The original arcade game was released to huge acclaim in 1996 and was a fun and manic free-roaming racer featuring four styles of rally car and a unique handbrake feature for sharp turns. GTI Club+ retains the open element of the original, but has been totally reworked in every aspect. A classic race against the clock, GTi Club+ recreates the beauty of its French locale within a giant game map that is gradually opened as the player breaks certain records. Boasting 720p graphics and running at 60fps, the game offers five distinctly different licensed cars – Austin Mini Cooper, Renault 5, Fiat A112 Abarth, Lancia Delta and the VW Golf GTi – and invites players to compete via the solo mode or against up to seven other people online.
GTI Club+ brings the arcade game bang up to date with incredible visuals and speed, with the option to customise the various cars with bespoke paint jobs and decals. The original game’s four cars have also been expanded with a number of vintage and modern vehicles added to the roster.
In game, GTI Club+ also utilises a rear-view mirror for the in-car view, while other new elements include a Sat Nav system to help traverse the open nature of the huge courses, dizzying replays, 5.1 sound including a remix of the original coin-op’s music by Atjazz, and player-to-player voice comms. Konami will also make further expansion elements available in the future, including new cars.
Using timing, hidden short cuts and handbrake turns, GTi Club+ comes into its own when played online. Three difficulty settings can be selected, adjusting the severity of the course in the process, while a Bomb Tag game sees players attempting to eradicate their rivals in an explosive chase mode. The PlayStation Eye peripheral is also supported, and users can send images to their rivals mid-race, with the best times uploaded to an ever-changing online leaderboard.
GTI Club+ will be released for PS3 via the PlayStation Store on Dec. 4, 2008 for 14,99 Euro.
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