2021/8/25: Playstation 4: Tony Stewart's Sprint Car Racing

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VideoGameCritic
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2021/8/25: Playstation 4: Tony Stewart's Sprint Car Racing

Postby VideoGameCritic » August 25th, 2021, 7:53 pm

This game was such a treat. It's a niche kind of game on physical media (!) with a great two-player split-screen to boot. You'd think this was released 10 years ago. They don't make em like this anymore.

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Matchstick
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Re: 2021/8/25: Playstation 4: Tony Stewart's Sprint Car Racing

Postby Matchstick » August 26th, 2021, 1:40 am

Reading the review kind of gives me Destruction Derby vibes, or even that weird TNN Motorsports game (Hardcore Heat?) on the Dreamcast. Just the experience of going down to the local speedway and watching a bunch of no-name racers zip some beater cars along the track. "Niche" describes it perfectly.

Growing up in KY, the local Kentucky Speedway always had Funny Car racing or Demolition Derby action on the weekends, with tickets being $5 for adults and free admission for kids. My family only went down there a few times, but it was always packed. Cheap redneck fun for everyone!

I like the mentions of the low-tech PA announcer, too. Little audio details like that go a long way for me. I haven't played a NCAA Football game in about 20 years, but I remember having one where, if you played an untelevised game against a no-name school, there would be no announcers calling the game, just the PA system making announcements after each play - a great touch that really adds to the feeling of "being there."

I can't help but notice the multiple mentions of the game being on physical media, both in the review and in the first post on this thread. At the risk of sounding totally ignorant, is that really a rare thing, nowadays? I feel like I always see plenty of PS4 games on the shelves when I go to stores. I don't have a PS4, but I never got the impression that there were less physical games available for it than there are for the other systems on the market. But maybe I'm out of the loop :?

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Re: 2021/8/25: Playstation 4: Tony Stewart's Sprint Car Racing

Postby GeoX » September 4th, 2021, 4:54 am

How’s this for a racing name…
Dirt Diggler !!!

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Re: 2021/8/25: Playstation 4: Tony Stewart's Sprint Car Racing

Postby VideoGameCritic » September 4th, 2021, 8:37 am

Matchstick wrote:I can't help but notice the multiple mentions of the game being on physical media, both in the review and in the first post on this thread. At the risk of sounding totally ignorant, is that really a rare thing, nowadays? I feel like I always see plenty of PS4 games on the shelves when I go to stores. I don't have a PS4, but I never got the impression that there were less physical games available for it than there are for the other systems on the market. But maybe I'm out of the loop :?


It seems like physical media is largely reserved for big AAA titles, with minor games getting download-only status. So I was surprised (and pleased) to see this available on a disc. This might not have been the case if it couldn't share the disc with Tony Stewart's All American Racing.

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Re: 2021/8/25: Playstation 4: Tony Stewart's Sprint Car Racing

Postby Matchstick » September 4th, 2021, 3:46 pm

VideoGameCritic wrote:It seems like physical media is largely reserved for big AAA titles, with minor games getting download-only status. So I was surprised (and pleased) to see this available on a disc.

Ahhhhh, now I follow. Thanks for clarifying, Critic. 8-)

In that sense, you're totally right. I can think of a few other "pleasant surprises" like this retail release, and it looks like you've reviewed both of these titles, already! Axiom Verge immediately comes to mind, and I believe it had a physical release on all three current consoles. Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap was the same way.

I played both games on Switch, myself, both on physical cartridges. While it didn't cross my mind at the time that either game's retail release was rare (I happened to buy both games at my local Fred Meyer) both games certainly had that independent, small-scale feel to them.

Looking back, yes, it does come as a surprise that either game managed to get a physical release. I know it's only been four years since I bought those games, but between then and now, I'm not sure the same games would get a physical release nowadays, especially at the types of retail outlets I visit.

These types of games do, indeed, seem to be a sort of endangered species, nowadays, at least when it comes to retail releases at major store chains.


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