While I was never as huge on racing games as some, there was one era where I was really into playing them. A person who chooses SEGA consoles cannot live a normal life, or so I’m told, and I had chosen a SEGA Saturn over a PlayStation or waiting for the Nintendo 64. I don’t regret that, and I ended up with all three in the long run anyway. For a while, though, I only had that Saturn. Like it or lump it, I had to get the most out of whatever SEGA decided to release on the machine. That meant a lot of SEGA arcade games, and in turn resulted in my owning and playing a ton of the company’s racing games. At first, I forced it, but I soon learned to love those games.
Clearly, I was not alone in that. While that kind of game became scarce in the wake of Gran Turismo’s genre-shifting success, recent years have seen more and more attempts to bring back that old feeling. They don’t always nail it, but I appreciate every attempt. This latest one comes to us by way of publisher 3goo and indie developer Vision Reelle, with a little support from a pair of former SEGA staffers who contributed to the very games that inspired it. The game is 4PGP, and while that sounds like the name of a Star Wars droid, it’s actually a four-player Grand Prix racer. Split-screen, but you can also GameShare it if your friends aren’t local. Or just play alone! I do that a lot.
There are a handful of modes on offer here. The Championship mode has you take on a series of races to try to accumulate enough points to stand on the podium. You can choose from four different levels of difficulty, and you’ll unlock new cars by conquering the Championships under each of them. There’s also a Quick Race mode where you choose the track you want to race on and go for it, plus a Time Attack mode that sees you trying to finish the fastest lap you can on your track of choice. Finally, there are two GameShare modes. One is for local players, and one is for GameShare via GameChat. All of these modes, save for the Time Attack, can be played by one to four players. Time Attack is for one player only.
While the game doesn’t carry any official licenses, the roster of nineteen cars and fourteen tracks are all recognizably based on real-world counterparts. Well, recognizable if you’re familiar with the 1990s era of F1 racing. I suspect the tracks have been modified not just to avoid any potential legal issues, but also to make them more suitable for arcade racing. Still plenty of challenge to them, and that desire to keep shaving off seconds and improve your times by learning the tracks is very real in 4PGP. Really, this hefty selection of tracks and cars might be one of the biggest ways the game diverges from classic arcade games. Not a bad difference by any means.
Of course, a game like this lives or dies by its gameplay. The basic racing mechanics feel great here, with an emphasis on keeping up your speed for as much of the race as possible. You can brake, but you’re better off just letting off the gas most of the time. There are no drifting mechanics in the game, which is very much how those earlier polygonal SEGA racers were. You do, however, have a turbo boost. Simply hold down the shoulder button, and you’ll get a nice little boost. It’s tied to a meter, and it drains pretty quickly if you lean on it too much. You can refill it by pulling into the pit lane, either driving through to slowly top off your meter or hitting a button at the right time for an instant fill-up. The pit will also fix any wear on your tires, though I didn’t find much need for that on most of the tracks.
There isn’t much more to it than that, but that’s really all 4PGP needs. You can make use of driving assists if you want, and there are gyro controls for those who want to play with them. It’s a racing game just about anyone can pick up and start having fun with, but it takes some learning if you want to clear out the more challenging Championships and unlock everything. Multiplayer and going for better times keeps the fun going after that, too. 4PGP runs like a dream on the Nintendo Switch 2, too, with 120 frames per second and a crisp resolution. Certainly, another way it diverges from those SEGA Saturn games I loved so much, come to think of it.
If you enjoy a good arcade racer, 4PGP is a great choice. It’s even better if you have a particular affection for the 1990s era of the genre, as it isn’t shy about its love for those games. With a healthy number of cars to use and tracks to perfect, it’s a game that has a lot to offer whether you’re going it alone or taking advantage of its multiplayer features. It also runs extremely well on the Nintendo Switch 2, adding to the sense of speed and control. On a platform that already has a handful of excellent choices for racers, 4PGP adds yet another terrific option.
Version Tested: Nintendo Switch 2
Review Copy Provided by 3goo
