Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition

Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition
256px Cover art, featuring a Cadillac Escalade (left), and a Chrysler 300C (right) with the skyline of downtown Atlanta, Georgia in the background.
Developer(s)	Rockstar San Diego, Rockstar Leeds (PSP)
Publisher(s)	Rockstar Games
Distributor(s)	Take-Two Interactive
Series	Midnight Club
Platforms	PlayStation 2 Xbox PlayStation Portable
Release date(s)	PlayStation 2 & Xbox NA 20050411April 11, 2005 PAL 20050415April 15, 2005 NA March 13, 2006 (Remix) PAL March 17, 2006 (Remix) PlayStation Portable NA 20050628June 28, 2005 PAL 20050901September 1, 2005
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition is a racing game, developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games, and is the third game in the Midnight Club series, followed by Midnight Club: Los Angeles. Like previous installments in the series, the game is an arcade-style racer and focuses on wild, high-speed racing, rather than realistic physics and driving characteristics. The name derived from a partnership between Rockstar and DUB Magazine, which features heavily in the game in the form of DUB-sponsored races and DUB-customized vehicles as prizes.

Players race through open world recreations of San Diego, Atlanta, and Detroit listening to 98 licensed music tracks that include hip-hop, rock, and more. The game features a number of graphical views after the player crashes into certain objects, or travels across particular stretches of road. There is also the ability to customize a player's vehicle. Other than modifying the external looks, the car's/truck's performance can also be improved, except for those in the 'A' Class of the game. However, Class A motorbikes' performance and exterior can be improved.

Game play

there are 5 types of racing in the game. In the Ordered Race, the player must race against multiple other racers, and drive through a sprint course marked by checkpoints, represented by Yellow/Orange flares and eventually reach the finishing line (that being a red flare). The races are different because there is no ordered lines to drive, but the player can choose a specific route throughout the course of the race. Circuits are similar, except the player must complete a certain number of laps on a circuit run, but also provide unlinear type of driving. The first checkpoint is marked with a green flare except in last lap,where is marked with a red flare.

Unordered Races are essentially the same as the Ordered Races, except that (as the name implies), the checkpoints do not need to be passed in order,but they are scattered through a town,and the player must find the quickest route to finish. In the Autocross Races, the track is stripped of traffic, pedestrians, and police, and the streets are blocked in with barriers, meaning that the environment is less open that with other race types. The player must then complete the laps in the quickest time possible, having to beat a set time.

Track events are the same as Autocross, but the player competes against other racers inside the barricaded track instead of against the clock. This can mean racer-crowded, compact streets and the car will probably take more damage than a normal race as it will usually bump into the walls more than in open environment, and the type of race is only shown in Arcade mode of the game. Players can also create their own races in the Race Editor where the player places down checkpoints within the city. Players can create either a circuit or sprint and can change the racing conditions such as traffic, weather, etc. Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition is the first game in the series to include car modification - visual & performance. By winning races, the player unlocks new cars and options to customize them with. These options include enhancing the performance, adding vinyls and new paint jobs, and physically modifying the car, by changing parts such as wheels, bumpers, spoilers, neon, hoods, and engine components, and the cars are divided into four classes; D, C, B and A, depending on the car value and performance. There are many types of cars in the game, such as Tuners (Japanese import cars), Muscles (American old-school cars, ranging from 50's till 80's), SUV's (Sport Utility Vehicles), Luxury Cars (expensive European, Japanese and American luxury sedan cars), sport bikes (Japanese motor bikes) and Choppers (American motorbikes)

Multiplayer

The game includes an Online mode, where players can race with other players from all around the world. There are also many clubs available to join, but players can also start and manage their own. Most offline modes are available for play online, while in online mode it's possible to chat in-game, including a cruise mode, capture the flag, circuit racing, ordered racing, unordered racing, tag, paint and autocross. Tracks created via the Race Editor offline can be used Online.

Plot

San Diego

The player starts out in San Diego, by meeting Oscar, the mechanic of Six-One-Nine (the area code of San Diego) Customs, the most sophisticated tuning garage in San Diego, who will guide the player through the game. The player advances by winning races. As the player does this, new body parts, paint jobs, customization options, and cars are unlocked.

The player begins with a choice of six cars: a 1964 Chevrolet Impala, a 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, a 2004 Dodge Neon SRT4, a 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse, a Volkswagen Golf Mk4, or a 2004 Volkswagen Jetta (Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix added the option of a Scion tC). Additional cars can be won or bought as the game progresses.

