I have played a few games with the patch. I have a 233mmx, 64sdram, and
Monster and was getting around 25-30 fps. Somewhat better than I got
before. The AI, is more competitive and I found that it was even fun to
race side by side with "him". I was no longer afraid to pass the AI.
Perhaps the most significant change was the difference between the
Professional Level and the Intermediate Level. Things just felt more
"real" in the Pro level. The grass is much more realistic, as are the
sand pits. I didn't seem to slide around off track as much in the
intermediate level as I did in the Pro level.
Overall, I think the patch is a large step forward, and more time with
it will lend to more complete review.