game compared to Gran Turismo or NFS.

Yeah! the Kaido Battle series was brought over to the US as Tokyo Extreme Racer Drift 1/2. Both are great games and definitely fun to play with a wheel. Sunk a ton of time into those with my car-obsessed roommate at the time. Though they are more "customize the shit out of your car" so if you're not into that sort of thing then I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

[Mortalrift]

I have to add yet another vote for Gran Turismo 4 - this one really got me into cars, and you can pick it up for next to nothing

[d123456]

Shox is a real hidden racing gem. (I have loads and loads of ps2 racing games)
60FPS looks incredible.