Auto Modellista is a racing game that was developed and published by Capcom. Initially, it was only released on the Sony PlayStation 2 gaming console but, later on, it also received a Nintendo GameCube launch and, afterwards, even a Microsoft Xbox version.

The main difference between this game and countless other auto simulations is that this one abandons the quest for realism in cars and takes instead a novel approach. All the graphics in the game are cell shaded, which makes the entire atmosphere more cartoon-like than real. This served to give the release a unique style.

Auto Modellista aims to be technical, offering a wide array of parts that can be added and modified, as well as a lot of car parameters that can be tweaked by the player. All aspects of the car are affected when one setting is changed, therefore the game is challenging in the way it portrays tuning, while the player needs to pay close attention to each modification he attempts. It's important for the player to create a customized car that is lightweight, powerful and that has good cornering and braking abilities. In addition to this, tire selection is paramount to success in the races, mainly because of the need to adapt them to the road conditions.

Nevertheless, some of the customization options are entirely cosmetic. Many color combinations are available, as well as a variety of different hoods and spoilers. The cars can also get badges and stickers on top of the paint. There's even an option to create personalized license plates for each vehicle.

GAMEPLAY HINTS

Donuts

If you want to do donuts, simply press accelerate and then hold Circle while you're also holding X.

Remix mode: Easy switch

As you are making remixes in normal mode, if you want to switch the camera modes and the sources easily, simply press L3 and R3. The L3 will switch the camera, while the R3 the sources.

Turbo muffler explosion

Go on any course with a car you can put a turbo in. Drive very fast. Suddenly release the gas or hit the brakes. You will hear the turbo letting air out. Then, an explosion will come out of the muffler. This is a nice effect for editing replays.

Here's some game footage: