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{{Short description|1996 video game}}
{{NPOV}}
{{for|the GP2 racing series|GP2 Series}}

{{Infobox CVG |title = Grand Prix 2 {{Infobox video game
| title = Grand Prix 2
|image = ] | image = Grand Prix 2 Coverart.png
|developer = ] | developer = ]
|publisher = ] | publisher = MicroProse
| producer = Stephen Hand
|designer = ]
| designer = ]
|engine =
| composer = ]<br>Andrew Parton
|released = ] ]
| series =
|genre = ]
| released = {{vgrelease|WW|July 23, 1996<ref>{{Cite web | date=1998-01-20 | title=MicroProse Press Release: Grand Prix II | url=http://www.microprose.com/corporatedesign/press/gp2.html | access-date=2023-04-15 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980120114943/http://www.microprose.com/corporatedesign/press/gp2.html | archive-date=1998-01-20}}</ref>}}
|modes = ], ]
| genre = ]
|ratings =
| modes = ], ]
|platforms = ] (])
|media = ] | platforms = ]
|requirements = 486, 8 MB ]
|input = ], ], ], ]
}} }}


'''''Grand Prix 2''''', sometimes known as "'''GP2'''", is a ] released by ] in ]. It was made under an official FIA license that featured the ] ] season, with all the circuits, teams, drivers and cars. '''''Grand Prix 2''''', released in North America as "Grand Prix II",<ref name="gsreview"/> is a ] released by ] in ]. It is a sequel to '']''. It was made under an official FIA license<ref>{{cite web|title=Grip the Wheel, Rev the Engine and Take on the World's Toughest Courses in World Circuit Racing's Grand Prix II™ from Microprose|url=http://grandprix2.de/nostal/presse.html|access-date=20 August 2017|date=July 23, 1996}}</ref> that featured the ] ] season, with all of the circuits, teams, drivers and cars. The cars were painted with liveries reflecting the races that did not allow tobacco and alcohol sponsors (e.g. ]).

It was one of the first computer games with 3D texture mapping and SVGA graphics, as well as an early but realistic physics ]. A large community of GP2 enthusiasts formed quickly and still exists today. ''Grand Prix 2'' is recognised as the definitive racing simulation of its era, and many feel the height of the GPX series.
It had 3D texture mapping and ],<ref>MicroProse. Grand Prix II Reference Manual (game manual). First Printing, June 1996. U.S. edition. Page iv.</ref> as well as an early 3D physics ].<ref name="gsreview" /> A large community of GP2 enthusiasts formed following the game's release. ''Grand Prix 2'' was a commercial hit, and is recognized as one of the definitive racing simulations of its era.


==Gameplay== ==Gameplay==
The game is a simulation of the 1994 Formula One season<ref name="MicroProse 1996. Page 1">MicroProse. Grand Prix II Reference Manual (game manual). First Printing, June 1996. U.S. edition. Page 1.</ref> with all 16<ref name="MicroProse 1996. Page 1"/> circuits from the 1994 season and 28 drivers in their 14 teams. Unlike the real 1994 season, where teams changed drivers and sponsorship liveries repeatedly, the game has a consistent driver list and set of liveries throughout, which reflects that of the ]. As a result, ] and ], who ] ] during the ] are not present in the game; ] was also not included in the game as he was not Williams' regular second driver after Senna's death. The liveries for each of the cars are also based on their appearance at the 1994 German Grand Prix, where all teams ran non-tobacco livery. It features all parts of a Formula One weekend, including practice, qualifying and racing. It also included a championship mode which simulated the entire season.
]
There are many features that caused the game to be considered a great one for its time:


Some circuits in the game show safety-related changes to the tracks made during the season, e.g. Silverstone, Estoril and Jerez have them included while they are missing at Barcelona, Montreal and Spa.
* Advanced SVGA Graphics Engine - The visuals were nearly unparalelled at the time due to the SVGA capable of rendering the then-high-end 640x480 resolution.<ref name="gsreview">{{cite web | title = Grand Prix II for PC Review | work = GameSpot | publisher = CNet Networks | date = ] | url = http://www.gamespot.com/pc/driving/grandprix2/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=tabs|</ref>


