Test Drive Le Mans vs. Le Mans 24 Hours - RETRO Versus

This year marks the centenary of the greatest of all endurance races: The 24 Hours of Le Mans. What started as a test of passenger cars to see which can cover the greatest distance through the French countryside over two trips around the clock has evolved into one of the three most prestigious motor races in the world.
After 100 years, one would expect the celebrations to not only take place on track but in the virtual world as well. However, the company tasked with that part, Motorsport Games, say they won't have a Le Mans game ready until at least December, six months after the 100th anniversary festivities.
So to mark one century of the great race, I will also turn back the clock to end of one of Le Mans' boom periods and the start of another. At the end of the GT1 class, Infogrames released a game on the PlayStation 1 called Test Drive Le Mans. A couple of years later at the rise of LMP900, they released a PlayStation 2 game called Le Mans 24 Hours. So what is more in the spirit of competition than putting these two games against each other?
It's a battle of Le Mans classics. It's Test Drive Le Mans vs. Le Mans 24 Hours in this episode of Retro Versus!
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Test Drive Le Mans / Le Mans 24 Hours are racing games based on the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race. One version of the game, based on the 1998 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, was developed by Eutechnyx and published by Infogrames for the PlayStation 1 (1999) and Windows PC (2000). A second version of the game, based on the 1999 and 2000 running of the race, was developed by Infogrames Melbourne House and published by Infogrames for DreamCast (2000), PlayStation 2 (2001) and Windows PC (2002). There is also a Game Boy Colour version of the game developed by Velez & Dubail and published by Infogrames in 2000 but is not reviewed here.
The previous-generation version of the game reviewed here was for the PlayStation 1 (referred to in the review as "Test Drive Le Mans" or "Test Drive") while the next-gen version reviewed was for the PlayStation 2 (referred to as "Le Mans 24 Hours" or "24 Hours").
The footage and music used in this review is the copyright of their respective copyright holders. Said footage is included for the purposes of commentary, criticism and/or education as allowed under the Fair Use doctrine of the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 107. It is also used under the Fair Dealing doctrine of the Canadian Copyright Act for the purposes of education, criticism and review. No copyright infringement is intended per the noted Copyright Acts and their Fair Use/Dealing doctrines.
Video footage copyright: Automobile Club de l'Ouest, Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, British Broadcasting Corporation, Universal Television, NASCAR, Audi
Video game footage copyright: Infogrames, Deep Silver, Kunos Simulazioni, Motorsport Games
Other footage is copyright as indicated in the video.

[@teddysadcat]

Surprisingly enough, Eutechnyx (proper) did in fact ported the PSX _Test Drive Le Mans_ to PC, which its less exaggerated physics and improved graphics brought it closer toe-to-toe with the Melbourne House PC port, you should check that out too!

[@UnsilentOnAir]

Normally, I don't do standalone comments on my own videos but I want to take one more opportunity to thank everyone again for watching this video. I know I built this channel on playing classics for the first time but I love making these review videos and sharing the games that I love or made me the gamer I am today. So much of the channel is me searching for what I missed growing up but I enjoy being able to share with you what you may have missed. If I might go a little behind the scenes for a moment: My day job has been keeping me incredibly busy for the last three months so I've felt constantly behind on the channel. For example, I recorded this video nine days before it was posted. So audio recording, audio editing, recording even more gameplay than my playthroughs, finding B-roll, video editing, graphics, review, changing what was Content ID'd and eventually finalizing took about eight days which is significantly faster than usual for this sort of video. I usually take a more methodical pace in making these review-style vids but it was kind of fun to know that I can fire off a video if I'm under the pump. I don't want to make that my regular way of doing things which is why I've been pacing myself with Mass Effect and Final Fantasy X-2. I do want to make more of these sorts of videos. They may not be the most popular (a relative term with a channel like mine) but I find them the most fulfilling to make. Between being busy IRL and wanting to do more review content, you may have noticed that I've been dialing back on LPs to make room for that. Even without that, making content five days a week was burning me out and only really worked because I was working from home for the first year of the pandemic. And to be honest, I'm closer to the end of doing let's plays than the beginning. It's been seven years so that shouldn't be a huge surprise. While there are still some games that I absolutely have to play before ending let's plays on the channel, I can see review-style content keeping me engaged for a while to come beyond that.

[@submaniac93]

I was recommended this video and i'll be honest, it's quite qualitative. Had a decent time. It's well edited too. Hopefully your channel gets more traction 👍

[@purwantiallan5089]

Definitely.😊

[@VideoNarstee]

Loved both versions of this game. What 24 Hours lacks in its night time visuals, it makes up in having the full sized La Sarthe circuit, plus other real world circuits.

