Hi everyone.
After about 6 months since I saw a copy for sale, I have managed to get a copy of Gran Turismo 2 Test Drive - the first demo that was ever released for GT2. It was only released in Japan, in April 1999.
Unfortunately, it's actually quite a late build of the game. The earliest build to ever feature on a demo (to my knowledge) was the GT2 demo on McDonald's Demo Disc 1 or Euro Demo 87. The GT2 Test Drive build is actually similar (if not identical) to the build on Euro Demo 53. So, an earlier release doesn't necessarily mean an earlier version of the game.
Also, the long-awaited; and I mean LONG, (it's been nearly a month since I posted a video) awaited Gran Turismo Secret Cars the definitive version, or whatever I plan to call it. Hang on Matt, I hear you say; haven't you covered the secret cars in Gran Turismo already?
Well, similar to Gran Turismo 2 Test Drive, there was also a Gran Turismo Test Drive released too. The difference is that this was actually an early build of the game (earlier than the Trial Version), and contains lots of beta racing modifications. So I have combined the Test Drive Disc, the Trial Version, and the NTSC, NTSC/J and PAL final versions of the game. Some cars you will have already seen, but this time they're in HD!
I'm still planning to do the videos I said I would on the last update, but my nephew and I will also be doing a FIFA video in the near future.
Video game reviews and what not...
Monday, 4 February 2013
Monday, 17 December 2012
What you can expect to see soon from MattJ155
Hi everyone,
First things first; the rest of the soundtrack to Gran Turismo Test Drive will be on YouTube shortly.
Also, I have recently purchased a HD capture card, which means I'll be able to record PS2 and PS3 footage in HD. With that in mind, I would like to re-do a couple of videos that I put up a long time ago; just like I have done with the Gran Turismo secret cars videos. Soul Calibur III - I'm planning to include all secret characters in just one video; as before I had to put the video up in three parts. Also the footage will now be in better quality, and there are actually a lot of characters I didn't include in the video. If you've played Chronicles of the Sword, then you'll be familar with the NPCs like Roin, Lupi etc. Now these characters can be created in Create A Soul mode, though the announcer won't say their name at the end of a battle; rather the job of the created character you made e.g. Sword Master.
Also, with my Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks video, I missed out a few characters that I couldn't get to load at the time. Though I have since learned that they can be loaded - just on specific levels. There are still a handful of characters that won't load at all; Shao Kahn for example. With my Mortal Kombat Deception secret characters video, I missed Kitana out - and I also intend to show off all the secret characters' costumes and Onaga's special moves.
I have also bought a few more interesting discs lately, including a beta version of Tony Hawk's Project 8, a Japanese Dynasty Warriors 2 demo; and the Gran Turismo Special Edition 2004 Toyota demo. I actually missed out on that Gran Turismo demo earlier this year when I saw it on Ebay; however it sold for more than I was prepared to pay. Luckily I have now managed to find another copy for sale. :)
First things first; the rest of the soundtrack to Gran Turismo Test Drive will be on YouTube shortly.
Also, I have recently purchased a HD capture card, which means I'll be able to record PS2 and PS3 footage in HD. With that in mind, I would like to re-do a couple of videos that I put up a long time ago; just like I have done with the Gran Turismo secret cars videos. Soul Calibur III - I'm planning to include all secret characters in just one video; as before I had to put the video up in three parts. Also the footage will now be in better quality, and there are actually a lot of characters I didn't include in the video. If you've played Chronicles of the Sword, then you'll be familar with the NPCs like Roin, Lupi etc. Now these characters can be created in Create A Soul mode, though the announcer won't say their name at the end of a battle; rather the job of the created character you made e.g. Sword Master.
Also, with my Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks video, I missed out a few characters that I couldn't get to load at the time. Though I have since learned that they can be loaded - just on specific levels. There are still a handful of characters that won't load at all; Shao Kahn for example. With my Mortal Kombat Deception secret characters video, I missed Kitana out - and I also intend to show off all the secret characters' costumes and Onaga's special moves.
