Auto Modellista

"What a game!! This really is for the fast and the furious"

Auto Modellista is a japanese-bred game which excels in many areas. This review will focus on the main parts of the game.

Graphics 10/10

This is where this game really excels. If you didnt know, this game is cel-shaded (which makes the graphics look a bit cartoony) but in this game it is used to amazing lengths and the final product is fabulous. It may not have the real life graphics like GT3 but they are certainly more bold and colourful.

Sound 8/10

The sound is as a car's sound should be. The game has hearty roaring engines on the super cars and girly whines on the smaller engined cars. While playing there is a kind of commentary, where a voice says things like 'you over took a car'.

Gameplay 9/10

Another place where the game excels. This game doesnt have realistic handling like GT3, It has arcade handling which works very well for the type of game this is.
There is an arcade mode where you just do races knowing that there are no prizes if you win, but the main part of the game is the career mode. This is where you choose a car, tune it up, design what it looks like by putting body kits and paint jobs on the car, and then race to get prizes like extra items for your garage or extra cars.

Lifespan 8/10

There aren't very many races in this game but there is a lot of other things to do. When i first got the game I spent a few hours just deciding what colour to have my car! There are quite a lot of cars that happen to only be japanese, but there is definately enough there to keep you occupied for a really long time.
There is also a 'VJ' mode where you can take saved replays and jazz them up with music and graphical effects. At the beginning of the game you choose what garage you would like to stay in. Throughout the career mode, you win items and posters for this garage which you can then place where you like. You also win new parts for your car.

RENT OR BUY?

If you are a fan of racing games, DEFINATELY buy this game as it is fabulous. If you aren't a fan of racing games, rent it and see if you like it, you probably will. It's definately worth your money.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/10/02, Updated 12/10/02