Customer Reviews

Auto Modellista

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I had looked forward to Auto Modelista. Firstly, (as a gearhead) as a second game to play on-line (after SOCOM Navy Seals). Secondly, the cel-shading style of graphics looked apealing.

The single coolest thing about this racer is the graphics. It looks great. Really great. Checkout gamespot.com for screenshots to see what it offers.

There is a pretty good selection of cars, and the customization capabilities are very deep. Perhaps too deep. It allows you to customize your cars styling through body kits, and any combination of colors, plus various stripe styles, wheels, and decals.

Arguably, more focus has been put on customizing your car, and even the garage that it's displayed in, than on the driving experience. And unfortunately, I have yet to discover how to race your customized cars on-line. I mean, isn't that the greater point of such an exercise... to share your creation.

The racing experience is... well... Gran Turismo it ain't.

It's pretty fun, but don't expect great realism. I guess it kind of goes along with the semi-cartoon-like graphics. More abstract than life-like.

Oh yeah, and the biggest annoyance for me, the goofy voice remarks that the annoucer makes, that you apparently can't turn off. Hearing him go "you're amazing!" after a descent turn gets old really quickly.

All in all, it's kind of fun, but for a serious racer, I think it's lees likely to keep your attention

Well I just picked up Auto Modellista this week at the local gameshop, and for the most part the game is pretty impressive. The Graphics are pretty impressive with a solid framerate at 60fps and good sense of speed. Other than that, it looks like a manga comic, with speed streaks etc, a racing game never looked like this before.. The gameplay is basically identical to Ridge Racer but the controls lean towards an arcadey GT3. The way the powersliding seems more like powerslides in Gran Turismo than Ridge Racer. But its still very arcadey because you take powerslides at very high speeds like RR, they just powerslide more like GT's than RR's. In other words, it's a GT3 mmet Ridge racer style and works rather nicely actually.

The game also supports online play whch is a blast. You can race up to 8 different people at a time and the game also has chat, and USB keyboard support. The game is also free to play online, no fees at all.

There is a great selection of cars and tracks to choose from, and your car is fully customizable, even more so than GT3 cars are. It's pretty cool to see what kind of rides you can create from scratch. The A.I isnt the best, but it does a pretty decent job of giving some competetive races, especially in later modes. So far, the game is a blast and online play is the cherry on top. Anyone who likes arcadey racers should definitely check it out.

Okay, I know that was really Ridge Racer V, but Auto Modellista makes a far better case.

First off this is NOTHING like Gran Turismo, sure it has GT cars, but the Ridge Racer and Tokyo Xtreme Racer series are closer to what Auto Modellista is. Initally it doesn't seem like you're moving all that fast, but once you play the game for a bit you get filtered into the anime-ish world of AM. You'll unlock both performance and body style upgrades as well as fully tweak out the graphics on your car as well as it's colors and plates.

Hands down the highlight of the game is the uphill and downhill point to point races. These type of events are extremely exciting and the perfect environment for an anime sport racer.

Ultimately the game does have some shortcomings, namely there really aren't that many tracks, and the menu system is quite clunky. Also it seems that moving from ANY mode to another requires the game to load. It's not for everyone, but is an outstanding game and proves that cel shading can work in a sport racing game. If you're uncertian about it, I really suggest you rent it before purchasing. Be warned however, after playing a little of it you might really want to pick it up. Hopefully things will be expanded if a sequel is ever released.

Ok, now I know that I will probably get blasted by this but, this game was really not that great. I was SO looking forward to this game for the past few months. My main complaints are as follows: GRAPHICS: now don't get me wrong the cars look great, it's just everything else. Scenery, or lack thereof, lacks detail and there really is nothing else to look at but the cars. PHYSICS: these cars are WAY to sensitive. Just about any amount of pressure is enough to make you spin out if your not careful. CHALLENGE: ok something is wrong if you can finish all the races and only lose one of them (late spinout - see physics statement). Lastly, the CUSTOMIZE section: this was the one part of the game that was hyped the most and I'm sure most people were looking forward too, but let's face it, there really isn't that much to it. Except for rims, you basically have just a few parts for each section of your car (all cars use the same parts). The one thing I did like was the two player and online modes. They are about the only thing that I can recommend this game for. As long as people online use broadband like it says to. Nothing more irritating than trying to play against a dial-up competitor. If your looking for a driving game stick to Gran Turismo or Midnight Club.

