GT4: Prologue Edition

[The Doctor]

Harder than outrunning the Bobbies in a three wheeled Hyundai Atoz, GT4: Prologue Edition is here. Can you afford not to get it?

Unless you've stumbled on this website by accident ('PlayStation' isn't a sex toy, for future reference) the odds are good that you'll know Yamauchi Kazunori's Gran Turismo series. You're also likely to know that its soubriquet is 'The Real Driving Simulator' which is another way of saying it's nails to perfect. If that were true in the past it's doubly so now, with the upcoming Gran Turismo 4. Truth is, it's so rooted in the uncompromising physics of jalopy on road that as of today, gamers can snap up what is essentially a brilliant, sexy driving school for the main event, GT4: Prologue Signature Edition. Think of it as BSM with Skylines, Vipers, 240Zs and Grand Canyon rally tracks, but whatever you do, don't think it's a cynical extended demo for gamers that can't hold their wad. If you're going to master GT4, this is damn near essential.

The machine-engineered heart of GT4: Prologue is the 50+ lesson School mode that drills you the most authentic driving experience on PS2 while also acting as a way to unlock the sweetest-looking and gruntiest of the game's rides. Overlook this and you'll not only bypass much of what makes Prologue sing, but even GT veterans will risk coming seriously unstuck when they head for the Arcade mode and Prologue's five tracks. Here you get an outstanding taster of the full game's epic vistas and punishing corners. The Manhattan track is a deceptively demanding urban thrill ride, while the sinuous Citta Di Aria circuit takes in the narrowest of wing-scraping 'strada' through an Italian hilltop town. For good measure you get two professional tracks in the shape of the Tsukuda Circuit and the Fuji Speedway and covering everything in a thick layer of desert dust is the spectacular Grand Canyon track. Talking of which, graphically GT4: Prologue shows even GT3 a clean pair of exhausts. Series fans particularly will understand the full, delicious weight of that statement.

And that's not your lot either. Available in the UK only, the Signature edition of GT4: Prologue comes with a bonus disc packed with galleries, documentaries and a tantalising trailer for the full game. Perfect DVD convalescence for when your thumbs are healing between mammoth sessions of burnt rubber circuit training.

Also out this week: Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2, offering a second service of superlative tennis action; Disgaea - Hour Of Darkness, a cute cartoon style RPG game with incredible depth; Hyper Street Fighter 2, punching out the most comprehensive Street Fighter collection around; and the really rather good Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban.

*Words by Paul Fitzpatrick. For all the latest gaming news, stick with Official PlayStation 2 Magazine and PlayStation.co.uk

It doesn't actually say when it is out, but one pic inside to see nice pretty graphics.. *stares at pretty pic* OOOOoooooooooooooHHHhhh! *drools*Clicky