Midnight Club: A Beloved Classic
For years I’ve longed for a return of Midnight Club. A Racing Game that hit all the right notes for casual gamers like myself, Midnight Club has a Nostalgia that still shines among modern racing games. A series that’s sadly missed, I’m happy to report that the latest entry in the Midnight Club series, Midnight Club DUB Edition, is just as beloved as the originals.I remember experiencing Midnight Club for the first time. It was a childhood friend who introduced me to the game, bringing his PlayStation over to my house and showing me what it was all about. Hours were spent cruising the streets of London and New York, taking part in the series’ signature style of racing that’s since inspired countless other games, including the Forza Horizon series.
Midnight Club DUB Edition is a mint condition game for me and for many other gamers, but why is it so beloved? Why do I look back on those memories with such fondness? For me, it’s because the racing game is fun and accessible with an incredible sense of nostalgia. It’s a casual racing game that’s easy to pick up, but also easy to put down.
When I look at racing games of today, I can’t help but wonder “why can’t they be casual anymore?”. I’ve grown accustomed to the time commitment of modern racing games and I’m starting to miss the days when I could just play a racing game for an hour or so and then put it down again. Games like American Trucking Simulator and European Trucking Simulator scratch that itch for me, but don’t quite have the nostalgia factor that Midnight Club has.
In thinking about my love for Midnight Club, I’m also reminded of games like Need for Speed Underground 2. It was a game that I played with a close friend of mine during our middle school years, and one that absolutely hits all the right notes for casual gamers. The incredible experience of playing Underground 2 is something that I can’t quite describe, but I’ll always have a place in my heart for it.
So, what’s the answer? Why can’t racing games be casual anymore? I know that the industry is moving towards a more realistic, simulation-style experience, but I’d love to see more games that are like Midnight Club and Underground 2. Games that offer a similar experience to older arcade racers, but with more modern mechanics and an improved sense of fun.
In any case, I’m glad I can still look back on Midnight Club and games like Underground 2 and remember the joy of casual gaming. I’m also glad that games like American and European Trucking Simulator exist to scratch that casual racing itch.
On the topic of my posting habits, I’m sure plenty of you are wondering why I only post something new on The PC Gaming Show YouTube channel once or twice a month. It’s a question that I get asked pretty regularly and I figured that now would be as good a time as any to address it.
As you may or may not know, The PC Gaming Show is a passion project of mine. It’s something that I do purely for the fun of it, and I don’t always have time to play games, record videos, and then put them together. I’m not complaining; I’m just being honest.
That said, I’ll try and post one game review and gameplay video per week. This gives me plenty of time to review the games that I want to cover, while also keeping up with my posting schedule.
