Gran Turismo (1997) - MobyGames (original) (raw)

Atari 7800+

Atari 7800+

aka:GT,Gran Turismo: The Real Driving Simulator

Moby ID: 3909

Moby Score

8.5

#291 of 25.2K

Critics

95%(32)

Players

(103)

Review Ranking

Collected By

354 players

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Description official descriptions

The first game in the Gran Turismo series of racing simulations.

You can choose between the arcade version (featuring classic cars such as Corvettes and Aston Martins) or the simulation, which is the true heart of the game. The simulation starts you on an entire racing career beginning with a cheap used car and second-rate tracks. You will find yourself longing for the Dodge Viper as your sad $10,000 starting fund puts you behind the wheel of a used Honda Prelude or Mazda RX-7. As you win races, acquire money, and earn advanced licenses, you are able to buy better cars and race in more competitive matches right up to the GT World Cup.

Features more than 140 cars.

Spellings

Groups +

Screenshots

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Promos

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Videos

Credits (PlayStation version)

312 People (229 developers, 83 thanks) · View all

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 95% (based on 32 ratings)

Players

Average score: 4.0 out of 5(based on 103 ratings with 4 reviews)

The best racing game

The Good
Simulation mode. I liked being able to select from a huge variety of cars, including a whole lot of used cars. The game play was far above anything else I had ever played. You actually had to control your car around the track instead racing on tracks that seemed to turn for you as in most earlier games. Suping up a car to over 900hp was great! Topping out at 240'ish mph seemed pretty realistic (not that I've ever been near that fast on the ground!) The courses were challenging. The licensing was a great idea. I thought it was hilarious just trying to do the start and stop part. Using music from real bands was great.

The Bad
The AI of the competing cars was dumb, I wanted more aggressive driving on their part. If I hit them then they should hit me back! No damage. No tire wear. The graphics were accurate...but very grainy. Even when the game first came out I remember thinking that it was hard on the eyes...at first anyway. All of the emphasis of upgrades was focused on the foreign cars. Domestic, large displacement cars did not upgrade well. Because of the limited space on the CD, the music becomes repetative, as do the squeeling tires around every turn.

The Bottom Line
At the time that the game came out it was a must have. Even now with the low price it's worth trying out. A+ for its time. C against current games (GT2, GT3)

PlayStation · by The Holy Moly (19) · 2004

Revolutionized Racing Sims, and Continues to Sell Playstations

The Good
Very realistic handling, while still being accessible.

A ridiculously large selection of actual real-life vehicles. Most games had between 3 and a dozen before GT came out with a hundred and change.

Also, it's largely responsible for the current import car craze, including the American youth's awareness of Japanese sport compacts (Subaru Impreza WRX, Mitsu Lancer Evolution, Nissan Skyline), and their subsequent import into the USA.

The Bad
It's hard to nit-pick a classic :). It would not stand up well to today's racing sims in terms of graphics and features, but its more modern iterations (i.e. GT3 A-Spec) would.

The Bottom Line
The perfect game for racing purists who are into street cars. But do yourself a favor and pick up the newest version.

PlayStation · by Glenn Barnett (14) · 2003

[ View all 4 player reviews ]

Trivia

1001 Video Games

Gran Turismo appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

References to the game

This game is referenced in the Eiffel 65 song, My Console.

Sales

According to developer Polyphony Digital, Gran Turismo sold 10,850,000 copies worldwide since its original release.

Awards

Information also contributed byJ. Michael Bottorff

Analytics

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Brolin Empey.

Additional contributors: PCGamer77, Alaka, DreinIX, Zaibatsu, CalaisianMindthief, Patrick Bregger, Pedro Cunha, Rik Hideto, Victor Vance, FatherJack.

Game added April 24, 2001. Last modified September 12, 2024.