Ah the memories of so many lost hours playing the TOCA 2 championship. It was so immersive - required such concentration when racing in the storm at Knockhill or the fog at Thruxton. As well as being the first game I'd played that had weather, it was also the first that had a cockpit view rather than the 3rd person floating in the air behind the car view or, at best, bumper view. Add to that the sound effects of gravel, kerbs, etc coming from beneath the car, to my young mind, it actually felt like being in a car. Definitely my favourite game of yesteryear. A genuine classic and brilliant representation of the BTCC series, given it was on PS1. Why don't they make em like this anymore? It so deserves to be modernised and republished with modern gfx, physics, handling, etc. Great to see it being aired again. Thanks for posting to keep the legacy going.
Hey Sam, thank you very much for watching and for the kind words mate! It was an absolute pleasure making this video and I'm happy to keep the legacy going, although it makes me sad that I never experienced TOCA 2 the first time round when it was released over 20 years ago. I have a feeling that I would be as enamoured as you are, to be treated to such a fantastic piece of software back in the day that just completely rewrote the rules and set the new standard for what a racing sim should be.
I adored this game as a kid, I just wish I could find my PC copy. Its a bit dated, but I still think it looks fine. About the music, the menu music is called "Retro" by EZ Rollers. Its a great listen in its entirety.
There is a version available to download from _somewhere_ on the internet which I would prefer not to post in the comments section here for obvious reasons 😉 but a quick google search should sort you out.
Thanks for covering this DDF Racer. It brought back so many memories as this game WAS my teenage gaming experience (along with F1 '97 and Colin Mcrae Rally on PS1). I remember the two player split screen - I think you could be on the same team and play through a season together, something I used to do with my younger brother back in the day. It was a great game for the time. This and the other titles I mentioned sparked a love for sim racing that has never gone away. I'm almost 40 years old now and still playing raceroom, ac and automobilista!
No worries Kevin, glad you enjoyed the video and happy to have shared a trip down memory lane with you 😉 can't say I ever played Colin McRae rally either but, oh boy, big time F1 97 love here. Hearing Murray scream at you whilst running off track, bouncing two wheels up in the air off a Minardi at the bonus Adelaide track. They were good days. About the split screen player options for TOCA 2 though, I have my best friend from the UK (I live in Australia) coming over in a few months so I might have to make a video about that, should be a heap of fun. Also I do a lot of RaceRoom videos and streams too so if you haven't already checked them out it might be worth a look 👍
Big interest in this video for me: I loved 'TOCA' and particularly 'TOCA 2'. I remember buying three or four Playstation magazines, and reading up on the games' progress week after week, and then - joy of joys - the full review in the 'Official Playstation Magazine'. Those games taught me all those classic sandwiches-on-the-embankment British tracks (with 'F1 '97' adding a more international aspect to my repertoire). Brilliant! Thanks to you and Ed for the video, Dan; it brought it all back. I just wish a developer would go all out for a modern touring car simulation (like GT3 has ACC). I'd break my no pre-order rule for that!
Ah I remember the days of reading reviews in magazines, with the tiniest of screenshots printed in the corner of a glossy page, below a couple of paragraphs. It's amazing how little could generate so much hype back then, whereas now there can be entire websites and forums dedicated to upcoming releases and still be relatively obscure. I'm so happy that Ed and myself could bring back such happy memories for you mate, it seems like many people were big fans of TOCA 2. Even now, 23 years on, it's easy to see why it was so loved. As far as modern touring cars go, I'd say that RaceRoom comes pretty damn close with the official licenses for the past few WTCR seasons, even featuring some of the more obscure circuits they race at too. I think the only venues they don't have from the most recent season are the street races of Morocco and Portugal.
You're welcome Captain 😉 although you should really be thanking Ed for me doing this video. If it wasn't for him reminding me for over a year I doubt I would have gotten round to it 😂
I played both the first one and this one to death on my PC back then. I absolutely dominated the game in the Honda, repeatedly, created my own little dynasty as a 13/14-year-old, lol. It was so much freaking fun.
