Destineer is a game publisher that has focused a lot on Nintendo platforms, from the Gameboy Advance to the DS and now the Wii. They have several upcoming games to be released this November, right before the Christmas rush. I was able to speak with Jeremy Zoss, who is the Communications Manager at Destineer, who demonstrated all of their company’s game lineup.
Their biggest game was “Indianapolis 500 Legends” for the Nintendo Wii. This game covers the Indy history from 1961 to 1971, so racing buffs can recreate famous moments in history. There are 33 official Indy cars in the race, organized by era. Each race’s difficulty increases with each year, as more advanced cars are mixed in, and the AI becomes more aggressive.
Although this isn’t a realistic driving simulation, players can drive every lap (all 500 miles of it), which should take about three hours. There are also Mission Modes, where players can run through the best parts of each year.
Indianapolis 500 Legends is officially licensed and features real drivers and cars (with authentic audio samples) from each era. You can unlock real Indy broadcasts, videos, and other news media that appear in the Museum option of the game.
Although this is a racing game, Destineer feels that this game should be relatable to everybody. The controls are similar to Excite Truck, where you hold the Wiimote between two hands and tilt each end as if it were a steering wheel. The physics aren’t extremely hard-core, but aren’t as wildly cartoonish as Excite Truck.
There is also a draft mechanic, where you can gain an extra speed boost by riding the air current behind an opponent’s car and then slingshot forward. In this mode you position your vehicle behind a racer until you see a blue airjet behind them. The current turns red to indicate when you’ve “locked in” to the current, and then you can break away and get a speed boost, often passing up your former host.
There are even mini-games that influence the race. There are several mini-games when you take a pitstop, one of which you have to replace all four tires as quickly as you can. You can’t avoid taking a pitstop, either, or you will run out of gas or your tires will pop.
Destineer has added some variety to the missions by adding in new modes. There are Battle Missions, in which you try to crash your opponents, and Dodge Missions. Dodge Missions consist of famous Indy crashes and pileups, which you must avoid.
The build that was shown has decent graphics with somewhat realistic fire and smoke, but Jeremy assured me that they have a newer build with more smoke and particle effects.
Of course, there are several camera angles the player can choose from
Indianapolis 500 Legends is scheduled for release in November.