After wasting hours and hours for years on Gran Turismo 3 on the Playstation 2, I picked up Gran Turismo 4 yesterday.

They've added the full "old" Nurburgring, which alone was reason enough to get it. It's the current incarnation of that track, complete with the Armco and spray-painted graffiti on the track surface. It's quite unlike the rendition in Grand Prix Legends (for those of you who remember that). They also added Sears Point, both with and without the "NASCAR loop". I've been on that track (unlike The Ring), and it feels pretty much like the real thing. The major difference is they're using the current landscaping, with most of the hills removed. My laps were back in the days when they still had hilltops between turns 2, 3, 4, and 5. The full Suzuka is there. Laguna returns from the previous version, and has been updated so it looks more or less like it looks today.

Lots of "historic" cars from the 50s and 60s, in addition to the 80s on stuff they had in GT3. No Porsches, though, just like before. Licensing issues, apparently. No Ferraris, Maseratis, or Lamborghinis, either. I know the Elan S2 and Europa are there, along with several Elise variations, and I'm told the Lotus 25 is in there somewhere. They even have an Alpine A110...Of course, they still have a zillion sub-variations on the Skyline and other Japanese stuff, as before. Some muscle cars are included (I saw an early Pontiac GTO), though I haven't yet seen if they handle as badly as I expect them to.

The physics has been altered from GT3. The car now feels like it actually has suspension, and esp. the little road cars you're forced to start with have lots of brake dive. You can get the car sufficiently out of shape to completely spin now, which was pretty difficult to do in GT3. Coming up over a crest a bit too hot and hitting a curb will put the car into pretty serious gyrations that "feel" fairly realistic.

There are some graphics glitches (odd jitter) here and there, but overall it looks nicer than GT3. The menus are easier on the eye, but rather harder to navigate. They've really jumbled up the racing structure. I've just barely scratched the surface so far. There's a lot there.

Im still up in the air on gt4. I wasnt really impressed with GT3. It didnt live up to the hype. The physics sucked. Im not an expert by any means, but i know the cars on tv dont look like the cars on the replay... honestly it was too easy to "master" the technique of winning. I am a crappy driver and I beat GT3 with a bunch of hours invested. No skill required. I want a game that compliments good driving! Ugh, I guess i'll go autox or something.

I am at 3% complete. Its the same as always, If you LOVE Japaneese cars, this IS the game for you. I noticed the jitter as well. Seem like it is more prevelant in traffic. I think the version of the Nurburgring on Project Gotham Racing 2 (XBOX) is more accurate. GT4 version seems to narrow. I have made only 5 laps on the real version, so I am not an expert...lol.

I do however enjoy Sears Point being there.

is this a PS2 only thing?

i have been holding out buying a game console until Forza Motorsports is released for the Xbox - which seems to be on a perpertual-delay basis. in part, some have speculated, to make sure it's better than GT4...

if GT4 were available for the XBox, i might just make that decision a little sooner ...

I as well have FORZA on reserve...

There is another game coming as well, looks great...

Enthusia

http://www.konamistudio.co.jp/enthusia/

Forza Motorsport

http://www.xbox.com/assets/en-us/flash/gam...ite/default.htm

GT4

http://www.us.playstation.com/Content/OGS/...CUS-97328/Site/

Rich,
it's a PS2 thing. It's their holy grail. I doubt you'll ever see it on another platform.
Imagine Halo on PS2....ain't gonna happen.

QUOTE (MattR @ Feb 24 2005, 02:22 PM)

Im still up in the air on gt4. I wasnt really impressed with GT3. It didnt live up to the hype. The physics sucked. Im not an expert by any means, but i know the cars on tv dont look like the cars on the replay... honestly it was too easy to "master" the technique of winning. I am a crappy driver and I beat GT3 with a bunch of hours invested. No skill required. I want a game that compliments good driving! Ugh, I guess i'll go autox or something.

I'll agree that GT3 was too easy in many ways, and the cars didn't really handle completely realistically. This isn't Grand Prix Legends, which was fabulous in terms of simulating actual car handling. GT4 is better in this respect. So far (not even 2% in), I'm getting my head handed to me, and having to pump the car up a great deal just to keep up, and I pretty much finished GT3. We'll see if that lasts.

Do you guys recommend a certain steering wheel for a PS2? I looked at Compusa today during lunch and they only had a Momo for PS2 that cost $150. That's about $100 more than I'm willing to pay. It bites that you can't buy one wheel for a PC and a PS2.

