History YMMV / TestDrive

* SequelDisplacement: Many new players of the TurnOfTheMillennium started out with ''Unlimited'', not the very first game nor ''Overdrive''. ''Unlimited'' being a GenreShift ContinuityReboot doesn't help.

* UncannyValley: The car models in ''Test Drive 6'' is what criticized the game to below-average levels, with the Audi TT, the Nissan Skyline, the TVR Griffith, and the Subaru Impreza 22B being the most notable examples of this trope.

** ''Test Drive Unlimited 2'' had three distinct groups for '''A'''sphalt 7-1, Off-Road ('''B''', which could stand for '''B'''aja) 4-2 and '''C'''lassic 4-1 with lowering numbers denoting their performance. The bikes have their own '''M'''otorbike '''A'''sphalt groups or '''MA''' 2-1. Specific secret or DLC cars have a class for them that Solar Crown doesn't cover such as the aforementioned MA 2 and 1 bike classes. B2 is reserved for the V8 Buggy and Lancia Stratos Group 4 (there's no B1). C2 has the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, AC Cobra 427 and Ferrari 250 GTO while the only car in C1 is the Ferrari F40. Both the Unofficial Patches and other mods like the [=AutoPack=] add additional cars and bikes to the underused classes.
** ''Test Drive 6'' also did this, but it had only four car classes, with Class 1 being the slowest, and Class 4 being the fastest. Class 2 even has cars that didn't even make into production (Dodge Concept Car aka the Dodge Copperhead for instance), or for export to Europe and America, such as the Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (R34).
* CriticalDissonance: ''Eve of Destruction'' received mixed-to-positive critical reviews. User reviews on Metacritic, on the other hand, have been nothing but positive, and is generally held by its players in high regards.

* ObviousBeta: ''Test Drive 5'' and it's UsefulNotes/PlayStation version is known to be one of those games in the series that was rushed for the holiday season, with unfinished car models and features to boot, such as the surround sound option, which breaks some of the sound effects, and causes the game to play low-quality music tracks from the point to point tracks if you're in a circuit race. Luckily, the PC version was a bit more polished.

** Test Drive 6 and it's North American [[UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]] version. It was blamed for having poor sound, even worse car modeling than the UsefulNotes/PlayStation version, long loading times, and being released at the wrong time.
** The PC version of Test Drive 2 only supported EGA graphics and PC Speaker audio despite the fact that sound cards had been available for two years, as was VGA[[note]]Both the [=AdLib=] music card and Covox Speech Thing, as well as VGA, were introduced in 1987, as was Creative's Game Blaster PSG card, and of course the 76489 PSG has been available on the [=PCjr=] and Tandy [=PCs=] since 1984[[/note]]. And still on the topic of Test Drive 2, The Macintosh version of the game, while having superior audio to the PC version, only supported Black & White graphics despite the first color Macintosh, The Machintosh II, hitting the market the year prior, in 1988.

* ThatOneLevel: For ''Test Drive 6'', Lake Tahoe Circuit, being the game's equivalent of the SlippySlideyIceWorld, which, being a ''racing'' game, spells certain doom already. The awkwardness of the track's design (including very poorly-thought out bottleneck corners that have guaranteed traffic/[[DemonicSpiders cop]] spawns) makes the situation ''that'' much worse.
* UncannyValley: The car models in ''Test Drive 6'' is what criticized the game to below-average levels, with the Audi TT, the Nissan Skyline, the TVR Griffith and the Subaru Impreza 22B being the most notable examples of this trope.

* HarsherInHindsight: Pitbull Syndicate's logo as seen on the [=PS1=] games in the series would later be co-opted by [[http://www.adl.org/education/references/hate-symbols/pit-bull white supremacist]] hate groups.

