View source for Midnight Club

{{short description|Video game series}}
{{For multi|the street racing club the series is named after|Hashiriya|the TV series|The Midnight Club{{!}}''The Midnight Club''|the film|Midnight Club (film){{!}}''Midnight Club'' (film)}}
{{Infobox video game series
| title              = Midnight Club
| image              = Midnight Club Los Angeles logo.png
| caption            = Most recent version of the series logo, as seen in ''[[Midnight Club: Los Angeles]]''
| platforms          = [[PlayStation 2]]<br />[[Game Boy Advance]]<br />[[Xbox (console)|Xbox]]<br />[[Microsoft Windows]]<br />[[PlayStation Portable]]<br />[[PlayStation 3]]<br />[[Xbox 360]]
| developer          = [[Rockstar San Diego]]<br />[[Rebellion Developments]]<br />[[Rockstar Leeds]]<br />[[Rockstar London]] 
| publisher          = [[Rockstar Games]]<br />[[Destination Software Inc.|Destination Software]]
| genre              = [[Racing video game|Racing]]
| spinoffs           =
| first release version  = ''[[Midnight Club: Street Racing]]''
| first release date     = October 26, 2000
| latest release version = ''[[Midnight Club: Los Angeles#Complete Edition|Midnight Club: Los Angeles Complete Edition]]''
| latest release date    = October 12, 2009
}}

'''''Midnight Club''''' is a series of [[Racing video game#Arcade-style racers|arcade-style]] [[racing video game]]s developed by [[Rockstar San Diego]] and published by [[Rockstar Games]]. ''Midnight Club'' is similar to the ''[[Midtown Madness (series)|Midtown Madness]]'' series (previously developed by Angel Studios), with a focus on competitive street racing in [[open world]] urban environments. Throughout the series, players race through condensed depictions of [[New York City]], [[London]], [[Los Angeles]], [[Paris]], [[Tokyo]], [[San Diego]], [[Atlanta]], and [[Detroit]].

==Premise==
The ''Midnight Club'' series was inspired by the real life Japanese racing group (''hashiriya''), known as the ''Mid Night Racing Team'', that hosted illegal street runs on the [[Bayshore Route]] (known natively as the {{transliteration|ja|Wangan}}) of the [[Shuto Expressway]] in the [[Greater Tokyo Area]]. Two [[kanji]] characters ({{nihongo2|湾岸}}, or "wangan") appear in each of the series' logos; the Japanese [[manga]] series ''[[Wangan Midnight]]'' — also inspired by the club — includes the same two characters in its logos. The kanji is removed from the titles in the Japanese versions of ''Midnight Club: Street Racing'' and ''Midnight Club: Los Angeles'' as to avoid legal conflict with ''Wangan Midnight'' rights owners [[Kodansha]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}}

In each game, the player begins with a relatively unmodified and slow vehicle. Higher-performance vehicles can be won or purchased by the player after competing in races against other club members. The goal is to defeat each of the other opponents (which include "city champion" and "world champion" racers) en route to becoming the new champion of the Midnight Club. Later installments of the series include real vehicle brands with sophisticated customization options for each, and "club" races, which consist of racers using vehicles of the same class.

==Titles==
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Title
! rowspan="2"| Developer
! colspan="3"| Availability
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| <small>'''Console'''</small>
|| <small>'''Computer'''</small>
|| <small>'''Handheld'''</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2000
| ''[[Midnight Club: Street Racing]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Rockstar San Diego|Angel Studios]]
| style="background:#dfd;" | {{Flatlist|
* [[PlayStation 2|PS2]]}}
| style="background:#fdd;"| 
| style="background:#dfd;"| {{Flatlist|
* [[Game Boy Advance|GBA]]
}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2003
| ''[[Midnight Club II]]''
| rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;" | [[Rockstar San Diego]]
| style="background:#dfd;"| {{Flatlist|
* [[PlayStation 2|PS2]]
* [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]]
}}
| style="background:#dfd;"| [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]
| style="background:#fdd;"| 
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2005
| ''[[Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition]]''
| style="background:#dfd;"| {{Flatlist|
* [[PlayStation 2|PS2]]
* [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]]
}} 
| style="background:#fdd;"| 
| style="background:#dfd;"| {{Flatlist|
* [[PlayStation Portable|PSP]]
}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2006
| ''[[Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition#Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition Remix|Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix]]''
| style="background:#dfd;"| {{Flatlist|
* [[PlayStation 2|PS2]]
* [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]]
}} 
| style="background:#fdd;"| 
| style="background:#fdd;"|
|-
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| 2008
| ''[[Midnight Club: Los Angeles]]''
| style="background:#dfd;"| {{Flatlist|
* [[PlayStation 3|PS3]]
* [[Xbox 360|X360]]
}}
| style="background:#fdd;"| 
| style="background:#fdd;"| 
|-
| ''[[Midnight Club: Los Angeles#Midnight Club: L.A. Remix|Midnight Club: L.A. Remix]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Rockstar London]]
| style="background:#fdd;"| 
| style="background:#fdd;"| 
| style="background:#dfd;"| [[PlayStation Portable|PSP]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2009
| ''[[Midnight Club: Los Angeles#Complete Edition|Midnight Club: Los Angeles Complete Edition]]''
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Rockstar San Diego]]
| style="background:#dfd;"| {{Flatlist|
* [[PlayStation 3|PS3]]
* [[Xbox 360|X360]]
}} 
| style="background:#fdd;"| 
| style="background:#fdd;"| 
|}

