30 replies to this topic

[Linus27]

Well I actually bought a Dreamcast for this Ferrari F355 chgallenge game and I can tell you it was worth every penny. Graphically better than anything I have seen on a PC, sound is fantastic especially the backfire, the AI is brilliant, aggresive and hard and maybe as good as GPL or a little less but not far off, split axis controls but the physics engine is amazing. For me this is as good as GPL but very different. There is a physics model and as the producer said that he wanted to make it a sim and not an arcade game and he has succeded in that. One of the best things for me though is the tracks. They are spot on, Monza, Sepang, Nurburgring, Atlanta, Laguna Seca, Suzuka and a few more but the best one is Long Beach.

Another great feature is you can get ranked on the internet with your best times and I am pleased to say that at Monza I was 134th fastest out of 900 in the world, 27th in Europe and 10th in the UK. :)

I know this is on a console but believe me, if you like racing games and especially sims then check it out. Well worth the 130 quid for the dreamcast. I have been playing this for 4 days solid now and it brilliant. Now what I don't understand is why PC games like GP3 can't be this good. I always though that the PC would blow consoles away but the only three games that I can put this on par with is Rally Masters, Nascar Heat and Grand Prix Legends. Is the Dreamcast that much better. I have seen screenshots of the Dreamcast Half Life conversion and it is better looking than the PC version.

I am very shocked at this but very happy that I now have a perfect Ferrari sim.

[HappyDude]

Wow. That's really surprising Linus. I've tried out a bunch of DC racing games and been pretty dissapointed, so I've just come to ignore anybody that raves about them. But I know you're a diehard GPLer, which makes me want to believe you. You have an ActLabs Force RS don't you? Have you considered getting the DC cartridge for it?

What's the replay value like? Is there some kind of career mode or something? One thing that irritated me about some DC driving games, especially Sega Rally 2, was that it was set up like an arcade game - get to the next checkpoint before time runs out or your game's over and you start again sort of thing. Do you get qualifying and all that kind of stuff? How many tracks?

Time to dust of the DC I guess, I think my cat's been sleeping on it or something cause it's starting to collect fur:)

[The Swerve]

Linus! Nooooooo!!!! You bought a Dreamcast??? I'm very dissappointed in you - hang your head in shame.

[hannu]

Linus, can you tell me what is your current record in Monza, or in other tracks. Hope you turned the assists off. It doesn't matter if you made your record with automatic or with non-automatic transmission. I don`t have yet internet connected into my Dreamcast, so can you tell me the best records on Monza & Suzuka from the net.

[Linus27]

HappyDude

Yep, I'm serious and I was as surprised as you are. Yes I am a big GPL player but Ferrari F355 is great. I would not of even bothered to find out about it as it was a console and most console racing games, OK, all console racing games compared to a PC are shite but I was reading on newsgroups and on VROC and a few GPL sites about other GPL players who have the game and were saying that it was very very good and as good as GPL. Now I know the arcade version was great and when I found out that the Dreamcast was an exact port (actually its improved) then I had to check it out. Its funny as I used to slag the Dreamcast off big time when it first came out but they have seemed to written some great games for it of late and my friend who had a Dreamcast when they first came out and who then sold it as he thought it was crap is now buying one again after seeing some of the new games on my one last weekend. As for the wheel, well I do have the ActLabs and shifter and I thought about getting the cartridge but I got my PC set up with a bucket seat and set up for driving sim only and it would be more hassle than its worth to unplug it all for the Dreamcast so I am going to buy another wheel for the Dreamcast. I guess that also shows how serious I am about this F355 game.

The options you have are Arcade which I have not even looked at as the word ARCADE scares me , Championship which I have not looked at either as I have been to busy with the other mode, Single Race. You can choose how many laps to do but not in numbers but in class, so sprint is like 2 laps, Grand Prix is like 8 and Endurance is 18 or so and I think there is another. Amount of laps also depend on the length of track, so 2 at Monza maybe 3 at Long Beach. I think Arcade is checkpoint orientated but the rest is laps only. You do not get qualifying unless you play online which is a shame but not to much of a problem. The game is setup to be the first console sim, that was the aim. It is not arcade at all and is not checkpoint driven. You also get pitstops. I think there is so much more to discover but I have been to busy racing in single races and having a blast and pinching myself that this is actually real. The tracks you get are, Montegi, Suzuka short, Monza, Sugo, Suzuka Full, Long Beach, Atlanta, Nurburgring, Laguna Seca, Sepang, and Fiorano, the Ferrari Test track. They are all 100% accurate.

I bought a Dreamcast just for this one game. That is how good this really is and I can see me playing this for a long long time. I am also about to spent another 50 quid on a wheel for it. Like you say, I am a hardcore GPLer and racing sim fan and this Ferrari F355 game is worth every penny.

The Swerve

I'm not joking mate, this really is the dogs bollocks. Send me you address again through email if you like and I will send you a video of some laps so you can see what its like. ITS THE BEST.