There are 7 types of cars: Tuners, Luxury Sedans, SUVs/Trucks, Exotics, Muscle Cars, Sport Bikes, and Choppers. As the game continues, different clubs that drive a specific type of car will invite the player to race with them: American Royalty Car Club (Muscle Cars), Big Playas (SUV s/Trucks), By Invitation Only (Exotics), Chopper of America Bike Club (Choppers), Luxury Rollers (Luxury Cars), Original Riders (Racing Bikes) and Unbeatable Street Racers (Tuner Cars). If the player beats them, they unlock a special ability for that class. Tuners, Sport Bikes, Exotics, the Lexus SC430, Mercedes Benz SL500 and the Cadillac XLR in "Remix" get "Zone" (which essentially slows down time, allowing for more precise handling at high speed), Trucks/SUVs and Luxury Cars (except for the Lexus SC430, Mercedes Benz SL500 and Cadillac XLR in "Remix") get "Agro" (which makes the vehicle temporarily unstoppable, allowing it to plow through traffic and other obstacles more easily), and Muscle Cars and Choppers get "Roar" (the only offensive ability, it launches a sonic wave that blows away anything in its path including traffic, opponents, and police vehicles).

Street racers in San Diego are: Vanessa (Mitsubishi Eclipse), Bishop (Lexus GS430), Carlos (1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo), and Phil (Hotmatch Cuevito).

After the player defeats all the starting racers early in the game, he ends up back at Six-One-Nine (one of three garages where vehicles can be customized), and Oscar tells him to meet his friend Phil in town, who is racing the player for his chopper. After the player wins, Oscar appears again, this time with the news that the American Royalty Car Club has challenged him. After the player beats them, the Luxury Rollers Car Club challenge him. After defeating the club, the player ends up back at Six-One-Nine and witnesses Oscar playfully arguing with a guy named Vince. Oscar mentions that he's been "Hearing a lot of crap about you", meaning that the player has been built a reputation as skilled driver. Oscar introduces the player to Vince, his Detroit counterpart, and says that there are some big time races in Atlanta that the player may be interested in, so he tells him to go to the shipping company (which is used to get from city to city) to make the trip.

Atlanta

The player arrives in a rather nice looking garage in Atlanta called "Apone Team Racing". The owner, Apone, introduces himself, but is distracted by his most prized procession: A 1964 Chevrolet Impala (his obsession over the car was so big that his wife left him because of the car) that he customized and is constantly tinkering with. After that, the player exits, and a few racers challenge him. A tournament is also going on, and the prize is a "DUB'D-Out" 2004 Cadillac Escalade EXT. After defeating some racers and completing the tournament, the player ends up back at Apone Team Racing, and Apone tells him that a street bike club called the Original Riders has challenged him. After that, the player races more individual drivers, and upon defeating them, Apone informs the player that an SUV club called the Big Playas has challenged him. After completing tournaments and defeating all racers, Apone is back with more news: there are some serious races down in Detroit next week and he thinks it's a good idea for the player to check it out.

Street racers in Atlanta are: Roy (1969 Dodge Charger R/T,later 2004 Dodge Charger R/T,and he later appears again in Detroit in a Dodge Viper GTS-R) Dre (Cadillac Escalade), Cheng (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII), Vito (Ducati Monster S4R), Lamont (Chevrolet Silverado SS) and Naomi (Hotmatch Skully)

Detroit

The player arrives in Detroit and sees a familiar face, Vince. Remembering him, he welcomes the player to town and his shop. He later points to a Lamborghini Murciélago and says it's the prize to whatever car club turns out the best street racer. Some returning faces from Atlanta come to Detroit, including Roy and Angel, who are plot-affected racers but they are never seen or mentioned. The player races them a couple of times, as wells as the car clubs. Early in the player's Detroit career, a tournament is held and a 1949 Chevrolet Fleetline (as Oscar describes it "Just the car to win in Detroit!") is the prize. Upon defeating the racers, the player scores a challenge from the By Invitation Only Exotic Car Club. Defeating them unlocks "Zone" for Exotics and a Chrysler ME Four Twelve. At this point, the player races all drivers twice, and upon defeating them, is crowned the victor of the U.S. Champion Series. Afterwards, the player returns to Vince's and is rewarded the Lamborghini Murcielago from before. Vince says "It should be driven with respect, and not by some San Diego swinger who thinks he's hot stuff or something".

