ModNation Racers

[dvdx2]

enjoyed this, but only being able to mod visual features of the kart is a bit of a disapointment.

Surely the title 'modracer' means you should surely be able to add a new engine (one that gives you more power), transmission, brakes, suspension etc

[Number45]

I'm not convinced there's rubber band AI in this. I built up a hefty lead in one of the races last and despite being hit hard twice with attacks I still managed to finish first because of the lead that I'd built up.

The drifting really clicked last night on I think the third track - Miner Rift I think? It actually says in the loading screen that you can complete the track with four continuous drifts, and while I can see how it can be done I'm not quite there with the handling yet. I still have a tendency to turn in early.

I forced myself to just race last night to concentrate on getting the handling down and using the boost almost exclusively for defence. Once I have that down I'll look to start getting more accustomed to the weapons.

Really enjoying this anyway. Love the two presenters for the career mode as well.

I like that they've kept the downloads really small as it seems to take about half a second to download stuff and I hope they don't lose that if they improve the loading times.

They stated this was the reason for the long loads, it pretty much loads everything in advance so that you can see all of the customisations.

enjoyed this, but only being able to mod visual features of the kart is a bit of a disapointment.

Surely the title 'modracer' means you should surely be able to add a new engine (one that gives you more power), transmission, brakes, suspension etc

I like the fact that the online races will be down to the skill of the player rather than setup of their kart.

[merf]

I agree on the kart modding limitations, I don't want to be able to bork the handling in any way, I just want to make pretty karts that have a level playing field in the races.

[JP]

I can really understand why not everybody is enjoying this, it's something that I was expecting after completing a couple of races. To me it seems very different to any other kart racers that I've played irrelevant of the generation they were released in.

As I mentioned on here I struggled on one of the finals but I'm able to get first on that race without really trying now. I think the thing that separates this from other kart racers is that you need to very carefully balance you're resources and approach in each race.

On the championship final that I struggled on I was approaching it far too aggressively which wasn't the most efficient way to approach it. The best way was to get a boost start off the line, perform stunts only when there are no risks and to save my accrued boost energy until the last lap as somebody will more than likely unleash a level two or level three attack.

It takes skill to be able to block the higher level attacks with a shield when you're seconds away from the line and doing 100ft jumps but it can be done.

In other kart racing games you've got the driving to think about and that's it, once you've mastered that and learned the courses you can forget about everything else as somebody either shoots you or they don't and it's really out of your control.

If somebody had described to me that I'd need to concentrating all through the races to win even on the easier tracks I would happily have admitted that I hated the idea and that's why I can understand and was expecting this to split opinions.

This just doesn't remind me of any other kart games but I get exactly the same feeling of concentration when playing Wipeout HD. It's fine to describe it as a kart game as that describes the vehicles but I don't think that it really suggests what the actual gameplay is going to be like. Maybe the design style doesn't suggest that and maybe if it looked a little more grown up like Blur or Split Second then it would be more acceptable.

It's not an easy game and as I've said before I really do wish that it had stolen the idea of being able to chose to compete in either a 50cc, 100cc or 150cc kart like Mario Kart does I think that some people, especially kids are going to find it really annoying.

I'm on the third championship now and there's another three or four after this and I know it's going to piss me off at times if ever manage to 100% the game but I also feel that I'm still learning about how to play the game as I take part in the races.

[merf]

wait til you get to champ 4 and it introduces a new R1 mechanic to contend with, incase you were finding it too easy!

[Number45]

wait til you get to champ 4 and it introduces a new R1 mechanic to contend with, incase you were finding it too easy!

I was trying to work out what the button did last night. Something about activating trigger mechanism?

[Matt]

Interesting. I was actually planning on remapping (if you can) so it would activate the shield - seems essential, and being able to keep powersliding while shielding, without contorting my hand, would be a plus.

[JP]

wait til you get to champ 4 and it introduces a new R1 mechanic to contend with, incase you were finding it too easy!

Nothing after the first championship has been easy until I've been able to work out what each track required and it usually takes some time.

Are you on championship 4 now? Has anybody got any further yet? I can imagine the final one is going to be a right bloody nightmare to complete.

[merf]

I'm on champ 4 now, first race, its like I don't have enough fingers and the track is very complicated. Also there are a full amount of locked events, not the 4 on champs 1-3. going to be tough to simply get thru in 3rd spot let alone do all the bonus unlocks too, which will torment me as I want all the car bodies !

I still absolutely love this but agree about the difficulty, its an old school kind of unforgiving experience in some ways and you really have to focus and adapt to do well.

[saturn-gamer]

I've beaten the first 2 championships and what I mostly do is drift, drift, drift and spin in the air. I hardly use the speedboost, rather save it up for incoming nukes. The timing of blocking the incoming is what I still have to master, the bar drains really, really fast when using it for shields.

But I just found out that rockets actually display on the map, rather than just listening to the beeps. Blocked some swarms since then and felt good. During one race, I was obliterated but my remains actually flew over the finish line

The AI, unlike S/C, doesn't really seem to feel like rubberband too.. yet. This game is too deep for its own good perhaps, but I freakin' love it. Best kart game I've played.

[merf]

I agree that the AI in this isn't overly 'rubber-bandy', it was mentioned earlier that if you build a lead and get hit the opponents don't magically appear out of nowhere and always pass.

I've also noticed if you are clear with one other opponent (often the named target) if you block a powered up weapon from them they don't get another round the corner.

It seems fair but very hard to me.

I think they may have made the mistake that Rare made with Viva Pinata, in marrying what on the surface looks a cartoon style game to far harder mechanics.

Anybody else got challenged in the hub world, you get taken off for a 1:1 special race on a new track, nice touch.

That said I actually am now believing this may not be simply the best kart game I've played but one of the best racers, the scope for learning and control is sublime, its the nearest I remember to the original Mario Kart for time trial perfection.

The circuits on the 4th series are getting amazing, so fast and really flow with so many points of interest, shows how flexible and powerful the designer is, again I'd say they are some of the best designed circuits I've seen in any racer.

Think this makes me feel how I had hoped LBP would, but ultimately didn't.

[MikeF]

Question..

On the 2nd championship, there is a course that requires 4000 air points. I can't seem to find anywhere to actually get any airpoints at all.

Anyone done this one.

[merf]

have you explored fully all the shortcut routes and used the big green banks on the inside racing line (think there's two) as makeshift ramps ?

[merf]

just got the 4000 air points on the island track.

after the start you come to the shoreline, there is a hidden sharp right turn that leads to a boost plate and huge jump back onto the course, if you 'x' 'x' off the top this is worth 1000 points, later on there is a standard red stunt jump up the inside line next to some trees which if timed right is worth 400 or so.

hardest part isn't winning but getting 3 clean laps with no mid air take downs as that stuffs your chance of doing it, took me a few trys. then you get the challenge unlock 1:1 race which I managed first time.

[englishbob]

After reading the thread, downloaded the demo. Jesus, this is poor. Maybe if it was 60fps I could get slightly more infused, but another poor looking Mario Kart clone?

I am just not seeing what you are obviously.