Sounds awesome! I never played TOCA 2 back in the day for some reason, it was just never on my radar, probably too busy with F197/98 on the PS1 😉 but being able to experience it this time round was pretty special. Even by today's standards it still holds up which is mighty impressive when you consider the advances we've had in sim racing since then.
I should give it a try on the game pad perhaps 🤔 it was probably the more accepted controller at the time and designed to be used on it, as I'm sure not many people had wheels at home back in 1998! Apart from Ed of course, with his fancy Microsoft Sidewinder 😂
Oh wow, I imagine this was tricky on a keyboard, it was tricky enough on a wheel! I wasn't lucky enough to experience it first time round sadly but I can definitely see a livestream or two coming up soon with TOCA2 😉
Wow this was a blast from the past. Both the Btcc and the Sim. As a GPL accolyte, which of course also hails from 1998, it's fascinating to compare the functions going on. The chassis setup is more complicated in GPL, but things like rain and pitstops weren't in standard Gpl. Although they didn't really pit back in the 60's. Toca A.I looked good, but GPL A.I is good too, with those same driver profile files. Toca seemed more aimed at entertainment compared to the more serious and pared down GPL. The guys behind GPL then went on to use the same engine for the famous Nascar 2 game.
I know you've always mentioned GPL so that might be something else I could take a look at, since I've never tried that either! I remember on the forums back then though that the general consensus was that GPL was hands down the most difficult game out there, and therefore the most realistic. I don't think simracers generally use that logic too much any more but for it to have a solid following to this day must mean it's pretty damn special.
@@DDFRacer well I certainly think so. It's certainly the repository of a massive pile of proper classic race tracks, otherwise probably lost. Leagues are still active, just had a race today 😎. There's a lot of online help for how to get it working on modern PC's, luckily for me I've still got my trusty old windows xp computer running. That reminds me I should do another backup...
I remember back in the day the Audi's with-wheel drive used to dominate BTC amazing time in racing wish they would make an updated version of this game
It really was a golden era, not just for touring cars, but racing in general. I'm sure there's some mods out there either for rFactor 2 or Assetto Corsa, if not exactly 1998 then pretty close, but I guess TOCA 2 will have to scratch that itch for now 😉
Ahhhh toca 2 I love this game I spent soooo many days and nights playing this I want a up to date graphics and cars with all this period cars on it To and most importantly the two player Championship me and mate would loose days playing this as both championships come On codemasters re make this
To be honest, I wouldn't trust modern Codemasters to remake this 😅 not based on the recent form of their F1 series and also the DiRT Rally franchise either. I mean, they're not bad and very respectable in their own rights, but TOCA 2 was just something _special_ which would be hard to recreate authentically. I see that rF2 is coming pretty close these days with the modern BTCC series, however in terms of this classic period then you're limited to mods for AC mostly.
This was my fav game of all time I loved it. Played it so much I loved the championship at the for too. I have got the season reviews of Duke they are with watching. How did you get this game?
Yeah I was really surprised how good the game was, I think I would have spent so much time on it too if I'd have discovered it when I was younger. Plenty of videos here on TH-cam also of the BTCC from 1998, full races I think, so that should keep me entertained for a while! PS. You can get the game here 😉 www.myabandonware.com/game/toca-2-touring-car-challenge-a4u
Legit i still have cd and box of this bro :D and mansel was bought it for crowd's and even though he could'nt keep it on the road wreaked a few times.Plus english rain and donnie didn't help
Aah nice! Back when games came in a cardboard box with a 50 page colour printed manual, registration cards and all other kinds of freebies thrown in. Oh that game box smell, aaaaaah 🤤
I remember hearing about Race07 but I never tried it. Sometimes I would design circuits for the original rFactor and there was an option to export to Race07, that's probably the closest I got 😂
You know it's good when they even modelled the hand movements during contact 🤣 well, not the _exact_ same ones but I'm sure someone would have modded it in if it was released today.
