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A hit, and a miss.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: August 31, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I had looked forward to Auto Modelista. Firstly, (as a gearhead) as a second game to play on-line (after SOCOM Navy Seals). Secondly, the cel-shading style of graphics looked apealing.

The single coolest thing about this racer is the graphics. It looks great. Really great. Checkout gamespot.com for screenshots to see what it offers.

There is a pretty good selection of cars, and the customization capabilities are very deep. Perhaps too deep. It allows you to customize your cars styling through body kits, and any combination of colors, plus various stripe styles, wheels, and decals.

Arguably, more focus has been put on customizing your car, and even the garage that it's displayed in, than on the driving experience. And unfortunately, I have yet to discover how to race your customized cars on-line. I mean, isn't that the greater point of such an exercise... to share your creation.

The racing experience is... well... Gran Turismo it ain't.

It's pretty fun, but don't expect great realism. I guess it kind of goes along with the semi-cartoon-like graphics. More abstract than life-like.

Oh yeah, and the biggest annoyance for me, the goofy voice remarks that the annoucer makes, that you apparently can't turn off. Hearing him go "you're amazing!" after a descent turn gets old really quickly.

All in all, it's kind of fun, but for a serious racer, I think it's lees likely to keep your attention

NOT a cartoon gran turismo 3.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: July 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

-Auto Modellista is not what I thought it would be. Whenever I asked anyone about it they said "oh! yea that, its like a cartoon gran turismo 3". it's not.

-It's a very short game with awful physics and the most number of laps in a race is like 4 around a short track. I beat this game in 3 days. only playing for 45-75 minutes a day.

-Most of your time though is spent customising your cars which is awsome because of the good variety of cars and the variety of parts. The customazation of cars is the best part of the game. That is why I gave it 2 stars.

-The online mode is fun if you can find someone to play whith but the online racing isn't as fun as midnight club II (niether is the game)

-The multi player is fun if you can find someone at your skill level.

---thats all now go buy Gran Turismo 3 or Mightnight club II---

Are the other reviewers here insane?

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: July 01, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I love racing games. My first experience with a killer racing game was Rage Racer on PS1. I loved R4, Gran Turismo, and Gran Turismo 2, and Wipout 3 on the PS1. The PS2's pure racers have been more sparse for me. I loved GT3, but short of that, I consider the best car game on the system to be GTA3 and GTAVC. Now, to the subject at hand:

Automodellista breaks the one big rule of racing games. It has horrible physics. Rent it first, please. Watch one of your replays. Yes, you can come to a full stop just turning, and I'm not talking powersliding to a stop, you just stop when you turn. Also, I've hit a wall and watched my car, with it's center of gravity fixed, rotate. The tires aren't the source of propulsion in this game as they are in GTA and GT.

Money...Rage Racer and the Gran Turismo series add fun because you have to buy the cars and buy the upgrades. There is no concept of money in AM. You want a viper, sure, have one. You want another, to paint different, sure, have another. Any car, you got it. I'm talking before you race one race.

However, the graphics are stunning, but who cares.

Rent it so you know... Don't just trust me...

Brilliant and beautiful

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: March 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I could go on for hours explaining why you should buy this game and its brilliance. However I'm aware reviews should be tto the point yet deliver the information so let's go. As you probably know this is cel-shaded racer. I believe it really does make it look good. I fail to find anytthing annoying with these graphics. Secondly the amount of customization you can perfrom on your car is extensive. There are literally hundreds of parts from engine upgrades to computer upgrades and even logos and labels to put on your car. Dont like theirs? They have a built in program so you can make your own!
There's even a lot of cars. Just about every major car company is in tthis game with their current models and even some from the past. Probably around 75 cars to choose from once you have unlocked tthem all.
Getting used to the game is the hardest part. Turning requires some pacience but once you have it down ( It took me about one day of consant play to do it) you will find it extrodinarily easy.
You can even decorate your garage with posters trophies and other neat things. The level of depth in this game is just amazing. Capcom truly made an excellent game here. I'm sure it's going to be great once others try it.

Better than expected!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: March 30, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Well I just picked up Auto Modellista this week at the local gameshop, and for the most part the game is pretty impressive. The Graphics are pretty impressive with a solid framerate at 60fps and good sense of speed. Other than that, it looks like a manga comic, with speed streaks etc, a racing game never looked like this before.. The gameplay is basically identical to Ridge Racer but the controls lean towards an arcadey GT3. The way the powersliding seems more like powerslides in Gran Turismo than Ridge Racer. But its still very arcadey because you take powerslides at very high speeds like RR, they just powerslide more like GT's than RR's. In other words, it's a GT3 mmet Ridge racer style and works rather nicely actually.

The game also supports online play whch is a blast. You can race up to 8 different people at a time and the game also has chat, and USB keyboard support. The game is also free to play online, no fees at all.

There is a great selection of cars and tracks to choose from, and your car is fully customizable, even more so than GT3 cars are. It's pretty cool to see what kind of rides you can create from scratch. The A.I isnt the best, but it does a pretty decent job of giving some competetive races, especially in later modes. So far, the game is a blast and online play is the cherry on top. Anyone who likes arcadey racers should definitely check it out.