There was no "arcade" mode in ''Grand Prix II'', per se, but it included the ability to turn on and off seven "driving aids":<ref name="manualpage20">MicroProse. Grand Prix II Reference Manual (game manual). First Printing, June 1996. U.S. edition. Page 20.</ref> steering help, braking help, automatic turn-around (has the car face forward after a crash), indestructibility, racing line help, ] and ].<ref name="manualpage20"/> The game had five levels of difficulty one could choose from, and the higher the level, the less options for driving aids one could turn on or off.<ref>MicroProse. Grand Prix II Reference Manual (game manual). First Printing, June 1996. U.S. edition. Page 21.</ref>
* Unparalleled AI and Physics - Grand Prix 2 was said to have featured elements from both an arcade racer and racing simulation. Similarly aged offerings such as ] were perceived as inferior despite being fairly impressive games in their own right.<ref name="gsreview">{{cite web | title = Grand Prix II for PC Review | work = GameSpot | publisher = CNet Networks | date = ] | url = http://www.gamespot.com/pc/driving/grandprix2/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=tabs|</ref>


There also is a "Quickrace" function that lets the player jump into a race without having to go through the perfunctory qualifying session. The quickrace option was customizable, allowing the player to race as many laps as desired and letting them set their grid position.<ref>MicroProse. Grand Prix II Reference Manual (game manual). First Printing, June 1996. U.S. edition. Page 25.</ref>
* Extremely accurate circuits - Circuits were often highly detailed and, at 640x480 resolution, were once described as feeling "photo-realistic".<ref name="gsreview">{{cite web | title = Grand Prix II for PC Review | work = GameSpot | publisher = CNet Networks | date = ] | url = http://www.gamespot.com/pc/driving/grandprix2/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=tabs|</ref>


The player selects the car they will drive among the 28 seats available, supplanting the driver who originally raced in that vehicle.
* Engine, gearbox and electronic failures and detailed car setups for a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.


The game had multiple camera angles, including a simulated TV coverage angle. The player can control their car from any of them, but the primary angle used was the first-person cockpit angle.
Of course, Grand Prix II wasn't without its flaws, including but not limited to the lack of wet weather, the 'black flag' system for handling penalties that gave cars a speed penalty for course cutting, cars being unable to flip and many difficulties in modding the game but; these are often overlooked due to the overall quality of the product.
]
The game can be played using the keyboard, mouse or joystick<ref>{{cite web |title=Retro Games |url=https://www.retrogames.cz/manualy/DOS/Grand_Prix_2_-_Manual_-_PC.pdf}}</ref> depending on the player's preference.


The cars can be customizable in myriad ways through the setup function. Car setups could be modified to high detail with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
==Cracking the Code==
Because of its revolutionary true-to-reality style, programmers began to crack the code. The first known Track Editor was built by Andy Barganski, and a collection of new circuits built using this editor were published (commercially) by Instant Access Int Ltd. René Smit and Frank Ahnert created Gp2lap, that read the track files from the hard-disk instead of the CD, so track editing would be possible. Paul Hoad programmed the ], the CarEditor and the JAM Editor (texture importer/exporter) with the help of many beta testers, like Peter L Kessler, Addie Walti, SNQQPY.DOG, Marc Aarts, Fernando Rees and Nic " Swervin' Irvin' " Prins.
As soon as tracks and cars became editable, the gp2 modding community began to grow. New track commands allowed better-looking, more challenging circuits and with less bugs. Many racing leagues were created with customized cars and helmets (the car liveries pack is called a "carset") and modified engine power.


In addition to the single player modes, the game also offered ] and modem-linked LAN multiplayer modes.<ref>MicroProse. Grand Prix II Reference Manual (game manual). First Printing, June 1996. U.S. edition. Page 105.</ref>
Another breakthrough came with possibly the most used editor in the history of the game. Steven Young's GP2edit added an unrivaled easy-access carset maker. The simple UI and the range of the program meant that anyone could use it without prior knowledge or having to use multiple programs. As more versions were released, the programs power increased. Menu helmets, ingame helmets, sounds, pit-crew colours, track textures & adverts, team & driver performance, camera angles, tyres and even the number position on the car could be edited. Yet still, each time it still remained simple and easy to use.


A race can be played in turns, with different players driving different cars.<ref>MicroProse. Grand Prix II Reference Manual (game manual). First Printing, June 1996. U.S. edition. Page 109.</ref> Gameplay in this mode has one player at a time driving their car in the race. Instead of a ] game, ] simulates the driving for the other players' cars when they are not being controlled by someone waiting their turn.
Steven went on to create GP3edit for GP2's successor ].