[@89tmoverdriveyt62]

notes about these games: [MELBOURNE HOUSE LE MANS] Toyota GT-Ones (1998 LMGT1 #28 and 1999 LMGTP #3) are present in the Dreamcast release but was unused in PS2 and PC, although a modified data zip for this game can let you drive the LMGT1 1998 Toyota (The LMGTP 1999 one isn't working for now, and its PC only). Technically, you can also drive the 2000 Le Mans cars outside of this mode by modifying the teams.txt in data zip (but that will break the Le Mans game mode, also pc only too... ) The GT Le Mans 2000 cars doesn't have any LMGT Porsche 996 GT3-Rs, so its mostly LMGTS. [EUTECHNYX LE MANS] This game also included 1997 GT1 and LMP cars, while the 993 GT1s and Joest WSC95 were likely meant to represent the real 1998 Porsche AG GT1s and LMPs (911 GT1-98 and LMP1-98.) The speedometer in NTSC I think is screwed. The Larbre Competition 993 GT2 shows a top speed of 309kmh/192mph in PAL but the top speed of this same car shown in this video (NTSC) is 370kmh/230mph The PC version brought changes and additions, which is listed below: Updated engine sounds (The original "generic" PSX engine sound was still used for the R390 and TS020 but the rest received new ones) Different HUD/UI (Like the pit stop, which highlights are absent) Quick race was removed in PC for some reason, probably due to the favor of the Time Attack mode. Slightly updated physics. All PSX tracks are updated, now being longer and wider, and even got new layouts compared to the PSX release. (While the Circuit de la Sarthe and Bugatti circuit are compressed like the PSX release, the width and length of these 2 real tracks are like the real world specs (but not exact)) Sprint championship is added Speedometer unit switch is added (but in the car setup for some reason) After loading a race, options like setting up the car and checking the grid is absent in the PC version unlike the PSX version. (But setting up fuel, aerodynamics, transmission, and steering has been transferred to pre-race car setup (before loading a race)) 2 new tracks are added from the PC release: Antares (It has day and night variants, which both of them had different layouts) Added cars from the PC release: [LMP1] BMW Motorsport V12 LM #2* Moretti Racing Ferrari 333 SP #3 Doyle Risi Racing Ferrari 333 SP #12 Courage Competition C51 #13* Courage Competition C41 #24* [LMP2] Didier Bonnet Debora LMP296 #22 [GT1] Toyota Motorsport GT-One #27* Toyota Motorsport GT-One #29* Nissan Motorsport R390 GT1 #30* Nissan Motorsport R390 GT1 #31* Nissan Motorsport R390 GT1 #33* Gulf Team Davidoff McLaren F1 GTR #41* Panoz Motor Sports GTR-1 #44* [GT2] Viper Team Oreca Chrysler Viper GTS-R #51* Viper Team Oreca Chrysler Viper GTS-R #53* Chamberlain Engineering Chrysler Viper GTS-R #55* Roock Racing Porsche 993 GT2 #54* Elf Haberthur Racing Porsche 993 GT2 #67 Elf Haberthur Racing Porsche 993 GT2 #68 Estoril Racing Communication Porsche 993 GT2 #71 Konrad Motorsport Porsche 993 GT2 #73* *Added cars from existing teams are separated into different specs [Ex: Nissan Motorsport R390 GT1 (Has spec A, B, C, D. Each of them have different liveries and performance data] (btw what's the song used in 11:48?)

[@SetsunaTheFandom]

Deleted my comment because I mixed up: the actual musiic in question is "Zako Battle 1" from Racing Lagoon. Apologies

[@89tmoverdriveyt62]

@@SetsunaTheFandom it's a banger to listen to, thanks!

[@ntl9974]

So the PC port is more comprehensive?

[@89tmoverdriveyt62]

@@ntl9974 yep

[@BIKE_BEERS_AND_DEATH_METAL]

I have this game for the Sega Dreamcast and I love it! great video. 🤘🕹🎮🍻

[@robbylebotha]

This was one of the best racing games, very engaging especially if you set it to actual 24 hours. Prefered this over Gran Turismo

[@andersondias6893]

I believe this game is very close to gt2. A more polished physics would made this game a very difficult contender with respect to gt2.

[@archangelmusic13]

the reason this is my favorite game is because i can actually drive the cars. i tried out gran turismo 4. and i couldn't drive the cars at all, they would spin completely around.i spent most of the race backing up from a wall or having to turn around after spinning around, it has terrible handling, no matter what car i picked.

[@kiiro772]

Being bad at the game =/= the game having terrible handling. GT4 has an amazing handling model, considering that it was on PS2, it's a light simulator, and it is fully enjoyable on both controllers and wheels.

[@archangelmusic13]

@@kiiro772 no it doesnt, the gt4 has terrible handling, forza is 100 times better than gt4,

[@kiiro772]

@@archangelmusic13 Ok.

[@SetsunaTheFandom]

As people already pointed out how PC version of the Eutechnyx version has way better experience from the PSX one, you should try that one! It's certainly the PSX version with more content. That said, I keep going back to the PSX version simply because it's got better Le Mans experience for me, although I have to say the AI behavior durring races can be questionable at times and can make races anti-climatic (I run a couple of 2-hour 24 Hours races and only few of these AIs would finish the race, far back.)

