Midtown Madness review
Posted by
Adam Klein
on June 2, 1999
 I know what you’re thinking, not another review of a game I’ll probably never get. Well, take a look again. Once you play this you’ll be kicking yourself for not buying it earlier, trust me. I know when you think of a game company you don’t think of Microsoft. However, Microsoft has been going strong in the
computer game market for a while not and seem to improve upon the quality and user interest of their games with every release. Midtown Madness is a fun game to play. Microsoft has definitely done some research before making this title. If you enjoy racing games, Midtown Madness will not disappoint you at all.Midtown madness has its strong points and some weak points that may turn you off to this title, but overall the gameplay will make you beg for more.
 Gameplay
Midtown madness is not your usual, follow the same route, get the finish line, driving game. Midtown madness lets you use your own judgement as you go up and down real Chicago streets. It’s like a combination of simulation and high-speed racing rolled into one. The vehicles are similar as the ones will find on regular city streets. Vehicles available include the ’99 Ford Mustang, Ford F-350 truck, City bus, Cadillac Eldorado youring Coupe, Panoz Roadster and others that
will be locked until you get bast a certain amount of races. There are three different single layer modes that you can choose from. The cruise option lets you go through Chicago without the worry of time or damage. It is mainly a practice option to help you get to know the streets of Chicago. With the quick race option, you can select any type of race you want in any time in any weather condition. In checkpoint race, you go through a series of checkpoints before any of your
opponents do. Circuit race allows you to lap around a predefined section of the city. The Blitz Race has you go though a certain amount of checkpoints before the time runs out.
 When you first begin a race, you need to know how to get through stoplights and the traffic that pauses there. The stoplights seem to be timed as they would in the real Chicago. Cars will converge at one stoplight while the others on the left and right will just be making their way from a green light. Of course it is also fun to go full speed into a bunch of
stopped cars. Just push the pedal to the metal, go full speed, and just before you get upon them push in the brake and pull the parking brake, steer either left or right and your going to be in for some fun crashes. If you’re in a race, you’re going to want to get around them. Also, when you’re in a race you have a lot more than vehicles to avoid along the sides of the streets. Light posts, newspaper machines, walking signs, trees, and other things will slow you down or
stop you in your tracks. I am a bit disappointed that the vehicles don’t exhibit damage. It would add much more to the gameplay to be able to see more impact damage, but then again, the main reason to play is to race. When you’re racing you probably won’t even care about the lack of some vehicle impact damage. When you race, if one street looks too complex to traverse, make your own judgment and take a different street. Being able to go up and down any Chicago street
makes the replay value of this game skyrocket.
 The multiplayer in Midtown Madness has some interesting scenarios. Need for Speed III was a great LAN game, but Midtown Madness eclipses that. In Midtown Madness you play in three different kinds of "Gold Rush Matches": Free-for-all, Cops vs. Robbers, and Robbers vs. Robbers. In these scenarios, A gold bar is guarded in a city. Your task is to take
this gold bar to a bank or hideout. If you are hit, the gold bar falls and can be taken by your opponents. Hit them to get the bar back and floor it.
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