TOCA Touring Car series
Encyclopedia
TOCA is a racing
video game series developed and published by Codemasters
, initially focusing specifically on Touring car racing
but more recently expanding to cover a wide variety of motorsport
. Since the series began in 1997 with TOCA Touring Car Championship, the franchise has been released on PC, PlayStation, PlayStation 2
, PlayStation Portable
, and Xbox
, with particular success in Europe and Australia where the motorsports featured are most popular.
Since TOCA Race Driver, the fourth title in the series, each new game is released under different titles in different regions, such as Pro Race Driver in the US, DTM Race Driver in Germany, and V8 Supercars in Australia.
For Ps1.
in August 2002, with the release of TOCA Race Driver (called DTM Race driver in Germany, Pro Race Driver in North America and V8 Supercars: Race Driver in Australia). The game took a new direction, reincluding the BTCC series that the previous game had been missing but most importantly, a plot (leading to the game being labelled as a "Car-PG") where the user took on the role of a fictional race driver called Ryan McKane, trying to make a name for himself in a multitude of car championships, all the while under the shadow of his more successful older brother and haunted by the death of his father on the racetrack (as witnessed by Ryan as a child).
in Europe and Japan and the second being Race Driver 2006 in the US. The game continued to use a scripted career mode as introduced in the previous Race Driver game but dropped the Ryan McKane character.
, GT
, Oval racing, Rallying
and Offroad racing were all featured, and can be raced in either a detailed Pro Career mode or an open-ended World Tour. Up to 12 players are supported via Xbox Live and the PlayStation 2 version supports up to 8 online. This series is the only racing simulator that allows PlayStation players to race online before Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
. It received good reviews, frequently being compared favourably to Gran Turismo 4
and Forza Motorsport
, in the aspects of cars on track, damage and AI.
and was released in September 2007. It includes many licensed vehicles and tracks from across the world. It has also the ability to allow players to create their own circuit either using the stylus
(albeit rather simply) or by using the custom made pieces made by the game developers. Then you can also exchange tracks online using a Nintendo Wi-fi Connection
. It also has career, multiplayer and single-race modes.
The game was released for Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
, Nintendo DS
, and Games for Windows
on June 3, 2008, after over one million people downloaded the demo. It featured an improved graphics engine (a common complaint was that even on the lowest setting the graphics couldn't be handled by low-spec PCs) from Colin McRae: DiRT
, has over 40 real-life cars and a variety of both fictional and realistic interpretations of tracks.
Racing
A sport race is a competition of speed, against an objective criterion, usually a clock or to a specific point. The competitors in a race try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time...
video game series developed and published by Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
, initially focusing specifically on Touring car racing
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...
but more recently expanding to cover a wide variety of motorsport
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
. Since the series began in 1997 with TOCA Touring Car Championship, the franchise has been released on PC, PlayStation, 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...
, PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, with particular success in Europe and Australia where the motorsports featured are most popular.
Since TOCA Race Driver, the fourth title in the series, each new game is released under different titles in different regions, such as Pro Race Driver in the US, DTM Race Driver in Germany, and V8 Supercars in Australia.
TOCA Touring Car Championship
The first game of the series was released for Windows and PlayStation platforms in late 1997 in Europe, and in summer 1998 in the United States (as TOCA Championship Racing). Featuring all the licensed cars (not including privateers) and tracks from the 1997 British Touring Car Championship, the game was critically acclaimed by the European games press - especially on console where it was widely considered the best in its genre until the release of Gran Turismo several months later.TOCA 2 Touring Cars
The success of the first TOCA game saw a sequel arrive a year later in 1998. Whilst mainly an annual franchise update of cars and tracks, the game did add more detailed graphics, physics, multiplayer modes and other minor features. Fictional (but realistic) tracks were added, and support races such as Ford Fiestas, Formula Ford and others also arrived. The level of car damage possible during a race was also enhanced, which was a significant selling point compared with the likes of Gran Turismo. It was called Touring Car Challenge in the USA.For Ps1.