Less reliance on pixels, more reliance on ingenuity 😅 it's amazing how far we've come and how Codemasters had to make do with the limitations of the technology of the time. Makes you wonder how we'll look back on Assetto Corsa Competizione in another 20 years... 🤔
TOCA 2 - that brings memories... In Germany at least it had the DTM cars, and it was a joy to drive. Haven't been able to get it running on my W10 system.
Ah I didn't realise it had different cars for different countries, but that's such a good idea! DTM for Germany, BTCC for UK and so on. I had a few issues getting the game to work initially but found I had to run it through another piece of software called DXWnd 👍
I know right! It may not look as fancy as more modern titles or handle anywhere near as well, but all of the bones are there. I'm honestly really looking forward to getting stuck into the championship mode properly.
On the other side, it's strange for me to see the name Opel since I grew up with the name Vauxhall and had one as my first car actually 🤔 funny how that works out, eh?
I will never forgive you for choosing the Peugeot over the Nissan.
I hope you never do.
@@DDFRacer is it an old PS1 wheel you are using or your regular Equipment?
@@gamesarelegends3473 Just my standard Logitech G29 👍
Ah the memories of so many lost hours playing the TOCA 2 championship. It was so immersive - required such concentration when racing in the storm at Knockhill or the fog at Thruxton. As well as being the first game I'd played that had weather, it was also the first that had a cockpit view rather than the 3rd person floating in the air behind the car view or, at best, bumper view. Add to that the sound effects of gravel, kerbs, etc coming from beneath the car, to my young mind, it actually felt like being in a car. Definitely my favourite game of yesteryear. A genuine classic and brilliant representation of the BTCC series, given it was on PS1. Why don't they make em like this anymore? It so deserves to be modernised and republished with modern gfx, physics, handling, etc.
Great to see it being aired again. Thanks for posting to keep the legacy going.
Hey Sam, thank you very much for watching and for the kind words mate! It was an absolute pleasure making this video and I'm happy to keep the legacy going, although it makes me sad that I never experienced TOCA 2 the first time round when it was released over 20 years ago. I have a feeling that I would be as enamoured as you are, to be treated to such a fantastic piece of software back in the day that just completely rewrote the rules and set the new standard for what a racing sim should be.
The noise running over the kerbs sounds just like a gatling gun haha
I think they used the same sound file that Westwood Studios used for the A10 in the original Command and Conquer 😎
@@DDFRacer Brrrrrrrp XD
I adored this game as a kid, I just wish I could find my PC copy. Its a bit dated, but I still think it looks fine. About the music, the menu music is called "Retro" by EZ Rollers. Its a great listen in its entirety.
There is a version available to download from _somewhere_ on the internet which I would prefer not to post in the comments section here for obvious reasons 😉 but a quick google search should sort you out.
Thanks for covering this DDF Racer. It brought back so many memories as this game WAS my teenage gaming experience (along with F1 '97 and Colin Mcrae Rally on PS1).
I remember the two player split screen - I think you could be on the same team and play through a season together, something I used to do with my younger brother back in the day. It was a great game for the time. This and the other titles I mentioned sparked a love for sim racing that has never gone away. I'm almost 40 years old now and still playing raceroom, ac and automobilista!
No worries Kevin, glad you enjoyed the video and happy to have shared a trip down memory lane with you 😉 can't say I ever played Colin McRae rally either but, oh boy, big time F1 97 love here. Hearing Murray scream at you whilst running off track, bouncing two wheels up in the air off a Minardi at the bonus Adelaide track. They were good days.
About the split screen player options for TOCA 2 though, I have my best friend from the UK (I live in Australia) coming over in a few months so I might have to make a video about that, should be a heap of fun. Also I do a lot of RaceRoom videos and streams too so if you haven't already checked them out it might be worth a look 👍
Big interest in this video for me: I loved 'TOCA' and particularly 'TOCA 2'. I remember buying three or four Playstation magazines, and reading up on the games' progress week after week, and then - joy of joys - the full review in the 'Official Playstation Magazine'. Those games taught me all those classic sandwiches-on-the-embankment British tracks (with 'F1 '97' adding a more international aspect to my repertoire). Brilliant!