The game also included a ] function and ] feature.<ref>MicroProse. Grand Prix II Reference Manual (game manual). First Printing, June 1996. U.S. edition. Page 37.</ref> The replay function showed the last ~30 seconds of racing and included the ability to save replays; it did not have an edit function. The save game feature allowed players to save their progress.
==The Zenith of the GP2 community==
While Juha Viitala, Daniel Ketteringham, Pieter van Dieren and PK Arnall created each year the latest Formula 1 carset, they also made old seasons, from the golden era (50s and 60s) to the wing era (70s), the turbo ages (80s) and the technological era (90s). CART,F3000 and other series were also featured, but were less popular than F1 and fictional carsets.
Adalberto Zapparoli, Andreas Bosch, Dereck Hicks, David Richards, Warren Jenks, Gabriele Moschetto focused on tracks, specially those of the F1 season, but also other FIA circuits in Europe and America, and also form Australia and other countries visited by CART, MotoGP and popular motorsport categories (Rio de Janeiro, Kyalami, Motegi...)
On the other hand, people like Adie Walti, Martijn Keizer, Graeme Nash, John Edwards, Matti Laitinen, Jason Sinnbeck, Thomas Stephanskirchner and Phil Paterson focused on creating fictional tracks. Flexibility in track design produced interesting results: driving challenges, overtaking paradises or irrational madness.


The game also replicated engine, gearbox and electronic failures. This meant cars not only could crash, but also have flames or smoke shoot out of their backs from engine failure, after which they raced around the circuit damaged for a limited time before parking on the side of the road or in the pits. This game was the first to simulate visual car failures; as in 1989's '']'' cars fell out of the race, but went to the pits and parked permanently when a failure occurred.
In addition, Internet-based competitions such as LFRS, and Jon Edgar's GP2 Championship evolved, whereby competitors drove their individual races within GP2 then submitting them to a website which compiled overall results from their race times, providing a form of human competition to the game.


''Grand Prix II'' did not include wet weather conditions.<ref>http://www.simracingworld.com/content/51-grand-prix-3-review/3/ SimRacingWorld - ] review</ref> There was also the lack of a 'black flag' system replicating Formula One regulation penalties for course cutting, instead slowing the car down for a limited period of time if the course is cut through.
==Decay and Today==
After the release of ] most patchers moved on from GP2. Late 2000 the Grand Prix 2000 patch was on sale; again the GP2 modding activity decreased. ] (2002) almost killed the GP2 community altogether, as 2002 and 2003 updating rates show. But still some people carried on making carsets and tracks. The EVDJSR team and the NPSW team made carsets until 2005; Andreas Schulz, Antonio Pessoa, Otavio Silveira, Roberto Remedio, Alex Cherkashin and Carlos Pereira built tracks. These experienced patchers helped breed a new wave of track designers like CAP, Dereck Hicks and David Richards.


===Teams and drivers===
In early 2006 TeamGp2 was formed by Nick Pathuis, EVDJS and FK. But after some months the team disappeared. Henning Fisser (HF) founded HFGP2 (now ) and went on making GP2 carsets. Tim De Klein made carsets for the 2001 to 2006 seasons and MWi made Champ Car sets to prove the community was still around and alive and had diversity.
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;"
|-
! Team
! No.
! Driver
|-
| rowspan=2 | {{flagicon|UK}} ]-]
| align="right" | 0
| {{flagicon|UK}} ]
|-
| align="right"| 2
| {{flagicon|UK}} ]
|-
| rowspan=2 | {{flagicon|UK}} ]-]
| align="right" | 3
| {{flagicon|Japan|1947}} ]
|-
| align="right" | 4
| {{flagicon|UK}} ]
|-
| rowspan=2 | {{flagicon|UK}} ]-]
| align="right" | 5
| {{flagicon|Germany}} ]
|-
| align="right" | 6
| {{flagicon|Netherlands}} ]
|-
| rowspan=2 | {{flagicon|UK}} ]-]
| align="right" | 7
| {{flagicon|Finland}} ]
|-
| align="right" | 8
| {{flagicon|UK}} ]
|-
| rowspan=2 | {{flagicon|UK}} ]-]
| align="right" | 9
| {{flagicon|Brazil}} ]
|-
| align="right" | 10
| {{flagicon|Italy}} ]
|-
| rowspan=2 | {{flagicon|UK}} ]-]
| align="right" | 11
| {{flagicon|Italy}} ]
|-
| align="right" | 12
| {{flagicon|UK}} ]
|-
| rowspan=2 | {{flagicon|Ireland}} ]-]
| align="right" | 14
| {{flagicon|Brazil}} ]
|-
| align="right" | 15
| {{flagicon|UK}} ]
|-
| rowspan=2 | {{flagicon|France}} ]-]
| align="right" | 19
| {{flagicon|Monaco}} ]
|-
| align="right" | 20
| {{flagicon|France}} ]
|-
| rowspan=2 | {{flagicon|Italy}} ]-]
| align="right" | 23
| {{flagicon|Italy}} ]
|-
| align="right" | 24
| {{flagicon|Italy}} ]
|-
| rowspan=2 | {{flagicon|France}} ]-]
| align="right" | 25
| {{flagicon|France}} ]
|-
| align="right" | 26
| {{flagicon|France}} ]
|-
| rowspan=2 | {{flagicon|Italy}} ]
| align="right" | 27
| {{flagicon|France}} ]
|-
| align="right" | 28
| {{flagicon|Austria}} ]
|-
| rowspan=2 | {{flagicon|Switzerland}} ]-]
| align="right" | 29
| {{flagicon|Italy}} ]
|-
| align="right" | 30
| {{flagicon|Germany}} ]
|-
| rowspan=2 | {{flagicon|UK}} ]-]
| align="right" | 31
| {{flagicon|Australia}} ]
|-
| align="right" | 32
| {{flagicon|France}} ]
|-
| rowspan=2 | {{flagicon|UK}} ]-]
| align="right" | 33
| {{flagicon|France}} ]
|-
| align="right" | 34
| {{flagicon|Belgium}} ]
|}