I have also bought a few more interesting discs lately, including a beta version of Tony Hawk's Project 8, a Japanese Dynasty Warriors 2 demo; and the Gran Turismo Special Edition 2004 Toyota demo. I actually missed out on that Gran Turismo demo earlier this year when I saw it on Ebay; however it sold for more than I was prepared to pay. Luckily I have now managed to find another copy for sale. :)
Monday, 3 December 2012
Matt's Column - 03/12/12
TV
So I recently watched The Secret of Crickley Hall, which was a three-part BBC drama that concluded last night. It was good, and well worth a watch if you haven't seen it already. The plot centres around an old hall that was used to house evacuees during the Second World War. It's haunted by a load of kids that 'drowned' here during the war, as well as the master of the house who drowned with them during a flood. I don't want to give too much away, but it's a good little ghost story; that wraps up satisfyingly without any loose ends. Though after I finished watching it, I jumped on the internet and had a little Google search for a who-plays-who cast list. I was surprised to find that on IMDB, it had a ruthless score of 5.9/10. What a load of crap, but I guess people only critique things to whinge about them really; much like I'm doing here. Despite its score, I'd still recommend it. After all, IMDB only gave the film The Prestige 8.8 out of 10; and easily a 10/10 in my books - one of the best films I've ever seen.
SPORT
It's tough being a Manchester United fan at the moment. Ok, maybe not that tough; but when you grab a 4-3 win against Reading, it's very much squeeky bum time. It would be nice if we kept a few more clean sheets in future, but it would also be great if our defenders just behaved like human beings, rather than brainless zombies who aimlessly jog around a football pitch. You know, I once came across a YouTube channel with the purpose of showcasing every single mistake made by Jonny Evans... But on the whole, we're 3 points ahead of our noisy neighbours; and we'll only be level on points if the worst comes to the worst and we lose at their place next weekend. Our forwards are also scoring at will, particularly van Persie - what an inspirational buy from Fergie! Reminds me that I was recently offered Atletico Madrid striker Falcao for 23.5 million on Football Manager 2013. I passed on the offer at the time, he subsequently withdrew his transfer request, and signed for Manchester City about 6 months later for 34 million. I really wish I'd bought him... though on the plus side I did get Malaga wonderkid Isco for a knockdown 17.5 million!
YOUTUBE
So, what can I recommend for you to watch? Well lately I've been looking at the videos of 'Past to Present (PtoP) Online'. This user showcases beta builds and unreleased video games - right up my street! You know, I'd love to get my hands on a few beta builds of games. Demo discs do showcase a game at earlier stage of development, but some series of games don't have demos released to the public; the Smugglers Run series for example. I think it'd be good for my channel too, if I were to upload some footage of some games in beta form. I'll see what I can get hold of. :)
Also, I've been listening to Andy McKee lately, who's an acoustic guitarist. Not usually my genre but his talent is undeniable.
On a final note, I usually do a Christmas special video; though I'm not sure what to do yet for this year! Any ideas would be welcomed.
So I recently watched The Secret of Crickley Hall, which was a three-part BBC drama that concluded last night. It was good, and well worth a watch if you haven't seen it already. The plot centres around an old hall that was used to house evacuees during the Second World War. It's haunted by a load of kids that 'drowned' here during the war, as well as the master of the house who drowned with them during a flood. I don't want to give too much away, but it's a good little ghost story; that wraps up satisfyingly without any loose ends. Though after I finished watching it, I jumped on the internet and had a little Google search for a who-plays-who cast list. I was surprised to find that on IMDB, it had a ruthless score of 5.9/10. What a load of crap, but I guess people only critique things to whinge about them really; much like I'm doing here. Despite its score, I'd still recommend it. After all, IMDB only gave the film The Prestige 8.8 out of 10; and easily a 10/10 in my books - one of the best films I've ever seen.
SPORT
It's tough being a Manchester United fan at the moment. Ok, maybe not that tough; but when you grab a 4-3 win against Reading, it's very much squeeky bum time. It would be nice if we kept a few more clean sheets in future, but it would also be great if our defenders just behaved like human beings, rather than brainless zombies who aimlessly jog around a football pitch. You know, I once came across a YouTube channel with the purpose of showcasing every single mistake made by Jonny Evans... But on the whole, we're 3 points ahead of our noisy neighbours; and we'll only be level on points if the worst comes to the worst and we lose at their place next weekend. Our forwards are also scoring at will, particularly van Persie - what an inspirational buy from Fergie! Reminds me that I was recently offered Atletico Madrid striker Falcao for 23.5 million on Football Manager 2013. I passed on the offer at the time, he subsequently withdrew his transfer request, and signed for Manchester City about 6 months later for 34 million. I really wish I'd bought him... though on the plus side I did get Malaga wonderkid Isco for a knockdown 17.5 million!
