Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
3/20/20 12:19 p.m.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/8ncQ_2wMJ4I

For many budding enthusiasts, the original Gran Turismo was like opening a door into car heaven and diving headfirst into automotive bliss.

Out of all the cars featured in the game, what was your favorite?

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fanfoy
fanfoy SuperDork
3/20/20 1:05 p.m.

I for one prefered the sequal:

https://youtu.be/e701QHyCr0o

slowbird
slowbird Dork
3/20/20 1:12 p.m.

I remember playing the demo of this in a department store, like Montgomery Ward or Sears or some such place. I didn't have a Playstation yet, but we got one in time for GT2, which I played obsessively. I'm pretty partial to that intro as well. That's the game that introduced me to such JDM classics as the Nissan Sileighty and the Skyline silhouette racer.

 

pres589 (djronnebaum)
pres589 (djronnebaum) PowerDork
3/20/20 1:45 p.m.

GT2 was outstanding!  I remember using the '67 GTX for every race and tuning that thing to where it was extremely competitive. 

I'm kind of glad I don't have a game console and a game like this right now as I wouldn't get anything done.

morello159
morello159 Reader
3/20/20 1:50 p.m.

Ahh I loved GT1-3... many hours of my childhood playing those games. I was part of a relatively active gameshark community that would make "hybrid" cars for GT2. Think Escudo engine in a Miata, or something similarly ridiculous, before Forza came around and allowed engine swaps.  GT3 A-Spec was absolutely fantastic too; I still got back and play it sometimes. 

Mr_Asa
Mr_Asa HalfDork
3/20/20 2:11 p.m.

GT2 was always the better intro for me.  Was right around the time of music sharing programs getting big.  Of course I searched for, and fell in love with The Cardigans from that intro.

DjGreggieP
DjGreggieP Reader
3/20/20 3:35 p.m.

I had so so so many hours into GT1. My favorite car was probably the Mirage, so many early hours invested with that car in the bottom level license trying to accumulate enough cash to buy something 'cool' (re: popular model)

GT2 on the other hand, it happens to be both the first and only time an Intrepid was available to drive in digital form.  

_
_ Dork
3/20/20 3:58 p.m.

Played since day one. It taught me everything. There was even a handbook in the cd case that taught you braking and driving lines and vehicle dynamics. Then those license tests! 
 

fast forward- the new GT sport is good. Dare I say great. It's only flaws were that 

1)they didn't release all the cars at once. This pissed off a LOT of the hardcore fans. Really, really dumb move. We have a ton of cars now. And I'm glad they aren't introducing 12 iterations of the same car either. 

2) the penalty system is a tragedy. This is where they got the biggest opposition. The hardcore fans, the kids, the enthusiasts, everyone whined about this. You go about Spending hours grinding up to "S" sportsmanship rank (because anything below that was a kindergarten sh!tshow.)

Once in the upper Eschelon of "S" sportsmanship, you could easily be Tomahawked off course by any ass with a controller. Did the penalty system do it's job? NOPE! Instead, YOU, the target, would get a penalty and be reduced to a lower tier sportsmanship rating. The perp? Scott free. No penalties. 
 

The complaint has finally made its way to the top of PD and they are updating again. But don't hold your breath. They have attempted to fix the penalty system many times. Each time doesn't work. Each time never deters the asshats. 

Ive  actually found that the wisest course is to not qualify, Start in dead last, let each miscreant destroy each other first corner, and then simply drive past them. After that it's a difficult mix of passing cleanly and Mad Max: Fury Road. I can easily go from 12th to 5th in one corner. Consistently. 
 

what would be nice is a penalty system that fined you in game credits AND barred you from playing online. First offense in three races? Credits. A million. Just to make it hurt. Second offense in three races? No online for you today. Third in three races? No online for a week. Continue that process up to a month. After six just ban then from online altogether. Forza did this. It was hilarious to watch. 

Jordan Rimpela
Jordan Rimpela Dork
3/20/20 5:29 p.m.

The Mitsubishi FTO was a favorite of mine in GT1, as was the Mazda Demio A Spec. 

aircooled
aircooled MegaDork
3/20/20 5:32 p.m.

I have a theory that GT was one of the big reason why Subaru's got so popular a few years later.

4WD Subaru's where ridiculously fast in the early games (so much so, I am suspicious Subaru may have paid them off) and those that played GT remembered that when it came time to get their own car.

It's also probably the reason why a few people decided to, and then highly regret, purchasing a 3000 GT VR4. 

Mndsm
Mndsm MegaDork
3/20/20 5:39 p.m.

300gt/gto. Pre escudo, this was the hottest setup in the game and the first time I ever even fathomed 1000hp. 

crankwalk
crankwalk SuperDork
3/20/20 6:03 p.m.

Got to see the HKS drag 180sx in person that I played soooo many times in GT2 and I still love that racing livery. This was when I got in to cars so everything including Kei cars and other OBTAINABLE IRL models were the most exciting part about the game. 

 

Also Garbage and Stone Temple Pilots was in GT2 soundtrack and I was really in to both back then. 

_
_ Dork
3/20/20 6:08 p.m.

In reply to Mndsm :

This. In passion red. It became my favorite car of all time. Only to be disappointed when I learned it was a carnival trick. 

ProDarwin
ProDarwin UltimaDork
3/20/20 6:14 p.m.

