CGA-2026-02 đšī¸đ INSERT CARTRIDGE đĸ Racing Lagoon
Racing Lagoon
Versions: The only official release was the release of PlayStation 1 disc version in Japan.
Platforms: PlayStation
Genre(s): Racing/Driving, Role-playing
Stores:
- Regrettably, there is no modern digital distribution for this game, so as much as I hate to say it, we're all on our own acquiring it. It should be noted that a fan translation exists, for which the patch is available here (it's a patreon link, but it's not paywalled), but as usual for translations released in patch format, you will still need to acquire your own copy of the game to patch.
Game Setup
The main purpose of this topic is to get people up and running with the game. As such, it's recommended that you:
- Share which version of the game you're playing
- Share what hardware you're playing it on
- Share if there are any tools/mods that you recommend
- Share anything you think is important for people to know before they start the game
- Ask questions if you need help
Another purpose of this topic is to revisit the game and its time period:
- Do you have any memories or associations with this game itself?
- What about its system or era?
- What aspects of retro gaming were common at the time?
- What other games from the same time period are you familiar with?
- What are you expecting from this game in particular?
Finally, this topic is the beginning discussion for people starting to play it:
- Post updates sharing your thoughts as you play.
- Ask for help if you get stuck.
- Offer help to others.
It is recommended that you reply to your own posts if you are making consecutive updates so that they are in the same thread.
Important
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Any links to the game should be legal distributions of the game only. Please do NOT link to any unauthorized copies.
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Put any spoilers in a dropdown block. Copy/paste the block below if needed.
<details>
<summary>Spoilers</summary>
Spoiler text goes here.
</details>
FAQ
What is CGA?
Colossal Game Adventure (CGA) is Tildes' retro video game club.
Each month we will play a different retro game/games, discuss our thoughts, and bask in the glorious digital experiences of yesteryear!
Colossal Game Adventure is a reference to Colossal Cave Adventure. It's one of the most influential games of all time, one of the first text-based interactive games, and one of the first games to be shared online.
What do we want to do with this group? Play influential games; interact with each other through text; and share the love for retro games online!
It also abbreviates to CGA (because we love chunky pixel art), and its name communicates the Colossal amount of fun and excitement that we have with retro video Games in our shared Adventure of playing them together.
Do I have to sign up?
No. Participation is open to all.
There is a Notification List that will get pinged each time a new topic goes up. If you would like to join that list, please PM u/kfwyre.
Are there restrictions on what/how to play?
Each month will have a focus game or games that will guide our discussions. Beyond that, there are no restrictions. The philosophy of CGA is to play in a way that works for you!
This means:
- Choose whichever version of the game you want.
- You can use cheats, save states, mods, etc.
- You can watch a streamer or longplay instead of playing it.
If you have already played a game and want a different experience:
- Try a randomizer or challenge run.
- Play a different version of it.
- Play a related game (sequel, spiritual successor, something inspired by it, etc.)
There is no wrong way to participate in CGA, and every different way someone participates will make for more interesting discussions.
What is the schedule?
Each month the Insert Cartidge topic will be posted on the 1st, while the Remove Cartridge topic will be posted on the 20th.
Nomination and voting topics will happen in March and September (every 6 months).
Schedules are also posted then.
All CGA topics are available using the colossal game adventure tag.
What do Insert and Remove Cartridge mean?
Inserting and removing cartridges are our retro metaphor for starting and stopping a given game or games.
The Insert Cartridge topic happens at the beginning of the month and is primarily about getting the game up and running.
The Remove Cartridge topic happens toward the end of the month and is primarily about people reflecting on the game now that they've played it.
There are no hard restrictions on what has to go in either topic, and each can be used to discuss the game, post updates, ask questions, etc.
CGA Announcement: We have officially inserted the cartridge for Racing Lagoon. Use this topic to get set up for the month, help other people get set up for the month, and start playing!
If you would like to be added or removed from the Notification List, please PM u/kfwyre.
Notification List
@1338
@Akir
@ali
@arctanh
@AriMaeda
@atomicshoreline
@avirse
@balooga
@BeardyHat
@Boojum
@Bwerf
@CannibalisticApple
@chocobean
@clayh
@datavoid
@Debook
@DistractionRectangle
@dotsforeyes
@dozens
@Dr_Amazing
@granfdad
@Gummy
@hamstergeddon
@IsildursBane
@J-Chiptunator
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@joshbuddy
@kaiomai
@Kawa
@kej
@kfwyre
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@ThatMartinFellow
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@zod000
You forgot to replace [Game Title] here :D
You're right. Thanks!
I'm just going to be so brutally honest, and its not very high quality tildesposter of me, but I do not have the kind of time or willingness lately to scratch my head about what to put in an introduction or description at the top of the main post for a game I myself have the most 3-word bullet point description of, without it being a regurgitated, probably-wrong rehash of summaries I could find on the very same mobygames and wikipedia pages I linked.
You may have noticed I didn't even participate in the prior couple CGAs and I'm not even going to be able to make the time to play this game, despite being the one who nominated it, let alone be an engaging host in this thread. I'm sorry to spoil anyone's fun or the quality of CGA, I only just remembered I'm supposed to come post this. I hope you all enjoy the game.
No worries, Kawa. If you want one fewer thing on your plate for your busy month, I don't mind taking the Remove Cartridge thread for you.
So I gave this a very quick try on my PSP. First off, ohhh boy is this maximum 90's vibes. A PS1 Square RPG about street racing, with street-Sephiroth pontificating about cars, a jazz fusion soundtrack, and the dorkiest neon jacket tuner fashion sense? Fuck me up.
Except like, then I jumped into the game proper. You learn about the rule where you have to lose a car part whenever you lose, and the game throws you - equipped with a
Toyota AE86-Levin Corolla, a car with an absolutely anemic engine even by 90s standards - into a random encounter drag race? This is absolutely combative levels of obtuse game design, holy shit. I'm probably going to give this another try because the people who like this really seem to like it, but I think I'm either gonna need to take advantage of this save file with a tricked out car from the beginning, or I'm gonna need some crazy-ass hints on how to get past this learning curve...If you're emulating: use save states! I do think you're supposed to lose the first race for plot reasons, but once I got into the game proper I had no shame about restarting races if I needed to, especially because the handling is a bit iffy (I'm hoping that improves as I level up my car parts).
Also 90s video game anatomy needs to be studied. There's something both endearing and hilarious about the humanoid approximations of people that we got back then. In this game, it felt like the designers went "make the characters like Lara Croft, but in the shoulders instead." They are comically broad.