** The PC version of Test Drive 2 only supported EGA graphics and PC Speaker audio despite the fact that sound cards had been available for two years, as was VGA[[note]]Both the [=AdLib=] music card and Covox Speech Thing, as well as VGA, were introduced in 1987, and of course the 76489 PSG has been available on the [=PCjr=] and Tandy [=PCs=] since 1984[[/note]]. And still on the topic of Test Drive 2, The Macintosh version of the game, while having superior audio to the PC version, only supported Black & White graphics despite the first color Macintosh, The Machintosh II, hitting the market the year prior, in 1988.

* PortingDisaster: Test Drive 6 and it's North American [[UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]] version. It was blamed for having poor sound, even worse car modeling than the UsefulNotes/PlayStation version, long loading times, and being released at the wrong time.

** ''Test Drive 6'' also did this, but it had only four car classes, with Class 1 being the slowest, and Class 4 being the fastest. Class 2 even has cars that didn't even make into production (Dodge Concept Car aka the Dodge Copperhead for instance), or for export to Europe and America, such the Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (R34).

* ObviousBeta: ''Test Drive 5'' and it's UsefulNotes/PlayStation version is known to be one of those games in the series that was rushed for the holiday season, with unfinished car models and features to boot, such as the surround sound option, which breaks some of the sound effects, and causes the game to play low-quality music tracks from the point to point tracks if you're in a circuit race.
* PolishedPort: the [[UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]] version of ''Test Drive: Le Mans'' was a massive upgrade over the UsefulNotes/PlayStation original, to the point that it almost counts as a new game under the same name. In fact, the European release, as well as the Windows and UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 ports, are titled ''Le Mans 24 Hours'', without the ''Test Drive'' brand, to make the distinction clearer.
* PortingDisaster: Test Drive 6 and it's North American [[UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]] version. It was blamed for having poor sound, even worse car modeling than the PC and the UsefulNotes/PlayStation version, long loading times, and being released at the wrong time.

* SoOkayItsAverage: ''5'' and ''Overdrive'' faced this by the critics. Including the console-exclusive ''Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open''.

* PortingDisaster: Test Drive 6 and it's North American [[UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]] version. It was blamed for having poor sound, even worse car modeling than the PC and the UsefulNotes/PlayStation PlayStation version, long loading times, and being released at the wrong time.

* PortingDisaster: Test Drive 6 and it's North American [[UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]] version. It was blamed for having poor sound, even worse car modeling than the PC and the [[UsefulNotes/SonyPlayStation]] PlayStation version, long loading times, and being released at the wrong time.

** ''Test Drive 6'' did this, but it had only four classes, with the last being the fastest. Class 2 even has cars that didn't make into Europe and America, like the Nissan Skyline GTR V-Spec (R34).

* PolishedPort: the [[UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]] version of ''Test Drive: Le Mans'' was a massive upgrade over the PlayStation original, to the point that it almost counts as a new game under the same name. In fact, the European release, as well as the Windows and UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 ports, are titled ''Le Mans 24 Hours'', without the Test Drive brand, to make the distinction clearer.

* SoOkayItsAverage: 5 and Overdrive faced this by the critics. Including the console-exclusive ''Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open''.

* CriticalDissonance: ''Eve of Destruction'', an installment centered around demolition derbies, received mixed-to-positive critical reviews. User reviews on Metacritic, on the other hand, have been nothing but positive, and is generally held by its players in high regards.

* BrokenBase: ''Test Drive Unlimited 2'' split the fanbase into two: one part says that the game, being full of (sometimes helpful) glitches and with a hard-to-master driving system, is SoOkayItsAverage; the other one says that it's one of the most revolutionary racing games of all time, and despite all the [[EightPointEight average reviews by game critics]], it's fun and is an unforgettable experience.