YOUTUBE
So, what can I recommend for you to watch? Well lately I've been looking at the videos of 'Past to Present (PtoP) Online'. This user showcases beta builds and unreleased video games - right up my street! You know, I'd love to get my hands on a few beta builds of games. Demo discs do showcase a game at earlier stage of development, but some series of games don't have demos released to the public; the Smugglers Run series for example. I think it'd be good for my channel too, if I were to upload some footage of some games in beta form. I'll see what I can get hold of. :)
Also, I've been listening to Andy McKee lately, who's an acoustic guitarist. Not usually my genre but his talent is undeniable.
On a final note, I usually do a Christmas special video; though I'm not sure what to do yet for this year! Any ideas would be welcomed.
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
Upcoming video - Mortal Kombat Deception - secrets/beta discussion
So, I'ven been having a look at Mortal Kombat Deception at the moment. I remember the game fondly from my childhood, as I really enjoyed playing through Konquest Mode which was a brand new mode of gameplay at the time. Konquest Mode would make a return in Mortal Kombat Armageddon, but in a more linear style of gameplay; rather than the more non-linear style that featured in Deception. By non-linear I mean that there were lots of side missions to do, that meant the player had to go wandering around the level to find and complete them.
What's more interesting is that MK Deception was never finished in the way that the designers originally intended. Konquest Mode was wrapped up quickly in order to coincide with the game's release date. Therefore, it has a few items for example, that serve no purpose in the game. Raiden's Staff and the Ninja Star for example. So I thought I'd have a look through the game to see if I could uncover anything that was potentially left unfinished.
So far, by using a walk through walls code that I created; I managed to find a koin chest and a koin in an out of bounds area in Earthrealm Village. Although not a beta feature, it's still quite interesting. :) There are also two huts that the player can't usually access in the playable area, though both huts' doors are locked. I'll look into a way of unlocking them. There are also a lot more huts that stay locked in the village, and the Shaolin Temple that seems redundant. There's a door at the top of the steps which is inaccessible, and also what looks like a side door; that the designers placed a koin chest in front of to stop the player from being able to access it.
That's all for now, hopefully I'll be able to make a video with some new information about the game. :)
What's more interesting is that MK Deception was never finished in the way that the designers originally intended. Konquest Mode was wrapped up quickly in order to coincide with the game's release date. Therefore, it has a few items for example, that serve no purpose in the game. Raiden's Staff and the Ninja Star for example. So I thought I'd have a look through the game to see if I could uncover anything that was potentially left unfinished.
So far, by using a walk through walls code that I created; I managed to find a koin chest and a koin in an out of bounds area in Earthrealm Village. Although not a beta feature, it's still quite interesting. :) There are also two huts that the player can't usually access in the playable area, though both huts' doors are locked. I'll look into a way of unlocking them. There are also a lot more huts that stay locked in the village, and the Shaolin Temple that seems redundant. There's a door at the top of the steps which is inaccessible, and also what looks like a side door; that the designers placed a koin chest in front of to stop the player from being able to access it.
That's all for now, hopefully I'll be able to make a video with some new information about the game. :)
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Rockstar Playstation Alpha/Beta Discs
On my daily excursions through the many pages of the internet, I came across two early builds of Smuggler's Run. The first is an early alpha build, seen here on YouTube:
I'd seen this video a couple of years ago, though for some reason I always thought it was a gameplay trailer release by Rockstar during the development of Smuggler's Run. Only lately have I realised that it's actually an early alpha build of the game which actually exists on a disc; rather than being a snapshot of a work in progress.
The second is a slightly later beta build. No footage of this one but here's an image of the disc. Thanks to Ptoponline (Past to present online).
I believe the owner of this image sold this disc a few years ago by the way. Anyway, so this got me thinking about GTA III again. (I bet I sound like a broken record...) I'd always thought that the best shot of owning a beta build of GTA III was to hunt down the disc that was playable at E3 in 2001; though now I'm wondering if there's an even earlier disc out there. Possibly an alpha build like the earliest Smuggler's Run footage that I posted above. Obviously I'm just speculating, but it's nice to think that there may be an even earlier build out there; containing the game around this stage of development:
I'd seen this video a couple of years ago, though for some reason I always thought it was a gameplay trailer release by Rockstar during the development of Smuggler's Run. Only lately have I realised that it's actually an early alpha build of the game which actually exists on a disc; rather than being a snapshot of a work in progress.
