G-Surfers
Encyclopedia
G-Surfers is a futuristic racing game
released in Europe
on January 25, 2002 by Midas Interactive Entertainment
. The game is an exclusive to the Playstation 2
console. On January 28, 2003 in the United States
, it was released and slightly altered under the title HSX: Hypersonic.Xtreme. The influence of the game was taken from F-Zero
and the Wipeout video game series, resulting in a very similar game. This led the game to receive negative reviews.
The game features 30 tracks, and 15 crafts; however, when the first six races are available, the player must complete the game to unlock more tutorial
s and tracks. It also features "Trackman", a mode which allows players to create their own tracks using various objects. Tutorials guide the player to this mode. A two-player split screen mode is included in the game, as well as the Time Trial and Cup racing modes for one player. The player should choose a craft they like to use in the game, and then go through five series (each including six tracks). After the race has loaded, the screen will show a view of the track. The player will see a countdown that would begin the race. The player must finish at first, second or third place to win. If he or she successfully completed a series, the player unlocks more material. Despite the tracks incorporating twists, turns, loops, corkscrews and jumps, various obstacle
s are considered avoidable for him or her. Falling off the track is one example. When below the third position, he or she will lose. In addition, there are the boost and health icons throughout each track.
. IGN
's Kaiser Hwang was more critical but felt that it is something "you've seen before." Amidst all this is a negative review from Gamespy
, which commented it "indisputably possesses both a real-time track system and instant functionality, the feature it needs the most is the one it doesn't have -- weapons." Hitting at ramps and damaging the craft was also criticized.
Racing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
released in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on January 25, 2002 by Midas Interactive Entertainment
Midas Interactive Entertainment
Midas Interactive Entertainment is a European publisher based on the outskirts of Takely in Essex, England of computer, PDA, mobile phone and video games....
. The game is an exclusive to the Playstation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
console. On January 28, 2003 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, it was released and slightly altered under the title HSX: Hypersonic.Xtreme. The influence of the game was taken from F-Zero
F-Zero
is a futuristic racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The game was released in Japan on November 21, 1990, in North America on August 23, 1991, and in Europe on June 4, 1992...
and the Wipeout video game series, resulting in a very similar game. This led the game to receive negative reviews.
The game features 30 tracks, and 15 crafts; however, when the first six races are available, the player must complete the game to unlock more tutorial
Tutorial
A tutorial is one method of transferring knowledge and may be used as a part of a learning process. More interactive and specific than a book or a lecture; a tutorial seeks to teach by example and supply the information to complete a certain task....
s and tracks. It also features "Trackman", a mode which allows players to create their own tracks using various objects. Tutorials guide the player to this mode. A two-player split screen mode is included in the game, as well as the Time Trial and Cup racing modes for one player. The player should choose a craft they like to use in the game, and then go through five series (each including six tracks). After the race has loaded, the screen will show a view of the track. The player will see a countdown that would begin the race. The player must finish at first, second or third place to win. If he or she successfully completed a series, the player unlocks more material. Despite the tracks incorporating twists, turns, loops, corkscrews and jumps, various obstacle
Obstacle
An obstacle is an object, thing, action or situation that causes an obstruction. There are, therefore, different types of obstacles, which can be physical, economic, biopsychosocial, cultural, political, technological or even military.-Physical barriers:As physical obstacles, we can enumerate all...
s are considered avoidable for him or her. Falling off the track is one example. When below the third position, he or she will lose. In addition, there are the boost and health icons throughout each track.
Reception
G-Surfers received generally negative reviews from critics. Many of them criticized the music, graphics and choppy framerate. Stephen Fulljames of Computer and Videogames gave it a 4.0 out of 10 rating, despite calling the graphics "Technically impressive". Now Gamer wrote a mixed review on the game, feeling that it is similar to WipeoutWipeout (video game)
Wipeout is the first in a series of futuristic racing video games developed and published by Psygnosis. It was originally released in 1995 for Sony PlayStation and PCs running MS-DOS, and in 1996 for Sega Saturn...
. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Kaiser Hwang was more critical but felt that it is something "you've seen before." Amidst all this is a negative review from Gamespy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
, which commented it "indisputably possesses both a real-time track system and instant functionality, the feature it needs the most is the one it doesn't have -- weapons." Hitting at ramps and damaging the craft was also criticized.