** Test Drive 6 did this, but it had only four classes, with the last being the fastest. Class 2 even has cars that didn't make into Europe and America, like the Nissan Skyline GTR V-Spec (R34).
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: And how. Both ''Unlimited'' and ''Unlimited 2'' have really memorable pieces; but the crown goes to ''Unlimited 2''. Its music is just spot-on for the game's feeling. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV89s3FUOWc Here]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvss3uhSKjw are]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32ZSGAlRp78 a]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elUVRdEodXs few]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmI6nPwJW5U examples.]]
** {{Trance}} music also gets its spotlight in ''Unlimited 2'', where it fits [[UpToEleven like milk with cookies.]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF_Uhcr4Xn8 Paul van Dyk's "For an Angel"]] is '''the best song in the whole game'''.
** Hell, there's even Music/{{deadmau5}} in the soundtrack of ''[=TDU2=]''. Hello, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s80dentwJUs "Ghosts n' Stuff".]]
** There's even {{Dubstep}} in the soundtrack! Music/EllieGoulding, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp1SHS36Pvc "Under the Sheets (Jakwob Remix).]] '''IT ROCKS.'''
* FirstInstallmentWins: The first ''Test Drive Unlimited'' has far better vehicle handling physics than its sequel; as a driving game, it's leagues above the sequel. Thanks to unofficial patches and other mods, ''2'' might be VindicatedByHistory now.
* GoodBadBugs: ''Test Drive Unlimited 2'' has a particularly big one that's still unfixed (and because Eden Games is dead, may never be fixed) where you can buy DLC vehicles (be it normally being locked or in offline mode where DLC isn't available) without any third-party tools. To do this, talk to the clerk to bring up the vehicles list then move the selection to an unlocked/non-DLC vehicle just above or below the desired DLC vehicle, press the A/X/Confirm button then just a split second after you hear the selection beep, try to move the selection to the desired DLC vehicle, the game will bring up the appearance options for the DLC car, acting as if you were buying an unlocked vehicle and will allow you to buy it. Just be warned when doing this online as that can and will trigger the anti-hack system, it's safer do this in offline mode or when running the Unofficial Patch with the Universal Launcher.

* MostAnnoyingSound: The glitchy chirping noise of the F.R.I.M meter disappearing after a collision in ''2''.
* MostWonderfulSound: Conversely to the above, the short fanfare when reaching F.R.I.M Level 10 and the jingle of banking $10,000.
** Leveling up in ''2'' with that muscle car growl.
* {{Narm}}: The voice acting in ''Test Drive Unlimited 2'' was [[{{Understatement}} not the game's selling point]] and the story was very much an ExcusePlot.

** Getting arrested in ''Unlimited'' can be pretty annoying too.
* NintendoHard: The driving schools in ''Test Drive Unlimited 2''. They force the handling model to be set to Sport, meaning if you're used to Full Assistance then be ready to spin out with some of the lessons having tight time limits and unforgiving conditions where touching an obstacle or another car you need to overtake fails you instantly. At least the instructors don't chew you out and encourage you to try again.
** The special missions in the Explorer DLC, denoted by the golden bomb icon and last for half-an-hour on the map, are not only incredibly hard but are required if you want to find the special wrecks for the Lancia Stratos Group 4 on Ibiza or the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T in Hawaii. The Extreme Convoys are not that bad provided you're careful about your driving and maybe even follow traffic laws to reduce the chance of a fender-bender, it's the Timed Convoys that are really difficult with a time limit that can run down even without crashes and off-road slides, enforcing you to both drive extremely fast and not bump into anything, throw in randomized traffic, tight corners, up/downhill driving and maybe the car in question having the tendency to spin out even with Full Assistance turned on makes these missions a stone's throw from impossible. Be ready to be called incompetent a lot before finally succeeding.

* SidetrackedByTheGoldSaucer: Be forewarned when [[BribingYourWayToVictory unlocking]] the casino in the second game. You may spend more time on the BettingMiniGame[=s=] than you will driving your {{cool car}}(s). The achievement name for winning the Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro (be it via the specific ''Test Drive'' slot machine or grinding tokens) lampshades this with "Ready to Play ''Test Drive Unlimited 2''?"
* ValuesDissonance: Tail missions, where your objective is to keep your car within range of another car that belongs to your passenger's girlfriend until she reaches her destination. Not exactly the worst thing you could do but something just feels wrong about doing it.
** Somewhat justified, as the reason you're following them is to see whether or not their partner is [[YourCheatingHeart cheating]] on them. Still weird that they'd rely on someone in an insanely expensive and loud supercar to be discreet when in reality it would just draw more attention than it's worth.
* UncannyValley: The avatars.

