Racing Lagoon

"Racing Lagoon is definitely the best game of it's kind. Not just worth a try."

Definitely the best racing game of it's kind, not just worth a try. Racing Lagoon is definitely the best racing game ever! Avid racing enthusiast or not, you will love this game. Music crazy or not you will still love this game. Definitely the best game from Squaresoft aside from that Final Fantasy, which is just built up with pure laziness and madness. Forget the "Need for Speed", "Gran Turismo", "Forza Motorsport" or whatever you want to add , this started it all. This is like the mothership of all racing games, all of the racing games today are lame(except for the graphics) Many games today are just imitations or copycats of old games before. They're boasting of good graphics but they have bad gameplay, hey it's in the gameplay man! Let's start off with the basics but considered important. Get ready for a long and ever-lasting review. And notice that this review has many words about "perfection" Just read it!

Gameplay- 10/10
The feeling of being Sho Akasaki, driving an '86 Corolla Levin with a stock 4-AGE aside from some Air Filter and an LSD. The feeling of changing engines, body parts, chassis parts. And all that is mechanical. You are considered a "hashiriya" which means Japanese Street Racer, touring around on North and South Yokohama, a drag race on Wangan, a drift battle on Mt.Hakone. The free roam is perfectly mannered because it shows a mere over-view of where you are. While touring around, a crazy driver hitting at a high speed in the streets, while flashing it's lights. You have nowhere to go, this just means that he want's to battle you if he hits you with his lights. While in the loading screen, you will be amazed with what is shown to you. Two cars, the one is yours and the other one is your rival. Displayed is the Specifications of each car, Horsepower( which is called PS, I dont know why?), Weight, and torque or acceleration. Even hours of loading while this screen is displayed won't keep you bored. The loading is finished and here comes the main reason to play this game. The HUD is perfectly displayed, the Tachometer, speedometer, timer and position. Everything! Yes everything! While racing you may be sometimes irritated when you or the other racers bump. It just slows you down even if the other racer is the one that hit you. But it doesn't affect gameplay though, for me. After winning the race with a big gap from the other racer, you get the chance to get some parts from your rival, as longs as you have enough RP(Reward Points) not RESPECT! May it be for your engine, look of your car, weight reduction. You won't be bored from racing over 60 plus tracks(not exact but close) again and again. So this for 'Gameplay' still a lot to come, perfection to the max. Perfected in every way that can be perfected.

Story- 10/10
The storyline of this game is not just cool, it's cool, awesome, addictive. Well, owners of this game might be disappointed because the game is only in Japanese. But it isn't much of a hindrance on understanding the game. Even only the Cut Scenes and FMV can make you understand the story( if you are smart which I am) Well, seems that I am the only one that understood the story perfectly, yes perfectly! The story goes along smoothly with the Gameplay and Music. During the first nights, the happenings, events and the environment is just perfect for a hashiriya. But as you progress with the game, you know much of you and enters a world that is dangerous mixed with Street Racing. You encounter many people that was your foes but becomes your friends. You beat the game and know much of what happened to you and your past(character point-of-view). The storyline is done the way perfection is defined.

Music- 10/10
As I stated previously, Music goes with the game perfectly. The music in this game can keep you humming it for all eternities. You might even want to sell your soul to the devil just to be forever alive so that you can hear the music. But I won't do that, seriously! It wakes up people suffering on coma, yes! Most of the genre of the music here is Jazz. It gives you the perfect feeling while racing. When you are near the finish line and is just catching up, all that hype! Looks like Noriko Matsueda and Takahito Eguchi has done good again. The track I like the most was called "Base Point" You can hear it after the Prologue Night first race. When the Iwasaki Twins insults you. And my second is the "Yokohama GP Fanfare" both of them are jazz. All the tracks and songs here will keep you busy repeating it a lot of times, let's say your whole life. All the batteries in this world is not enough for the Racing Lagoon Music! Even electricity, because it uses oil. Save the world! The music here is like glass only without friction, very smooth, no edges, really straight. Perfected in every aspects of Perfection.

Controls- 10/10
The controls in this game will leave your hands with no trace of playing a game or even holding a DualShock Controller! Pressing the controls in the game is a breeze. Everytime you are playing, whether you are having an easy or hard time. You won't even need to look at your controller, you won't even think about it! You just have to race and race and listen to the damn music! Too bad that you cannot change controls here, but that's not even a bit of problem. You won't even think about changing the controls because it's already perfect. It goes with every kind of car you're using. And the controls are easy to memorize! It's easier than counting how many atoms are there on a 0.001 mm period (.) Which is 10 million exactly. Much easier than counting all of those.

Overall Score- 10/10
This game is definitely a must for gaming enthusiasts. Ask a sad person to play this and he will be happy. This brings a true reason for Squaresoft games. I really love this game. It takes me away from all of my few problems. Music is good, Storyline, and Controls. Everything about here is perfect.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/14/08, Updated 04/30/08

Game Release: Racing Lagoon (JP, 06/10/99)