Hannu

OK, I like it as realistic as possible so I drive with all assists OFF but I am using it with automatic gears. Once I get a wheel sorted then I will go manual. I have not tried Suzuka yet but here are my other times. These times are out of everyone in the world and include drivers with Assists ON and OFF. My ranking are higher amongst drivers with Assists OFF.

Monza 1.53.579 Ranked 134 out of 835 in the world

Long Beach 1.11.157 Ranked 139 out of 648 in the world

Nurburg 1.55.313 Ranked 123 out of 389 in the world

I am very pleased with those as I've only had the game for 5 days but I would like to get Long Beach into the 1.09.xx area.

[HappyDude]

Hey thanks for the detailed reply Linus. But there's really no need now because, well... I bought it on the way home from work today:) I've been playing it for a couple of hours now and love it. It really is a great game. Not just "great for a console racer" but even compared to my PC it stands up pretty well.

You got a bucket seat for your PC huh? That's a little excessive don't you think? I bet you look pretty silly when you're just surfing the net. But it probably gets you in the mood when you're posting on Atlas. Still can't decide about the ActLabs DC cartridge myself. Don't know what I'd clamp the wheel to, and I don't like the fact that the auto-centering spring isn't available when you use it with the DC.

I may even bother to set up the net access to check it out. Is it world-wide or will there be a different one for NA and Europe? And just from reading the manual it seemed to suggest to me that you don't get to choose who you compete against, it just selects some other drivers for you.

Oh well, back to my Ferrari. Hopefully this'll keep me a little less anxious until WSC gets here.

Cheers

[Linus27]

HappyDude

I am glad you like it. I hope you have driven around Long Beach. It looks amazing and I hope you have unlocked the extra tracks like Sepang and Nurburg. If you need the codes then just ask. I hope the info I gave was accurate.

The online play is good especially the ranking system but I don't think you can choose who you race against which is a shame but I am not to bothered as the offline play is fantastic. The online play is also with the whole world.

Well I love my racing sims more than you could imagine. I even go to sleep thinking out braking zones and how to go faster at certain tracks (yes I know SAD ) I am not going to bother with the cartridge. I am going to get the Ferrari wheel for the Dreamcast which uses the vibration pack.

Like you say, this will do until WSC which will probably be another 6 months.

[hannu]

Linus If you want good racing wheel, just buy Ferrari wheel
It is simply the best there is. By the way, My best lap so far ( I have had this wonderful game only few days) in Long Beach is 1.09.992. Here is a little tip: Brake JUST after(abouy 1-2meters.) 150m and drive gently but also aggressively.

[Linus27]

Hannu

Yes I was going to get the Ferrari wheel as it seemed the best. Do you have one and do you have the rumble strip and if so, what is it like?? As for Long Beach, I am braking after the 150 meter boards but I must be losing it somewhere else. Probably the last hairpin. Are you using a wheel?? I think this would improve my times as you can be much smoother through the corners. What are your times for Monza??? Have you done a really long race yet and done pitstops and have you seen the computer cars pit?? Someone on a newsgroup said they stop also???

[HappyDude]

Is there any point in pitting? Haven't had time to do a long race yet (and there isn't any point cause I'm not good enough at the moment) but I read a FAQ that says there's no tire wear... so why pit?

[hannu]

Yes I`m using Ferrari wheel. I don`t think it does have the
rumble thing, I haven`t atleast noticed. My best lap in MONZA is 1.52.024.

With a wheel you can drive very sharp and gently. I have done a one endurance rasc in Long Beach and I didn`t have to pit because it was single game but in season you must pit. Have anyone noticed if the game is harder in intermediate level and not just beacause you doun`t have automatic gearbox, I mean does the opponents drive actually
faster?? I used automatic in Long Beah endurace an lapped
THREE car. I think that yhey drive a little ( but only very little) faster in intermediate level.

[Linus27]

Yes the Ferrari wheel does have the rumble option but I do not know if you plug the dreamcast one into it or it comes with one.

I still need to find out about the pitting options and tyre/fuel wear etc but I know I love this game so much.

[HappyDude]

Hey Linus, here's a better idea, and probably about the same price:

Get the DC cartridge for your ActLabs wheel. Then buy a VGA cable for your DC, an extra monitor cable and a splitter box so both your PC and DC can be hooked up to your monitor. Then with the flick of a switch on the splitter box and changing a cable on the wheel you can drive F355 on your big monitor from your bucket seat. I think that's what I'm gonna do (minus the bucket seat - I prefer the Captain James Kirk Command Chair option).

[Linus27]

HappyDude

I prefer the Captain James Kirk Command Chair option

Now your scared :)

That is another option I though about but I have 28" cool TV and 14" (soon to be 15" when I can be bothered to get one) monitor so I like F355 on my TV as its big and looks great. I also have this cool reclining type chair in the lounge which is cool for sitting back in and driving. In some ways better than the bucket seat. Also, I think that if I put a Dreamcast next to my PC, my PC would throw up in disgust and then just refuse to work anymore.

