Reviews: Gran Turismo 5 Prologue

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is perfect for those desperate for some 1080p HD racing on their PlayStation 3.

Because the full version of this game doesn’t land until the summer of 2009, this “prologue” disc serves as a test drive of what’s to come: stunningly photo-realistic tracks full of shiny, beautifully rendered automobiles.

More than 60 cars (including Ferrari, Mazda and Daihatsu) are available to be purchased to race on one of six tracks. Start off with something affordable, win enough races and purchase something faster and more exotic. (If history is any guide, the full version will contain scores more cars and places to race them. Gran Turismo 4 for the PS2 contained more than 650 cars, and that was last generation.)

Controls can be set to serious for hard-core drivers, or simple for novices. Split-screen and online modes also fill out the slender array of racing modes.

But with a discount price and those spectacular visuals, this is one test drive worth paying for.

Grade: B+ (bring on the full version!)

Details: PlayStation 3 platform; $39.99; rated Everyone (mild suggestive themes)

Gaming trivia? Yeah, bring it on

Ever wondered who holds the current high score in the classic arcade game Ms. Pac-Man? How about useless trivia, such as the original name of Tomb Raider Lara Croft? Or the title of the catchy music that plays behind Tetris?

The place to find the answers has just been released: “Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition 2008.” This new stand-alone edition -- video game records have been kept in the main series of Guinness World Records books for years, but this year’s edition is the first to get its own cover -- was produced in association with Walter Day and his Twin Galaxies organization. (Recognized as the official scorekeeper of arcade games, Day was featured in one of the best documentaries ever made about gaming, 2007’s “The King of Kong.”)

By recognizing Twin Galaxies’ scoring (using its meticulous verification system), the Guinness folks have created a definitive almanac of all things games. Besides records, the gamer’s annual offers a look at the year in gaming for 2007, as well as history and trivia about systems, games and players.

Because of the challenge of cramming information about thousands of games into one book, some of the omissions are a little glaring (no Dead or Alive spread in the fighting section?), yet overall, Guinness does an admirable job, making this good bedside reading for trivia buffs or nerds.

Oh, and the answers are Adbner Ashman (933,580), Laura Cruz and “Korobeiniki,” respectively.

Grade: A (lots of useless facts perfect for geeks like us)

Details: $19.95