[@ntl9974]

What about the 24 hrs Dreamcast vs PS2 vs PC versions?

[@smithed8408]

Is it possible to drive from the inside of the car ?

[@oldschooldriver]

Le Mans 24 by Infogrames was one of the best racing touring games of the era, excluding STCC 2 which was the top touring car sim by physics before GTR. I made a reviews of both on my channel. Second game by Eutechnix was quite average, with physics similar to some unrealistic and boring gran turismos. But it came out earlier and was the first game with full LeMans race. Of that era of touring sims i prefer LeMans/Infogrames, Sports Car GT, STCC 2. However they all were miles behind GPL, F1 and NASCAR from ISI/EA. Only when GTR, rFactor came out the touring car sims become truly amazing.

[@ntl9974]

Awesome, thanks for the recs

[@ManTheRamparts01]

I love both versions, although prefer Eutechnyx PS1 version (damage, flag rules, rev limiter etc. was great at the time for console game). PC version was just so out of scale for me that it looks like you are racing remote control cars - tracks are just extremely out of proportion - it's like they just scaled up the PS1 tracks in their 3d modeling software and called it a day. Yes, Le Mans circuit is shortened due to hardware constraints, but at least other proportions are in place as much as it can be for PS1. But I did like it for more content, PC version I mean. Back in the day I played huge amount of PS1 version on original hardware and one thing I noticed last year when I emulated it is that AI seems quite broken on emulators (I've tried the game on few of them) - if you play around with frame rate cap - then even more so. I can remember that, for example, in championship mode Larbre Competition or Viper Team Oreca almost always put up a fight on Pro difficulty - of course you could beat them easily when you learned the game, but for sure almost whole grid didn't blow their engines or you couldn't lap a whole field watching them get stuck in the barriers. Also, on original hardware sometimes it seemed like there's no end to the corners due to frame drops. Game was at 25 fps (at least PAL version, due to slightly higher resolution than NTSC version), with quite frequent drops. One other thing - European version, since it released later, had more cars on track in certain modes - I'm not 100% sure, but in championship mode US version had 8 cars on track, while EU version had 12. Just wanted to point that out since version captured in the video is clearly emulated. Tiff Needell's commentary was also a nice touch. On Melbourne House version - I was blown away when I saw dust effects on PS2 version back in the day, also it was 60fps in contrast to 30fps on Dreamcast, but DC had 480p output if I recall right. Also - pit crews were added on PC/PS2 version among other things. At the end of the day - Eutechnyx and Melbourne House versions, both are quite fun games. I even miss something along these lines today, realistic race cars with more arcade handling, but also with some motorsport rules implemented. I adore all the GT's, Forza Motorsports, rFactor, iRacing etc., but there was something charming about these arcade style racing games. Great video, nice to see that someone remembers these games, or at least plays them now for the first time!

[@andersondias6893]

I played this game in my psone. Now I’m playing in my psclassic,emulated, and yes, the AI is a bit broken. The entire grid blow its engine or get trouble during race.

[@ntl9974]

Thank you

[@Republic-of-Tea]

nice retrospective. i do have a soft spot for the ps2 version due to playing it as a kid a very long time ago. though something strange i found out about a little while ago with its difficulty. on most cars at least the prototypes the car setups are busted by default making them way harder to race than they should be. hence why on hard GTS cars are faster at least at top speed. however even when doing the full endurance races just set the car to short gears,sprint engines and low down force and you can gain on some cars like 30+mph top speed. making almost any of at least the LMP900 cars able to smash the ingame lap record time. think the fastest time i got with one of them was something silly like a 3:15ish when stock setup some of the cars are lucky to get close to 3:40. i really wish they did more balance pass's on the game before its final build. still a fun game though but kinda dull once you figure out how to destroy its difficulty.

[@oldschooldriver]

I’d add major remarque: both games has horrible steering wheel compatibility. L24-99 hasn’t calibrate my wheel at all, while L24-2002 had hugest input lag i’ve ever seen, which makes it unplayable. Sure i’m talking about PC versions, which both are superior to consoles, and available now for everyone to play with free download, so It would be more reasonable to take PC ones to review.

[@oldschoolracinggames5729]

mclaren never dominated in lemans it won in 1995 occasionally and with big luck, showing the worst pace in the race since 1956. Porsche dominated all the way in 90s.

[@UnsilentOnAir]

My argument is the McLaren won overall in '95 and swept the class podium, had half the overall top ten in '96 (3rd through 7th in class), won its class and two-thirds of the overall podium in '97 and scored a top five with one of their two entries in '98. You can define domination solely as wins if you want but for most of the LMGT1 class's history, if you wanted a good chance to win, your smart options were to run either a Porsche or McLaren.