Thanks to you and Ed for the video, Dan; it brought it all back. I just wish a developer would go all out for a modern touring car simulation (like GT3 has ACC). I'd break my no pre-order rule for that!
Ah I remember the days of reading reviews in magazines, with the tiniest of screenshots printed in the corner of a glossy page, below a couple of paragraphs. It's amazing how little could generate so much hype back then, whereas now there can be entire websites and forums dedicated to upcoming releases and still be relatively obscure.
I'm so happy that Ed and myself could bring back such happy memories for you mate, it seems like many people were big fans of TOCA 2. Even now, 23 years on, it's easy to see why it was so loved. As far as modern touring cars go, I'd say that RaceRoom comes pretty damn close with the official licenses for the past few WTCR seasons, even featuring some of the more obscure circuits they race at too. I think the only venues they don't have from the most recent season are the street races of Morocco and Portugal.
ohhh...the memories =) thank you for this!
You're welcome Captain 😉 although you should really be thanking Ed for me doing this video. If it wasn't for him reminding me for over a year I doubt I would have gotten round to it 😂
I played both the first one and this one to death on my PC back then. I absolutely dominated the game in the Honda, repeatedly, created my own little dynasty as a 13/14-year-old, lol. It was so much freaking fun.
Sounds awesome! I never played TOCA 2 back in the day for some reason, it was just never on my radar, probably too busy with F197/98 on the PS1 😉 but being able to experience it this time round was pretty special. Even by today's standards it still holds up which is mighty impressive when you consider the advances we've had in sim racing since then.
Steve Rider STILL presents it now on ITV4 :P
I believe the word we're looking for here is 'Stalwart' 😉
Awesome! 👌
Spent a lot of time with this back in the days when I was still using a game pad.
I should give it a try on the game pad perhaps 🤔 it was probably the more accepted controller at the time and designed to be used on it, as I'm sure not many people had wheels at home back in 1998! Apart from Ed of course, with his fancy Microsoft Sidewinder 😂
@@DDFRacer 😅
I used the arrowkeys with this 😅 22 years ago...wow
I so remember this game, it was a nightmare to play as I had to use keyboard but as you said it was the game to play at the time
Oh wow, I imagine this was tricky on a keyboard, it was tricky enough on a wheel! I wasn't lucky enough to experience it first time round sadly but I can definitely see a livestream or two coming up soon with TOCA2 😉
This is the game that got me into online simracing! Spent many many hours playing it :D
Well, with a name like that I can see why 😉 thanks for watching mate!
Wow this was a blast from the past. Both the Btcc and the Sim. As a GPL accolyte, which of course also hails from 1998, it's fascinating to compare the functions going on. The chassis setup is more complicated in GPL, but things like rain and pitstops weren't in standard Gpl. Although they didn't really pit back in the 60's. Toca A.I looked good, but GPL A.I is good too, with those same driver profile files. Toca seemed more aimed at entertainment compared to the more serious and pared down GPL. The guys behind GPL then went on to use the same engine for the famous Nascar 2 game.
I know you've always mentioned GPL so that might be something else I could take a look at, since I've never tried that either! I remember on the forums back then though that the general consensus was that GPL was hands down the most difficult game out there, and therefore the most realistic. I don't think simracers generally use that logic too much any more but for it to have a solid following to this day must mean it's pretty damn special.
@@DDFRacer well I certainly think so. It's certainly the repository of a massive pile of proper classic race tracks, otherwise probably lost. Leagues are still active, just had a race today 😎. There's a lot of online help for how to get it working on modern PC's, luckily for me I've still got my trusty old windows xp computer running. That reminds me I should do another backup...
