Ferrari F355 Challenge

by "Sega of America, Inc."

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00006IGO5
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: September 24, 2002
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,189 in Video Games (See Bestsellers in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

A game that’s been a long time coming to the PS2, Ferrari F355 is an immense challenge for the dedicated driving game fan--it's undeniably showing its age a little, yet not to the detriment of quality entertainment.

Despite the presence of an arcade mode and various driving aids to help break the player into the game, this isn’t the kind of racing game that beginners will easily find enjoyable. Much practice and a patient, tactical approach wins you races here--boy racers are strictly not welcome. But there’s plenty for those more familiar with the genre to get their teeth into--testing courses, good handling, better than expected computer AI cars to go up against, and some really engrossing races for starters. And heck, you get to drive a Ferrari, even if it's only a virtual one. Also, one of the new additions for the PS2 version, the great driver challenge mode, is a thoughtful feature as it continually evaluates your driving skill as well as assessing you via a more traditional stopwatch.

Still, no matter how it’s dressed up, this is still a belated port of an admittedly excellent Dreamcast title. Despite commendable cosmetic enhancements and some nice extra options, it’s the same old game at the core of it all, only this time it sits with the likes of Gran Turismo 3. Fortunately, though, Ferrari F355 has good old-fashioned quality gameplay at its core, and it’s not afraid to really test the armchair racer. --Simon Brew

Amazon.com Product Description

Licensed by Ferrari and developed with top race drivers, Ferrari F355 Challenge offers 11 world-renowned racing venues such as Long Beach, Suzuka, Monza, and Laguna Seca. You can open up the hood of your F355 and customize your assist features, then hit the tracks with realistic racing physics. There are five modes of play including the all-new Great Driver Challenge, which rewards you for how well you drive fast instead of how fast you drive. And for the Ferrari aficionado, there are plenty of rare photographs and videos to unlock. You can also view full driving data reports with line graphs of your speed and gear shifting.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much better than Gran Turismo 3, October 5, 2004

A Kid's Review

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Pros:
Great graphics.
Real handling that is more realistic than the arcade version.
3 modes of play.
Brilliant Artificial Intelligence.
Cons:
Can only customize your car by changing it's color and number.
Overall:94%

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing...For the Better, October 26, 2004

By	Matsugawa J. Andrews (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews

Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Either the F355 really does handle like a dream, or I have been seriously mislead by the "simulation" tagline of this game.
Before I go into detail, I think I will simply give a small primer on the difference between an "arcade" racer and a "simulation" racer, since for many this will probably be the most important factor in deciding on a purchase. Simulation racers are exactly what they sound like: very realistic racing that is a little low on the fun and accessibility factor but, particularly in the case of the Gran Turismo series, actually has the ability to make you better at the real thing. Arcade racers are very different: they are not very realistic, are very fun and easy to pick up, and include such hit titles as Need for Speed Underground, and the legendary Ridge Racer series. Needless to say, arcade racers will not make you better at the real thing (in fact, I think these are the kinds of games that make people drive like maniacs in the first place!).
I say `Disappointing' because I went in expecting Ridge Racer, and got something else. F355 is a strange duck with regard to these two bastions of racing games. It was originally an arcade machine (and keeps its requisite easy controls and forgiving physics), touts itself as simulation (developed in cooperation with and tested by Ferrari), and is extremely hard. I have to give an immediate hats off to anyone who is good at this game, because the highest rank I ever got was fourth, and the sweat was pouring off me. But, in spite of the harsh competition (Driver AI) I faced on the track, I was compelled to keep on playing. On top of that, I never lost my temper, even after my 300th defeat. I guess the graphics help soften the blow; they are, after all, beautiful. The sound design is also nice, but the music needs some sort of random mode, every track had only one song to it, with no way to select alternatives other than on and off.
So, who exactly is this game for? Well, it is a Sega title, and a Yu Suzuki creation on top of that, so there is always the hardcore following. It is also a game about Ferraris, so that can be reason enough for a test drive. However, the rest of us may be better off sticking to Ridge Racer V, Need for Speed Underground, or--for the sim fans--waiting for Gran Turismo Four. My advice for those thinking about a purchase is try not to spend a lot of money on it, because you will definitely want to spend the rest of it on a very good steering wheel. The game's manual recommends the Logitech Driving Force and GT Force wheels.
Aftermath: Five out of Five for Presentation and Graphics, Four out of Five for Fun Factor, and round down for nigh-absurd difficulty and repetetive music, average is Four out of Five.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A game for the best only, June 6, 2003

By	a driver from Spain - See all my reviews

To say the truth I have only played the Dreamcast version of this game, but if they've added a couple things to this one, then it must be just great!!

Before going on I do have to say that this game is indeed only for someone who intends to practice and does not get tired after a couple of laps, because in the first few races the first place is going to be far away. However, the simulation is very close to perfect and the sound (of the cars, that is) is great, and so realistic! The tracks are of varying difficulty, going from a surprisingly challenging oval to the very demanding Long Beach or Monza. There are also quite a few hidden tracks, or at least in the Dreamcast vesion. The car is fully customisable, from the angle of the rear wing to the suspension, the colour, etc. There are also many aids for the driver like a traction control, a stability manager and even a (quite annoying, I might add) breaking aid, which, if looking for the ultimate challenge, can all be turned off. Some idea of mechanics sure helps, but is not completely necessary.

This game is pure realism (trust me on this one) and very rewarding for those who really go after it. Sega has worked closely with Ferrari to develop this game, and it definitely shows. A very enjoyable game for anyone who likes extreme realism and is willing to spend long hours in front of the screen to get the breaking and accelerating just right!