Memories

Some people had Super Mario, others had Zelda and Final Fantasy. But for me, there was only one video game from my childhood that mattered: Gran Turismo. Now, I realize that the game was released 10 years ago but seeing how my parents never bought me a Nintendo or Super Nintendo (due in large part to me never really asking for one), 13 years old is an adequate age to still be considered part of my childhood. Don't get me wrong, I played Mario and Super Mario at my cousin's house when I would go over but it never really excited me the way GT has. Partly because I was probably too young or impatient to sit through a level of Mario and also because GT revolves around what is probably my only true passion: cars. I know its kind of a silly thing for a 22 year old guy to love but I can't help it. I've loved them since I was in diapers. Anyway, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue just released in the U.S. (a precursor, or "demo", to the full version of Gran Turismo 5 which will hopefully release next year sometime) and since I haven't found anyone to take my Xbox 360 off my hands yet, all I have to look at are videos on YouTube of other people playing the game. This got me all nostalgic and I had to look up the intros to the previous four games (which were epic by themselves).

Gran Turismo 1



This is the one that started it all. When I first got home and popped it in the PS1, I had no idea what to expect. All I had to go by was the sleek silhouette of an anonymous car draped under a silver curtain, which was the game's cover art. Once I fired up my console and saw the intro, however, I knew I had found what I'd always been looking for. The intro proceeded to blow my mind with stunning, life-like gameplay footage that made everything else to have ever graced the T.V. screen obsolete (as far as video games are concerned). Even looking at it now its hard to imagine how good the games looks, even compared to more modern offerings. Keep in mind, this is the original Play Station.

All the subsequent releases were huge improvements upon the ones they replaced, but you always got the feeling they respected the older titles. They kept the core themes and idiosyncrasies of the original but never tried to outshine the other one. Put simply, I could go back and play the original version right now and still have a hugely satisfying experience.

The only new version I've played was the downloadable demo on PS3 (Gran Turismo HD) that came out over a year ago. Even though the graphics and driving dynamics had vastly improved, there was something still very familiar about it - like a pair of old jeans or shoes. It just felt right. And this is what I love most about GT (aside from the cars): its unflinching ability to give you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside. A feeling that, even though everything around you is constantly changing, your old buddy Gran Turismo is there to keep you sane and bring you back to a time when things were a little bit simpler. Now, does anyone want to buy my 360?