===Circuits===
Toward the end of 2006, two relative newcomers to the mod scene Alexander Diehl (AD) and Moonraker created the MARD Team (MARD™). Although they have been playing GP2 since its release, they only recently decided to contribute to the ailing "GP2 MOD scene" and help keep the scene alive. Their creation is the (GPRL), a fictional series with fictional drivers and some fictional tracks (the others being real).
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%"
For this fictional series they popped up a forum which contains all necessary news about the fictional series like team launches, reports about the pre-season testings and the race-weekends: .
! Round
! ]
! ]
|-
! 1
| ]
| {{flagicon|Brazil}} ], ]
|-
! 2
| ]
| {{flagicon|Japan|1947}} ], ]
|-
! 3
| ]
| {{flagicon|Italy}} ], ]
|-
! 4
| ]
| {{flagicon|Monaco}} ], ]
|-
! 5
| ]
| {{flagicon|Spain}} ], ]
|-
! 6
| ]
| {{flagicon|Canada}} ], ]
|-
! 7
| ]
| {{flagicon|France}} ], ]
|-
! 8
| ]
| {{flagicon|UK}} ], ]
|-
! 9
| ]
| {{flagicon|Germany}} ], ]
|-
! 10
| ]
| {{flagicon|Hungary}} ], ]
|-
! 11
| ]
| {{flagicon|Belgium}} ], ]
|-
! 12
| ]
| {{flagicon|Italy}} ], ]
|-
! 13
| ]
| {{flagicon|Portugal}} ], ]
|-
! 14
| ]
| {{flagicon|Spain}} ], ]
|-
! 15
| ]
| {{flagicon|Japan|1947}} ], ]
|-
! 16
| ]
| {{flagicon|Australia}} ], ]
|}


== Development ==
2007 sees the community still have a team of dedicated core fans. A new GP2 forum popped up (http://hfgp2.hf.funpic.de/forum/) and already 2007 cars have been made with several '07 carsets in the pipeline. With a growing number of people editing and modding the game the game is enjoying a revival.
The game was developed by ] as a follow-up to 1991's '']'' (which was known as ''World Circuit'' in the US). In a time when the gaming industry had become dominated by development teams, it was a rare instance of an essentially one-man-project.<ref name="NGen21"/>

It was the first<ref name="gsreview" /> serious racing simulation programmed with all three axes in it—i.e. the ability for vehicles to get airborne in the game (1990's '']'' and '']'' featured this ability, but were not racing simulations of a series). However, GP2 lacked the feature of having a car flip over entirely, which was not seen in hardcore racing simulations. In some cases, the game would crash if the car was about to overturn. Microsoft's '']'' (1996), simulating ], may have been the first to have that feature.

It had more extensive physics and included ] over the 3D model of the car to show vehicle liveries, a feature that emerged in racing simulations with ]'s 1993 '']''.

