TrackMania Driving School

Thanks to Bomajoe for this find...
TM-Creative hosts many tutorials for the phenomenon that is TrackMania. Among it is a "Driving School" that teaches the techniques the Pros use to get their official times that leave the rest of us in the dust.

The videos there are awesome, as they show what actions the driver is performing and when.

Check 'em out! Then go oust the other Friday Night Gamers from their record positions... :)

(See the "Driving School" link in the TrackMania Links section on the right.)

TrackMania 2 Announced Last Weekend!!!

Thanks to my friend McKay for pointing me to this information.

Kotaku posted a TrackMania 2 Announcement article on their site! (Would you look at the incredible lighting in the pic above? Granted, it's from a low-quality user-created video from the event, but if it looks that good in this low-quality, imagine how excellent it will be in the real thing! I wish I could have been there.)

Rumor is that the game will be released in late 2010 (I'm betting it'll be in November like TrackMania United was.)

I'm so stoked for this. If it's even close to being as enjoyable as TrackMania has been over the last several years, I'll either be pre-ordering or purchasing three licenses for release day.

Hop on over to their site... they have some user-made videos from the Paris Game Festival. There is also a section on the official forums devoted to TrackMania 2. Oddly enough, there is no mention of it on the official TrackMania site yet.

Rumors on the forum include three new environments... one being a collaboration of all of the previous TrackMania environments, except Snow; another that mixes Desert and Rally, and a final one that will mix Snow and something else.

Kotaku mentioned four new splitscreen modes, including: cup, regular championship, team and cooperative.

I wonder what cooperative will be like... that sounds fun. It would be interesting to see if that gets integrated in the multiplayer experience.

I can't shout out enough kudos to the team at Nadeo; they've made a truly unique and marvelous game that just keeps on giving. I highly anticipate much more high-flying, wall-riding, crazy delicious enjoyment for many more years to come. Je vous remercie Nadeo!

Here's to next year!

That One Guy Steals Island C2 From Dirty Dan by 0.02 Seconds

That's right, folks! Nearly 3 years after the release of one of the greatest video games ever made, TrackMania United Forever, I finally earned an epic victory over Dirty Dan.

When TrackMania United was first released, we raced Island C2 for hours at a time, whilst on the phone with each other seeing who could score a world record first.

I did, then he worked tirelessly to take it from me and has since, for nearly 3 years, sat with a 0.04 second lead on me; and it vexxed me so.

Tonight I was determined to steal it away, and I FINALLY succeeded. Who cares that it cost nearly 1000 coppers, and who cares that I nearly wet my pants when I finally saw my car sail past his ghost through the finish line... I freakin' DID IT!

So, the gauntlet is thrown, Dirty Dan. I now have a 0.02 second lead on you, and I'm hoping it stays that way for the next 3 years. :)



GG, my friend.... GG.

(This was extra awesome, because it finally pushed me past 200,000 in Skill Points on the Solo Ladder too, which is a milestone I've been looking forward to. It also put me at #4 in the USA and #123 in the World for that track; though it stinks... Dan and I used to be in the Top 10 when the game was first released. Looks like we still have a lot of work to do.)

Download the replay if you'd like to see it. I still need to learn how to take those dang banked curves better... that's why I'm still 2-3 seconds behind the #1 in the world... :)

Biggest FNG Night in a Long Time - TrackMania Rides Again!

There's nothing in the world like seeing the sight to the right. 3 gamers besides myself in TrackMania United Forever.

And that was just the beginning. This past Friday we had 8 TrackManiacs show up, including 4 new FNGers that we'd like to introduce:
Kristen Yates - FNG_Kris10
Chance Allen - SpeedMonger
Johannes Gappmaier - jgappm
Roger Douglass - angus4ever

Added to the mix were:
Jarin Blackham - FNG_Thundr
Jeff Litster - FNG_ThatOneGuy
Walt Weidner - FNG_atholon
Dan Wetzel - FNG_DirtyDan

It was a ton of fun, and we look forward to lots more of the same in the future.

What is even better, is that the fun doesn't stop online, there has been more competition happening on the Solo front, with those above and other friends, including Duane Richards (durichards) and Joe Hargadon (bomajoe).

Not only are they contending for highest medals and skill points against each other, but they're knocking me out of my top records for FNG in Solo mode; my work is cut out for me.

I'm getting stoked for the next LAN party, as it will be focusing on TrackMania United Forever. I'm not sure yet when it will be as life is mega-crazy right now, but we'll have FNG to tide us over til then.

Welcome to all the new FNGers, we're glad you're been bitten by the TrackMania craze! :)