Aggressive Design

I began playing Midnight Club when it first came out. It was a game I returned to as I learned to appreciate it. When Midnight Club 2 hit the stage I had aptly pre-ordered it, expecting the same sort of arcade game, but I got something much more. From the typical open world support popularized in Rockstar style games, to the eccentric characters, the game kept things simple yet fun, just like its predecessor. It still remained arcade, but added a much more fluid driving experience with simple controls. What it also offered was online multiplayer support through an add-on to the PS2. One of the first games to have effective online gaming. This lead to a game that was not only endlessly replayable, but lured to the competitive online environment. Although the game never seemed to truly garner mainstream success, it did have a committed cult following that would find their home online playing races and the returning option capture the flag. Unfortunately when the GameSpy servers went away, the online feature went with it. Still the base game is an enjoyable blast from the past and one well worth playing again even some 18 years later. A game that I'm sure many who played it as a kid would wish for a remake, but unfortunately due to the stereotypical characters would endlessly be denied by writers. Lastly, I want to give a shout out to my team the Import Knightz. Many are still friends today, but we've lost many of you through the chaos of the internet and we hope to reconnect down the road. Nefas