They made a full game out of the prototype that was the first motor toon grand prix! The tracks are more track-like (though I definitely miss the absolute insanity that was the first games track design), the controls are tighter, the physics are firmer, the visuals touched up. A marked improvement in almost every aspect. The items are also overhauled with there being a system where you can spend coins to get a random item at any point of the race, which can add a bit of strategy to the game. They also added new pre-rendered FMV cutscenes that have that rad yet also kinda uncanny vibe that's in mid-90's CG.
The game just has this playful vibe in it throughout. By winning the main grand prix mode on higher difficulties you can unlock various goodies that have their own bespoke menu. Not only are there your typical extra characters and tracks but there are these neat unrelated minigames that you can earn as well. The minigames also all run at 60 FPS with 3D graphics, which is quite the rarity on PS1. The minigames feel like little side projects the devs had that they decided to put in the game just for fun, and it keeps the whole rookie-dev-studio-experimenting-with-fancy-new-hardware vibe from the first game alive despite the main game being much more polished. There are even like 30 different menu background textures that you can choose from in the settings, I can tell that the devs were enthusiastic to use as much of the CD space they could, and I like that energy.
The gameplay is way more down-to-earth than most other arcade/kart racers of its time, and while the items certainly can help, the main key for victory is good driving technique. Knowing good braking and cornering points for the various courses are essential to winning, as the game doesn't have your mario kart/ridge racery drifting in it. Each vehicle also feels distinct from one another, and I found the most success with the unlockable train guy. The two highest difficulties surprisingly turn items off altogether, making it a true test of driving mastery. If you manage to clear the game on the hardest difficulty, the final unlockable minigame is Motor Toon Grand Prix R, which is a 60 FPS time trial on the first course of the game with a real F1 or stock car that controls much more realistically than the main game, which is really cool.
It's got that soul that a lot of Japan Studio-produced games contain. This Polys team sure has both a passion for cars and enthusiasm for the PS1s hardware. Sony should give these guys the budget to make a full-fledged racing simulator! I think they have it in them to make something truly special down the line.
The game just has this playful vibe in it throughout. By winning the main grand prix mode on higher difficulties you can unlock various goodies that have their own bespoke menu. Not only are there your typical extra characters and tracks but there are these neat unrelated minigames that you can earn as well. The minigames also all run at 60 FPS with 3D graphics, which is quite the rarity on PS1. The minigames feel like little side projects the devs had that they decided to put in the game just for fun, and it keeps the whole rookie-dev-studio-experimenting-with-fancy-new-hardware vibe from the first game alive despite the main game being much more polished. There are even like 30 different menu background textures that you can choose from in the settings, I can tell that the devs were enthusiastic to use as much of the CD space they could, and I like that energy.
The gameplay is way more down-to-earth than most other arcade/kart racers of its time, and while the items certainly can help, the main key for victory is good driving technique. Knowing good braking and cornering points for the various courses are essential to winning, as the game doesn't have your mario kart/ridge racery drifting in it. Each vehicle also feels distinct from one another, and I found the most success with the unlockable train guy. The two highest difficulties surprisingly turn items off altogether, making it a true test of driving mastery. If you manage to clear the game on the hardest difficulty, the final unlockable minigame is Motor Toon Grand Prix R, which is a 60 FPS time trial on the first course of the game with a real F1 or stock car that controls much more realistically than the main game, which is really cool.
It's got that soul that a lot of Japan Studio-produced games contain. This Polys team sure has both a passion for cars and enthusiasm for the PS1s hardware. Sony should give these guys the budget to make a full-fledged racing simulator! I think they have it in them to make something truly special down the line.