bleemcast! Gran Turismo 2

Written by Adam Woolcott  on August 08, 2001

Review: Sony on Dreamcast? Ha! Have they gone the way of the third party too? Posers

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It's almost strange to fathom Ц Gran Turismo, one of Sony Computer Entertainment's biggest 1st party titles, being emulated to a Sega console. Yet this seemingly impossible concept has happened, and Gran Turismo 2, the deepest and most intricate racing game for any console before it (besides Gran Turismo 3, that is Ц which of course was in the future at the time. I best stop before I confuse myself) is now available to play on your Sega Dreamcast thanks to Bleem, with fully enhanced visuals and full compatibility with Dreamcast controllers and VMU's.

The undertaking Bleem took to create this emulator is incredible. Not only did they find a way to play a game based upon a wholly different architecture than Dreamcast, they managed to improve it. The result is a testament to how talented the crew at Bleem is. And while you can question the legalities of the whole deal all day long, the fact is Bleem is a technical achievement that should be supported - by spending the $5.95 it costs to pick up this simple little CD that contains the magic.

If you don't own the PSOne GT2 disc, it will only put you back an extra 20 dollars, so for $25 you can get a hold of one of the best games for the PlayStation, but without owning a PSOne. However, if your Dreamcast is newer than October 2000, then you're going to be upset, because this Bleem disc will not work on it. Nor will any other Bleem discs. If your DC is older than that, you're fine and dandy, however.

Actually, if you're interested in saving your game, you'll also need an empty Dreamcast VMU. Since the Bleempod's haven't made it to market yet (which would allow you to use PS controllers and memory cards), you'll have to format your VMU to be allowed to save PS files. And since DC and PS file systems are wholly different, you can't save PS files and DC files on the same card, which is why you need a separate one for Gran Turismo 2.

Besides all that, you have everything you need to play GT2 on your Dreamcast, just as if it was another Dreamcast GD-ROM. Just pop the Bleem disc in, let it load, read the УwarningФ (which is pretty funny stuff, lots of humor with this disc), and pop in your GT disc and things go from there. It doesn't matter what GT disc you use either Ц be it the imports or the infamous buggy and incomplete version released around Christmas 1999 Ц they all work.

If you haven't played the actual GT2 game before, here's the basic stats in a nutshell: 500+ cars, from yawners like Toyota Vitz's to screamers like Nissan Skylines and Mitsubishi 3000 GT's. More that likely you'll never race as all of the cars, but the selection is ridiculous and a good share of the cars are necessary to race as in order to complete the game at the full 100% (or 98.2, if you have those buggy versions). As for actual races, there's a seemingly endless array of different races, set up by drivetrain, car model, and horsepower requirements. There's even races for classic cars, station wagons, and sedans. Plus a special area that's only for rally cars. And there are more than enough tracks to keep you occupied Ц be it the speedy tracks like High Speed Ring, or twisty tracks like Seattle, Rome, and the evil Laguna Seca. If you're dedicated, there's a lot to be had, and there's enough variety in cars, tracks, and events to keep you occupied for quite a long time.

And that's just the simulation mode! The arcade mode (on a separate disc) is a pick up and play system, and all the monster cars are available to take around for a spin, without buying or unlocking them. The physics are loosened up and given a less realistic slant, but it still retains the classic Gran Turismo feel that PlayStation owners have known about for a few years.

Either way, you will learn fast that you just can't fly around corners like a fool, or you'll get your ass handed to you very quickly. GT2 expects you to race the cars with some care, penalizing you for poor driving, and rewarding you for being able to retain a high speed, but take corners like a pro. Remember, GT2 is a simulation, not an arcade game, and needs to be played as such. Learning the proper techniques and planning your tuning strategies will pay off with lots of cash to buy some fast cars. While it's slow to start off, due to limited funds and slow cars, eventually you'll be able to get rolling fast.

And Bleem does a good job keeping the control very similar to the PS version. The steering using the DC analog stick is not true analog in this instance; it's more like half-analog, half-digital. It's still very responsive, if a little loose at first. Since the control scheme is the same as it is on PS (not using the analog trigger buttons on top of the DC controller, obviously), anyone who's played GT before won't have much trouble getting adjusted. DC vets used to using the triggers to accelerate and brake might have to relearn the method a bit (or just play around with the controller settings), but it's rather simple.

On PlayStation, the knock on GT2 was that the graphics took a hit compared to the original. Bleem changes this. While it doesn't make GT2 as good graphically as Sega GT or Metropolis Street Racer, it's a marked improvement from the PSOne version. It's way better than the PS2's rendering of it using the enhancements as well. Bleem did wonders here Ц there's full screen anti-aliasing to get rid of most of the jaggies, the cars have added detail Ц less pixilated, more lifelike. It doesn't help the built in seams, quirks, and flat backgrounds, but what it can improve, it does improve Ц and it does it very well. Just take a peek at some of the replays after a race and you'll see what I mean. No, it's still not as great looking as Gran Turismo 3, but Bleem did all they could to push the graphics of the PSOne to the max. My only beef is the graphics are a tad dark, at least on my TV, but it's really not that bad.

The sound is unchanged Ц which is a good thing. The soundtrack, featuring Garbage, Stone Temple Pilots, and Rob Zombie, among others, is nice and compliments the game nicely. As for the other effects, the engine noises are king, with fully recorded realism, which is of course is a nice touch. Fun little effects like the sounds of cars crashing or spinning out behind you; with a fade effect is really cool as well. It sounds just like a real race.