Genre: Racing
Developer: Capcom Co. Ltd
Publisher: Capcom Entertainment
# of Players: 1-4
Memory: N/A
ERSB: Everyone
Scheduled Release: September 2003
Also On/Coming For: PlayStation 2, XBOX
Features: N/A
The GameCube’s gaming library isn’t the most well rounded, especially when compared to the PlayStation 2’s or even to that of Xbox in certain aspects. Games in the RPG, Fighting, and Racing genres are too few in numbers, and often many not even worth any time or interest. However, Capcom has once again stepped up to the plate, to fill in the gaps left by others, and this time they plan to take on the Racing genre with a port of the PlayStation 2’s Auto Modellista.
For those who don’t know, and I would assume that many of you don’t, Auto Modellista is Capcom’s unique take on the racing genre. What makes Auto Modellista so “unique” is the use of Cel Shading, the visual style used in such games as Jet Grind Radio and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and from what can been seen with the original PlayStation 2 version of the game, I can promise you that, like it’s PS2 brother, the GameCube version of Auto Modellista will deliver an amazing visual experience unlike any other racing game on the console. Animation techniques, such as dramatic speed lines that appear of your screen when traveling at insane speeds, and the incredibly stylized, yet accurate, anime inspired car models the game depicts, prove that Capcom isn’t just using Cel Shading as a gimmick to market the game, but to really add to the overall atmosphere.
Unlike Criterion’s Burnout 2: Point of Impact for the GameCube, Auto Modellista brings 69 real-world cars and concepts cars to the field from seventeen different car manufactures including Mazda, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru. This comes as a refreshing treat, seeing how most GameCube racers which do feature real-world autos, such as Ubi Soft’s City Racer, are more horrendous than you could possibly imagine. Auto Modellista also features an incredibly diverse selection of locales and environments to “tear it up on” including racing circuits, cityscapes and the always beautiful mountain passes.
Although, Capcom’s Auto Modellista for the GameCube may not end up being the most enjoyable racing experience on the console, especially if the problems that plagued the PS2 original remain. Unfortunately, these problems exist(ed) in the area which is most important…gameplay. Since Auto Modellista is a combination of Arcade style and Simulation style racing, it has many hurdles to overcome, and from my time with the PlayStation 2 version, many of these hurdles may have been placed too high. On the simulation side of things, Auto Modellista includes a nice amount of customization. For instance, the player is allowed to create incredibly unique car designs (by choosing from an array of decals), change the brakes, suspension, turbine kit, muffler, transmission, and even the option to customize their garage. Though, it might not offer the depth of customization as a Gran Turismo would over your vehicle’s tuning, it’s a fair amount that will easily please the most racer starved GameCube owner. However, this amount of customization, which is often a trait of a simulation style racer, is partially ruined by the game’s sometimes arcade-like gameplay and racing physics. The game presents itself as a more simulation type game, and will even go as far as to instruct the player to learn about such terms as understeer, oversteer, and how to handle corners properly, or the way various engine placements affect your vehicles performance and handling. But then it will make all of that seem like time spent foolishly, since the actual physics of the game allow the racer to plow into walls at 150mph, bounce right back onto the track and continue at the same insane speed. As far as the gameplay modes go, Capcom promises to deliver much with the game’s Single Player Mode, which allows you to customize you car and participate in various races, Arcade Mode, and VJ Mode, which gives the player the option to record, edit, and apply various effects to your previous races to capture all the highlights of performance racing.
Compared to the PlayStation 2, and upcoming Xbox versions of the game, the GameCube’s Auto Modellista seems to missing a certain extra something. What could that possibly be, hmmm? Ah yes, the always awesome addition of online multiplayer. As of the current moment, Capcom has no plans for online play for the GameCube version of Auto Modellista. Of course, Capcom isn’t to blame for this exclusion, seeing how Nintendo has completely avoided plans of setting up an online network for this console generation. However, despite the removal of online play, Auto Modellista for the GameCube may possibly be the most promising racer for the console… that is if the issues found in the PlayStation 2 version have been resolved.
Auto Modellista is scheduled for a September 2003 release for the retail price of $39.99