TOCA World Touring Cars
As the title suggests, the series made a significant advance in featuring various Touring Car championships from around the world, TOCA World Touring Cars, which was released in 2000, but despite carrying the TOCA name, a fully licensed British Touring Car Championship (ToCa) series was not included. This upset a lot of fans of the series, but success continued. The gameplay overall became more "arcadey" and the replacement of qualifying laps with random grid positions together with the omission of penalties for bad driving made the game much more playable for the casual gamer. The game was billed as the first playstation game to feature 14 cars on the track, which pushed the console to its absolute limit. Curiously, unlike the first two titles in the TOCA series, World Touring Cars was not released in a Windows version.TOCA Race Driver
The series moved onto the 6th generation of gamingHistory of video game consoles (sixth generation)
The sixth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at the turn of the 21st century. Platforms of the sixth generation include the Sega Dreamcast, Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Microsoft Xbox...
in August 2002, with the release of TOCA Race Driver (called DTM Race driver in Germany, Pro Race Driver in North America and V8 Supercars: Race Driver in Australia). The game took a new direction, reincluding the BTCC series that the previous game had been missing but most importantly, a plot (leading to the game being labelled as a "Car-PG") where the user took on the role of a fictional race driver called Ryan McKane, trying to make a name for himself in a multitude of car championships, all the while under the shadow of his more successful older brother and haunted by the death of his father on the racetrack (as witnessed by Ryan as a child).
TOCA Race Driver 2
Race Driver 2 was released on Xbox and PC in April 2004, with a Playstation 2 version following six months later. Two PSP conversions were released in 2005 and 2006, the first being TOCA Race Driver 2TOCA Race Driver 2
TOCA Race Driver 2 is a racing video game installment of the racing video game TOCA Touring Car series, released on Xbox and Windows in April 2004, with a PlayStation 2 version following six months later....
in Europe and Japan and the second being Race Driver 2006 in the US. The game continued to use a scripted career mode as introduced in the previous Race Driver game but dropped the Ryan McKane character.
TOCA Race Driver 3
The third game in the TOCA Race Driver series was released in February 2006, and continued to expand on the types of motorsport available. Open wheelOpen wheel car
Open-wheel car, formula car, or often single-seater car in British English, describes cars with the wheels outside the car's main body and, in most cases, one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have their wheels below the body or fenders...
, GT
Grand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
, Oval racing, Rallying
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
and Offroad racing were all featured, and can be raced in either a detailed Pro Career mode or an open-ended World Tour. Up to 12 players are supported via Xbox Live and the PlayStation 2 version supports up to 8 online. This series is the only racing simulator that allows PlayStation players to race online before Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is a PlayStation 3 exclusive title which was announced at the E3 2007. This short version title was a precursor and sampling of Gran Turismo 5 and replaced Gran Turismo HD Concept...
. It received good reviews, frequently being compared favourably to Gran Turismo 4
Gran Turismo 4
is a racing simulator for the Sony PlayStation 2 which was developed by Polyphony Digital. It was released on December 28, 2004 in Japan and Hong Kong , February 22, 2005 in North America , and March 9, 2005 in Europe , and has since been re-issued under Sony's 'Greatest Hits' line...
and Forza Motorsport
Forza Motorsport
Forza Motorsport's received rave reviews from such media outlets as 1UP.com, IGN, Eurogamer and more.The game was also featured in the June 2004 issue of Popular Science.- External links :*...
, in the aspects of cars on track, damage and AI.
Race Driver: Create and Race
It is the first game in the TOCA Series that is available for Nintendo DSNintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
and was released in September 2007. It includes many licensed vehicles and tracks from across the world. It has also the ability to allow players to create their own circuit either using the stylus
Stylus
A stylus is a writing utensil, or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example in pottery. The word is also used for a computer accessory . It usually refers to a narrow elongated staff, similar to a modern ballpoint pen. Many styli are heavily curved to be held more easily...
(albeit rather simply) or by using the custom made pieces made by the game developers. Then you can also exchange tracks online using a Nintendo Wi-fi Connection
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
The is an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo to provide free online play in compatible Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS and Wii games. The service includes the company's Wii Shop Channel, DSi Shop, and Nintendo eShop game download services...
. It also has career, multiplayer and single-race modes.
Race Driver: GRID
Previously going under the working title "Race Driver One", Race Driver: GRID is the full and official title of the sequel to Toca Race Driver 3.The game was released for Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, and Games for Windows
Games for Windows
Games for Windows is a brand owned by Microsoft and introduced in 2006 to coincide with the release of Windows Vista. The brand represents a standardized technical certification program and online service for Windows games, bringing a measure of regulation to the PC game market in much the same way...
on June 3, 2008, after over one million people downloaded the demo. It featured an improved graphics engine (a common complaint was that even on the lowest setting the graphics couldn't be handled by low-spec PCs) from Colin McRae: DiRT
Colin McRae: Dirt
Colin McRae: Dirt has received largely positive reviews, IGN UK and U.S. awarding it a 9.0 and a 8.4, respectively. It has also received 9.0 from Official Xbox Magazine, 8.3 from GameSpot for the Xbox 360 and PC versions and 8.5 for the PlayStation 3 version, and 8 from Edge...
, has over 40 real-life cars and a variety of both fictional and realistic interpretations of tracks.