F355 Challenge

Who better than Yu Suzuki to create a game where all you do is race Ferraris? Not only is the man incredibly talented when it comes to making video games, but he is also a fan of and owner of Ferraris ... as am I so I've looked forward to this game. Alright time to fire up that V8!

Somewhat surprisingly the game is not an arcade style like, say, Outrun. Instead the game is a very realistic, difficult, and rewarding driving experience. Despite not having the arcade-style game play, the game was available in arcades. It's a massive sit-down affair with three screens displaying a true driver's POV running on four Naomi boards (four!). The thing is as close to driving a car as you can get without actually driving a car. That AM2 was able to port this thing over to DC and make it run on one board is amazing.

As the title suggests the Ferrari 355 is in the game, in fact it's the only car in the game (which is kind of a shame ... but not too much so, it's a fantastic stripped down sports car with a big high tech V8 that still holds up very well today) and as far as customization goes you can only choose the color of the car (which is how it should be with a Ferrari, there is no need for mods). There is also only one point of view in the game-in car. I can appreciate this since it's my favorite view and the only true way to play, but it wouldn't have hurt to let people have a choice in the matter.

The game is presented very well. Fast load times, great menus and a logical layout. Audio is excellent, I love the sound of a Ferrari engine and exhaust blasting through my speakers. The music is pretty horrid though. Graphics are about as good as you can get on the Dreamcast and hold up pretty well even today.

Now, of course, the most important thing here is game play. How does the game play? Well, with top-notch physics and handling, challenging and intelligent AI the game is flawless and with tons of replay value even with only one car. This is one game I highly recommend to racing enthusiasts, especially if you're into Ferrari and Sega.