Retro Racing November 2020 - Micro Machines 2

Join the OCAU Retro Driving Club in a different retro driving game each month and see who can lay down the fastest lap!



The Game of the Month:

Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament - 1994













The Game Description

Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament is the second game in the Micro Machines series. Like its predecessor, it puts the player behind the steering wheel of the tiny toy cars. The top down races take place in locations such as kitchen, garden, workbench, bathroom and many more. There are various obstacles to avoid which will knock you off the table or into the water and slow you down.

The CD-ROM version adds CD-audio music while the Mega Drive version features a special cartridge that allows players to connect two additional controllers to the console for four-player games.

Four game types are available:

Challenge is the traditional racing progression style, win races, keep going.

Head to Head gives you points against your opponent as you drive off the screen ahead of them.

Super League puts you up against 16 players and you must win against 4 to make it to the next league

Time Trial is, you guessed it, a time trial mode.




The Memories

Most sleep-over birthday parties in early high school consisted of many hours on the mega drive borrowing controllers from whoever had them to get the most out of the multiplayer mayhem.


The How To

You have found yourself in a retro section of a rather nerdy forum. I would thus deduce that you are capable of finding a way to play this game. There are releases on many different platforms including Mega Drive, SNES, PC (Dos) and Gameboy.

Emulation is probably the easiest method to run on a modern PC. But, there’s nothing stopping you from spending the big $$ on original hardware. Go for it!

Retroarch is a great way to dip your toes into the emulator scene on modern hardware.

I should probably fire up my raspberry pi in its mega drive case with 8bitdo M30 for a close to OG experience. But I’ll probably just end up emulating it on my gaming PC using fusion or similar.



The Track & Car


This game ties the track to the car. Pool Slalom is the go:







Time Trial gives you two options.

Are you the single hot lap type or an endurance 3 lap master? Lets find out!

Bored of the suggested track? Feel free to post times on other tracks and throw down a challenge!

The Player

If you aren’t using Derp, you’re doing it wrong.



The Entry Fee

A $5 Donation to a legitimate charity of your choice. This is not mandatory. If you cant afford it don't worry. I just figure we may as well have some “greater good” come out of this!


The Rules
• Post your best lap time in the thread for the nominated car & track. Please copy the existing leader board and insert your time to make for easy updates.
• Its basically the honour system and just for good fun.
• Dont forget a photo of your retro setup so that we can all drool over the PAL CRT & MegaCD.
• An uploaded video will get you bonus points.
• Stating your donations will secure you a spot on the leader board with a gold star and many likes.
• Don’t forget that we’re just here to have fun.



The Prize:

The glory of telling your family and friends that you beat some strangers on the internet in some random old racing game you played as a kid.


The Leader Board


Single Lap

Boneman - 0.20.74
FIREWIRE1394 - 0.20.80
jimbogimp - 0.23.20
elvis - 0.27.20
JSmithDTV - 0.37.00
MUTMAN - 0.44.16
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3 Lap

FIREWIRE1394 - 1.06.46
Boneman - 1.12.34
jimbogimp - 1.17.64
Grant - 1:22.82
MUTMAN - 2.24.68
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Its not the size that counts.

 

Aww yiss, the J-Cart

 

When games were based off toys, and not toys based off games.
I've never played 2 before (only 1 and much later v3) I was always more into the DOS game 'slicks n slide' from 1993.
But since I'm getting fusion running atm for Master System, I've given this a quick go:

Will really need to get a controller happening and once I've had my fill of fantasy zone, I'll try put some better times in and see what other maps this game has.
as per copying the board:

Single Lap

FIREWIRE1394 - 0.31.68
--------------
--------------

3 Lap

FIREWIRE1394 - 1.29.18
--------------
--------------

 

I only had a couple of micro machines cars as a kid and remember seeing this on a mates computer when I was about 8 years old. We also had a pool table at home so my imagination as a kid went wild wishing I could recreate such magnificent courses for my toys.

I'll never forget the knots falling out of the wood planks in the treehouse courses too.

I've always felt games that have variation in environment are great because with enough variation in environment you get enough variation in colour palette and it doesn't feel like the whole game is just the same thing on repeat. This is one of my earliest memories of realizing this about game design - I'm racing in a back yard, now I'm racing in a kitchen, Holy shit now I'm racing on a pool table!

 

I still remember playing the games that inspired these, particularly this one. Will definitely check this game out as I didn't even play the first game.