Bad handling and physics drove me up the wall

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 08, 2003
Author: Amazon User

With a look as revolutionary as a futuristic car design, Auto Modellista stretches the imagination to a whole new visual plane. If it weren't for the disappointing controls, Auto Modellista's road to glory would be carved into auto history.
The radical look is the sole highlight of Auto Modellista. A cel-shaded world where even the raindrops fall in 2D makes up the game's eye-catching design. Everything from the tracks to the vehicles is painted in this now-unique cel method so it all stands out with bright, sharp colors. The addition of wind effects craftily re-creates a sense of speed as you rumble down the road in everything from modern rides like the Mazda RX-8 to classic muscle roadsters like the Shelby Cobra. But Auto Modellista's gameplay doesn't match its outstanding visuals. Unfortunately, the driving technique at the heart of this driver doesn't perform well. More often than not, you'll be frustrated with each car's mechanical ineptness as your vehicle will suddenly stop at a turn with a slight press on the brakes or when you attempt to powerslide. Even tuning your car to the recommended specs won't improve your on-road manners. More disappointingly, bumping walls at full speed will hardly slow you or your opponents down. In fact, the only slowdown in the game is the reduced frame rate as you drive through heavy traffic on turns and in rain. An annoying game voice and ho-hum car effects round out the unspectacular features.
If not for the second-rate controls, Auto Modellista could have easily taken the checkered flag. Still, it's worth renting this racer for at least an overnight thrill.

depressingly lackluster!

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: June 14, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Auto modelista is a huge let down as far as racing sims go with only one saving grace. The thing that matters the most in a videogame is the core gameplay, length, and replay value, and auto modelista falls flat on its face in all three categories.

First of all the core gameplay. The game has very short, unmemorable tracks, which is really a shame because the graphics are excellent. The cars drive terribly, powerslide around every turn. As for the car selection, the game consists mostly of uninspired import cars, and the occasional viper or corvette.

As for the length of this game, it took me roughly 3 hours to beat, which is laughable compared to the 35 hours i have on final fantasy 10, and im still nto even close to done! The longest race is 4 or 5 laps long across a tin race course, really the load times took more than the race time most of the time.

As for the replay value, once you beat the game, your done, might as well use this game for kindling in your fire place. Yes, it does feature online game play, but it is terribly uninspired, and just as boring and brief as the offline expierience.

So what is the one saving grace of this game? The pretty graphics of course! Through all of the flaws the light of graphics does gleam through on this not so shiny gem. Customizing your car is extremely entertaining, and finding all the perfect tones of paint for your car. There is also a wide array of stickers, and a custom sticker maker. The down side of the sticker maker is that it is no where near user friendly, and a tutorial would have been VERY helpful.

In conclusion your money is much better spent elsewhere. This is the kind of title that comes out terrible, then the sequel unexpectedly blows you away, so lets just keep our fingers crossed that if there is an aut modelista 2, they completely overhaul the terrible controls and make the races MUCH longer!

An Amazing Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 6
Date: April 01, 2003
Author: Amazon User

By now i am sure you have read multitudes of mediocre reviews about this game. I followed this gorgeous game from the day i saw it previewed in a magazine. i was all hyped up for it until i went out and bought it, and was disappointed. the level of customization in this game is fantastic, and the graphics are cel-shaded bliss. but the gameplay itself is the gripe here. ever drive on ice? this is a bit like that. the car physics in the game arent exactly realistic. they are either love em or hate em. If youve ever tried the drift racing in Need For Speed Underground, these physics are much like those but a good amount more sensitive in turns. Also, the SNAP "technology" used in the online aspect is horrific. the interface is much too complicated when compared to games like SOCOM and Midnight Club II. Rent it first, and if you like the handling, purchase it.

The Spiritual Successor to Ridge Racer Type 4

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: March 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Okay, I know that was really Ridge Racer V, but Auto Modellista makes a far better case.

First off this is NOTHING like Gran Turismo, sure it has GT cars, but the Ridge Racer and Tokyo Xtreme Racer series are closer to what Auto Modellista is. Initally it doesn't seem like you're moving all that fast, but once you play the game for a bit you get filtered into the anime-ish world of AM. You'll unlock both performance and body style upgrades as well as fully tweak out the graphics on your car as well as it's colors and plates.

Hands down the highlight of the game is the uphill and downhill point to point races. These type of events are extremely exciting and the perfect environment for an anime sport racer.

Ultimately the game does have some shortcomings, namely there really aren't that many tracks, and the menu system is quite clunky. Also it seems that moving from ANY mode to another requires the game to load. It's not for everyone, but is an outstanding game and proves that cel shading can work in a sport racing game. If you're uncertian about it, I really suggest you rent it before purchasing. Be warned however, after playing a little of it you might really want to pick it up. Hopefully things will be expanded if a sequel is ever released.

I love it!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 13, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is the best game of 2002-2003. I love the cartoonish cell-shading look, the Ridge Racer 5 handling, and the GT3 type customization. I have no gripes with this game. I love the car selection, and the colors and looks for the cars. The selection, to elaborate, is just huge. Mostly Japanese (who doesn't like Japanese cars?), and a few U.S., this is the game for the power/customization enthusiast. They have some really slow cars, but find the fastest one of the C-class, and you will win, because all the other cars will be C-class, too. I love the fact that you have to earn the parts in races, and can use them for every car. 5/5.

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