Gaming How do you prefer racing games: realistic or wacky?

[BlueYoshi]

[color=darkred]I've played many, many racing games in my time, and I just got to thinking about what exactly makes the experience for you. Within racing games, there lie two distinct categories in which each one can fit under, with one containing the more practical racers such as the Gran Turismo games, and the other containing the more laid back, party games such as Mario Kart. Personally, I prefer the latter type, but that doesn't mean to say that I dislike the other category.

Playing through Gran Turismo on the Playstation was like a chore for me, due to having to complete time attack races and passing near impossible licence tests, though the satisfaction of accomplishing each obstacle was priceless. But, with all that in the way, I guess I sort of forgot to have fun at the same time. It's sometimes fearful to see games so realistic, because it can totally cancel out the element of fun. For me, the courses were a bit too dull, and the continuous sound of the car engine while accelerating got a bit tiresome, especially during some of the longer tracks. Other racers have touched up on what I'm moaning about here, by adding exaggerated collision sounds and such, but still, I don't find the edge that I'm supposedly missing out on.

On the other hand, there are racers like Super Mario Kart that more or less soften the blow of games like Gran Turismo and Colin Mcrae Rally. There are many factors included in the more wacky racers, such as Double Dash!!, that'd catch my interest over the realistic ones, such as the attractive use of colour, the music, the wide variety of stages that range from easy to hard, the stipulations in each of these stages, and most of all the multiplayer modes, which tend to have more than one crazy way of going about them. Despite of this, I've settled for the more simpler ones, and have had way more fun with them, particularly F-Zero Maximum Velocity and GP Legend for the GBA.

I'm not trying to judge which racing games are the best here, or which ones you should aim for, just post your thoughts. I know people who loathe the party games, but love the realistic ones, and vice versa, and even people who like both altogether.[/color]

[Sapphire Flare]

[COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1]I agree with you, games like Mario Kart just appeal more to me than Grand Turismo.

I don't know what they're talking about half the time, with all the gears and shifts and what not I'd just rather hold the A button and shoot items out of my butt at people.[/SIZE][/COLOR] :animeswea

[Goodbye, Face]

I'd play either category if they're good games, but I perfer arcade racers like Rush and WipeOut. I grew up with Mario Kart on the SNES. And yes, I absolutely hate liscense tests in most games. That needs to be done away with. Also, all the car customisation and fine tuning doesn't mean jack if you don't know what any of it means.

[Shinmaru]

I think that games like Gran Turismo and the like are very good at what they do, but I've never been into those types of racers at all. My lack of interest in cars contributes to that pretty heavily. However, I wouldn't doubt that the latest simulation-based racers have gotten more user-friendly, for lack of a better term, since I last bothered to play one. Don't know how interested I'd be in trying another one out, though.

I prefer Mario Kart-styled games where everything is frantic and crazy, but I don't play racers nearly as often as I used to. I've enjoyed the genre as a whole less and less as time has gone by... except for stuff like F-Zero, which I still love. I always look forward to the release of a new F-Zero game, because I know that I'll like it a lot. :)

[BlueYoshi]

[color=darkred]Bah, I found Wipeout to be awful. Rather than actually concentrating on gameplay, it attempted to attract gamers with its techno/trance soundtrack. However, it's interesting because as technical looking and futuristic as Wipeout may have seemed, it did have a tiny miniscule of "wackyness" in it through the introduction of weapons and power-ups, which are more commonly found in those wacky games.[/color]

[2010DigitalBoy]

I hate realistic car games, as they just bore the crap out of me. Why the hell do the rims on my car matter when im blasting through the streets?!

F-Zero is the only racing game I've ever really gotten into. Mario Kart is pretty cool, but Double Dash just wasn't as fun for me. F-Zero, with its unrealistic speed and awesome course designs totally won me over.

[James]

[color=#332E1D][font=franklin gothic medium]Wipeout is awesome. It's a very unique type of game - playing it well is akin to finding the perfect racing line...if you were wearing ice skates. It has a technical nature about it that straddles the border between the likes of Mario Kart and Gran Turismo. I can think of no other games that really achieve such a combination, although perhaps F-Zero comes close.

I'm a big racing game fan and I enjoy all sorts of takes on the genre.

Gran Turismo is really the undisputed king of racing simulation. If you love cars, if you enjoy the technical aspects of tuning and the pursuit of driving precision, it's really for you. Sometimes that very much appeals to me; I racked up dozens of hours on GT3. I haven't played GT4 much lately, despite the fact that it's a superior game (and easily the best racing simulation game created so far).