I remember back in the day the Audi's with-wheel drive used to dominate BTC amazing time in racing wish they would make an updated version of this game
It really was a golden era, not just for touring cars, but racing in general. I'm sure there's some mods out there either for rFactor 2 or Assetto Corsa, if not exactly 1998 then pretty close, but I guess TOCA 2 will have to scratch that itch for now 😉
Quite simply one of the best console racers of *all time*
It's amazing how it still sets such a high standard to this day 😍
Ahhhh toca 2 I love this game I spent soooo many days and nights playing this I want a up to date graphics and cars with all this period cars on it
To and most importantly the two player
Championship me and mate would loose days playing this as both championships come
On codemasters re make this
To be honest, I wouldn't trust modern Codemasters to remake this 😅 not based on the recent form of their F1 series and also the DiRT Rally franchise either. I mean, they're not bad and very respectable in their own rights, but TOCA 2 was just something _special_ which would be hard to recreate authentically. I see that rF2 is coming pretty close these days with the modern BTCC series, however in terms of this classic period then you're limited to mods for AC mostly.
This was my fav game of all time I loved it. Played it so much I loved the championship at the for too. I have got the season reviews of Duke they are with watching.
How did you get this game?
Yeah I was really surprised how good the game was, I think I would have spent so much time on it too if I'd have discovered it when I was younger. Plenty of videos here on TH-cam also of the BTCC from 1998, full races I think, so that should keep me entertained for a while!
PS. You can get the game here 😉
www.myabandonware.com/game/toca-2-touring-car-challenge-a4u
Desearía que hicieran un Remake de TOCA 1 y 2. Mis juegos favoritos de carreras con licencia oficial de la BTCC
Legit i still have cd and box of this bro :D and mansel was bought it for crowd's and even though he could'nt keep it on the road wreaked a few times.Plus english rain and donnie didn't help
Aah nice! Back when games came in a cardboard box with a 50 page colour printed manual, registration cards and all other kinds of freebies thrown in. Oh that game box smell, aaaaaah 🤤
hello nice video! how did you get the g29 to work on toca2?
Good question! It was a few years ago now and I can't actually remember 😅 sorry about that mate.
For these cars Race 07 is the best i ever played!
I remember hearing about Race07 but I never tried it. Sometimes I would design circuits for the original rFactor and there was an option to export to Race07, that's probably the closest I got 😂
@@DDFRacer YOu USED TO MAKE CIRCUITS FOR RFACTOR?! That´s great man!
@@jamesbehra2690 I sure did! Circuit Thermalito was probably my most popular addition to the modding scene if you're familiar with that track?
@@DDFRacer yES!
'I'm going for first' - the game.
You know it's good when they even modelled the hand movements during contact 🤣 well, not the _exact_ same ones but I'm sure someone would have modded it in if it was released today.
I can count the pixels haha
Less reliance on pixels, more reliance on ingenuity 😅 it's amazing how far we've come and how Codemasters had to make do with the limitations of the technology of the time. Makes you wonder how we'll look back on Assetto Corsa Competizione in another 20 years... 🤔
I think in 10 years time graphics will be very near to real life
Hey now, this was the most realistic racing gfx by far. My Voodoo Banshee could barely handle it!
TOCA 2 - that brings memories... In Germany at least it had the DTM cars, and it was a joy to drive. Haven't been able to get it running on my W10 system.
Ah I didn't realise it had different cars for different countries, but that's such a good idea! DTM for Germany, BTCC for UK and so on. I had a few issues getting the game to work initially but found I had to run it through another piece of software called DXWnd 👍
@@DDFRacer In Germay, the TOCA games were even called "DTM" instead of TOCA - good marketing.
wow, from 1998 to this day there games that are not as detailed
I know right! It may not look as fancy as more modern titles or handle anywhere near as well, but all of the bones are there. I'm honestly really looking forward to getting stuck into the championship mode properly.
It is so cringe for me as a german to se the "Opel Vectra" named as "Vauxhall Vectra" just for better selling outside germany...
On the other side, it's strange for me to see the name Opel since I grew up with the name Vauxhall and had one as my first car actually 🤔 funny how that works out, eh?
@@DDFRacer Many Companys worldwide change names and logos to better sells and as you said it begins as a child that you will better remember this.