History VideoGame / MidnightClub

'''Not''' to be confused with Creator/ChristopherPike's novel '''''The''' Midnight Club'', or with [[Series/TheMidnightClub2022 its 2022 TV adaptation]].

* AllegedCar: The starter car in both the first ''Midnight Club'' game and the second one. In the first game, you start off in a pitifully slow taxi, complete with dents and graffiti all over it. In the second game, it does get a little better. However, you still start with one of the slowest cars of the game without any nitrous. Later in the fourth game you get to choose from one of three used cars sitting in the parking lot across from the bus stop you arrive at complete with dents, missing hubcaps and primered, replacement body panels.
** Averted in the third game as your reputation for racing and connections with a local mechanic merit you the purchase of one of six vehicles he has for sale, with some additional spending money for minor modifications if you purchase his least expensive car.

* ApatheticCitizens: Averted in all of the games. In 1 through L.A., pedestrians will actively try to get out of the way of your car and will make comments about you trying to run them over. In the third and fourth game (L.A.), they will stop and admire your car if you leave it parked in an area for long enough.
** Doubles as a SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}} when you are driving a stock Scion Tc or Volkswagen Jetta.

* AwesomeButImpractical: The Zender Type S is awarded upon getting 100% completion in the first game. It's one of the fastest cars in the game, but it has the steering sensetivity of a go kart. On top of that it has the worst durability in the game.
** The Mercedes Benz [=SL55=] AMG that is obtained from the San Deigo Tournament in ''3'' is the fastest of the Luxury Sedans, but like the Type S from the first game, it has the worst durability.

* DevelopersForesight: In ''LA'', there are several different variations of the 'getting arrested' cutscene depending on the circumstances of your arrest; including whether you willingly surrendered, got trapped, or if your car was totalled or flipped over.

* ImprobablyCoolCar: ''Midnight Club 3'' has the 1999 Dodge Charger R/T Concept, a car that was well received and displayed at car shows as late as 2004 but never made it to production. The game even lampshades the fact that it is a concept car. The Chrysler ME Four-Twelve and Cadillac Cien and Sixteen concept cars also show up, with the Cien actually being the cheapest exotic category car. You can also buy are also cars that were sold to the public but only in very low numbers, such as the Mercedes-Benzy CLK-GTR, of which only 26 road-legal examples were built.

** In ''LA'', turning down steering sensitive to the lowest (-10) not only makes controls harder to steer, but it also makes driving ''more precisely'', balancing the arcade gameplay and racing simulator just right.

** In ''LA'', turning down steering sensitive to the lowest (-10) not only makes controls harder to steer, but it also makes driving ''more precisely'', balancing the arcade feels and racing simulator just right.

* DifficultButAwesome: Any of the motorcycles in ''II'', ''3'', or ''LA''. They are difficult to control at first, come with less nitrous boosts, and any crash results in your character falling off. But if you can master their handling and not crash, they become near unstoppable in the hands of an experienced player.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: Most players would think of the Zender brand in the first game as yet another fictional brand made up for that game, but it actually existed in real life back in the 90s. The Alpha and Beta vehicles are almost an exact replica of the Zender Fact 4.

''Midnight Club video game'' is a street-racing-based {{racing game}} series created by Rockstar San Diego - formerly known as Angel Studios and creators of the ''VideoGame/MidtownMadness'' franchise. The series includes the following titles:

* GracefulLoser: In ''Midnight Club II'' a certain portion of the racers you beat will end up as this. The most notable example is [[BigFun Moses]] and [[MeanBrit Blog]].

* VanityLicencePlate: Possible to give yourself one of these in ''3'' and ''LA''. ''3'' truly does take it UpToEleven; you can place any 2005-era licence plate from all fifty states on your car, and for California, Georgia and Michigan you can select a range of historical plates as well.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: Most players would think of the Zender brand in the first game as yet another fictional brand made up for that game, but it actually existed in real life back in the 90s. The Alpha and Beta vehicles are almost an exact replica of the Zender Type 4.

** The Mercedes Benz [=SL55=] AMG that is obtained from the San Deigo Tournament in ''3'' is the fast of the Luxury Sedans, but like the Type S from the first game, it has the worst durability.