== Reception ==
{{Video game reviews
| rev6 = '']''
| rev6Score = B+<ref name=pcgamesrev>{{cite magazine | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970207065724/http://www.pcgamesmag.com/games/Oct96/grandprix1096.html | url=http://www.pcgamesmag.com:80/games/Oct96/grandprix1096.html | title=''Grand Prix II'' | magazine=PC Games | author=Olafson, Peter | date=October 1996 | archive-date=February 7, 1997 | url-status=dead | access-date=January 1, 2020}}</ref>
| PCPP = 9 <ref name=pcpprev>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-001-1996-05/page/n41/mode/2up|title=Review: Grand Prix 2|author=Mansill, Ben.|magazine=]|date=May 1996|access-date=10 July 2022|issue=1|pages=40–43}}</ref>
}}

Following ''Grand Prix 2''{{'}}s release in July 1996,<ref name=mill1 /> its global sales reached 500,000 copies in September.<ref name=500k>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970606045547/http://www.next-generation.com/news/092196f.html | url=http://www.next-generation.com:80/news/092196f.html | title=Happy Spectrum Hits Million Mark | date=September 21, 1996 | author=Staff | archive-date=June 6, 1997 | work=] | url-status=dead | access-date=January 1, 2020}}</ref> This number rose to 750,000 copies by mid-January 1997, driven in large part by European purchases.<ref name=mill1>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970615020125/http://www.cdmag.com/news/0115971.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/news/0115971.html | title=Ch-ching - Westwood cashes in | author=Bauman, Steve | date=January 15, 1997 | work=] | archive-date=June 15, 1997 | url-status=dead | access-date=January 1, 2020}}</ref> In August 1998, the game received a "Platinum" sales award from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD),<ref name=vud1998>{{cite press release | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000713050154/http://www.vud.de/infopres/cebit98.htm | url=http://www.vud.de:80/infopres/cebit98.htm | title=Uhr TCM Hannover – ein glänzender Event auf der CebitHome | date=August 26, 1998 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | archive-date=July 13, 2000 | language=de | url-status=dead | access-date=January 1, 2020}}</ref> indicating sales of at least 200,000 units across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.<ref name=vudgoldplat>{{cite press release | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030110014620/http://www.vud.de/presse/november2002.php3 | url=http://www.vud.de:80/presse/november2002.php3 | title=VUD Sales Awards: November 2002 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | archive-date=January 10, 2003 | language=de | url-status=dead | access-date=January 1, 2020}}</ref> ''Grand Prix 2'' sold 1.5 million copies worldwide by late 2000. That year, Andy Mahood of '']'' described the entire ''Grand Prix'' series as "one of the most successful PC racing franchises in history".<ref name=sales>{{cite journal | author=Mahood, Andy | journal=] | title=''Grand Prix 3'' | date=November 2000 | volume=7 | issue=11 | pages=143, 144}}</ref>

Critics hailed ''Grand Prix II'' as stunning and the class of the field for Formula 1 simulations. Jim Varner of '']'' particularly applauded the way it breaks the convention of racing games always falling into either simulation-style or arcade-style, through the use of adjustable "driving aids", which when turned off, make ''Grand Prix II'' a phenomenally complex and realistic driving sim, and when turned on, make it one of the most fun and exciting arcade-style racers ever made. He called it "unquestionably the best racing game yet made for the PC" and gave it a 9.5 out of 10.<ref name="gsreview">{{cite web |last=Varner|first=Jim|title=Grand Prix II Review|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grand-prix-ii-review/1900-2536275/|website=]|access-date=20 August 2017|date=August 15, 1996}}</ref> ] gave the game 95%.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}} The game was rated outstanding by ].{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}

''Grand Prix 2'' was nominated as '']''{{'}}s 1996 "Racing Simulation" of the year, although it lost to '']''.<ref name=cgmawards1996>{{cite web |author=Staff |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970614161401/http://www.cdmag.com/news/0325971.html |url=http://www.cdmag.com/news/0325971.html |title=''Computer Games Strategy Plus'' announces 1996 Awards |date=March 25, 1997 |work=] |archive-date=June 14, 1997 |access-date=November 2, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Though they never published a review of ''Grand Prix 2'', shortly after its release '']'' named it the 46th best game of all time, calling it as the most sophisticated and realistic driving game.<ref name="NGen21">{{cite magazine|title=Top 100 Games of All Time |magazine=]|issue=21 |publisher=] |date=September 1996|page=55}}</ref> ''Grand Prix 2'' and its predecessor, collectively, were named the seventh best computer game of all time by '']'' in 1997.<ref name=pcgameruktop100>{{cite magazine | author1=Flynn, James | author2=Owen, Steve | author3=Pierce, Matthew | author4=Davis, Jonathan | author5=Longhurst, Richard | magazine=] | title=The ''PC Gamer'' Top 100 | date=July 1997 | issue=45 | pages=51–83}}</ref>


