Midnight Club 3:DUB Edition Remix review

Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition arrived what seems like an age ago. In fact, it’s only just over a year since it first burst onto the scene, and received almost uniquely critical praise for its arcade like racing action, and banging tunes. Unlike the racing majority, who seemed eager to lean closer and closer towards true realism however, MC3 was perfectly happy to set out its stall as a pure arcade racer.

Midnight Club 3:DUB Edition Remix arrives as a stand alone product at a budget price - yet doesn’t differ too wildly from its aforementioned older brother. Of course, the content of the original remains, including the lengthy career mode and the meagre online options. But also thrown into the mix are new tracks, cars, and even a brand new city to fling your blinged up motor around.

Pimp My Ride

The actual engine used to make these cars of yours fly around tracks remains the same of course, and graphically things remain at the same high level. The purely night-time races show off a glorious sheen, with luminous colours splashed around on billboards and other incidental portions of the track with gay abandon. The cars themselves are equally as attractive, and all have obviously been lavished with detail. Especially lovely when it’s one of your own created motors – your own colours and modifications at least – that’s looking stunningly gorgeous.

This graphical might seems to have pushed the PS2 perhaps a half stop too far however, ad instances of dodgy frame-rates occur alarmingly frequently. When the colourful scenery and numerous cars on screen at any particular moment reach bursting point, the frame rate noticeably stutters and starts, and can have a slight bearing on your final positions in the race.

Pimping Ain't Easy Man

Thankfully taking controls of the various vehicles you can find yourself behind the wheel of operates in much the same manner. The slight nudge of the brake button is still all that’s required to send your vehicle flying around a corner with no regards to how such a car in real life would react to that kind of input. And MC3 is much the better for it. Like some games benefit from a touch of realism, others are made all the better by a total disregard for true to love physics, and instead inject a little fun into proceedings.

The lengthy career mode, which sees you take on progressively more difficult races in exchange for cash, and the odd prize remains in all its full glory. It’s a lengthy progression from beginning to end, and it’s a time-consuming journey. But one with the fun factor racked right up to number eleven.

Unfortunately this included new city of Tokyo hasn’t been blended in to the already near perfect career mode dynamic. Instead, it stands as a brand new mode all of its own. In does act in the same manner, with you challenging other racers, and entering various tournaments in order to give your bank manager a big fat smile on his face. It’s a nice extra addition of course, but not one to encourage owners of the first title to splash out once again.

In fact, that’s where MD3 ultimately falls down. Though the additions are most welcome, and do add to both the length and overall quality of the title, it’s just not enough to encourage anything but the biggest of fans to go out and try it out. For those who missed out first time around then the low price makes this an essential title however.

Ermmm….Pimp-o-Matic?

There’s nothing particularly damning about Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix to really encourage me to dissuade you from meandering down to your local game selling store, and picking up this budget re-release. Yes the slight frame rate issues do grate, but Midnight Club 3 is so un-ashamedly arcade like - and refuses to even attempt to act like anything more – that it stands out as a true racing gem. The ‘street’ styling may not be too everyone’s tastes, nor will the ‘pimping’ of your ride be something all are going to drool over. But the in game action is fast, frantic, and most of all, fun. Certainly one of the best racers available for its meagre RRP.