A jump to the racing scene with this week’s Retro Recap. We take a look one of the most popular racing series and a game that is still going strong 17 years later, it’s Gran Turismo!
The racing game that defined the genre. Gran Turismo undoubtedly ruled the streets when it came to a racing simulation game. From its spectacular graphics for it’s time, to the enhanced realism of a driving game, it was clear to see why GT was the most sold title of the PlayStation 1.
Now, I don’t know about you guys but my favourite part about playing Gran Turismo was always the license training. I know what you’re thinking; it was all about the racing! Well to that, I blow a big raspberry in your general direction! I’m a sucker for novelty in video games, whether it’s using Coco in a Crash Bandicoot game, or engaging in a stealth mission dressed in a tux. Don’t get the wrong impression; tournaments were fun too, but only as a basis for unlocking the next license class.
Even with its limiting multiplayer mode, GT was definitely fun with friends as well as on your own. Of course the problem always lay when you raced that friend who practically lived off this game. I mean, how could you compete? They could drift around those sharp turns with ease, and to top it all off, they crash into you just as they were lapping you. Not to say that I was terrible at this game, but it’s almost like my friends never played anything else. I could hardly turn around and say that I’m going to beat them at Spyro the Dragon now could I?
Some delightful little Gran Turismo facts for you:
- As of April 2008, GT has sold around 10.85 million copies, over a million more than the 2nd placed Final Fantasy VII
- Incidentally, Gran Turismo 2 is the third highest selling PS1 game, selling 9.37 million copies
- The opening theme song is a Chemical Brothers remix of “Everything Must Go” by the Manic Street Preachers
- There are 180 cars available in GT, however, 2 of them are unavailable in the European and US versions
In all honesty, Gran Turismo is probably my second favourite racing title, behind Project Gotham Racing 3, yet with a game that I’ve only really experienced the first title in the series, spanning over 10 sequels and spin-offs; it’s hardly a kick in the teeth to the franchise. The plethora of vehicles and your disposal, each one of them upgradable and the multitude of tracks for racing on, was it any wonder that GT id one of the most popular racing games of all time.
Check out our friends over at DoYouRemember.com who wrote a fantastic article about the 10 worst video games of all time! I’m just surprised they limited it to only 10! Big Rigs anyone? The article can be found here >>> 10 Worst Video Games of All Time
What were your thoughts on Gran Turismo? Did you play it much in your youthful days? Are you still a fan of the series now? Let us know in the comments section below!
