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SHINSEIKI GPX CYBER FORMULA VS (PSP)
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Publisher: Sunrise Interactive.
Developer: Sunrise Interactive. Released: July 2008 (JP). Genre: Racing. Posted 27th December 2023. By Tom Clare © 2023 |
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Beginning life with a short-lived (though promptly rebooted) anime series, a top-down SNES racer (known as Cyber Spin in the west) and a PlayStation visual novel, the eclectic story of Future GPX Cyber Formula didn’t end with the turn of the millennium. The advent of gaming’s sixth generation led to no fewer than four new games, subtitled Road to the Infinity, being released for PS2 and GameCube between 2003 and 2008. A single PSP entry would bear similarities with the fourth of these, marking the futuristic racing series’ only portable outing.
A Japan-only release, it’s an attractive prospect for fans of Sony’s region-free portable. Shinseiki GPX Cyber Formula VS delivers a liberal helping of F-Zero’s super-speedy futuristic racing and mixes it effectively with Speed Racer’s attractive, retro sci-fi anime aesthetic. Whilst an arcade racer at heart, the game forgoes power-ups, instead offering the player the opportunity to utilise a boost bar which, alongside tyre degradation, makes for an unusually tactical experience as players have the option to pit and replenish both. In some regards, Formula VS is a bit more like a traditional circuit racer, encouraging a slower, more measured approach to cornering with plenty of braking and less of a reliance on cat-like reactions.
Shinseiki GPX Cyber Formula VS mixes the technical circuit racing of Formula One with the blistering speed of F-Zero
In nearly all aspects of its design, the game is a success. It’s smartly presented and looks really good, with smooth, ultra-fast racing that showcases impressive courses and distinctive machinery. Some vehicles have six wheels or deployable wings, whilst one particularly unusual craft allows the player to switch between circuit and sprint settings, changing the acceleration and handling characteristics dynamically. The tracks are quite different to what you might expect: the short, built-up Central Manhattan streets contrast markedly with hybrid race courses such as Jasper Marine Lake and Sbartesn. These blend the wide, sweeping tarmac roads of F1 with technical sections consisting of dirt and snow respectively, with off-road sequences exhibiting drift characteristics more familiar with rallying. Berlin is the game’s toughest track: its relentless, narrow tunnels and split routes prove a tricky challenge, and represent perhaps the most familiar fit with the genre.
There’s a giant suite of game options, catering for both super-quick gaming sessions and more involved forays. The erroneously named Single Race is home to the game’s most involved tournaments: GPX Mode features several multi-race tournaments that get longer and tougher as you progress. Survival features races of between three and five laps that require the player to win to keep progressing. Conquest sees the player racing one-on-one in short races against a multitude of specific machines. GPX Mode in particular offers plenty of legs and demands that the player continues to keep abreast of upgrades and development, as it gets pretty tricky in the last couple of tournaments.
There’s a giant suite of game options, catering for both super-quick gaming sessions and more involved forays. The erroneously named Single Race is home to the game’s most involved tournaments: GPX Mode features several multi-race tournaments that get longer and tougher as you progress. Survival features races of between three and five laps that require the player to win to keep progressing. Conquest sees the player racing one-on-one in short races against a multitude of specific machines. GPX Mode in particular offers plenty of legs and demands that the player continues to keep abreast of upgrades and development, as it gets pretty tricky in the last couple of tournaments.
FOCAL POINT: TRANSLATION SALVATION
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Story and dialogue elements have been stripped out almost entirely for this PSP entry and with menu options displayed in English, it shouldn’t prove too daunting for non-Japanese gamers. Nevertheless, a working understanding of the language, or a translation app, will prove handy in exploring the depth of the game’s options. There’s an excellent character development setup that allows players to upgrade familiar stats, such as speed and handling, as well as a few more unusual ones. You can reduce the rate of tyre wear (a major factor in longer races, as you can get away with fewer pit stops) and improve off-road handling, which results in the game punishing the player markedly less for sliding wide on a corner. There are also a healthy number of car parts and unlockable vehicles, which are exhibited attractively.