Rally Speedway

 

I used to rent this one out a lot, along with Rock n' Roll Racing (my poor ears).

This will invoke a lot of ragequits for sure.

 

I'm actually really pumped to play this one. I remember Micro Machines being reviewed in my favourite UK magazines like Mean Machines and CVG at the time, and it got massive reviews for being tonnes of fun.

I hope my Gameboy flash cart rocks up in time for it, but if not I'll definitely compare SNES, MD and MS-DOS versions.

 

I've played a little more and have found some favourite tracks.
Ferry Fiasco, Whine On, Chainsaw Chase, Garage Games, Pinball Panic, and Ball chase are all great tracks to drive on and capture the toy aspect well.
But the standouts personally are Water Chase with a hovercraft and mixed surfaces, and Bricks N Trees with the helicopter and changing height mid race.

Turbo Turns and Rim Runners are the most pointless tracks in the world. Boring small loops with no obstacles or skill needed.

Stream Struggle would have been great as a kid, hillclimbs are usually cool.
But with the water going down screen while I went up at full speed just murdered my eyes. I've never had a problem with any other games, and sitting still or at half speed, and the water is fine. but I needed a break after going full pelt on the 3 lap run.

I can see that when I try to set good times. Fucking pool pockets are are screwing with my judgement of the damn apexes.

 

Single lap for now, there is so much more time here but it's knife edge stuff. Forgot how good this game felt.

Single Lap

Boneman - 0.24.82
FIREWIRE1394 - 0.31.68
--------------
--------------

 

Have you guys played Grand Prix Circuit (EGA, 1988, Accolade) ?

 

Looking it up, it seems very, very familiar, but I can't remember where or when I played it, it was too long ago.

It's ON like donkey Kong... and PONG!




Single Lap

FIREWIRE1394 - 0.23.18
Boneman - 0.24.82
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3 Lap

FIREWIRE1394 - 1.15.88
--------------
--------------

I hate those god damn pockets!

I also renamed Dwayne to Dibley, because any chance to get a red Dwarf Reference in

 

Argh this game is so frustrating... I played for about 40 minutes, hooked up an okay 3 laps to get 1:24.10 fairly early on, then couldn't beat it even though I was getting faster and faster in some sections.

 

This is the game here .

 

100% with you. Lap times are all over the shop.
Lap one, a cracking 24 dead, then very next lap, 33 seconds.

I wasn’t getting consistent times or racing lines, because I was too scared to push it.
Only place I like is the hairpin at the bottom because if you go too wide you can smack into the wall and actually get a speed boost recovery.

Less frustrating than our other game of the month though, personally

I’m sure I’ve played it, but it would have been at a friends or friends of my parents house at one point or another in my childhood. Too old to recall exactly where/when with such a brief encounter though.

I’ll be getting back into Micromachines next weekend.

 

I mostly played a lot of Micro Machines V3 on PS1, It was a christmas present from my sister the same christmas that my parents gave me the PS1. I had pointed out MMV3 at the toy store at some point because of my memory of MM2.

Both games can be incredibly frustrating because there's only so far you can see ahead so you really have to learn landmarks on the track and "pre" steer with high speed cars.

 

Can't improve any more tonight, beer is kicking in.



Single Lap

Boneman - 0.22.82
FIREWIRE1394 - 0.23.18
--------------

3 Lap

Boneman - 1.12.34
FIREWIRE1394 - 1.15.88
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geez, who chose this game.
Damn cards, damn balls, damn triangles, damn holes, damn stick, damn table, damn start, damn end... dammit all!



Single Lap

Boneman - 0.22.82
FIREWIRE1394 - 0.23.18
jimbogimp - 0.24.42
--------------

3 Lap

Boneman - 1.12.34
FIREWIRE1394 - 1.15.88
jimbogimp - 1.22.22
--------------

 

So I'm trying to play the Genesis version via Mednafen. When I start a challenge it gets to a race but when I try to start time trial I'm stuck at this screen and A + Start don't work:


Anyone encounter this?

I know the controller is working and it's mapped because if I start a challenge the A/B buttons work for accelerate and reverse. Also my other Genesis games work!

 

Looks like you're playing Micro Machines 96 rather than Micro Machines 94.

 

*facepalm* DERP!

ok fired up 94 same problem as well though.
I hooked up a keyboard and tried switching the emulator between 3 button/6 button game pad and remapped both - still won't let me start :/