Hands-onSupercar Street Challenge

Activision stopped by today with an Alpha build of Supercar Street Challenge for the PlayStation 2 that builds on the solid foundation we'd seen displayed in our last time with the 2695935game . The framerate continues to improve boosting the sense of speed and making the sharp turns even more challenging. At present the game's framerate ranges between a steady 60 fps in places to 30. Associate producer Gene Bahng stated the team is currently targeting 60 fps.

The game's graphics continue to be refined and have been tweaked for the better. The car models are a bit smoother and are complemented by more polished roadside detail and particle effects. The game's environmental effects- rain, fog, and night lighting continue to be refined. Car handling was fairly tight and control was responsive- players will be able to use either a button or right analog stick to accelerate. We found the dual stick configuration to work very well even now which made us anxious for the final release.

While the core of the game continues to improve Activision let us in on some additions to the game, which should excite racing fans. With the recent acquisition of the rights to the Saleen S7R, the game will now reward players who complete Championship mode with a new challenge. The S7R will be joined by race versions of the top 6 cars from the roster. Seven new races will be available to test player's racing skills.

SSC's Styling Studio car builder offers budding car designers the chance to build their own creations- up to three can be saved per game. Players will be able to see how their creations fare by using them in a game or trying them against a friend. The game's head to head mode will support split-screen play for two players.

As the game nears completion Activision and Exakt have begun focusing on the game's soundtrack and will be licensing Moonshine Music to provide the game's tunes. The tunes have are more "Ridge Racer" than "Gran Turismo" thanks to Moonshine's trance/electronica artists. Licensed tracks from Christoper Lawrence, Keoki, Crystal Method and Sirius will be on hand with original tracks by DJ Dave Aude'.

At the moment Supercar Street Challenge is slated to hit the PlayStation 2 this fall.