GTI Club+

Wacky races

GTI Club+ is a stylish slice of retro goodness available on PlayStation Store.

When Konami's GTI Club hit arcades in 1996, it received praise for its graphics, the open nature of its beautiful Côte d'Azur setting and its frantic arcade gameplay that had players screeching around corners and weaving through traffic in their European mini-cars. Think of the Italian Job, and you'll get a good idea of the overall look and mood.

Now, GTI Club+ is parked in PlayStation Store, with updated High Definition graphics, extra vehicles and online play for up to eight players, and cruising around the French Riviera is better than ever.

Drive down memory lane

GTI Club+ is doubly retro in that it's a remake of a game that was already rooted in the past in terms of style and setting. The cars available - an Austin Mini Cooper, a Renault 5, a FIAT A112 Abarth, a Volkswagen Golf GTI and a Lancia Delta - are all brilliantly suited to the seaside paradise they tear around and the game's emphasis on fun. They can also be customised with a variety of colours and decorative stickers and, by winning races, you can unlock police cars, taxis and more.

Adding to the sense of fun and spontaneity, the Côte d'Azur is a functioning network of twisting roads and side streets, complete with traffic and a working railway. The player is given the freedom to plot their own route, which adds significantly to the replay value and turns multiplayer races into strategic exercises.

To ensure this level of freedom isn't too daunting for new players, when racing in Easy mode the course is relatively linear, with only a few shortcuts and alleyways to nip through. As you progress to medium and hard, however, the resort opens up, offering multiple paths through coastal roads, multi-storey car parks and even railway tunnels. And to make things challenging, there's traffic to evade on the harder settings.

A world of competition

Online, up to eight players can fight it out for a podium place in any of the three difficulty levels, with their respective layouts and traffic volumes, and Bomb Tag, which is like a game of dodgems where players crash into their rivals to give them the bomb, and whoever has it when the time runs out loses. PlayStation Eye is supported in online multiplayer, meaning players can see each other when they overtake or pip each other to the chequered flag.

GTI Club+ is good old-fashioned fun. Its arcade handling makes for accessible, addictive gameplay while the vehicles and setting possess a European 60s style that is so alluring, yet rarely seen in racing games. The freedom afforded to the player adds a surprising amount of depth; especially in online multiplayer, where you can expect stern competition to find the best course around the Riviera.

It has been brought into the 21st century, retaining all of the charm that wooed arcade goers during the 90s. It's only available from PlayStation Store.