Characters

Player: An anonymous driver who seeks to be the top racer in the U.S

Oscar: A Mexican-American professional car mechanic in San Diego with a passion for muscle cars. He is the owner of the 6-1-9 Customs (his name and the 6-1-9 Customs are an allusion to Rey Mysterio, whose real name is Oscar and whose signature move is 619 finisher). He owns a 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo with chop top, dark gold-painted rims, gold-painted tribal vinyl and all painted in black (including exhaust). He is usually racing with muscle cars, but he says that "his baby isn't ready yet", and he is usually seen tinkering it or washing it". He also owns a red Matt Hotch Designs Hotmatch Chingon. He first meets the player when the latter visits him in his shop after getting a call from the player's friend. He is also Vince's close friend. He wears black trousers with pockets outside and a white tank top, and he is filled with tattoos and a 6-1-9 logo tattooed on his chest. He has a buzzcut and spots a goatee.

Apone: An African-American professional car mechanic in Atlanta with a passion for low riders. He is the owner of the Apone Team Racing Customs. He owns a yellow 1964 Chevrolet Impala and it is obsessed with it, with the car costing him his marriage. He is always seen tinkering it, fixing it or changing wheels on it to achieve a perfect vision of the car. He is usually racing with muscle cars. He first meets the player when the latter visits him in his shop at Atlanta after getting a call from Oscar. He is bald, wears a white tank top and red trousers and a tool belt around his waist.

Vince: A professional car mechanic in Detroit with a passion for exotics. He first meets the player in San Diego while discussing choppers with Oscar. He later meets the player in Detroit and instructs him for racing. He keeps a green Lamborghini Murcielago as a prize for the U.S Champion Series in street racing, which he presents to the player at the end. He has a beard, wears a black bandana over his head, has a blue shirt, black gloves and black track pants.

Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix

File:Midnight club 3 dub edition remix cover.jpg

Cover art for Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix

Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix is an update to Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition. It is available as a Greatest Hits release on PlayStation 2 and a Platinum Hits release on Xbox, the remix edition of the game is not available for the PSP. It was released on March 12, 2006 or exactly eleven months after the original version's release. It was released on December 19, 2012 on Playstation Network.

The game features all of the cities, vehicles, and music from Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition. This version of the game also allows the player to import the Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition data on their memory card to Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix to make up for lost progress, thus saving the player from starting all over again. The following features were added in Remix:

• 24 new vehicles (including some from brands not in the original version, such as GMC, Infiniti, Pagani, and Scion)
• Tokyo, as a new city, which is a slightly updated version of the Tokyo city from Midnight Club II
• More licensed music
• More races and battle maps
• Players are able to make their own races in all cities, including Tokyo

Soundtrack

Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition

Main article: Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition soundtrack

Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix

Main article: Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix LP

Reception

Template:VG reviews The game received mostly positive reviews from critics. On GameRankings, the game received aggregate scores of 86%, 86% and 75% for the PS2, Xbox and PSP, respectively. On Metacritic, it received aggregate scores of 84/100, 84/100 and 74/100 for the PS2, Xbox and PSP, respectively.

IGN, rating the home console versions a 9.2/10, called the game: "An insanely fast, chaotic, and progressive racing game that betters the second with more accessible racing, without losing its competitive edge." While GameSpot, rating the home console versions an 8.3/10, stated: "The career mode, with its lengthy list of races and deep customization mode, would by itself make the game worthwhile. However, the addition of entertaining online play, arcade races, and a race editor really makes this one of the best street racers currently on the market."

However, Play.tm, rating the game a 74%, says: "Technical faults such as difficultly seeing where you're going and suspect frame-rates are serious issues when it comes to games of such speed requiring cat like reflexes." While Edge Magazine, rating the game a 6/10, says: "There's no question that DUB Edition can be pleasurable, especially in the multiplayer games, but the Career mode too often feels like graft. There are tournaments, one-off street races and 'special' events, but each individual race feels much the same as the last."

For the PSP version, Boomtown, giving it a 9/10, says: "MC3 works surprisingly well on a PSP, despite the grand setting and detail put into the original." 1UP.com, grading it a B, says: "Despite the load time issue, an occasional problem with being able to see certain cars and roadside objects that blend into the dark backgrounds, and a slightly reduced sense of speed overall, there's very little to criticize here."

In contrast, IGN, rating it a 7.1/10, said: "Is it overly harsh to pound on a game for having dreadful loadtimes?... On the other hand, it's a good game deep, deep, deep down inside." Game Power Australia, rating it a 6.5/10, says how "The poor control compounds the dull and lifeless handling of the cars." While Eurogamer rated it a 5/10, saying: "Torturing yourself with frankly ridiculous load times isn't acceptable, nor is the choppy frame rate or the sound stutters."

The game has sold at least 1.1 million copies worldwide on the PS2, and 1.3 million copies, worldwide on the PSP.

External links

• Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition official website
• Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix official website
• Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition at DMOZ
• Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix at DMOZ