F355 Challenge Passione Rossa

There's plenty to jigger with when it comes to customizing your car, don't get me wrong, but this racer has eliminated excess or anything that isn't necessary which is an amazing achievement these days. Yu Suzuki is a master! The game's simplicity is strangely compelling.

Graphics, physics, control, challenge, are all top notch. The only drawbacks I've found are the inability to save along the way during a world championship quest (who wants to keep their noisy DC humming for 3 days straight?), the music sucks bigtime (that could have been eliminated!) and the instant replay is regrettable at every level.

Other than that, F355 is an amazing feat. The way the environments move past you is simply astonishing. The billboards scrolling by at a silky 60 fps will make your eyes water.

If you want a sophisticated sim and a racing title that's stripped down to the bare, perfected essence, get out your plastic and add this to your shopping cart now! Go for the next day delivery! It'll be worth it!!!


The Greatest Racing Simulation Ever Made   October 20, 2000
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Wow.

I've been thinking for days about what words can describe how perfect this game is. Or should I say "simulation." F355 Challenge is the most realistic racing simulation ever created, on any system. I cannot emphasize that enough. Real-life Ferrari race car drivers actually use this game to practice during the off-season! Still, the game is certainly fun, fun, fun.

The graphics are unbelievable, and not just because they are detailed and pretty. The proportions and the ways the camera moves are so accurate that I actually had to look away from the screen to remind myself that I was playing a game! There are so many little details - the tailpipes flash when you shift gears, the tire smoke is dead-on, the tracks are perfect reproductions of their real-life equivalents. The sound is also great, and is sampled directly from the real cars.

You MUST play this game with a steering wheel (I recommend Mad Catz's). You will find the game much easier, more realistic, and more enjoyable. Beginners can pick up the game fairly easily, thanks to a wonderful training mode that paints a line on the track to follow, and a coach who instructs you when to shift and brake. Four different assist modes help you with everything from braking to stablity, and can be turned off as you get better.

Casual gamers beware - F355 Challenge is easy to learn, but hard to master. Be prepared to spend lots of time learning each track and racing it to perfection. F355 certainly concentrates on the race itself. There is only 1 car and no parts upgrades, so all the cars are evenly matched, and you must use actual skill to win a race. Plus, the AI is outstanding - the computer drivers will definitely challenge you to finish in the top 3 (let alone in 1st). Plus, they make bad turns and screw up in a believeable way. The eleven tracks are wonderful. But again, be prepared to spend hours practicing, driving each course over and over, before you start winning races. Once you do, you will certainly feel that you have earned it, and have learned some real driving skills.


great racing sim   October 17, 2000
Like the previous reviewer said, if your looking for a easy racing game stick with the Rush, or Crazy Taxi. I never had the chance to play F355 in the arcade first hand so I'm going off of what experience I have with pervious games. The game is very realisitc, in sence of making a hair pin turn will require you to slow down to 35mph. Another thing about this game is the physics of the game feel more realistic, like hitting a wall from coming in too fast in a corner. Most games will just bounce you off the wall, while in F355 you will feel "stuck". Some might thing this is a bad thing, but it keep the people who just bounce down the track from winning without any skills.

Overall it's a very nice game, many beautiful tracks, including my favorite, Laguna Seca (need to unlock from start). The only bad things I can think of are, 1- limited cars, which isn't a bad thing just need to point out, and 2- no other view options. Since this porting is so close to the arcade any fan of sims or cars will have a great time playing this game.

Just remeber to practice the tracks a few times before racing aganist the computer cars!


A must have for racing fans   October 3, 2000
If you've played (and played and played) the arcade version of F355, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Many games don't make the jump too well from coin-op to console, but this does. A wheel adds a LOT to this game, but it is playable with the stick. One caveat: this game isn't Speed Devils. The cars react like real cars (brakes aren't like dropping an anchor, doesn't handle like an F1 car, etc) so a bit of driving skill is required to master it. (It might even be a good game for that 15yo about to get a license for that very reason!) I'd go on, but it's calling me from across the room...