TrackMania (2003 video game)

TrackMania is a racing video game developed by Nadeo and published by Enlight Software. It is the first game in the TrackMania series.

TrackMania
Developer(s)Nadeo
Publisher(s)Digital Jesters (UK), Focus (France), Enlight (US), Buka (CIS), Steam (international)
Composer(s)Henri-Pierre Pellegrin
SeriesTrackMania
Platform(s)Windows
Release
  • FRA: November 21, 2003
  • UK: November 28, 2003
  • NA: June 24, 2004[1]
Genre(s)Racing, puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay

TrackMania includes some pre-constructed tracks that players can race on to unlock "coppers", the in-game currency. These can be used to buy different building blocks, usually called "blocks", for their track, including regular roads, checkpoints, long bends, loop-the-loops, and jumps, which all snap to a grid automatically. Regular roads can be dragged to create straight sections as well as 90 degree corners. Most other blocks are automatically connected by placing them next to each other. There are three environments to choose from: Rally, Snow, and Desert, each of which offers a unique car. There are also three modes: Race, Puzzle, and Survival, each of which features an equal number of tracks for each environment. The "Survival" mode does not appear in the later games, though Platform bears some similarities.

TrackMania has three styles of cars, rally super minis (Renault), alpine 4x4s (Suzuki), and speed muscle cars (Ford Escort). Each has numerous skins making a total of 87 different cars available. Using the built-in or external graphics editor, players can create their own skins, or modify the originals.

The game features a network option, which allows players to compete via hotseat or a LAN, and over the Internet while players may upload their created tracks or skins to the game's website for use by other players.

Reception

The game received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[2] Alex Navarro of GameSpot called the game "completely worth it if you have any interest in PC driving games or ever liked miniature cars as a kid." Saying that "the driving mechanics aren't perfect, and it isn't much to look at," he nevertheless called it "a great game with plenty of depth and lasting appeal."[7] Scott Osborne of GameSpy called the races "fast-paced and reasonably fun," but also said that "they're often too easy and always much too short," criticizing the brevity of the game's single-player and puzzle mode.[8] Tom McNamara of IGN said that "the game looks pretty good," but that it was "not fun to play so much as being fun to play around with," ultimately calling it "a temporary diversion" that "just can't compete with the big boys."[10]

GameSpot described the game as the best computer game of July 2004.[13] The game was also a runner-up for the site's "Most Surprisingly Good Game" award, which went to The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay.[14]

TrackMania Original

TrackMania Original is an October 12, 2005 re-release of TrackMania that runs on the Sunrise graphics engine. It features over 10 new block types, from PowerUp! and (unreleased) SpeedUp! patches as well as some functionality from Sunrise such as ad-panels and Media Tracker effects. This version also allows the player to import 3D models for the cars, which can also be skinned. It was released free of charge for owners of TrackMania, in the form of a patch/expansion pack, and made available in store as a cheap collector's edition containing bonus features.

References
  1. Castro, Juan (June 24, 2004). "TrackMania Ships". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  2. "TrackMania (2003) for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  3. "Review: TrackMania". Computer Games Magazine. No. 167. theGlobe.com. October 2004. p. 83.
  4. Scott, Ryan (October 2004). "TrackMania" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 243. Ziff Davis. p. 81. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  5. Edge staff (February 2004). "TrackMania". Edge. No. 133. Future Publishing. p. 110. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  6. Bramwell, Tom (November 19, 2003). "TrackMania". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  7. Navarro, Alex (July 2, 2004). "TrackMania Review [date mislabeled as "August 10, 2004"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  8. Osborne, Scott (July 13, 2004). "GameSpy: TrackMania". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 2, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  9. Aecinet (July 13, 2004). "TrackMania - PC - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 25, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  10. McNamara, Tom (July 2, 2004). "TrackMania Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  11. McGregor, Andy (January 2004). "Trackmania [sic]". PC Format. No. 157. Future Publishing. Archived from the original on August 10, 2004. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  12. "TrackMania". PC Gamer. Vol. 11 no. 9. Imagine Media. September 2004. p. 70.
  13. GameSpot staff (August 10, 2004). "GameSpot's Month in Review for July 2004". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on March 5, 2005. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  14. GameSpot staff (January 5, 2005). "Best and Worst of 2004 (Most Surprisingly Good Game Nominees)". GameSpot. CNET. Archived from the original on April 5, 2005. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
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