CART Fury Championship Racing First Impressions

Midway is taking the world of CART Fury in the same direction it has taken boat racing--into the realm of over-the-top arcade physics. The game is essentially a port of the existing arcade game of the same name, and Midway plans to pack the PS2 port with all kinds of play modes and extras.

Midway has managed to nab the CART license for CART Fury, which means that you'll see real-life drivers, tracks, teams, and vehicles gracing its races. Fifteen drivers are playable, five of whom remain locked within the game, fighting-game style. Among the drivers are Christian Fittipaldi, Jimmy Vasser, Adrian Fernandez, Max Papis, and Michael Andretti.

Seven of the game's 18 tracks are true to life. These include the Long Beach street course in California, the Chicago Motor Speedway, and Surfers' Paradise in Australia, among others. The remaining 11 tracks comprise both street and race courses in places such as Miami, New York, and Boston.

The PS2 version of CART Fury will feature a host of different play modes, the most intriguing of which is the simulation mode. Midway purports that it will boast a more realistic physics model to give players more of a challenge. The remaining modes are arcade, season, and driving 101, the game's training mode. The game will also feature a host of minimodes, though information on them is sparse at this point.

Those who have played the arcade version of CART Fury can vouch for its unforgiving AI and spectacular pacing. Massive pileups are common, and the AI drivers are quite brutal, never hesitating to bump, sideswipe, or cut you off in the most unsportsmanlike ways possible. The game remains accessible throughout, however, never straying too far from its arcade roots. At least not during the early stages, in any case. The arcade game also features three camera views, as well as a "boost" function that lets you zip through the courses at extremely high speeds for a limited time. We can only assume that the PS2 version will follow suit.

If Midway has proven anything throughout its long life, it's that it's very proficient in creating compelling arcade experiences. Fans of CART racing will definitely want to follow this one. CART Fury is due out this summer.