With our review of Gran Turismo 6 coming out last week, I thought it would be appropriate for this week’s Throwback Thursday to look back at a previous title in the series. I decided on Gran Turismo 3, because that was my personal “gateway title”, exposing me to what sim racing could be.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3l4xbUx-Bw[/youtube]
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec was released by Polyphony Digital in 2001 for the Playstation 2, and is the second-highest selling PS2 title of all time, behind Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The follow-up to Gran Turismo 2 was initially going to be titled Gran Turismo 2000, but due to the title’s date being pushed back, they decided to go with the Gran Turismo 3 title. The Gran Turismo 2000 title was then used for a demo disk, featuring a 2 minute preview of the Mittsubishi Lancer Evo V on the Seattle Circuit. A B-Spec version was also planned, but was abandoned in favor of putting that feature into Gran Turismo 4.
While Gran Turismo 2 featured around 650 cars, GT3 pared back to just over 180, citing the added complexity of rebuilding the cars to PS2 standards as the reason. Polyphony Digital also removed suspension damage from the cars, as well as the ability to “Race Modify” your cars, though both features were put back in Gran Turismo 5. There are also some secret cars, such as the JGTC Lamborghini Diablo and Porsche 911 GT3, that could be unlocked by using a Gameshark. The American version of the title also features six generic versions of iconic Formula One cars, unlocked by winning endurance races (the European version only featured two).
GT3 features 19 different circuits, including fan favorites such as the Special Stage Route 11 and the 7 mile long Complex String. However, one track that was notably absent was the Pikes Peak Hillclimb, which was present in GT2. The game also was the first to include Côte d’Azur, based on the legendary Monaco Formula One street circuit in Monte Carlo. With a wide variety of circuits, including dirt rally courses and PD’s original circuits, racers are bound to keep themselves occupied with miles of virtual asphalt.
Gran Turismo 3 was also developed with support for the Logitech Driving Force racing wheel. Future wheels, like the Driving Force GT, were also supported, albeit with only 180 degrees of rotation. While the hardware support is dated, it’s fun to take a look back at how far we’ve come over the years!
While Gran Turismo 3 doesn’t have as much content as the titles that came after, it is definitely worth a look by any sim racer, and is a cornerstone in the Gran Turismo series.
Author’s Note: I was late to getting Gran Turismo 3, actually winning it at a video game contest held by a family friend in 2004. I got hooked, and loved driving the car around Laguna Seca and the Super Speedway (a generic version of Motegi’s oval circuit). A year later, I bought Gran Turismo 4, and a MadCatz MC2 Racing Wheel. A couple years later, I bought my first serious sim in rFactor. I’d say that if I hadn’t played Gran Turismo 3, I likely would not be where I am today.