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist}}
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:1; column-count:1;"><references/></div>


==External links== ==External links==
* * {{moby game|id=/grand-prix-ii|name=''Grand Prix 2''}}
<!--=========================={{{NoMoreLinks}})
*
| PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS IN ADDING MORE LINKS TO THIS ARTICLE. WIKIPEDIA |
* {{moby game|id=/grand-prix-2|name=''Grand Prix 2''}}
| IS NOT A COLLECTION OF LINKS NOR SHOULD IT BE USED FOR ADVERTISING. =========================-->
*
*


{{Formula One games}}
{{Geoff Crammond Grand Prix}} {{Geoff Crammond Grand Prix}}


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Latest revision as of 23:14, 1 November 2024

1996 video game For the GP2 racing series, see GP2 Series. 1996 video game
Grand Prix 2
Developer(s)MicroProse
Publisher(s)MicroProse
Producer(s)Stephen Hand
Designer(s)Geoff Crammond
Composer(s)John Broomhall
Andrew Parton
Platform(s)DOS
Release
  • WW: July 23, 1996
Genre(s)Simulation racing game
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Grand Prix 2, released in North America as "Grand Prix II", is a racing simulator released by MicroProse in 1996. It is a sequel to Formula One Grand Prix. It was made under an official FIA license that featured the Formula One 1994 season, with all of the circuits, teams, drivers and cars. The cars were painted with liveries reflecting the races that did not allow tobacco and alcohol sponsors (e.g. 1994 German Grand Prix).

It had 3D texture mapping and SVGA graphics, as well as an early 3D physics engine. A large community of GP2 enthusiasts formed following the game's release. Grand Prix 2 was a commercial hit, and is recognized as one of the definitive racing simulations of its era.

Gameplay

The game is a simulation of the 1994 Formula One season with all 16 circuits from the 1994 season and 28 drivers in their 14 teams. Unlike the real 1994 season, where teams changed drivers and sponsorship liveries repeatedly, the game has a consistent driver list and set of liveries throughout, which reflects that of the 1994 German Grand Prix. As a result, Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger, who both were killed during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix are not present in the game; Nigel Mansell was also not included in the game as he was not Williams' regular second driver after Senna's death. The liveries for each of the cars are also based on their appearance at the 1994 German Grand Prix, where all teams ran non-tobacco livery. It features all parts of a Formula One weekend, including practice, qualifying and racing. It also included a championship mode which simulated the entire season.

Some circuits in the game show safety-related changes to the tracks made during the season, e.g. Silverstone, Estoril and Jerez have them included while they are missing at Barcelona, Montreal and Spa.

There was no "arcade" mode in Grand Prix II, per se, but it included the ability to turn on and off seven "driving aids": steering help, braking help, automatic turn-around (has the car face forward after a crash), indestructibility, racing line help, automatic shifting and traction control. The game had five levels of difficulty one could choose from, and the higher the level, the less options for driving aids one could turn on or off.

There also is a "Quickrace" function that lets the player jump into a race without having to go through the perfunctory qualifying session. The quickrace option was customizable, allowing the player to race as many laps as desired and letting them set their grid position.

The player selects the car they will drive among the 28 seats available, supplanting the driver who originally raced in that vehicle.

The game had multiple camera angles, including a simulated TV coverage angle. The player can control their car from any of them, but the primary angle used was the first-person cockpit angle.

Cockpit view

The game can be played using the keyboard, mouse or joystick depending on the player's preference.

The cars can be customizable in myriad ways through the setup function. Car setups could be modified to high detail with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.

In addition to the single player modes, the game also offered hotseat and modem-linked LAN multiplayer modes.

A race can be played in turns, with different players driving different cars. Gameplay in this mode has one player at a time driving their car in the race. Instead of a split screen game, The computer simulates the driving for the other players' cars when they are not being controlled by someone waiting their turn.