===''Midnight Club: Street Racing''===
{{Main|Midnight Club: Street Racing}}

===''Midnight Club II''===
{{Main|Midnight Club II}}

===''Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition''===
''[[Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition]]'', developed by [[Rockstar San Diego]] and published by [[Rockstar Games]], is the third game in the ''Midnight Club'' series. It is also the first game in the series to feature licensed vehicles and allow players to customize their cars and bikes with performance and visual upgrades. It was released for the [[PlayStation 2]] and [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] on April 11, 2005, and later ported to the [[PlayStation Portable]] in June of that same year. The three cities featured are [[San Diego, California|San Diego]], [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]], and [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]]. The name derived from a partnership between Rockstar and ''[[DUB Magazine]]'', which features heavily in the game in the form of DUB-sponsored races and DUB-customized vehicles. The [[PlayStation Portable]] port was developed by [[Rockstar Leeds]].

====''DUB Edition Remix''====
''[[Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition#Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix|Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix]]'' is an updated version of ''Midnight Club 3''. This edition has an extra map of Tokyo updated from ''[[Midnight Club 2]]'' which adds new missions to the game. Along with that come several new cars, new races, new battle maps, rims, vinyls, hydraulics, body kits, and music.

===''Midnight Club: Los Angeles''===
''[[Midnight Club: Los Angeles]]'' is the fourth addition to the ''Midnight Club'' lineup. It was released for [[PlayStation 3]] and [[Xbox 360]] in 2008 on October 20 for North America and October 24 for Europe. As the name suggests, the game is based in [[Los Angeles]], featuring [[Santa Monica]], [[Beverly Hills]], [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], [[Hollywood Hills]], [[San Fernando Valley]], [[Downtown L.A.]], and most recently [[South Los Angeles|South Central]]. The designers used real street maps in developing the game. The game features online play and downloadable content. Licensed cars and bikes return, including new models and brands such as [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] and [[Mazda]], which were not seen  in ''Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition''.

====''L.A. Remix''====
''[[Midnight Club: Los Angeles#Midnight Club: L.A. Remix|Midnight Club: L.A. Remix]]'' is the portable adaption of ''Midnight Club: Los Angeles'' for the [[PlayStation Portable]]. The port is developed by [[Rockstar London]] with [[Rockstar San Diego]]. The game features the map of Los Angeles used in ''Midnight Club II'' rather than the map used in the console versions of ''Los Angeles''. The game also features the city of Tokyo, using the map from ''Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix''.

====''Complete Edition''====
{{Main|Midnight Club: Los Angeles#Complete Edition.}}