I agree. I have the momo wheel for PC but seem to only be interested in xbox these days. rallisport 2 on xbox live is great, but I desperately need a wheel to compete.

you can buy one wheel for PC and Playstation...and XBox as well. They are all USB. The XBox takes a bit of work to make it happen, but it can be done.
The PS2 is a piece of cake. My brother uses his Momo PC wheel on his PS2, has for a couple years now.

Why are the wheels listed on the box as being specifically for a PC or for a PS2 but not both?

CompUSA had this one on sale for $50 and I would buy it if it would work with the PS2.

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_in...96053&pfp=srch1

that's the wheel I have. guess I will need to look into getting it working on the xbox, but it seems like you need to crack open the xbox to hack install a usb hub or something??

no, the XBox controls are USB, just with a funky connector on them.
If you search XBox cable the instruction pages should be somewhere near the top.

Anthony, The PS2 has 2 USB ports as well as controller ports.

Yeah, but just because it has the right port doesn't mean that any PC usb wheel will work with it.

I just sat down for 3 races on GT3. My son is a nut for it. So what the hell Itryed it and don't like it. Had to go turn a wrench for awhile to relax. now one of these and nitey night.

I have been trying really hard to hold off on buying a PS2 until my son (3) gets a little older but I had the first Gran Tourismo on PS1 and loved it and now after reading this I want to run out and get the damn thing!

Thanks a lot, more time wasting that's what I need.

Burnout 3 was just rated best driving game on consoles by G4tv. GT4 wasn't out yet, but the takeout and crah factors in B3 is way too much fun. On the top 5 list was Xbox's Gotham Racing (5th), GT3, Mario's Double Dash, NFS Underground.

I purchase the Need For Speed PORSCE only as suggested on a previous thread, have yet to install on my 3.0g p4 PC. I have a Logitech Driving Force Wheel for use with the PS2, and I was going to try it on PC (USB connection) but no chance yet.

it will work

I love the Need for Speed:Porsche Unleashed! It's awesome. I went through 3 CDs and I love the game....loved racin the 72 914 too. not a raby /4 though

QUOTE (MattR @ Feb 24 2005, 02:22 PM)

Im still up in the air on gt4. I wasnt really impressed with GT3. It didnt live up to the hype. The physics sucked. Im not an expert by any means, but i know the cars on tv dont look like the cars on the replay... honestly it was too easy to "master" the technique of winning. I am a crappy driver and I beat GT3 with a bunch of hours invested. No skill required. I want a game that compliments good driving! Ugh, I guess i'll go autox or something.

GT3 is a really easy game to finish. If you want to make it challenging, drive an underpowered car in a race with higher up cars. Try to get gold on EVERY liscense test. Try to tune your car to get the fastest top speed and fastest quarter mile times. I tuned the Suzuki Escudo...1800 horsepower. Top speed of 299 and quarter mile time a little over 8 seconds.

GT3 is also too easy to drive because I think too many people complained about the first 2 games when getting into a Vette or Viper you stomp on the gas in a turn and you go sideways....GT3 has traction control...which can be turned off for more fun The Escudo burns rubber to 250mph without it! It's also a fun, cheap, and legal way to drive after

I haven't picked up GT4 because I'm a little bit too busy now to be playing games as often as I used to, but I've seen videos online and commercials on TV and it's only a matter of time until I break....I couldn't resist the 3rd Grand Theft Auto...

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Feb 24 2005, 09:39 PM)

I love the Need for Speed:Porsche Unleashed! It's awesome. I went through 3 CDs and I love the game....loved racin the 72 914 too. not a raby /4 though

I love NFS:Porsche too! The cars were put together really well. I drive the 914 about 90% of the time I play that game!

Well, I just got finished with my first three hours or so of GT 4. My wife and I had a blast racing against each other in the "arcade mode." I decided to buy a Logitech force feedback steering wheel and pedals. Seems to work pretty well. I like how you can feel the bumps in the road, etc. Though when I step back and think about how much money I have in this game system I wonder what that could have bought for the 914

-Tony

Tony, is that a PC or PS2 steering wheel?

QUOTE

Tony, is that a PC or PS2 steering wheel?

It has a USB connector on it so it can be used with a PS2 or a PC.

-Tony

yeah!!!!
someone else can confirm it works!