~Motortoon 2 GP (PSX)

Review, obtained off the internet.


Okay...I know all of you are just dying to find out what Motortoon 2
is like, so I'll write a short review here (mind you, I haven't 
gotten all the "goodies" yet, so there IS more that I don't know 
about)


* PACKAGING *

Comes is a nice two-cd jewel case. (2 cd's, you're wondering? One is 
for the actual gameplay, and the other is for link-up! No having to 
buy a second copy to play head-to-head.) Instructions look highly 
detailed with lots of info, but I can't read Japanese, so I wouldn't
know.


* FIRST IMPRESSIONS *

Okay, so I did the little double swap, and the game started up. First
thing I saw was the opening of a FMV sequence. It shows short clips 
of each character, what they're doing, etc. Very well done, IMHO. I 
think it's one of the best I've seen in a while (besides Tekken 2, of
course). Anyhow, after that was done, it popped up with the same 
opening music for Motortoon GP1 (gotta love that tune). The first 
thing I noticed were the additional menu options. Wow. 

There was Single Race, Free Run, Time Attack, Championship Race, and
Replay Theater. More in depth on these, later. Anyhow, I ran single 
race, and as I went into the beautifully designed world, I noticed 
the controls were CONSIDERABLY different! No more drift, and 
thankfully, no more going out of control! Instead, you control more 
realistically..which I think is very cool. There is also an items 
system now..you get coins throughout the track, then you get an 
item from each coin (rockets, bombs, etc)..very fun. You'll also 
notice that the game is a lot harder now...which is good. 


* GRAPHICS * 9/10

Awesome! A lot of improvement over the first game! The worlds are 
*so* much more detailed now. Every little detail is there...plus, 
there's 5 worlds (plus racing them backwards). The animation is 
much more fluid...and even though some may not care, the FMV is 
-SUPERB-.  I love it...it's one of those FMV's that you wanna show 
to your friend's. The only reason I do not give it a 10 is because 
it suffers the same problem as in MTGP1...when you come real close 
to a wall, you'll see INSIDE of it...its weird, but nothing 
distracting..it's very minor.


* SOUND/MUSIC * 10/10

The sound effects are very good..everything is done accordingly...
not much else to say there...the music is AWESOME. A lot of it is 
remixed/original versions of MTGP1 music, but gosh darnit, that 
music was great...especially Gulliver House 2. 


* CONTROL * 9/10

If I were grading MTGP1 here, the control would be 3..maybe 2. The 
reason for this is that in MTGP1, if you crashed into a wall, you 
could consider the race over..you lost. Thats not the scenario in 
this. Crashing into a wall is common...you crash, you slow down..you
don't bounce across the screen. The control is VERY hard to get used
to though. Well, it may not be if you've never experienced MTGP1 
before, but if you're like me, you'll find it frustrating the first 
few times through..but then you'll smile and say "Ah, that's better"
...but have fun trying to go back and play MTGP1 again :). I think 
it would be a lot easier using an analog stick, but it works fine 
with standard PSX controllers.


* GAMEPLAY * 10/10

Ah...this is where the game REALLY shines. You've got options gallore
here..enough to keep you busy for a very long time. As I mentioned 
before, theres an item system...if you get a rocket, you can shoot it
at an opponent, causing him to jump in the air and go haywire...get a
stopwatch, and the time stops for a bit..get a star, you've got 
shields...it's very well done, and adds a lot to the game. The 
championship mode is a really a blast in this game. It's a bit like 
Wipeout..in the sense that you race all 8 characters and if someone 
gets in first place, they get 10 points, 2nd they get less, and so 
on..and after each race, it's all added up so you can see who is 
currently winning the GP. If you get first place in the Grand Prix, 
you get a "goodie". For instance, if you beat easy level, you get 
extra characters...beat normal, you get more tracks, and beat hard, 
you get a mini-game called "Tank Combat"...this game isn't that much 
1 player, but 2 player looks like it'd be a blast...I'm really 
looking forward to playing that 2 player...anyhow, I've never beaten
Professional or Expert levels, so I'm looking forward to seeing what
else is next. Oh yes, I should also add that split-screen racing is 
now GONE. This made me cry. :) I, like most people, do not have 2 
playstations...and my friends don't have one...so linking is not an 
easy thing to do...I'm sure the reason split-screen is gone is 
because of the highly detailed worlds..but I can't wait to race via 
linkup (if i ever do). So basically, all I've been saying here is: 
IT'S FUN AS HELL!!


* OVERALL * 10/10

This game really does deserve a 10/10. It's the most fun I've had on 
my PSX to date. This game was definately worth the $74 I paid for it.
..I should also add one other thing before I go...in case anyone gets
offended easily, there's a scene in the intro with a nude (backside) 
Princess Jean, taking a shower. It's nothing graphic, and it lasts a 
second...just thought I should mention it.