<s>
Grand	B-Application
Prix	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
released	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
as	O
"	O
Grand	B-Application
Prix	I-Application
II	I-Application
"	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
racing	B-Application
simulator	I-Application
released	O
by	O
MicroProse	O
in	O
1996	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
Formula	B-Application
One	I-Application
Grand	I-Application
Prix	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
made	O
under	O
an	O
official	O
FIA	O
license	O
that	O
featured	O
the	O
Formula	B-Application
One	I-Application
1994	O
season	O
,	O
with	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
circuits	O
,	O
teams	O
,	O
drivers	O
and	O
cars	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Grand	B-Application
Prix	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
hit	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
recognized	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
definitive	O
racing	B-Application
simulations	I-Application
of	O
its	O
era	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
simulation	O
of	O
the	O
1994	O
Formula	B-Application
One	I-Application
season	O
with	O
all	O
16	O
circuits	O
from	O
the	O
1994	O
season	O
and	O
28	O
drivers	O
in	O
their	O
14	O
teams	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
includes	O
all	O
parts	O
of	O
a	O
Formula	B-Application
One	I-Application
weekend	O
,	O
including	O
practice	O
,	O
qualifying	O
and	O
racing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
was	O
no	O
"	O
arcade	O
"	O
mode	O
in	O
Grand	B-Application
Prix	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
per	O
se	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
included	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
turn	O
on	O
and	O
off	O
seven	O
"	O
driving	O
aids	O
"	O
:	O
steering	O
help	O
,	O
braking	O
help	O
,	O
automatic	O
turn-around	O
(	O
has	O
the	O
car	O
face	O
forward	O
after	O
a	O
crash	O
)	O
,	O
indestructibility	O
,	O
racing	O
line	O
help	O
,	O
automatic	O
shifting	O
and	O
traction	O
control	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
of	O
a	O
split	O
screen	O
game	O
,	O
The	B-Application
computer	I-Application
simulates	O
the	O
driving	O
for	O
the	O
other	O
players	O
 '	O
cars	O
when	O
they	O
are	O
not	O
being	O
controlled	O
by	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
players	O
waiting	O
their	O
turn	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
featured	O
a	O
replay	B-Application
function	O
and	O
save	O
game	O
feature	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
replay	B-Application
function	O
showed	O
the	O
last	O
~	O
30	O
seconds	O
of	O
racing	O
and	O
included	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
save	O
replays	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
game	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
to	O
simulate	O
visual	O
car	O
failures	O
;	O
as	O
in	O
1989	O
's	O
Indianapolis	B-Application
500	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Simulation	I-Application
cars	O
fell	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
race	O
but	O
went	O
to	O
the	O
pits	O
and	O
parked	O
permanently	O
when	O
a	O
car	O
failure	O
occurred	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Grand	B-Application
Prix	I-Application
II	I-Application
did	O
not	O
include	O
wet	O
weather	O
conditions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
also	O
was	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
a	O
'	O
black	O
flag	O
 '	O
system	O
replicating	O
Formula	B-Application
One	I-Application
regulation	O
penalties	O
for	O
course	O
cutting	O
,	O
instead	O
slowing	O
the	O
car	O
down	O
for	O
a	O
limited	O
period	O
of	O
time	O
if	O
the	O
course	O
is	O
cut	O
through	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Geoff	O
Crammond	O
as	O
a	O
follow	O
up	O
to	O
1991	O
's	O
Formula	B-Application
One	I-Application
Grand	I-Application
Prix	I-Application
(	O
which	O
was	O
known	O
as	O
World	B-Application
Circuit	I-Application
in	O
the	O
US	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
serious	O
racing	B-Application
simulation	I-Application
programmed	O
with	O
all	O
three	O
axes	O
in	O
it	O
—	O
i.e.	O
</s>
<s>
the	O
ability	O
for	O
vehicles	O
to	O
get	O
airborne	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
(	O
1990	O
's	O
Stunts	B-Application
and	O
Stunt	B-Application
Driver	I-Application
featured	O
this	O
ability	O
,	O
but	O
were	O
not	O
racing	B-Application
simulations	I-Application
of	O
a	O
series	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
GP2	O
lacked	O
the	O
feature	O
of	O
having	O
a	O
car	O
flip	O
over	O
entirely	O
,	O
which	O
not	O
yet	O
was	O
seen	O
in	O
hardcore	O
racing	B-Application
simulations	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
's	O
Monster	B-Application
Truck	I-Application
Madness	I-Application
(	O
1996	B-Application
)	O
,	O
simulating	O
monster	O
truck	O
racing	O
,	O
may	O
have	O
been	O
the	O
first	O
to	O
have	O
that	O
feature	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
included	O
more	O
extensive	O
physics	O
and	O
included	O
image	O
mapping	O
over	O
the	O
3D	O
model	O
of	O
the	O
car	O
to	O
show	O
vehicle	O
liveries	O
,	O
a	O
feature	O
that	O
emerged	O
in	O
racing	B-Application
simulations	I-Application
with	O
Papyrus	O
Design	O
Group	O
's	O
1993	O
IndyCar	B-Application
Racing	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
Grand	B-Application
Prix	I-Application
2s	I-Application
release	O
in	O
July	O
1996	B-Application
,	O
its	O
global	O
sales	O
reached	O
500,000	O
copies	O
in	O
September	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Grand	B-Application
Prix	I-Application
2	I-Application
sold	O
1.5	O
million	O
copies	O
worldwide	O
by	O
late	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
hailed	O
Grand	B-Application
Prix	I-Application
II	I-Application
as	O
stunning	O
and	O
the	O
class	O
of	O
the	O
field	O
for	O
Formula	O
1	O
simulations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jim	O
Varner	O
of	O
GameSpot	O
particularly	O
applauded	O
the	O
way	O
it	O
breaks	O
the	O
convention	O
of	O
racing	O
games	O
always	O
falling	O
into	O
either	O
simulation-style	O
or	O
arcade-style	O
,	O
through	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
adjustable	O
"	O
driving	O
aids	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
when	O
turned	O
off	O
make	O
Grand	B-Application
Prix	I-Application
II	I-Application
a	O
phenomenally	O
complex	O
and	O
realistic	O
driving	O
sim	O
,	O
and	O
when	O
turned	O
on	O
make	O
it	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
fun	O
and	O
exciting	O
arcade-style	O
racers	O
ever	O
made	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Grand	B-Application
Prix	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
nominated	O
as	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Pluss	O
1996	B-Application
"	O
Racing	B-Application
Simulation	I-Application
"	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
,	O
although	O
it	O
lost	O
to	O
NASCAR	B-Application
Racing	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
they	O
never	O
published	O
a	O
review	O
of	O
Grand	B-Application
Prix	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
shortly	O
after	O
its	O
release	O
Next	O
Generation	O
named	O
it	O
the	O
46th	O
best	O
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
as	O
the	O
most	O
sophisticated	O
and	O
realistic	O
driving	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Grand	B-Application
Prix	I-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
its	O
predecessor	O
,	O
collectively	O
,	O
were	O
named	O
the	O
seventh	O
best	O
computer	O
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
by	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
UK	O
in	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
