Midtown Madness 2

by Microsoft

Product Features

• Race against up to 8 others via LAN or the Internet
• Sequel to the popular street racing game
• Explore and race through accurate, 3-D representations of San Francisco and London
• 9 new vehicles, including taxicabs and fire trucks
• Different race modes include blitz, checkpoint, circuit, and capture the gold

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004VP44
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.8 x 2 inches ; 8 ounces
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: September 25, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,770 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #96 in Video Games > PC Games > Racing & Flying
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Midtown Madness 2 is the exact opposite of the typical racing game. Instead it's the simple racer for which PC speed freaks have been praying. It looks and plays better than most console racers, and while it is definitely an arcade racer and not a full-on driving simulation, that doesn't mean you can play it with your brain in park. The only people who might have a gripe with Midtown 2 are those who played the original to death, as the sequel is only slightly improved from the original. As in the original game, Midtown 2 features wild racing through busy city streets complete with multicar pileups and citizens diving for cover.

This time the action takes place in the streets of San Francisco and London. As expected, San Francisco sports its many landmarks and famous rolling hills, which offer plenty of chances to build up speed for ludicrous stunts. Keep an eye open for the Golden Gate Bridge and the Palace of Fine Arts. London's tight turns and twisting streets put the emphasis on driver skill rather than flat-out speed. Landmarks include Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and Trafalgar Square. Of course, the secret to success in the Midtown games is to find unconventional shortcuts that can bring about a quick victory.

For the most part players will be racing in standard circuit and checkpoint races. Interestingly, you must unlock most of the 20 cars in the game by finishing a series of races or completing the two in-game driving schools. You can't drive our favorite car--the Aston Martin DB7--until you finish British cabby school, but once you do get it, you'll be a terror on the highways. We only wish more automobiles were available right from the start, as the performance of the cars varies as wildly as their makes and models.

While the cities are interesting to look at and many of the structures contain shortcuts and other secret passages, the overall look of the game is more cartoony than realistic. While the graphics don't stand up against the Need for Speed games, they are more than adequate in their own right. However, you will need a fairly powerful machine to see them in all their cartoony glory. --Mark Brooks

Pros:

• Fast-paced driving action
• Easy to play with a wide variety of cars
• London and San Francisco look just enough like their real counterparts to be worth exploring even when not racing

Cons:

• Too many vehicles need to be unlocked by completing various tasks
• Graphics, while decent, aren't the most up-to-date
• If you've played the first game, there really isn't a lot here you haven't seen already

Product Description

Tear through the streets of San Francisco in an uphill (and downhill) battle to beat the clock! Or hop the pond to merry old England and watch the bobby-cops go bloody balmy as you throttle through downtown London.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, fun, fun, September 25, 2001

By 

Gadgester "No Time, No Money" (Mother Earth) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Midtown Madness 2 (CD-ROM)

Even though I'm a big racing sim fan who's into real-world physics and whatnots, I've logged my hours with Midtown Madness and Midtown Madness 2 than with any other racing games. Sure, NASCAR 4 has much better driving physics; the latest Need for Speed has better graphics; but nothing comes close to being as fun as the Midtown Madness games.

This second installment of the series (O how I eagerly await the third one) takes the gamer to two lovely cities, San Francisco and London. I had just returned for a trip to London when I played this game last year, and was more than thrilled to be cruising and racing down the same streets I had set my foot on not so long before. While not 100% accurate, the representations of the cities are remarkable and very fun to explore.

The driving, as has been pointed out many times by others, is rather arcade-like, which means two things: 1) it's easier than driving in the real world, and 2) it's more exciting than serious racing sims. You can ram the other cars on the road as well as scare pedestrians (but not, as in Armageddon, kill them). The cars, modeled after real-life roadsters, come in all shapes and powers, but are responsive and drivable even on a keyboard. (I use driving wheels, which is a bit of an overkill for an arcade game like this, but does make you feel more in control.)

In summary, Midtown Madness 2 is by far the most playable racing game I've ever played. It beats out Armageddon, Grand Theft Auto, Need for Speed, not so much in graphics but in the limitless ways you can have fun.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anytime, Any Place, It rocks!, November 23, 2000

By 

"jacober3" (Providence, RI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Midtown Madness 2 (CD-ROM)

Midtown Madness 2 is possibly the best game I have ever played in my life! I could tell it was going to be the best game ever by the main menu! You can do a blitz, Checkpoint race, multiplayer, crise, and hers the new one, Driving School. In the Driving School you can do San Fransisco Stunt Driving, and London Cab Driver School. Suppose you select cruise, another menu follows that and you select a city, London, Or San Fransisco. Now I bet all of you are saying, "Ow man, there's only 2 tracks??" But what you dont realize is that these "two tracks" are fully modeled and detailed full size cities. Aftre you get past the location menu you can select 1 of 25 cars including the Audi TT, Mini Cooper, Aston Martin DB7 Vantage, London Cab, Freightliner Fire Truck, even a double decker bus, Hummer, Beetle RSI, Beetle Dune, plus all of the cars from the original Midtown Madness. In the outcome, I would give this game 10 stars (If I could!) Please buy this game. You will be pleasently suprised!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, but a bit buggy, December 16, 2000

By 

Thomas Graf (Tualatin, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Midtown Madness 2 (CD-ROM)

Midtown Madness 2 is the follow up to Microsoft's first attempt; Midtown Madness. The first was troubled by bugs, and horrible physics and damage modeling ruined the game. Midtown 2 features two towns, San Fran and London. They are both excellently modeled, and are true to their real-life counterparts. The graphics are wonderful, and portray the cities nicely. They are a little too happy and colorful, but they still are top of the line. Twenty cars are availible, and many more over the internet (make sure to download the Moon Rover). The game comes with many modes of racing, included the favorite "Cruise". This is where you are free to roam about the city, causing as much mayhem as you want. Other race modes are availible, and the computer AI is a worthy oppoinent. Some races though are really hard, leaving one frustrated and mad (ex. London Crash Course Final). It's a great accomplishment when you complete them though. All in all, MM2 is a great step past the first game, and also a excellent game. Enjoy this one!