== Reception ==
<!--- Please do not remove scores from gamerankings.com (as they includes reviews that aren't on Metacritic); the webpages (sources) can still be viewed via the Wayback Machine at web.archive.org and all scores are archived at https://gr.blade.sk/#/ -->{{Video game series reviews
| updated = 26 March 2019
| game1 = [[Midnight Club: Street Racing]]
| gr1 = (PS2) 77%<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game|title=Video Game Reviews, Articles, Trailers and more - Metacritic|website=www.metacritic.com}}</ref><br />(GBA) 48%<ref name="auto"/>
| mc1 = (PS2) 78%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/midnight-club-street-racing/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2|title=Midnight Club: Street Racing|website=Metacritic}}</ref><br />(GBA) 50%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/midnight-club-street-racing/critic-reviews/?platform=game-boy-advance|title=Midnight Club: Street Racing|website=Metacritic}}</ref>
| game2 = [[Midnight Club II]]
| gr2 = (Xbox) 87%<ref name="auto"/><br />(PS2) 86%<ref name="auto"/><br />(PC) 85%<ref name="auto"/>
| mc2 = (Xbox) 86%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/midnight-club-ii/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox|title=Midnight Club II|website=Metacritic}}</ref><br />(PS2) 85%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/midnight-club-ii/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2|title=Midnight Club II|website=Metacritic}}</ref><br />(PC) 81%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/midnight-club-ii/critic-reviews/?platform=pc|title=Midnight Club II|website=Metacritic}}</ref>
| game3 = [[Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition]]
| gr3 = (PS2) 86%<ref name="auto"/><br />(Xbox) 86%<ref name="auto"/><br />(PSP) 75%<ref name="auto"/>
| mc3 = (PS2) 84%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/midnight-club-3-dub-edition/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2|title=Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition|website=Metacritic}}</ref><br />(Xbox) 84%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/midnight-club-3-dub-edition/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox|title=Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition|website=Metacritic}}</ref><br />(PSP) 74%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/midnight-club-3-dub-edition/critic-reviews/?platform=psp|title=Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition|website=Metacritic}}</ref>
| game4 = [[Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition#Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition Remix|Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix]]
| gr4 = (Xbox) 87%<ref name="auto"/><br />(PS2) 86%<ref name="auto"/>
| mc4 = (Xbox) 87%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/midnight-club-3-dub-edition-remix/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox|title=Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix|website=Metacritic}}</ref><br />(PS2) 85%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/midnight-club-3-dub-edition-remix/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2|title=Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix|website=Metacritic}}</ref>
| game5 = [[Midnight Club: Los Angeles]]
| gr5 = (PS3) 82%<ref name="auto"/><br />(X360) 81%<ref name="auto"/>
| mc5 = (PS3) 82%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/midnight-club-los-angeles/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3|title=Midnight Club: Los Angeles|website=Metacritic}}</ref><br />(X360) 81%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/midnight-club-los-angeles/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360|title=Midnight Club: Los Angeles|website=Metacritic}}</ref>
| game6 = [[Midnight Club: Los Angeles#Midnight Club: L.A. Remix|Midnight Club: L.A. Remix]]
| gr6 = (PSP) 79%<ref name="auto"/>
| mc6 = (PSP) 79%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/midnight-club-la-remix/critic-reviews/?platform=psp|title=Midnight Club: LA Remix|website=Metacritic}}</ref>
}}

The series has received generally positive reviews from critics.
{{clear}}

==Future==
In January 2010, Rockstar had stalled plans for a future ''Midnight Club'' installment, and the development team was slowly dismantled.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2010/01/11/sources-rockstar-san-diego-not-working-on-more-midnight-club-ga/|title = Sources: Rockstar San Diego not working on more Midnight Club games, future games in jeopardy| date=11 January 2010 }}</ref> [[Take-Two Interactive]] re-registered the ''Midnight Club'' trademark in 2012,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://trademarks.justia.com/856/31/midnight-85631417.html|title=MIDNIGHT CLUB - Trademark Details|publisher=[[Justia]]|access-date=September 27, 2022}}</ref> and acknowledged the series in a January 2022 conference call.<ref>{{cite news|last=Skrebels|first=Joe|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/midnight-club-take-two-iconic-franchise-mobile|title=Take-Two CEO Namechecks Midnight Club, Despite a 13 Year Wait for a New Game|publisher=[[IGN]]|date=January 10, 2022|access-date=September 27, 2022}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.rockstargames.com/midnightclub/}}
* {{MobyGames|id=-group/midnight-club-series|name=''Midnight Club'' series}}

{{Midnight Club series}}
{{Rockstar Games}}
{{Take-Two Interactive}}

[[Category:Open-world video games]]
[[Category:Rockstar Games games]]
[[Category:Rockstar Games franchises]]
[[Category:Street racing video games]]
[[Category:Take-Two Interactive franchises]]
[[Category:Video game franchises introduced in 2000]]