** ''Test Drive Unlimited 2'' had three distinct groups for '''A'''sphalt 7-1, Off-Road ('''B''', which could stand for '''B'''aja) 4-2 and '''C'''lassic 4-1 with lowering numbers denoting their performance. The bikes have their own '''M'''otorbike '''A'''sphalt groups or '''MA''' 2-1. Specific secret or DLC cars have a class for them that Solar Crown doesn't cover such as the aforementioned MA 2 and 1 bike classes. B2 is reserved for the V8 Buggy and Lancia Stratos Group 4 (there's no B1). C2 has the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, AC Cobra 427 and Ferrari 250 GTO while the only car in C1 is the Ferrari F40. Both the Unofficial Patches and other mods like the [=AutoPack=] add additional cars and bikes to the underused classes

* FirstInstallmentWins: The first ''Test Drive Unlimited'' has far better vehicle handling physics than its sequel; as a driving game, it's leagues above the sequel.

** ''Test Drive Unlimited 2'' had three distinct groups for '''A'''sphalt 7-1, Off-Road ('''B''', which could stand for '''B'''aja) 4-2 and '''C'''lassic 4-1 with lowering numbers denoting their performance. The bikes have their own '''M'''otorbike '''A'''sphalt groups or '''MA''' 2-1. Specific secret or DLC cars have a class for them that Solar Crown doesn't cover such as the aforementioned MA 2 and 1 bike classes. B2 is reserved for the V8 Buggy and Lancia Stratos Group 4 (there's no B1). C2 has the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, AC Cobra 427 and Ferrari 250 GTO while the only car in C1 is the Ferrari F40 (and the Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quatrovalvole if you use Unofficial Patch V0.4).

* GoodBadBugs: ''Test Drive Unlimited 2'' has a particularly big one that's still unfixed (and because Eden Games is dead, may never be fixed) where you can buy DLC vehicles (be it normally being locked or in offline mode where DLC isn't available) without any third-party tools. To do this, talk to the clerk to bring up the vehicles list then move the selection to the unlocked/non-DLC vehicle just above or below the desired DLC car, then press the A/X/Confirm button and just a split second after pressing it, try to move the selection to the desired DLC car, the game will act as if you were buying the unlocked car you selected beforehand. Just be warned when doing this online as that can and will trigger the anti-hack system, it's safer do this in offline mode or when running the Unofficial Patch with the Universal Launcher.

* GoodBadBugs: ''Test Drive Unlimited 2'' has a particularly big one that's still unfixed (and because Eden Games is dead, may never be fixed) where you can buy DLC vehicles (be it normally being locked or in offline mode where DLC isn't available) without any third-party tools. To do this, talk to the clerk to bring up the vehicles list then move the selection to the car just above or below the desired DLC car, then press the A/X/Confirm button and just a split second after pressing it, move the selection to the desired DLC car, the game will act as if you were buying the unlocked car you selected beforehand. Just be warned when doing this online as that can and will trigger the anti-hack system, it's safer do this in offline mode or when running the Unofficial Patch with the Universal Launcher.

** ''Test Drive Unlimited 2'' had three distinct groups for '''A'''sphalt 7-1, Off-Road ('''B''' which could stand for '''B'''aja) 4-2 and '''C'''lassic 4-1 with lowering numbers denoting their performance. The bikes have their own '''M'''otorbike '''A'''sphalt groups or '''MA''' 2-1. Specific secret or DLC cars have a class for them that Solar Crown doesn't cover such as the aforementioned MA 2 and 1 bike classes. B2 is reserved for the V8 Buggy and Lancia Stratos Group 4 (there's no B1). C2 has the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe and Ferrari 250 GTO while the only car in C1 is the Ferrari F40 (and the Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quatrovalvole if you use Unofficial Patch V0.4).