Dreamcast racing games?

Thinking of getting a Dreamcast as a used one is only $60 and games are $20. Anyway, some racing games on there looked like GT3 quality or better like Ferrari F355 challenge and Test Drive Le Mans (I know the PC version is horrible but the Dreamcast version was made by another developer) They both look REALLY nice, does anyone have any comments? I'm kinda itching to play a "console sim" as they are quite fun, even though they're a bit arcadey and dumbed down. They're nice breaks from N4 and GPL :) Thanks, Alex

Ferrari F355 is very good 2nd only to GPL/N4 physics wise IMO (I havn't tried GT3 yet) the only major problem is the music, it's the worst in any game ever ;-) I've got Le Mans 24 hour, it looks very nice and is far better that the pc one but it's no clasic. Another racing game worth getting is MSR it looks amazing it's a bit arcady but it feels great and is lots of fun. Alex "Alex Kihurani" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:3gzc7.3317$[email hidden]... > Thinking of getting a Dreamcast as a used one is only $60 and games are$20. > Anyway, some racing games on there looked like GT3 quality or better like > Ferrari F355 challenge and Test Drive Le Mans (I know the PC version is > horrible but the Dreamcast version was made by another developer) Theyboth > look REALLY nice, does anyone have any comments? I'm kinda itching to playa > "console sim" as they are quite fun, even though they're a bit arcadey and > dumbed down. They're nice breaks from N4 and GPL :) > > Thanks, > Alex >

Haven't played Le Mans, but F355 Challenge is pretty good. Plus points - superbly detailed realistic looking tracks, nice looking cars, physics are really nice (apart from collisions), lots of fun to race - Minus points - poor AI, poor collision detection, not enough tracks, only 20 seconds of replay. Overall, yeah it's worth owning. Sega GT is pretty good as well, although the visual aren't GT3 standards. "Alex Kihurani" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:3gzc7.3317$[email hidden]... > Thinking of getting a Dreamcast as a used one is only $60 and games are$20. > Anyway, some racing games on there looked like GT3 quality or better like > Ferrari F355 challenge and Test Drive Le Mans (I know the PC version is > horrible but the Dreamcast version was made by another developer) Theyboth > look REALLY nice, does anyone have any comments? I'm kinda itching to playa > "console sim" as they are quite fun, even though they're a bit arcadey and > dumbed down. They're nice breaks from N4 and GPL :) > > Thanks, > Alex >

Just bought a brand new Dreamcast and F355 and TD Le Mans and having a great time :) the Dreamcast was only $75 too. Nice deal, considering I like the games more than what's available on PS2 at the moment. Thanks, Alex Alex Kihurani <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:3gzc7.3317$[email hidden]... > Thinking of getting a Dreamcast as a used one is only $60 and games are$20. > Anyway, some racing games on there looked like GT3 quality or better like > Ferrari F355 challenge and Test Drive Le Mans (I know the PC version is > horrible but the Dreamcast version was made by another developer) Theyboth > look REALLY nice, does anyone have any comments? I'm kinda itching to playa > "console sim" as they are quite fun, even though they're a bit arcadey and > dumbed down. They're nice breaks from N4 and GPL :) > > Thanks, > Alex >

In article <3gzc7.3317$[email hidden]>, Alex Kihurani <[email hidden]> wrote:

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> Thinking of getting a Dreamcast as a used one is only $60 and games are $20. > Anyway, some racing games on there looked like GT3 quality or better like > Ferrari F355 challenge and Test Drive Le Mans (I know the PC version is > horrible but the Dreamcast version was made by another developer) They both > look REALLY nice, does anyone have any comments? I'm kinda itching to play a > "console sim" as they are quite fun, even though they're a bit arcadey and > dumbed down. They're nice breaks from N4 and GPL :) > > Thanks, > Alex

I did the Dreamcast thing a couple of months ago because of the low price and a few games I wanted. F355 is pretty challenging with all the aids turned off, great to slide around the real road circuits. Test Drive Le Mans is great fun too in a different way, since the cars stick so well, and you have to pick the right car to do well. Nice wet weather look at LeMans with the red turn lights. Both games have lush graphics, and you at least need s-video to really understand the beauty, but by far both look better than the PS2 games I have seen- like those screenshots in magazines that always look like paintings and better than the actual game, only this time the game is the same! Glorious textures on the tracks and perspective that gives you the sense of speed, and great sound through your stereo speakers. The other racing game I have is Spirit of Speed 1937, a guilty pleasure I will not defend, only to say that I love the old cars and tracks, so there. I have a little trouble with the DC controller though- triggers for gas and brake and stick for steering- I am used to a wheel on the computer or a PS controller, and the triggers give me brain lock into turns at times. A wheel might be better. Tim

In article <3gzc7.3317$[email hidden]>, Alex Kihurani <[email hidden]> wrote:

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> Thinking of getting a Dreamcast as a used one is only $60 and games are $20. > Anyway, some racing games on there looked like GT3 quality or better like > Ferrari F355 challenge and Test Drive Le Mans (I know the PC version is > horrible but the Dreamcast version was made by another developer) They both > look REALLY nice, does anyone have any comments? I'm kinda itching to play a > "console sim" as they are quite fun, even though they're a bit arcadey and > dumbed down. They're nice breaks from N4 and GPL :) > > Thanks, > Alex

Oh yeah, there is a CART game called Flag to Flag. While not great and way too arcade, the graphics are real nice and it has 2 cockpit views, one lower and with your hand ripping the tearoffs as your visor gets dirty [too often I think , so I opt for the other view], and the mirrors work, and the sound of the engine is real nice. Real teams and tracks, including Rio. Drawbacks among many are that there is no damage model, and there are stupid banners over the cars ahead to tell you who they are- yuck. But if you go DC, pick it up for a few bucks and do some hot laps for fun.