These three modes alone would be a solid grounding for a portable racer, but it’s not done there. Time Attack sees the player tackling 16 record times (8 standard courses and their reverse variants), whilst Zero-4000 is a manual-geared drag race against the clock and Max Speed Attack sees the player trying to maintain as high a speed at two points of the Central Manhattan course, for a cumulative high-score. These last couple are very simple, but they serve several handy purposes. One, they’re ideal for seeing how much quicker any upgrades have made your car. Secondly, beating the records unlocks new cars. This is something Shinseiki GPX Cyber Formula VS does superbly well: every single mode offers the chance to unlock new vehicles or upgrades. Whilst not all its modes are built for long-term play, it gives all of them purpose.
Points encourage the player to keep plugging away at the various disciplines because they translate to currency. With it, the player can buy new vehicles (and by extension, new characters), as well as new body parts. This is a great idea and certainly motivates the player to plug away at the various challenges. The price of vehicles and parts is, however, a little steep relative to what you’re earning. In the process of completing almost everything the game had to offer, I had managed to buy just four of the 19 vehicles and only two of the innumerable body upgrades, which alone tended to cost nearly as much as the vehicles.
Points encourage the player to keep plugging away at the various disciplines because they translate to currency. With it, the player can buy new vehicles (and by extension, new characters), as well as new body parts. This is a great idea and certainly motivates the player to plug away at the various challenges. The price of vehicles and parts is, however, a little steep relative to what you’re earning. In the process of completing almost everything the game had to offer, I had managed to buy just four of the 19 vehicles and only two of the innumerable body upgrades, which alone tended to cost nearly as much as the vehicles.
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Sadly, the game is at least partially undone by a very, very heavy handling model. Those giving the game a blast via emulation will find its issues are somewhat flattered, as tackling the game on original hardware using either the D-Pad or the analogue nub proves a lethargic means of manoeuvring the crafts. The line between absolute grip and drifting is a tricky one to tread, and you’ll regularly find a mere tap of the brakes on cornering will lead the cars spearing violently into the track-side barriers. Another area warranting criticism is the poor quality of the collisions. Tapping opponents almost always hinders the player massively more than the AI, even when the AI brazenly rear-ends you on the start line. To make matters worse, opponents often drive around three abreast, leaving the player in a hopelessly frustrating position as passing just one with dodgy hitboxes can prove an arduous task. Similarly, clipping barriers robs you of almost all speed and momentum, a less welcome throwback to racers of the mid-nineties.
The music is a rather charming throwback to nineties anime, with its extravagant saxophone blasts and tension-building action vibes. Quite a few of the BGMs are present on the other Road to the Infinity games, though as there may be some crossover with the anime series in terms of main themes, I’m not inclined to criticise it for this. The game could certainly have done with a few more BGMs to accompany the racing though: the one that does is exciting and climactic, but it does a lot of heavy lifting over several hours of repeat plays.
The music is a rather charming throwback to nineties anime, with its extravagant saxophone blasts and tension-building action vibes. Quite a few of the BGMs are present on the other Road to the Infinity games, though as there may be some crossover with the anime series in terms of main themes, I’m not inclined to criticise it for this. The game could certainly have done with a few more BGMs to accompany the racing though: the one that does is exciting and climactic, but it does a lot of heavy lifting over several hours of repeat plays.
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tThere's no shortage of variety, either to the tracks or the vehicles
Shinseiki GPX Cyber Formula VS is worth a look for racing fans. Whilst the PSP wasn’t short of worthy racers, there weren’t many aiming to fill the F-Zero-shaped hole in the PlayStation’s catalogue at the time and as such, this speedy and surprisingly technical racer will prove a welcome addition. Sluggish handling means it can be a little tricky to get into, and better collision physics would have improved the racing to an even higher degree. It’s not quite in WipEout Pulse’s league, but packed as it with cool modes and an inviting range of unlockables, this fun racer has everything a fan could want for some decent gaming on the go.
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VERDICT
"Sunrise's futuristic racer suffers some issues with its handling and collision physics, but thanks to a glut of content, strong presentation and a host of fun, speedy courses, it's still well worth playing." OVERALL: 7/10 |
OTHER FUTURISTIC RACING GAMES REVIEWED
Cyber Spin (1992, Super Nintendo)
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WipEout 2097 (1996, PlayStation)
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