In terms of non-realistic racers, even there, the field is so wide open. Do you really compare Daytona USA to Mario Kart, for instance? I personally think they are two very different types of games. And I love both equally.

Daytona USA is really a passion of mine and I was really disappointed that so few copies of the Dreamcast version were released in Australia. So far I haven't picked one up and I haven't yet bothered to consider importing from Europe or anything. But that's definitely a game I'd love to own.

Mario Kart has always interested me though - especially the original game. The latter versions were good (I think Double Dash and Super Circuit were my favourites), but the original was really special. I'm hoping that Mario Kart DS really hits the spot.

I guess that overall, I prefer the wackier racing games. I love games like Daytona, Mario Kart, Wipeout and F-Zero. But as a car enthusiast, I usually make sure to pick up at least the new entries in the Gran Turismo series. Every now and then I enjoy getting into the nitty gritty of racing, which that game really allows me to do. But usually it's just for quick fun - so usually I prefer the crazier stuff.[/color][/font]

[Bloodseeker]

Not so much wacky, but I prefer racing games that don't try to be driving simulators. I especially like Burnout! That's the only game where wrecking is actually fun!

Gran Turismo can feel a bit like a chore at times, especially when you're trying to build up money to get a good car at the beginning of the game. I got very tired of redoing the Sunday Cup while I was trying to build up to a hundred thousand dollars for a decent car. And don't get me started on getting gold on the licences. That's a pain.

[BlueYoshi]

[quote name='James][color=#332E1D][font=franklin gothic medium]Every now and then I enjoy getting into the nitty gritty of racing, which that game really allows me to do. But usually it's just for quick fun - so usually I prefer the crazier stuff.[/color'][/font][/quote]

[color=darkred]Yeah, I guess I could relate to do this as well. Gran Turismo has a much longer continuity rate than games like Mario Kart ever would, because of its structure and the way you play the game in terms of kitting up your car, and earning cash for completing races. But, while Gran Turismo could be played continuously for hours on end, I found that Mario Kart had more lifespan. I remember playing Super Circuit for the GBA almost four or five months after its release, and I still do every now and then -- but just for a quickie -- because I never got bored of it.

All in all though, I agree with you that the wackier games tend to spark quickies, unlike the other category of racing games, particularly Gran Turismo, because they are generally designed to be that way. I mean, you could almost relate Gran Turismo's style and format to that of an RPG, with cash filling in as EXP and the cars as spells, weapons, and armour.[/color]

[Doc]

[font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=darkslategray]I respect all of the opinions put forth in this thread so far. ^_^ I just wanted to add that.[/color][/size][/font]
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[font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=darkslategray]Yet, I have to say, I personally enjoy the Gran Turismo. I mean, I've only played 2-4, and love them all. I can't honestly say that I'm a car person, I don't know anything about cars. Yet, I have to say, this game has taught me some things. And, to conquer the engine rev sound that was mentioned earlier, I normally mute the game, and crank my sterio. And, when eventually I happen to get fed up or bored with the franchise, I eventually play something else. And a few weeks later, it might find itself back in my console for another shot.[/color][/size][/font]
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[font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=darkslategray]Now, as to the more arcade racers; I wish I had played more. I don't have alot of experience with the f-zeros and all, *since most are on the Gamecube* but I do remember playing demos and the original Mario Kart. I still play that to this day. If I'm ever fustrated, I love to just sit down and goof with that. Expecially when my step-bro is around, for he's really good at it.[/color][/size][/font]
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[font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=darkslategray]I only wish I had the money to indulge in all these fine games. T_T *now taking donations* [/pitty][/color][/size][/font]

[Semjaza]

I like both types, as long as the game is good. I played the hell out of F-Zero GX and I've been playing the hell out of Forza Motorsport. They're totally different racing concepts even excluding the whole idea of "realism". I think both types have different feelings to offer, really. Sometimes you want a more arcade experience and sometimes you wan't something else.

[Mitch]

I've never really given the more realistic types of games too much of a chance, but I've got an itch to finally truly play [i]Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec[/i] since we own it. I'd say I definitely prefer the wackier racing games. Games like [i]Need for Speed[/i] or [i]Mario Kart[/i] or [i]Midnight Club[/i] - and lately, [i]Burnout 3[/i] (which is an excellent game, I might add). I guess I just figure games aren't meant to be realistic, and they're meant to be fun. And that's what I like about the crazier games, they're just plain fun.

[silpheedpilot]

Lets see...I totally disagree with everyone here on the technical racers. I love the Gran Turismo games, as well as games like Enthusia, Forza, and Sega GT 2002. I love technical racing. Having to slow down and hit the correct apex for each turn to clear it with as much speed as possible, but I suppose it appeals to me more because I'm a car guy. Ah well.