Tim <[email hidden]> wrote in news:090820012249024890% [email hidden]: > > Drawbacks among many are that there is no damage model, and there are > stupid banners over the cars ahead to tell you who they are- yuck. But > if you go DC, pick it up for a few bucks and do some hot laps for fun. The biggest drawback of Cart Flag to flag is putting a wheel on the grass.... Z. -- Please remove my_pants when replying by email.

Tim <[email hidden]> writes: > I have a little trouble with the DC controller though- triggers for > gas and brake and stick for steering- I am used to a wheel on the > computer or a PS controller, and the triggers give me brain lock into > turns at times. A wheel might be better. the DC controller is awful. wheels are dirt cheap, though. I believe I paid something like 35 us bucks for the Thrustmaster Ferrari (which is crap). -- Gunnar #31 SUCKS#015 Tupperware MC#002 DoD#0x1B DoDRT#003 DoD:CT#4,8 Kibo�: 2 DE RECTIS NON TOLERANDUM EST

In article <[email hidden]>, Zonky <[email hidden]> wrote:

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> Tim <[email hidden]> wrote in news:090820012249024890% > [email hidden]: > > > > > Drawbacks among many are that there is no damage model, and there are > > stupid banners over the cars ahead to tell you who they are- yuck. But > > if you go DC, pick it up for a few bucks and do some hot laps for fun. > > The biggest drawback of Cart Flag to flag is putting a wheel on the > grass.... > > > Z.

...or on at least one track where I found that if you put a tire on the curbing the car sticks as well. Tim

In article <3gzc7.3317$[email hidden]>, Alex Kihurani <[email hidden]> wrote: > Thinking of getting a Dreamcast as a used one is only $60 and games are $20. > Anyway, some racing games on there looked like GT3 quality or better like > Ferrari F355 challenge and Test Drive Le Mans (I know the PC version is > horrible but the Dreamcast version was made by another developer) They both > look REALLY nice, does anyone have any comments? I more or less did the same. A definite YES on Ferrari Challenge. 6 or so real-world tracks, only one real-world car, but faithfully done. AI is competitve but does cheat (not as bad as GT). Too much grip on the ovals. After a while I found hot-lapping to improve my time to be more rewarding than racing the AI. Eventually it got old (or I moved to the next flashy thing). Most everything I've heard on the DC (as you say, not PC) version on TDLM is positive, but I haven't tried it. When I see it cheap, I'll pick one up. A definite NO on Sega GT. While the pixel and polygon count are far superior to the PS GT series, it suffers in every other facet. The color pallete is so bad that it makes the cars look worse than GT2! The cars are incredibly hard to handle with the stock DC controller (remember, I have no such problem with Ferrari Challenge). The tracks are boring. Also, a conditional NO on Metropolis Street Racer. If you are into arcade, maybe you'll appreciate it. But don't listen to anyone who tries to tell you it is realistic. Again, I find the models to be less than realistic looking (maybe it's the dorky driver sitting in the convertibles). I agree that the DC controller is not ideal. Hard to use one hand for both the "thumbstick" (steering, and I use two fingers) and trigger brake. GT3 on the PS2 is superior to all the above (well, can't say for TDLM) except in terms of physics vs 355 FC. GT3 looks absolutely amazing. But I do regret their pulling out the used and many of the "lesser" cars from GT2.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says... > GT3 on the PS2 is superior to all the above (well, can't say for TDLM) except > in terms of physics vs 355 FC. GT3 looks absolutely amazing. But I do regret > their pulling out the used and many of the "lesser" cars from GT2. I recently just picked up GT3 in Aus as well as a Thrustmaster FF wheel, put it on 'Sim' settings, turned off all aids within the controller section, turned off the anti-skid and anti-spin options within settings before you race and find they physics pretty darn good. Racing with my turbo charged RX7 with standard suspension I found I had to brake before the corner, counter steer through the corner and trying to balance the shifting of weight and the yuk suspension then ease on the accelerator in fear of whipping the end around. With the aids turned on, the physics were very sterile. I find the AI reasonable in some areas and absolutely terrible in others. You can turn off the rubber band effect though, no unfair boost for those trailing the leader. I played the F355 arcade quite a number of times and find that the physics engines were quite similar. Would have liked to have seen those cars that were in GT2 as well as the new ones in GT3. Cheers, Rod.