Gallop Racer Preview
We take a close look at Tecmo's horse racer.
Fans of horse racing sims will rejoice this August when Tecmo releases Gallop Racer 2001 for the PlayStation 2, the latest entry in the Gallop Racer series. Released in Japan earlier this year, this is the fifth installment in the series, but only the second released in the US. The first domestic Gallop Racer title was released for the PlayStation in '99 and, although it wasn't a monster hit in the States, the game's moderate success and cult following encouraged Tecmo to bring over the latest installment.
Gallop Racer 2001 features several graphical improvements on its 32-bit predecessor and offers clean, fairly detailed graphics. The models for the horses push roughly 40,000 polygons and look very good, but not quite photo-realistic. The jockeys are a bit less impressive, but they get the job done. The animation for the riders and horses was a bit stiff in the preview build we played, but it didn't mar the racing experience. The jockeys--and eventually the horses--can actually have their appearances customized thanks to an editor that allows you to choose from a selection of styles and colors. The various tracks and their environments are solid enough, although somewhat plain. Trackside detail consists of a static crowd in the stands and some tress lining the track. A random weather feature offers some graphical variety with the inclusion of rain and snow. Fortunately, the conservative graphics allow for a smooth playing experience even when the onscreen action is crowded with horses and jockeys.
While its graphics may not be top-tier when compared with those of other PS2 games, Gallop Racer 2001 offers polished gameplay that has been refined over the course of the series. Gamers who played Gallop Racer on the PlayStation will be familiar with the game's selection of options and general layout. Season mode, practice mode, and versus mode are the basic choices. Season mode is the meat of the game, and it stays faithful to the setup of the previous titles, as players are challenged to rise to the top of the horseracing circuit. You start out with a budget of "points," (essentially money) which you use to acquire a horse and develop it into a champion. Initially, you'll have the option to buy or "order" a horse for your stable, and it's possible to have up to six horses at one time. Buying a horse lets you choose from a selection of ready-made animals, whereas ordering one gives you the option of customizing a beast to your liking. Game time is broken up into "weeks," like in Tecmo's Monster Rancher series, which you can skip through at your leisure. Once you've selected a horse, you can register your prize thoroughbred for a race, retire it, or even breed it. Anyone unclear on how to proceed will be helped along by Cindy, a perky virtual assistant who will cheerfully dispense information on everything from how to register your horse to race to how to perform the magic of horse breeding.
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