Even though Indianapolis 500 legends is a lower budget design, the collaboration between Destineer and the people responsible for putting on the yearly races is still pretty impressive, and it's obvious that there was some passion put into the game (which, of course, Indy 500 fans will enjoy more than the average gamer). Classic footage from each era is included in the game, as are snippets of the announcers that broadcasted the races. The team was also given access to the actual models of cars from the Indianapolis 500 museum, so all the audio in the game is recorded off the real thing; something that is surprisingly detailed considering the game's other constraints. If more time would have been put into adding more content for racing fans, cleaning up the interface, and tuning up the graphics for Wii (the final product looks like an average PS2 game in the end), this could have been an impressive gem of a product, and could still end up a solid stepping stone for a higher-budget sequel in the future. When all is said and done, however, the game comes up short, and is only going to appeal to fans of the sport that can turn a blind eye to its faults, and instead enjoy what can at times be a fun nod to a racing era long forgotten.
5.8/10
There isn't much to say about this shallow attempt to capitalize on the glory days of the Indianapolis 500. The best part about this racer is the historical content and even that is best enjoyed through videos and pictures in the bonus menu. If this were the last racing game on earth there still wouldn't be much reason to play it. Any diehard Indy fan is better off just buying a book on the history of Indy.
After reading the text, I wonder how GamePro was so nice to give such a high score.
Are you ready to careen around the world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a hand-built 1960s speed machine that hits speeds of nearly 180 mph, yet rides only 7 inches off the ground? Can you survive a moving minefield of crashes, spinning cars, rolling tires, oil slicks and 32 rivals competing for the perfect racing line?
Racing games sure have come a long way since the days of Night Driver and Pole Position. In fact, they've evolved so much that modern day racing games tend to be so focused on upping the ante and matching the crazy features of every other game on the market that it's gotten difficult lately to find anything that's not all about import-tuner drag battles or pimped-out, nitro-popping tuners.
