NLU Weekly #37 (June 21, 2007) - Forza 2: The Monster Update |
 Forza 2: GameSpot Game Night #10 So yesterday I participated in GameSpot's Weekly Game Night, which this week featured Forza Motorsport 2. So just after 7pm I received an invite from a couple of the special GS gamertags, I ended up in a game hosted by Kevin Van Ord of Tournament TV fame. Sadly I didn't actually get to play that much, but I did get in 3 races and what 3 eventful races they where. In the first race which was on Silverstone (I don't know the name off hand, but the shortest version), I raced to second pretty easily, but I couldn't quite catch the first place car in my B692 to his B700. In the second race which was on Sebring Raceway Club, I got a great launch of the start, nearly colliding with the rears of the two cars in front of me on the grid. Slipping between them I quickly closed in on the pole sitter at the hairpin. I went low and he went high and we criss-crossed (Jump-Jump??), just nearly avoiding collision by mere inches. After I got clear of that near wreck I grabbed the lead and lead for the entire race. After my first online win, I was pretty pumped, in the third and final race (that I was a part of) Jeff Gerstmann joined the ranks, after some insane banter about Britney Spears in the pre-race lobby, the race was on! This time it was Suzuka West Circuit... This is where it all went wrong... I start way back in 7th on the grid, so right off the bat I have to make up a ton of ground. So we all reach the second corner of the track it is the first of 2, 40 MPH right angled corners... Except none of us (except Jeff G and the guy in second) seemed to realize this. We all go plowing into the corner at over 100 MPH, in my case I punt Mr. KTVO into the wall, I didn't realize it was him at first. Don't believe me? Take a look at my little Burnout like, yet accidental, shunt on KTVO (he's rollin' in the the yellow 'vette and I'm in the red one). Click the images for the full-sized pictures.  Later in that same lap KTVO gets his "revenge" we'll call it. He was very apologetic, with very quick: "Ohhhh! I'm Sorry!" Check out the "wrath" of KTVO below.   In the end I managed to finish 3rd in the race WAY behind Jeff G and the other guy in second, who where obviously battling, with Jeff's scolding of "NOT Cool!", I assume when the guy accidentally hit him. My first experience with playing with people from GameSpot went very well and I enjoyed the 45 minutes I got to spend playing the great game Forza 2 with them. Thanks to Kevin Van Ord for putting the event together and sorry for nailing ya man. Forza 2: My Latest Designs I have really stepped up "production" of my work in the livery editor (paint shop) in Forza Motorsport 2, this week I have three designs to share with you all of which where inspired by older racing games. The first two are from an N64 game from 1999 called World Driver Championship, I did a Retro Review on the game a few months back, but I drew inspiration from it for these two designs. The upper screen of each set is the reference screen from World Driver itself and the bottom image is obviously the one from Forza 2. Click the Forza 2 image for the full sized picture.     This one I just finished about an hour ago, but it is too damn awesome not to share with you. This one is inspired by the Racing Modification Livery on the '93 Honda Civic Si model in Gran Turismo 1 and 2. After GT2 they dropped Racing Modifications so this design was lost... Until now... when I bring it back in 2007 in Forza 2. Check it out, the first shot is the car in GT2 and the bottom image is Forza 2. Click the Forza 2 image for the full sized picture.   That design took about 4 hours to finish and I had to manually construct the HONDA logo. This is by far my favorite work, it is my best so far. If you'd like to check out what I and others around GameSpot have been creating check out the Forza 2 Paintshop Union, it's run by Justin Calvert and you can also check out my "works" thread to check out all my designs in one spot. This is probably the first union that I have ever really enjoyed being a part of so I'd thought I'd give it a little shout out. Forza 2: Quick Progress Update I am 78% through the career mode, I just hit Driver level 45 and am working on clearing the Regional Championships and Manufacture Spec Races. The races are getting long, 10-12 minutes a race now, over an hour to complete some of the series. This game is long, I have over 31 hours of racing time and the game has lasted me almost a month. What can I say, but, incredible. I will have a huge Finished Article covering all my thoughts on the game when I finish it, which I will try to do this weekend. Closing Out Wow, this sure was a Forza 2 packed post, eh? I do have a couple of things I want to talk about before I go play more Forza 2. Next week I am going to be picking up The Darkness (I even themed my profile and av) and I'm teetering on picking up Transformers: The Game, without reading GameSpot's review, but I'm not sure that will happen, though I still might get the game if it reviews okay (a 7.0 or higher). I think that is about it, I will have that Forza 2 Finished Post whenever I happen to finish the game and I will have coverage of The Darkness and Transformers (if I get it) when I grab those games and of course I will end the week with NLU Weekly #38. KTVO on his Forza 2 skills: "I don't know what game you guys are playing, but I'm playing Burnout." Loading Complete! |
POSTED ON JUNE 21, 2007 |