The game also included a replay function and save game feature. The replay function showed the last ~30 seconds of racing and included the ability to save replays; it did not have an edit function. The save game feature allowed players to save their progress.

The game also replicated engine, gearbox and electronic failures. This meant cars not only could crash, but also have flames or smoke shoot out of their backs from engine failure, after which they raced around the circuit damaged for a limited time before parking on the side of the road or in the pits. This game was the first to simulate visual car failures; as in 1989's Indianapolis 500: The Simulation cars fell out of the race, but went to the pits and parked permanently when a failure occurred.

Grand Prix II did not include wet weather conditions. There was also the lack of a 'black flag' system replicating Formula One regulation penalties for course cutting, instead slowing the car down for a limited period of time if the course is cut through.

Teams and drivers

Team No. Driver
United Kingdom Williams-Renault 0 United Kingdom Damon Hill
2 United Kingdom David Coulthard
United Kingdom Tyrrell-Yamaha 3 Japan Ukyo Katayama
4 United Kingdom Mark Blundell
United Kingdom Benetton-Ford 5 Germany Michael Schumacher
6 Netherlands Jos Verstappen
United Kingdom McLaren-Peugeot 7 Finland Mika Häkkinen
8 United Kingdom Martin Brundle
United Kingdom Footwork-Ford 9 Brazil Christian Fittipaldi
10 Italy Gianni Morbidelli
United Kingdom Lotus-Mugen Honda 11 Italy Alessandro Zanardi
12 United Kingdom Johnny Herbert
Republic of Ireland Jordan-Hart 14 Brazil Rubens Barrichello
15 United Kingdom Eddie Irvine
France Larrousse-Ford 19 Monaco Olivier Beretta
20 France Érik Comas
Italy Minardi-Ford 23 Italy Pierluigi Martini
24 Italy Michele Alboreto
France Ligier-Renault 25 France Éric Bernard
26 France Olivier Panis
Italy Ferrari 27 France Jean Alesi
28 Austria Gerhard Berger
Switzerland Sauber-Mercedes 29 Italy Andrea de Cesaris
30 Germany Heinz-Harald Frentzen
United Kingdom Simtek-Ford 31 Australia David Brabham
32 France Jean-Marc Gounon
United Kingdom Pacific-Ilmor 33 France Paul Belmondo
34 Belgium Bertrand Gachot

Circuits

Round Grand Prix Circuit
1 Brazilian Grand Prix Brazil Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo
2 Pacific Grand Prix Japan TI Circuit, Aida
3 San Marino Grand Prix Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola
4 Monaco Grand Prix Monaco Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo
5 Spanish Grand Prix Spain Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona
6 Canadian Grand Prix Canada Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
7 French Grand Prix France Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours
8 British Grand Prix United Kingdom Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone
9 German Grand Prix Germany Hockenheimring, Hockenheim
10 Hungarian Grand Prix Hungary Hungaroring, Mogyoród
11 Belgian Grand Prix Belgium Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa
12 Italian Grand Prix Italy Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza
13 Portuguese Grand Prix Portugal Autódromo do Estoril, Estoril
14 European Grand Prix Spain Circuito Permanente de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera
15 Japanese Grand Prix Japan Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka
16 Australian Grand Prix Australia Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide

Development

The game was developed by Geoff Crammond as a follow-up to 1991's Formula One Grand Prix (which was known as World Circuit in the US). In a time when the gaming industry had become dominated by development teams, it was a rare instance of an essentially one-man-project.

It was the first serious racing simulation programmed with all three axes in it—i.e. the ability for vehicles to get airborne in the game (1990's Stunts and Stunt Driver featured this ability, but were not racing simulations of a series). However, GP2 lacked the feature of having a car flip over entirely, which was not seen in hardcore racing simulations. In some cases, the game would crash if the car was about to overturn. Microsoft's Monster Truck Madness (1996), simulating monster truck racing, may have been the first to have that feature.

It had more extensive physics and included image mapping over the 3D model of the car to show vehicle liveries, a feature that emerged in racing simulations with Papyrus Design Group's 1993 IndyCar Racing.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PC PowerPlay9
PC GamesB+

Following Grand Prix 2's release in July 1996, its global sales reached 500,000 copies in September. This number rose to 750,000 copies by mid-January 1997, driven in large part by European purchases. In August 1998, the game received a "Platinum" sales award from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD), indicating sales of at least 200,000 units across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Grand Prix 2 sold 1.5 million copies worldwide by late 2000. That year, Andy Mahood of PC Gamer US described the entire Grand Prix series as "one of the most successful PC racing franchises in history".