In any case I do love me some wacky racers. F-Zero, WipeOut, Extreme G, and the like, which are all futuristic and awesome in their own rights but when I think of wacky I think of Need For Speed Underground, Midnight Club, or Juiced. Well, because I'm also into the tuner scene and I love being able to trick my car out how I dream, while running through the streets at excess speeds of up to 150MPH and not having to worry much about crashing because my car has such good handling. Now thats wacky.

[DeadSeraphim]

[COLOR=Indigo][SIZE=1][FONT=Arial]I like the kind of racer where hitting the brake button is optional. Stuff like Need for Speed, Rollcage, etc, where the focus isn't so much on realism, but just having fun, lol. One of my favourite gaming moments would have to be listening to the police CB in Need for Speed 3 and going right around the spike trap... as my friend plows right through it. lol

I've honestly tried Games like Gran Turismo, but I really don't like cars much, so the micro-management in the games that people love goes over my head. Just give me a controller and let me hoon, honestly. lol[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Morpheus]

I'm with Aiyisha, I own GT3 and cannot stand it. I'm not going to bore myself to death for 20 hours to get a frickin Ferrari. I'll play Burnout and get a car when I start the game that can go from zero to 60 [B]today[/B], and not give me time to think about it.


One huge part of that game is tweaking. I don't want to add in a hundred engines one at a time to see which one is best. I'll come off a little like Lewis Black when I say this (considering I just finished his book), but give me a car, tell me it's f***ing fast, and let me drive it immediately and exclaim, "That was f***ing fast!" That is what my racing game should do.

[BlueYoshi]

[color=darkred]I more or less agree with everyone's responses here, as they reflect my views entirely. Neither type is bad, it's just a matter of preference. I particularly agree with Mitch, because straight up, video games are mostly fun-orientated, and are mostly used as an escape from the real world for people like us lol. But, like I said before, it's really up to you which type you prefer.[/color]

[Fall]

I love the Rush games. They're awesome. I used to hire them out at, like, 4 or 5 times a week. Wipeout, that's also awesome. I first played Wipeout on my computer, as a demo. I loved it.

Also, Destrustion Derby... Destrustion Derby 64 on the N64. It's also on the Playstation. I'm not sure if it made it to the PS2, XBOX, or GameCube... I first played Destruction Derby on the computer, as a demo aswell. Used to play it everyday. Burnout 3, I think it is? Where you have to cause a crash, and try and make it as big as possible to get more points. Love that game, too.

V8 Supercars is what I also have a passion for. On the PS2. I own it, and still play it nearly everyday, just racing around the tracks as I've finished the game. I haven't yet played V8 Supercars 2, but I can't wait 'til I can.

The Gran Turismo games, nah, not that into it. I own A-spec, or something? A-pec... I dunno. That's how well I remember it. I haven't played it for ages. I got fairly far into the game, and then just lost the interest all-together. The license-tests, and whatever... not for me. I love the tuning part about the game, but there's a better game for that kind of stuff...

Need For Speed Underground. 1, and 2. I own both, number 1 on PS2 and number 2 on XBOX. Both awesome. I would have prefered to own N4SU2 on the PS2, but they were sold-out when I had the money to buy it, so I had to grab a copy for the XBOX. Still, none-the-less, I love both games.. The tuning, modifying, and mechanical and engine modifications, is what I[i] love[/i]. N4SU1 and 2 are awesome.

Overall, I love realistic racing games, with a few tweaks here and there. My favourite kind of racing, like N4SU. Not the Gran Turismo kind of **** where it focuses completely on the skills. No way. I love the futuristic and unbelievable/unreal kind of racing to, like Wipeout and Rush. Just as much as N4SU.

...I don't think I could pick between Realistic (with tweaks here and there), and the other kind of racing where it's unblievable and impossible. I could pick my favourite [i]racing game[/i], but not my favourite style/genre of racing.

[Otohime]

I recently purchased F1:2002 (as it was the cheapest version I could find at the time). It is quite enjoyable for the occasional race, but otherwise it is tiresome and un-imaginative. It is good for re-inacting a race, or making your least favourite driver crash in a spectaculer, and magnificent manor.
I believe that a fine balance between the two would quench my thirst for a truly fantastic racing experience. Such as having a realistic game, as close to reality as possible, but then including ultimatley unrealistic cheats or unlockables. This way the game could satisfy both fans of the realistic, and wacky, racing styles.

[Morpheus]

I doubt meshing the genres is such a good idea. Most People that prefer wacky racers like them because they don't have to tweak the cars, and those one the realistic side enjoy tweaking as the main experience.