Man, PS1 games do *not* age well.  I have the PS Classic... I forgot how terrible the start of the 3D era was on consoles.

That said, I loved GT.  I prefer the GT2 intro which I have seen like 6 billion times.  Also, GT2 was when I figured out the "proper" controls for a racing game on console.  When GT1 game out, the PS didn't have analog sticks!

 

I miss license tests.  Not because I want to do them, but  because I was trying to explain some things to a friend to get him comfortable using a race sim.  All I had on hand was Rfactor, LFS, Project Cars, Dirt Rally, etc.  By comparison, all those games throw you right in the deep end.  The license tests help you focus on one thing at a time like braking properly or following a line, etc.

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
3/20/20 7:07 p.m.

First GT1 car for me was the Primera because it was as close as I could get to my SE-R. 

Coolest car out of GT1-2? DC Sports Integra has to be up there. How cool to see a World Challenge car in the sim?

Good call on this one, Colin. 

AnthonyGS
AnthonyGS Dork
3/20/20 7:41 p.m.

Some days I think I should get another console and the latest version of GT..... but I don't think you can really recapture the magic.  It will only disappoint like the new Star Wars.....

 

 

ProDarwin
ProDarwin UltimaDork
3/20/20 10:19 p.m.
AnthonyGS said:

Some days I think I should get another console and the latest version of GT..... but I don't think you can really recapture the magic.  It will only disappoint like the new Star Wars.....

Well a big part of the magic with GT is that its driving physics were leaps and bounds better than *any* driving game that came out prior to that.  

Now there are tons of driving games with excellent physics, so GT doesn't seem like magic anymore.

What does feel like magic after you play GT is load times for anything modern.  I used to always vent that GT3/4/5 should just be called Load Turismo because I spent more time loading menus and races than I did driving.  Its a game that would greatly benefit from a text-only UI outside of the actual racing. 

dxman92
dxman92 HalfDork
3/21/20 10:44 a.m.

I spent many hours doing the endurance races. 10-20 laps, pause for bathroom break then rinse and repeat.

BlueInGreen - Jon
BlueInGreen - Jon SuperDork
3/21/20 11:20 a.m.

Nostalgia indeed. Ah, the 90s, when 300hp was a lot and Vipers were King.

I kind of miss the old GT career mode where you had to start with a cheap car and then spend a bit of time with that car modifying it and working to get to fancier cars.

As opposed to modern Forza, “Oh you leveled up once? Here’s a Veyron!”

jv8
jv8 Reader
3/21/20 11:45 a.m.

In reply to BlueInGreen - Jon :

Yeah I liked the single player progression system in GT.   Even if you weren't the greatest driver you could figure out what combination of cars & mods could advance you in the game.  A win seemed like it rewarded you with something tangible.

Does any modern sim racer do this?

aircooled
aircooled MegaDork
3/21/20 12:05 p.m.
BlueInGreen - Jon said:

Nostalgia indeed. Ah, the 90s, when 300hp was a lot and Vipers were King.

I kind of miss the old GT career mode where you had to start with a cheap car and then spend a bit of time with that car modifying it and working to get to fancier cars.

As opposed to modern Forza, “Oh you leveled up once? Here’s a Veyron!”

I think it was GT 2 or 3, that I would have great fun trying to buy a car (used?) and use that same car through the 4 (as I remember) races (probably just one of the screens).  You had to pick a car you could upgrade to be fast enough for the final race (I think the Camaro was a good choice). It was a bit like a $2000 challenge, since you had to make very careful spending vs. results choices.  Tires of course, where always top on the list of upgrades.

BlueInGreen - Jon
BlueInGreen - Jon SuperDork
3/21/20 12:38 p.m.
aircooled said:
BlueInGreen - Jon said:

Nostalgia indeed. Ah, the 90s, when 300hp was a lot and Vipers were King.

I kind of miss the old GT career mode where you had to start with a cheap car and then spend a bit of time with that car modifying it and working to get to fancier cars.

As opposed to modern Forza, “Oh you leveled up once? Here’s a Veyron!”

I think it was GT 2 or 3, that I would have great fun trying to buy a car (used?) and use that same car through the 4 (as I remember) races (probably just one of the screens).  You had to pick a car you could upgrade to be fast enough for the final race (I think the Camaro was a good choice). It was a bit like a $2000 challenge, since you had to make very careful spending vs. results choices.  Tires of course, where always top on the list of upgrades.

I usually went tires, weight reduction, and then saving up $$ for a big ole turbo :)

After progressing a far bit into the game I would spend a lot of time creating multiple game saves to try starting out with different cars.

te72
te72 Reader
3/22/20 6:57 p.m.

For a long time, I had put way more miles on the various GT games than I did on a real car. Not sure when that stopped being the case. Either way, I actually didn't care for GT1. I was so used to (and good at!) games like Ridge Racer and NFS3 that GT1 really just didn't feel right.

 

To be fair, I had very little experience behind the wheel of a real car at that time. When GT3 was in the works, I was so intrigued by a game that looked THAT good, I had to get it. What better way to give that new PS2 a workout? But what to do in the meantime? Ahh, GT2... my brother and I played that for likely hundreds of hours in the early 2000's. So, this whole car addiction thing? Yeah, I blame my younger brother, because he got me into GT2. =P

 

It's no Motor Toon Gran Prix though...

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