The second is a slightly later beta build. No footage of this one but here's an image of the disc. Thanks to Ptoponline (Past to present online).
I believe the owner of this image sold this disc a few years ago by the way. Anyway, so this got me thinking about GTA III again. (I bet I sound like a broken record...) I'd always thought that the best shot of owning a beta build of GTA III was to hunt down the disc that was playable at E3 in 2001; though now I'm wondering if there's an even earlier disc out there. Possibly an alpha build like the earliest Smuggler's Run footage that I posted above. Obviously I'm just speculating, but it's nice to think that there may be an even earlier build out there; containing the game around this stage of development:
Friday, 28 September 2012
A New Gran Turismo 2 Site
Even though it came out over ten years ago, Gran Turismo 2 is still being discussed on the web today. Roadhog360 from YouTube has recently launched a small website, to further improve the longevity of Gran Turismo 2. He could do with a few viewers and forum posts, so I'm posting it here in case anyone is interested:
http://gt2info.ucoz.net
http://gt2info.ucoz.net
Thursday, 27 September 2012
Video Games Wish List (Updated 28/09/2012)
Hi everyone,
I just thought I'd post a small list of video games that I'm currently interested in buying. Some of them are quite rare, so I'm having trouble finding them. So on the off chance that anyone wants to sell a copy, get in touch! :)
Games marked with a strikethrough are ones that I have recently purchased.
Gran Turismo Test Drive Disc (Single version or Pule Pule / Pure Pure version)
Gran Turismo 2 Test Drive Disc
Grand Theft Auto III E3 2001 Demo
Gran Turismo Special Edition 2004 Toyota Demo
Gran Turismo 4 Press Kit
Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-Seoul [NTSC-J/KR]
Gran Turismo Demo KB Toys [NTSC-U/C]
Gran Turismo Limited Edition PlayStation discs 100 million
Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-Geneva Press Pack [EU]
Gran Turismo Concept Mitsubishi Airtrek Turbo Special Edition [NTSC-J]
Gran Turismo Concept Daihatsu Copen Special Edition [NTSC-J]
Gran Turismo Nissan 350z Edition (Press Pack) [NTSC-U/C]
Gran Turismo Nissan Micra Edition (Press Pack) [PAL-UK]
Gran Turismo VW Lupo Cup Japan Training Version 1 [NTSC-J]
Gran Turismo 4 BMW 1 series Virtual Drive
Gran Turismo 4 BMW 1 series Virtual Drive Dealership
Gran Turismo 4 E3 Press Kit
Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec Demo [NTSC/UC]
~Matt
I just thought I'd post a small list of video games that I'm currently interested in buying. Some of them are quite rare, so I'm having trouble finding them. So on the off chance that anyone wants to sell a copy, get in touch! :)
Games marked with a strikethrough are ones that I have recently purchased.
Gran Turismo 2 Test Drive Disc
Grand Theft Auto III E3 2001 Demo
Gran Turismo Special Edition 2004 Toyota Demo
Gran Turismo 4 Press Kit
Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-Seoul [NTSC-J/KR]
Gran Turismo Demo KB Toys [NTSC-U/C]
Gran Turismo Limited Edition PlayStation discs 100 million
Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-Geneva Press Pack [EU]
Gran Turismo Concept Mitsubishi Airtrek Turbo Special Edition [NTSC-J]
Gran Turismo Nissan 350z Edition (Press Pack) [NTSC-U/C]
Gran Turismo Nissan Micra Edition (Press Pack) [PAL-UK]
Gran Turismo VW Lupo Cup Japan Training Version 1 [NTSC-J]
Gran Turismo 4 BMW 1 series Virtual Drive
Gran Turismo 4 BMW 1 series Virtual Drive Dealership
Gran Turismo 4 E3 Press Kit
Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec Demo [NTSC/UC]
I'll be adding more to the list whenever I come across something that I'd like to own. I'd probably also be interested in any items that are in any way similar to those that I have posted above.
Send me a message on YouTube (MattJ155) , or email me at mattj_155@hotmail.co.uk~Matt
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