So I think its Dreamcast in the lounge and PC in the little room under the stairs.

Thanks for the thoughts though.

[jlove]

Hi all - my 1st post!

Just another vote for F355 - I also just bought a Dreamcast for this game and I have not been disappointed. This game is FANTASTIC. So good I even had to make my first post!

Current best times (from memory):
Suzuka Short: 54.4xx
Monza 1m56.xxx
Sugo: 1m35.xxx - still working this one out!!

Using the DC controller, all aids off, auto gears.

All you PC racers out there - BUY A DC AND GET THIS GAME!! You will thank us for it...

Julian

[Linus27]

I second that and I'm a PC user at heart. My mate is even going out tomorrow to buy a Dreamcast for this game.

[HappyDude]

Perhaps we have the makings of a little informal F355 Challenge competition here? ... well, at least 4 of us.[p][Edited by HappyDude on 10-28-2000]

[jlove]

Sounds like a plan to me. Let's run something kind of like the GT2 guys do in their thread - choose a course and then RACE!

Nominations for out first track please?

My vote is for Sugo - I'm having a lot of fun driving round there at the moment - and I reckon I can get a couple more seconds out of my car...

[Linus27]

I'm up for that. I have never driven Sugo really so my vote goes for Monza but I don't mind really. If we all want Sugo than thats fine by me.

[Linus27]

The other thing is, we can check our times on the internet. So we should really make it a rule that you must post your times on the internet unless you don't have your Dreamcast setup for the internet in which case we would have to think of something different.

[jlove]

Mmm, good idea but I think that to get your time posted on the website I think you have to be in the top 100 in the world or something.... I'm good, but I'm not sure I'm *that* good :-)

BTW, are you able to save between races during a championship? I like to play at Grand prix distance, so most tracks are like 20 laps or something....you don't want to have to do all 6 races in one sitting...

[Linus27]

OK I am a little confused. Are we do a race or who can do the fastest times??? If its fastest times then you can check the times on the internet. Its not limited to the top 100. For example I was 134th fastest at Monza out of 900 and you can see the other peoples times. Also you can't save during a championship which is a bugger as I always do long races aswell and after doing 56 laps at Montegi I did not fancy doing 40 laps at Suzuka short straight away . I am sure we can work something out.

[HappyDude]

Well let's just do fastest times for now, post 'em here. I haven't bothered to get net access for my DC yet, as I have a cable modem for my PC and don't really see the point in spending more $$$ unless you can actually race... but maybe I will, dunno.

Anyway, let's start with Monza.


ps - just picked up Sega GT today, I'll let you know how it is by tomorrow.

Cheers

[HappyDude]

Oh, one more thing:

No aids, manual transmission, you can do your times in "driving" mode.

Sound good?

[mahelgel]

A friend of mine own a DC, and we played F355 a few times. One thing that i don't like is that i feel there is a lack of speed. You don't get the feel of going 220+km/h. I also don't like playing with the original DC controls (probably much better with a wheel).

The grapics and the sound is great (just remeber to turn off the background music, and enjoy the sound of the ferrari instead ). The AI is also pretty good, but i haven't raced enough (mostly played 2 player mode) to really say wether it's as good as GPL.

The other DC racing games i've played is rather bad in comparison to F355 challenge, so if you own a DC it's a pretty safe bet. Don't know if it's worth buying a DC though ;)

[mahelgel]

And of course... no driving aids is the way to go. Nice slides through turns (yeah... i know "clean" driving is probably faster... but it's not half as fun )

[jlove]

I drive with all aids off, but can I use auto gears? I only have the DC controller (no wheel) so manual gears as well as using a tiny joystick and two triggers is really tough... After a while you just run out of fingers.

[Jase]

Hello everyone,

I,ve been racing F355 for over a week now - the best driving game I have ever played by quite some margin. I use the official SEGA wheel which is way better than the analog stick but there are no pedals so changing gears is a bit uncomfortable. How does the Ferrari wheel compare in terms of build quality and how good are the pedals?

By the way, my favourite track is Monza and my top time 1'52.9xx

Cheers

[ChessNH]

Time to start a chamionship, I also have F355, yes it;s is good...better than GP3.

The races are not long enough, also wicked hard I have yet to finish first with all the aids off except auto tranny

[jlove]

//PRESS RELEASE//

Team Red 9, favourites to take next years Ferrari Challenge title, began pre-season testing at Monza yesterday.

After a series of installation laps to shake down the new car, lead driver JLOVE ran 30 laps and managed a best time of 1m54.707. In compliance with the new FIA rules for next season, all electronic driver aids have been removed from the car. The new automatic gearbox was utilised, but was not thought to offer a performance advantage over the manual one used last season.

Team manager JCL said, "We are pleased with our initial progress, as this is the first time we have run extensively at this circuit. JLOVE has given us some very positive feedback from yesterday's session and we are confident that with a few refinements to the setup there is another second to come before the end of the week."

//END//

[jlove]

Whoops - reposted to new hotlap thread....