Gran Turismo 2

Gran Turismo 2 is a racing game for the original PlayStation. It was developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment in 1999. Serving as a sequel to Gran Turismo, It was well-received publicly and critically, shipping 1.71 million copies in Japan, 20,000 in Southeast Asia, 3.96 million in North America, and 3.68 million in Europe for a total of 9.37 million copies, and eventually becoming a Sony Greatest Hits game. The title received an average of 93% in Metacritic's aggregate.
==Gameplay and Content==
Gran Turismo 2 is fundamentally based on the racing game genre. The player must maneuver an automobile to compete against artificially intelligent drivers on various race tracks. The game uses two different modes: Arcade and Simulation. In Arcade mode, the player can freely choose the courses and vehicles they wish to use. However, the Simulation mode requires the player to earn driver's licenses, pay for vehicles, and earn trophies in order to unlock new courses. Gran Turismo 2 features nearly 620 cars and 27 race tracks.
Unlike its predecessor, the player can race events separately, instead of a tournament with multiple races, and the player is no longer able to qualify for starting grid position. It also featured all-new rally racing, in which winding dirt tracks are challenged. An example is the winding Pikes Peak which has 2 variations, Hill Climb and Downhill.
As well as being the first Gran Turismo game to support DualShock vibration, it also came with support for Namco's NeGcon controller. This also made it compatible with many third-party steering wheel controllers that used the NeGcon controller system as it was much better suited to driving games than the Dual Analog/Dual Shock analog sticks.
As a large expansion on what Gran Turismo brought to the table, Gran Turismo 2 takes a further step into the real world. This includes both featured circuits and race cars. 
==Development==
After the unexpected success of the first game, lead developer Kazunori Yamauchi planned to make Gran Turismo 2 "an even better product". Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA)'s marketing director (Ami Blaire) had high hopes, stating that "the overwhelming and continuing popularity of Gran Turismo clearly positions Gran Turismo 2 to be one of the hottest titles available for the holidays and beyond". Jack Tretton (sales vice president of SCEA) had a similar enthusiasm, expecting Gran Turismo 2 to "fly off the shelves faster than the original, continuing the momentum of this incredible franchise".
Upon the game's release, players shortly found various errors and glitches. SCEA did not ignore the outcry, and offered a replacement if any problems occurred.
===Partnership with the Seiko Corporation===
In 1999, Kazunori Yamauchi approached the Japanese company Seiko, a manufacturer of clocks and watches, and other small electronics and jewelry items, to inquire on a sponsorship for the release of Gran Turismo 2. The deal would provide a cash infusion to Yamauchi's small development team in exchange for a minimal portion of every game sold (a royalty) being paid to the Seiko Corporation. Seiko agreed to provide expertise regarding the usage of accurate timing during race events, and advertised their logo at the bottom of every end-of-event and replay screen, where the message "Powered by SEIKO" can be seen, among other small billboards around various tracks.
==Reception and Criticism==
Gran Turismo was well-received critically, achieving many positive reviews.
There were a few glitches in early versions of GT2 that could interrupt gameplay and corrupt saved games (e.g., A player's entire garage getting erased after more than 8 records were set in Machine Tests). Sony later openly admitted that the game was rushed to the market to be on shelves in time for the holiday season, and arranged to exchange affected games for newer versions.
==Music==
Gran Turismo 2 is the only game in the main series which doesn't feature an option to preview race background music. While music information can be viewed in the "Licensor Credits" section, this does not actually inform the player which song titles go with which audio.
The songs on the intro video of the Arcade Disc are My Favorite Game by The Cardigans for the NTSC-U and PAL versions (the PAL version featuring the Faithless remix of the song), and Moon Over the Castle for the NTSC-J version, which is considered to be the Gran Turismo theme.
==Trivia==
*Gran Turismo 2 is one of three games in the series to have two discs with major parts of the game on each, the other being the Spec II edition of Gran Turismo Sport, and the PlayStation 4 version of Gran Turismo 7. Other games with two discs are special edition with films of the making of the game.
*Gran Turismo 2 is the only game in the series with specifically designed tracks for license tests. In other games of the series, the license tests are performed on sections of actual race tracks.
*Gran Turismo 2 was the first PlayStation game to be emulated on the Sega Dreamcast via "Bleemcast! ".
*The box art of the US version (shown above) featured the McLaren F1's speedometer and tachometer, although the F1 itself wasn't featured until the release of Gran Turismo 5, in 2010.
*Gran Turismo 2 is the only installment in the series to feature drag racing cars. This is because drag racing was originally planned to be in the game, but was removed due to time constraints.
*This is the first game of the Gran Turismo series to have major regional differences, the most noticeable of which are region-specific vehicle names, to display the vehicle as accurately as possible in the market it was sold in. Also, the race BGM differs between regions, with the PAL version featuring the likes of Stereophonics and Fat Boy Slim, whilst the NTSC-U version has acts like Rob Zombie and Stone Temple Pilots.
*Gran Turismo 2 is the first game to feature a real life race and rally course, Laguna Seca and Pikes Peak respectively.
**Additionally, Pikes Peak is the first of only 2 competitive point-to-point courses in the series. The other is the Goodwood Hillclimb.
*The in-game billboards in Gran Turismo 2 are interchangeable on specific tracks, such as Tahiti Road and Red Rock Valley Speedway.
==Pictures==
File:GT2-ArcadeTitleJPEU.png|The title screen of the Arcade Mode disc in the NTSC-J and PAL versions
File:GT2-ArcadeTitleUS.png|The title screen of the Arcade Mode disc in the NTSC-U version
File:GT2-TitleScreenJPEU.png|The title screen of the Gran Turismo Mode disc in the NTSC-J and PAL versions
File:352px-GT2-TitleScreen.png|The title screen of the Simulation Mode disc in the NTSC-U version
File:GT2-Drag Race.png|The unused "Drag Race" Arcade Mode menu panel as it would have appeared in-game
File:1151004-gb.png
File:1070434-sony02.jpeg
File:1151002-gb.png
==Videos==
File:Gran Turismo 2 Intro - Japan|The intro movie from the Japanese version of Gran Turismo 2
File:Gran Turismo 2 Intro - Europe|The intro movie from the European version of Gran Turismo 2
File:Gran Turismo 2 Intro - North America|The intro movie from the American version of Gran Turismo 2
File:Gran Turismo 2 Ending - Arcade Mode - Japan|The Arcade Mode Ending movie from the Japanese version
File:Gran Turismo 2 Ending - GT Mode - Japan|thumb|right|335 px|The GT Mode Ending movie from the Japanese version
File:Gran Turismo 2 Ending - Europe|The Ending movie from the European version, note that there is only one ending movie in this region
File:Gran Turismo 2 Ending - Arcade Mode - North America|The Arcade Mode Ending movie from the American version
File:Gran Turismo 2 Ending - Simulation Mode - North America|The Simulation Mode Ending movie from the American version
==Notes==
Category:PlayStation games
Category:1990s games
Category:Gran Turismo 2