* BlandNameProduct: Played straight in the first two games. Averted in the latter two, which uses real-life cars.

* DynamicDifficulty: The type of car you bring to race determines what kind of opponents you face-i.e., if you bring, say, a Lamborghini, expect to face off against other exotics.

* FrenchJerk: Stephane in ''II'', an arrogant Parisian[[note]]in fact, the only challenger in Paris who is actually from Paris[[/note]] who belittles you for not having as many girlfriends as him and makes fun of you for being an American.

** Shing, also from ''II'', is pretty loaded. He is so [[SmallNameBigEgo egotistical]] that he makes you complete a time trial and beat his friend Ichiro before you have the "privilege" of racing him. He proves to be a SoreLoser when you win.

* FrenchJerk: Stephane in ''II'', an arrogant Parisian[[note]]in fact, the only challenger in Paris who is actually from Paris[[/note]] who belittles the player for not having as many girlfriends as him, and makes fun of you for being an American.

* DamselInDistress: Gina in ''II'' becomes one in the last third of the game. She makes a bad deal with a shady nightclub owner in Tokyo, which results in him cheating Gina out of her car and getting her in trouble with the Yakuza. The player character must beat a high-ranking Yakuza member named Ken'ichi to clear Gina's debt.

* FrenchJerk: Stephane in ''II'', an arrogant Parisian[[note]]in fact, the only challenger in Paris who is actually from Paris[[/note]] who belittles the player for not having as many girlfriends as him.

* SpoiledBrat: Angel in ''II''. He is a rich, entitled son of a Hollywood producer, and he isn't used to not getting his way.

* DamselInDistress: Gina in ''II'' becomes one in the last third of the game. She makes a bad deal with a shady nightclub owner in Tokyo, which results in him cheating Gina out of her car and getting her in trouble with the Yakuza. The player character must beat a high-ranking associate named Ken'ichi to clear her debt.

* {{Expy}}: Owen, the British inspector who is after Farid in ''II'', is clearly based on Franchise/JamesBond. Owen's car resembles Bond's Aston Martin DB5.

** ''LA'' is one of the few examples of product placement being done right. Variety and placement is good, and it overall improves the realistic feel of the game.

* HateSink: Ricky in ''Midnight Club II'', a sleazy, Yakuza-affiliated nightclub owner who has no problem putting a woman over half his age in mortal danger.

* AsianAirhead: Gina in ''II''.

* BigBrotherInstinct: After you beat Maria in ''II'', you later face her older brother, Hector. He is ''pissed'' at you for winning Maria's car.

* BigFun[=/=]FatBastard - Moses in ''II'', who insults you a bit, but is nevertheless willing to show you (a new driver) the ropes, help you out of a cop chase, and encourage you as you rise up the ranks.

* BulletTime: "Zone" in ''3'' and ''LA''.
* CarFu: "Agro" in ''3'' and ''LA''.

* CoolCar: The point of the game.

* DeadpanSnarker: The player character in ''LA''.
** Along with every other character.

* DrivesLikeCrazy: The main premise of the game.

* {{EMP}}: An equipable offensive power-up in the multiplayer portions of ''2''.
** Promoted to an unlockable ability in the main career in ''LA''.

* GenderBlenderName: Karol, the proprietor of Hollywood Autos.
* GenkiGirl: Gina in ''Midnight Club II''. Bonus points: she's Japanese.

* HateSink: Ricky in ''Midnight Club II''.

** Certain racers such as Angel and Ricky in ''Midnight Club II''.

* LightningBruiser: The Torque JX (Nissan Skyline GT-R R34) from "Midnight Club II" suffers a little from the weight, but it's fast enough to compete with [[FragileSpeedster Savo's Veloci (Saleen S7)]] and also, it's the most durable car in the game.
** The Lusso XT (Lexus GS 300) can invoke this if used in the hands of a experienced player, regarding it's ability to [[GoodBadBugs "Fish tail"]] and handling very well during the races in the rain. Also, fishtailing the Lusso can allow the player outrun the [[GameBreaker SLF450X.]]
* LikeRealityUnlessNoted: Reviews have described ''LA'' as a fairly accurate representation of Los Angeles with certain modifications for better gameplay. This includes a metric buttload of real-life LA landmarks including the Hollywood sign, the Capitol Records Tower, Pink's Hot Dogs, the Viper Room, Rodeo Drive, Grauman's Chinese Theater, the Santa Monica pier, the [[DownLADrain Los Angeles River]] basin, UCLA campus and Paramount Studios to name just a fraction. The game even starts right outside of Carney's Express. However, there are notable exceptions, such as the Staples Center being given the more generic name of "Sports Center" and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum being renamed the "South Central Coliseum". Makes for an almost constant string of HeyItsThatPlace moments.