This is the best game of 2002-2003. I love the cartoonish cell-shading look, the Ridge Racer 5 handling, and the GT3 type customization. I have no gripes with this game. I love the car selection, and the colors and looks for the cars. The selection, to elaborate, is just huge. Mostly Japanese (who doesn't like Japanese cars?), and a few U.S., this is the game for the power/customization enthusiast. They have some really slow cars, but find the fastest one of the C-class, and you will win, because all the other cars will be C-class, too. I love the fact that you have to earn the parts in races, and can use them for every car. 5/5.

I could go on for hours explaining why you should buy this game and its brilliance. However I'm aware reviews should be tto the point yet deliver the information so let's go. As you probably know this is cel-shaded racer. I believe it really does make it look good. I fail to find anytthing annoying with these graphics. Secondly the amount of customization you can perfrom on your car is extensive. There are literally hundreds of parts from engine upgrades to computer upgrades and even logos and labels to put on your car. Dont like theirs? They have a built in program so you can make your own!
There's even a lot of cars. Just about every major car company is in tthis game with their current models and even some from the past. Probably around 75 cars to choose from once you have unlocked tthem all.
Getting used to the game is the hardest part. Turning requires some pacience but once you have it down ( It took me about one day of consant play to do it) you will find it extrodinarily easy.
You can even decorate your garage with posters trophies and other neat things. The level of depth in this game is just amazing. Capcom truly made an excellent game here. I'm sure it's going to be great once others try it.

I love racing games. My first experience with a killer racing game was Rage Racer on PS1. I loved R4, Gran Turismo, and Gran Turismo 2, and Wipout 3 on the PS1. The PS2's pure racers have been more sparse for me. I loved GT3, but short of that, I consider the best car game on the system to be GTA3 and GTAVC. Now, to the subject at hand:

Automodellista breaks the one big rule of racing games. It has horrible physics. Rent it first, please. Watch one of your replays. Yes, you can come to a full stop just turning, and I'm not talking powersliding to a stop, you just stop when you turn. Also, I've hit a wall and watched my car, with it's center of gravity fixed, rotate. The tires aren't the source of propulsion in this game as they are in GTA and GT.

Money...Rage Racer and the Gran Turismo series add fun because you have to buy the cars and buy the upgrades. There is no concept of money in AM. You want a viper, sure, have one. You want another, to paint different, sure, have another. Any car, you got it. I'm talking before you race one race.

However, the graphics are stunning, but who cares.

Rent it so you know... Don't just trust me...

With a look as revolutionary as a futuristic car design, Auto Modellista stretches the imagination to a whole new visual plane. If it weren't for the disappointing controls, Auto Modellista's road to glory would be carved into auto history.
The radical look is the sole highlight of Auto Modellista. A cel-shaded world where even the raindrops fall in 2D makes up the game's eye-catching design. Everything from the tracks to the vehicles is painted in this now-unique cel method so it all stands out with bright, sharp colors. The addition of wind effects craftily re-creates a sense of speed as you rumble down the road in everything from modern rides like the Mazda RX-8 to classic muscle roadsters like the Shelby Cobra. But Auto Modellista's gameplay doesn't match its outstanding visuals. Unfortunately, the driving technique at the heart of this driver doesn't perform well. More often than not, you'll be frustrated with each car's mechanical ineptness as your vehicle will suddenly stop at a turn with a slight press on the brakes or when you attempt to powerslide. Even tuning your car to the recommended specs won't improve your on-road manners. More disappointingly, bumping walls at full speed will hardly slow you or your opponents down. In fact, the only slowdown in the game is the reduced frame rate as you drive through heavy traffic on turns and in rain. An annoying game voice and ho-hum car effects round out the unspectacular features.
If not for the second-rate controls, Auto Modellista could have easily taken the checkered flag. Still, it's worth renting this racer for at least an overnight thrill.

This game is sick. you build your own cars and race other peolple on line. The only thing that dosent happen that should is the crashing of your car. But the animated graphics are great so it makes up for the crashing of the cars. The online play is the best cause you can make up your own team and race with other teams.

i was kinda skeptical about the cell shading graphics, but after playing for a few minutes, you totally forget about it. car selection is not limited to money like in GT3 and doesnt take days to get the car you want. and i had all the parts unlocked in a day and a half.