It’s hard to say whether it was Sony dropping the ball on release schedules, partial release shenanigans, or something else, but somewhere along the way (probably about 20 years ago now), I lost touch with the Gran Turismo (GT) series of racing games. After the first three releases across PSX and PS2, I never would have imagined that anyone could challenge the series for the sim racing crown.
The games contained a level of depth that had never been seen prior, and yet, releases ever since the PS3 have always seemed like something of a compromise to me. The Prologue releases watered down the Gran Turismo brand by leaving people confused whether they were picking up a full game or an extended demo. And as Gran Turismo rested on its laurels while sitting atop the throne, the Forza series came in and swept racers off their feet.
GT4 Spec-II on the RG557
Since the release of Forza Motorsport 4 on the Xbox 360, I’ve been swayed to the other side by a well-made and slickly presented series (Top Gear integration was a series high for me). I certainly didn’t have a negative view towards the Gran Turismo series overall, but it just felt like the lesser of the two experiences when I only have so much sim-racing free time in my life. Last fall, though, I was flying down to FL for Really Rad Weekend, and something happened.
When I looked in my backpack on the plane, I realized that I’d left my Odin 2 sitting in its case on the kitchen counter. The only handheld that I’d managed to pack out of the dozens in the collection was my first Miyoo Mini Plus.
The little emulator device that could. I had brought it with me in the interest of showing it to a friend who’d asked after it, but as it was now my only gaming option for the flight, I was certainly glad to have it. When scrolling through the menus and actually sitting down for a few hours without other options at my fingertips, I decided I should jump back into Gran Turismo 2.
My Own Grand Tour
I spent countless late nights in the late 90s playing Gran Turismo 1 & 2. Hundreds of hours dedicated to clearing licenses, classes, endurance (boy, did they mean endurance!), races, and so much more. I couldn’t help but giggle as I struggled with the early start/stop license tests, remembering all those years ago when I’d had similar frustrations (proper braking has never been my strongest racing trait).
By the time we were wheels down in Tampa, I had been totally sucked back into the GT world. Fast-forward to about 6 months later, and I’m still chipping away at that GT2 save whenever I get the itch. What was great then is still fantastic now, and the technological advancements that come with modern handhelds elevate the playing experience to a level that comes with a minimal amount of “how did we think this looked good” shock.
Recently, I’ve been exploring modern patches for classic games, like the NFL2K25 mod for the pigskin classic NFL2K. These take what was already something beloved by many and update it for a new era. The gaming and mod community rarely disappoints, and sure enough, when I looked up if there were any passion projects that updated the classic Gran Turismo games, several options were already available.
Improvements like upscaling take a beloved experience and allow us to enjoy it without having to see through the compromise of rose colored nostalgia glasses. But if you wanted even more out of these classic racers, the modders are here to help.
Gran Turismo 2: Project A-Spec
Seen on the RG406H
Project A-Spec is a mod for the Gran Turismo 2 PlayStation One game which aims to expand the game with new cars, events, restored content, race music and overall add fixes.
Gran Turismo 2 is where the series really found its legs. If the first game was a revelation in what was possible when new gaming technology meets driving simulation, the second entry confirmed that this was the racing game to end all racing games of the time. No one else was coming close.
Project A-Spec takes everything that made GT2 as special as it was, and brings it into the new era. The focus here is mostly on improving the Simulation half of the game, but there are tweaks on the arcade side as well. If you’ve ever had even a passing interest in the series, this one is worth looking into to rekindle the fires.
My purple Mini
The nice thing about Project A-Spec compared to other mod projects out there is that it’s a single ROM distribution that’s already packed and ready to go. Other mods will often require you to bring your own copy of the game, but Project A-Spec offers remasters of the Arcade and Simulation discs, as well as what they call a combined experience.
Now, we can’t tell you where you might be able to find these files, but if I were a curious gamer on the lookout, I would check out any ARCHIVE ORGanizations. You know, the type of websites that end in .org. If I were looking for something that had been ARCHIVEd, then I’d probably start looking there.
Gran Turismo 4 Spec-II
You’ll know the mod worked as soon as you load it for the first time
The Gran Turismo 4 Spec-II project builds upon everything from the original release, taking it into the modern era. The project is described “As the name may suggest, Spec II primarily aims to improve on the game in ways that I feel Polyphony Digital themselves would, while also adding a few modernised features and challenge run-friendly options.”
The improvements are too numerous to list here, but it’s safe to say they’ll make a lot of GT enthusiasts happy. There are new cars, tracks, challenges, trophies, and a whole host of quality of life improvements. You can read the full feature list on the project website. This package is a little different from Project A-Spec, as you will need to bring your own ROM copy.
Cards on the table, I’d lost track of the series after the third entry, so everything here is still fairly new to me. When GT4 was released in 2004, I was in that weird transition phase of life. Finishing my last year of undergrad and preparing to enter the workforce. Video games were on a bit of a back burner at the time. Not that I didn’t play them, far from it, but picking up the latest releases was not something within my budget at the time.
It looks fantastic
Coincidentally, it was around this time that I got really into emulation on my chipped Xbox, but that’s a story for another day. What GT4 Spec-II allows me to do is pick back up with the series after a long drought, and have it appear in my hands looking even better than it does in my mind’s eye from 20 years ago.
GT4 Spec-II will require some manual patching on your part and the original ROM file for the Gran Turismo 4 Online Beta. I understand why this may make some handheld users groan, but this approach keeps the developers out of hot water and allows them to continue doing this wonderful work for everyone’s benefit, so asking for some minor effort on my part as the user isn’t asking much at all.
You can check out the project site for full installation instructions.
The Fun of Hacks and Mods
All credit to the mod devs. Grrrs for the PWM on the 557
I’m still somewhat new to the modding scene. I’ve always known it to exist, but the pure wealth of normal content out there made me run towards games I had never had the chance to play vs experiences that I already knew well.
As time goes on and the collection of emulation handhelds continues to grow, I’m often left looking for new ways to enjoy the classics of old. Modding and ROM hacks present the perfect way to do so. You can have the game that you loved years ago, boosted by modern chipsets, tech, and a community of talented and enthusiastic developers who make all of this available to hungry, nostalgic gamers like me.
While the rumored demise (not yet, thankfully) of certain ROM hacking repositories can make things seem daunting, just remember that Google search works wonders at finding that specific title you may be looking for. If you’ve ever wondered if there has been a modding project on your favorite title of yesteryear, chances are that someone out there loves it just as much as you do and has made the effort to make a great experience even better. There’s certain to be more out there than I’d ever be able to scrape the surface of with coverage here.
So get out there, start digging, and you might just discover a whole new game waiting for you.
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