Recently mike204 announced his return to MTM2 via a new release entitled, “204Sine”. For me it’s great to see some of the long-time veterans of yesteryear make their return to the game. LOL sometimes I feel like a adolescent groupie because I strike up conversations with them like we’re old chums, which has to leave them wondering, “Who the heck is this SLO_COPE character???” In a sense I feel I know them…I mean, sorta. I’ll dig up all their tracks & run them in to the ground, read the readme.txt files (if included), as well as talk to people who may have known them or raced with them, so yeah, it kinda makes me feel as though I know them. Matter of fact, I should probably be getting royalty checks for as many times as I’ve run and/or promoted tracks for these guys! I’m going to have to look into that…from a legal standpoint I mean.
Getting back on track (intentional pun), if you read the review on “204Sine” you’ll recall I mentioned the “204” denotation mike puts on some of his tracks. If you didn’t read it, run over there real quick, read it, and then come back because when I’m done here there’s going to be a test lol. Ok I’m kidding, however, to recap the meaning of that tag (204), he uses it to indicate which tracks he designed for close, tight-knit, racing. “204TinyTrack” certainly embodies the spirit of mike’s quest to produce tracks that require racers to put everything on the line and just go for it. The thing about tracks like this, and by that I mean tracks around a minute in length or less (“Soda 1-5”, “Crosswinds”, “Barnyard 109”, “Playing Chicken I-II”, “Rattler”, etc.) is they require one to use tactics first and foremost. They’re not hard by any means, however they do demand a different approach in terms of strategy. What you’re looking for is the slightest error, a subtle mistake (usually at a turn) by your opponent that will enable you to go on the offensive and seize the lead. Hopefully you’ll be able to hold onto it by closing off any and all opportunities for a counter move. Hehe it really gets intense, and it makes for some of the most exciting racing there is.
It’s interesting that although the checkpoints are set to no collide and trip just outside the range of the physical markers (which he does intentionally), with the possible exception of checkpoint 1, those characteristics give you absolutely no advantage whatsoever. You see, pro racers are extremely devious minded, and checkpoints with “features” such as these, the inclination is to shave ‘em as close to the inside as possible, which serves two purposes: (1) it trips the checkpoint, and (2) prevents some opportunistic weasel (like SLOs Jumper & Raz, for example) from exploiting the situation and bypassing you with a nifty little inside move. On this track, however, if you opt to take an
extreme inside position when passing thru checkpoints 2 and 3, it will yield nothing but trouble due to the landscaping and how it sits up as shown by the picture. Once your opponent sees you momentarily pop up in the air and drift wide, it’s a done deal; he/she will simply execute the simple pass. Let me tell ya, if you’re on the final leg of a five-lap slugfest with a persistent opponent riding in the bed of your truck (just about), a mistake like that is heartbreaking lol. Take it from someone who knows.
Clocking in at about 24 secs in length (26/27 if you’re in a fight for your life lol), “204TinyTrack” uses textures from the stock track “Voodoo Island”, and also what appears to be a sampling of
custom (?) textures . Since there’s not much to this track in the form of content model-wise save a modest assortment of trees, there’s nothing to complain about (kind of a shame lol). I will say that if I’m on the mark here, once again mike intentionally shoved a few of his
trees deep into the ground to create a “bush/shrub” effect. My question is, why not just get a few bushes and shrubs and use those? At any rate, it’s just a thought.
“204TinyTrack” kicked in at a solid
7.5 out of
10 possible points on the old trusty Copey Rating scale. If you fancy a short (very), no frills, high intensity, tactical race, then you’ll want to check this one out. On the other hand, if you prefer eye-grabbing scenery, complex layouts, big air, and places to explore, this one will probably disappoint you. Me, I like a wide variety of tracks, and in Copey’s book, when you can compete on them all, then and only then will you be deemed a “Pro Racer”…and I wear a cape, so that helps lol.
Good stuff, mike – definitely looking forward to your next project, partner, and if you ever need to fill an empty spot with a picture, let me know; I think I can help you out lol.
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Edited by SLO_COPE (07-03-2003)</font>
