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For a couple of reasons (mostly limited disposable income and a raft of other interests besides gaming), I'm usually way behind when it comes to the latest video games. I only just bought a PlayStation 2 a couple years ago, and ever since then I've been trying to catch up on games I missed. Somehow, this awesome rally racer escaped my awareness until recently. Having already built up a decent library of original PlayStation games, the backward compatibility of the PS2 was important to me. I had actually sold my original PSX in anticipation of buying the much smaller "ps one", but that never happened, so until I bought a PS2 I had no way to play those games. Rally Cross had always been a favorite, and even though simulation games (racing, snowboarding, etc.) would be easy targets to replace with better games for the PS2, I kept hanging on to Rally Cross because nothing really touched it in terms of pure enjoyment. Enter SHOX -- I picked up a used copy with no box or manual at GameStop, and unlike most of my "blind buys" this was a complete home run! I found a complete boxed copy here on eBay, and quickly snapped it up. Finally an arcade-style rally racer to rival my beloved Rally Cross! Unfortunately I'm not at home, or I'd fire it up and try to describe the gameplay a bit, but there's probably lots of information about that online. Put simply, this game is very easy for the novice to just pick up and start racing, although it definitely seems to have some more challenging elements so I think it has plenty of replay value. There are some unique features that I've not seen in any other game, like the SHOX Zones where you are awarded based on your performance in very short segments of the course, and an optional "drama cam" (on by default, but you can switch it off) that gives you slow-motion views of key moments in the game (jumps, crashes, etc.) Stuff like that would normally be only seen in replays, but in this game it's like a movie special effect that plays during the actual game, and it's surprisingly easy to deal with, even though you lose immediate visual feedback for a while. Without hesitation, I would recommend this game to anyone who loves rally racing, or just arcade racers in general. The game is very much like Ridge Racer, complete with encouragement from the announcer. This game has finally made me let go of Rally Cross, since the gameplay is very similar, and it lacks some of the earlier game's minor flaws. There are dirt tracks, jungle tracks, and ice tracks, with great "drift" style racing mechanics. What SHOX doesn't offer that I'll miss from Rally Cross is the Stadium mode, but after racing with the super-smooth handling of SHOX, I won't want to go back to the somewhat difficult steering of Rally Cross, not to mention having to press buttons to right an overturned vehicle instead of just having it done automatically. A few final notes... SHOX features licensed cars (another improvement over Rally Cross) that visibly show damage during the race. You can also unlock "night" versions of the tracks, although I've yet to accomplish this so I can't say how well that effect is achieved. Unlike many racing games, this one is perfectly playable with just a DualShock 2 controller. I really need to invest in a PS2 steering wheel, and I'm sure my opinion of some racing games will improve once I do, but as it is, SHOX is fantastic! Bottom line... I have simply never played a better racing game than SHOX!Read full review
A definite MUST OWN game for the PS2!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
My son love this game...This is the fourth time I brought this game because he played it so much..he has other games but this is his game. I would purchase this game over and over again until he gets tired of it..
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