* SpiritualSuccessor: The first ''Midnight Club'' is this to the first two games of the ''VideoGame/MidtownMadness'' series, developed by Angel Studios, which became Rockstar's San Diego division starting before ''Midnight Club II'' came out. Furthermore, even the engine for the first ''Midnight Club'' game was a heavily improved version of the ''Midtown Madness 2'' engine.
** In case you want to ask why the third game isn't included, that's because it was developed by [[VideoGame/{{Battlefield}} DI]][[VideoGame/MirrorsEdge CE]] instead, while the RS San Diego team pressed on with the ''Midnight Club'' series and never looked back.

* AllegedCar: The starter car in both the first ''Midnight Club'' game and the second one. In the first game, you start off in a pitifully slow taxi, complete with dents and graffiti all over it. In the second game, it does get a little better. However, you still start with one of the slowest cars of the game without any nitrous. Later in the fourth game you get to choose from one of three used cars sitting in the parking lot across from the bus stop you arrive at complete with dents, missing hubcaps and primered, replacment body panels.

'''''Midnight Club''''' is a street-racing-based [[DrivingGame Racing video game]] series created by Rockstar San Diego - formerly known as Angel Studios and creators of the ''VideoGame/MidtownMadness'' franchise. The series includes the following titles:
* ''Midnight Club: Street Racing''
* ''Midnight Club II''
* ''Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition''
** ''Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix''
* ''Midnight Club: UsefulNotes/LosAngeles''
** ''Midnight Club: L.A. Remix''
** ''Midnight Club: Los Angeles[[ColonCancer :]] [[GameOfTheYearEdition Complete Edition]]''

* AllegedCar: The starter car in both the first Midnight Club game and the second one. In the first game, you start off in a pitifully slow taxi, complete with dents and graffiti all over it. In the second game, it does get a little better. However, you still start with one of the slowest cars of the game without any nitrous. Later in the fourth game you get to choose from one of three used cars sitting in the parking lot across from the bus stop you arrive at complete with dents, missing hubcaps and primered, replacment body panels.

* RealSongThemeTune: ''3'' has "Real Big" by Mannie Fresh, while ''LA'' has "Dundy Lion" by Markus Kienzl.
** Speaking of 3, its intro theme is "Follow the Leader" by Calyx.
** The original game had "Strings of Life" by Derrick May.

* UnexpectedCharacter: The ''Remix'' version of ''3'' features the 1966 Cadillac Coup De Ville and 1967 Cadillac Eldorado in the muscle car category, even though neither of them are usually considered muscle cars.

* ImprobablyCoolCar: ''Midnight Club 3'' has the 1999 Dodge Charger R/T Concept, a car that was well received and displayed at car shows as late as 2004 but never made it to production. The game even lampshades the fact that it is a concept car.
** You also have the Chrysler ME Four-Twelve and [=McLaren=] F1 in 3.
*** You can also have a Nissan Skyline in America.[[note]]The Skyline GTR was a sought-after import at the time, helped by the fact that it was featured in ''VideoGame/GranTurismo'' among other things, but it wasn't until 2008 when Nissan would formally release the GTR outside of Japan.[[/note]]

** ''L.A. Remix'' is actually a version of ''LA'' for the PSP. Albeit featuring the updated version of Tokyo from ''II'' and a new career mode after beating the LA career.

*** In ''Midnight Club 3'', a lot of the racers will have fully tuned B-class cars when you have just gotten the ability to fully upgrade your underwhelming D-class car.

** On the related topic of ''WanganMidnight'', one of the games based on the franchise (specifically from its ''Maximum Tune'' spin-off series) has a shout out to ''Los Angeles''. One of the available aero-kits for the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 in one of the games was nearly identical to one of the aero-kits for the same car in ''Los Angeles''.