F355 Challenge Passione Rossa

by Sega

Product Features

• Sega Dreamcast

Product Details

• ASIN: B00004TJDI
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,890 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Product Description

One step on the gas and you'll know this isn't your parents' minivan. Ferrari 355's three play modes will ease you gently into the world of professional racing. First, you'll benefit from voice and visual guidance for braking and shift timing in training mode. Next, the driving mode will put you out alone on the track to get a feel for the car's handling. When you're ready to compete, go on to race mode, where you'll test your skills against computer opponents or a friend via the game's split-screen option. You can even upload your race data to the Internet and download others' data into eight ghost cars, which you can then compete against.

Ferrari 355 offers customizable cars and highly detailed renditions of several professional courses, including Motegi, Monza, Suzuka, and Long Beach. Also, the game is compatible with various different racing controllers.

Amazon.co.uk

Ferrari 355 sees you at the helm of one of the most cherished cars of all time, as you race around six glorious racecourses. This game is all about realism.

With three game modes--training, driving, and racing--players are allowed to ease themselves up the steep, steady learning curve into what is a very real and difficult racing game.

The Training Mode--where it's advisable to start off--gives you help and guidance through voice and visual commands, and shows you braking and gearshift timings, as well as the ideal driving line. The Driving Mode, however, allows you to practice to your heart's content, without the omnipotent voice in the background. The Race Mode, of course, is where all of the action takes place, as it pits you against other F355s.

As is standard now in driving games, all of the usual stunts and tricks are present; championship mode, versus mode, and cable modes are all here. One nice addition, however, is the network option, which allows you to connect via SegaNet and register your driving data. Once you've done this, you can enjoy a time attack against up to 16 other virtual players.

With Yu Suzuki, Sega's leading game producer, at the helm, this game comes up with the goods that it promises. Although at times Ferrari 355 can be gruelingly difficult, it certainly lives up to the action that its title suggests. --Stuart Miles

Pros:

• Highly realistic racing simulation
• Plenty of guidance to get players up to speed

Cons:

• Can be gruelingly difficult for those who have little patience for this type of game

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Racing Sim By Far!, October 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: F355 Challenge Passione Rossa (Video Game)

This game is by far the best driving game on the market. That being said, it is definitely not for everyone. I am a huge car fan, Ferrari in particular. I am also a huge racing fan. So the amazingly realistic way that the car handles and the incredible accuracy of the tracks is wonderful, but if you are not looking for a real racing simulation this probably isnt the game that you want. There are a couple of things that the game does not have that would probably help alot of people out though, such as only one driving view (in car with a little of the steering wheel on the screen), this really didn't effect me though because the in car view always ends up being the one that I use, but if you like the outside of the car view you are out of luck. But this game is all about the racing and the racing is great. Unlike games like Sega GT and Gran Turismo you can not fire up the game for the first time and start winning it takes a little work, but it is much more rewarding when you do finally win a few races. Another strong point of the game is that you cannot build an unbeatable car, so you always have the chance to get beat by the computer controlled cars, which have the best AI that I have ever found in any racing game, they are not completely unbeatable and they actually make realistic mistakes, giving you opportunity to win, but if you blow a turn they will definitely pass you, you cant pull a Gran Turismo and start cutting them off and have them not get by you. Overall if you like real spec. racing this is the game for you. If you want something less realistic Go for Sega Gt or one of the Gran Turismos (I never thought I would be saying that something is more realistic than Sega Gt or Gran Turismo!) But if you do like real racing and the car is not an issue this game can not be beat.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simplicity, excellence, and challenge, October 21, 2000

By 

"lameboy3" (Seattl,e WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: F355 Challenge Passione Rossa (Video Game)

There is a purity to this game that has yet to be captured by any other racing title I've played. While some may want 300+ cars to choose from and an insane sense of speed (ie, Tokyo Extreme2 says you're going 150 mph, yet feels more like 400), F355 is restraint and perfection at it finest.

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!!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Greatest Racing Simulation Ever Made, October 19, 2000

By 

Chris Peters (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: F355 Challenge Passione Rossa (Video Game)

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.