Critics hailed Grand Prix II as stunning and the class of the field for Formula 1 simulations. Jim Varner of GameSpot particularly applauded the way it breaks the convention of racing games always falling into either simulation-style or arcade-style, through the use of adjustable "driving aids", which when turned off, make Grand Prix II a phenomenally complex and realistic driving sim, and when turned on, make it one of the most fun and exciting arcade-style racers ever made. He called it "unquestionably the best racing game yet made for the PC" and gave it a 9.5 out of 10. PC Zone gave the game 95%. The game was rated outstanding by CNet.

Grand Prix 2 was nominated as Computer Games Strategy Plus's 1996 "Racing Simulation" of the year, although it lost to NASCAR Racing II.

Though they never published a review of Grand Prix 2, shortly after its release Next Generation named it the 46th best game of all time, calling it as the most sophisticated and realistic driving game. Grand Prix 2 and its predecessor, collectively, were named the seventh best computer game of all time by PC Gamer UK in 1997.

References

  1. "MicroProse Press Release: Grand Prix II". 1998-01-20. Archived from the original on 1998-01-20. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  2. ^ Varner, Jim (August 15, 1996). "Grand Prix II Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  3. "Grip the Wheel, Rev the Engine and Take on the World's Toughest Courses in World Circuit Racing's Grand Prix II™ from Microprose". July 23, 1996. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  4. MicroProse. Grand Prix II Reference Manual (game manual). First Printing, June 1996. U.S. edition. Page iv.
  5. ^ MicroProse. Grand Prix II Reference Manual (game manual). First Printing, June 1996. U.S. edition. Page 1.
  6. ^ MicroProse. Grand Prix II Reference Manual (game manual). First Printing, June 1996. U.S. edition. Page 20.
  7. MicroProse. Grand Prix II Reference Manual (game manual). First Printing, June 1996. U.S. edition. Page 21.
  8. MicroProse. Grand Prix II Reference Manual (game manual). First Printing, June 1996. U.S. edition. Page 25.
  9. "Retro Games" (PDF).
  10. MicroProse. Grand Prix II Reference Manual (game manual). First Printing, June 1996. U.S. edition. Page 105.
  11. MicroProse. Grand Prix II Reference Manual (game manual). First Printing, June 1996. U.S. edition. Page 109.
  12. MicroProse. Grand Prix II Reference Manual (game manual). First Printing, June 1996. U.S. edition. Page 37.
  13. http://www.simracingworld.com/content/51-grand-prix-3-review/3/ SimRacingWorld - Grand Prix 3 review
  14. ^ "Top 100 Games of All Time". Next Generation. No. 21. Imagine Media. September 1996. p. 55.
  15. Olafson, Peter (October 1996). "Grand Prix II". PC Games. Archived from the original on February 7, 1997. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  16. Mansill, Ben. (May 1996). "Review: Grand Prix 2". PC PowerPlay. No. 1. pp. 40–43. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  17. ^ Bauman, Steve (January 15, 1997). "Ch-ching - Westwood cashes in". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Archived from the original on June 15, 1997. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  18. Staff (September 21, 1996). "Happy Spectrum Hits Million Mark". Next Generation. Archived from the original on June 6, 1997. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  19. "Uhr TCM Hannover – ein glänzender Event auf der CebitHome" (Press release) (in German). Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland. August 26, 1998. Archived from the original on July 13, 2000. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  20. "VUD Sales Awards: November 2002" (Press release) (in German). Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland. Archived from the original on January 10, 2003. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  21. Mahood, Andy (November 2000). "Grand Prix 3". PC Gamer US. 7 (11): 143, 144.
  22. Staff (March 25, 1997). "Computer Games Strategy Plus announces 1996 Awards". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Archived from the original on June 14, 1997. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
  23. Flynn, James; Owen, Steve; Pierce, Matthew; Davis, Jonathan; Longhurst, Richard (July 1997). "The PC Gamer Top 100". PC Gamer UK. No. 45. pp. 51–83.

External links

Video games based on the Formula One Championship
Monaco GP
Pole Position
Final Lap
Satoru Nakajima F-1
Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix
F-1 Grand Prix (Video System)
F1 (Lankhor)
F1 Circus
F1 Pole Position/Human Grand Prix
Formula One (Sony)
Racing Simulation
F1 (Codemasters/EA Sports)
F1 Manager
Other
Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix series
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