Dreamcast Racing Games Article - Tell us what you think!

[wryguy87]

Hey, guys. Name's Mike. I'll be writing some articles for the site on and off whenever I can muster the free time. My first project has been a fairly thorough racing/driving games article for the Dreamcast. Considering everything's relative I thought I'd open it up for commentary in case people have games they want to help add to the list, or thoughts on pre-existing entries.

I'm personally of the opinion that if you like arcade racing games, there are two consoles you need to have: The Dreamcast and N64. The N64 revolutionized racing games with its analog joystick and gave us a flood of incredible titles like Mario Kart 64, F-Zero X and Wave Race 64. Lots of timeless classics, but the more traditional arcade racers that spawned the genre were not represented. The Dreamcast stepped in to fill that gap, and it brought analog triggers to the party. This was a huge deal for racing games at the time.

Few people realize just how massive the Dreamcast racing game library is, so we'll be covering as much as possible. The list will be broken up in to several categories. The games in each category will largely just be arranged by their level of simplicity.

First Party Sega Racers

Crazy Taxi
Everyone's played this game, and with good reason. The controls are intuitive, the concept is creative and it's welcoming to new players. The premise is you're a Taxi driver that find and transport passengers as quickly as possible. Driving off-road is fully encouraged. You get cash and time bonuses based on performance and passengers will tip you for being crazy.

For the most part the Dreamcast version is a straight arcade port, but there are some extras. The most notable is the Crazy Box: A set of creative challenges geared toward subtly training you to get better at the game. Players that want to earn an S rank in Crazy Taxi are going to learn quick that it might be easy to play, but extremely hard to master. While this game has been ported to many other consoles, there's always some form of inconsistency that leaves the Dreamcast version as the fan favorite


Crazy Taxi 2
The original Crazy Taxi has been ported to at least 8 other gaming devices thus far. Crazy Taxi 2 has only ever been ported to the PSP, and not by itself. It's a good game but it didn't really set the world's heart on fire like the original did. Crazy Taxi 2 came to the table with two new ideas: jumping and multiple-passengers. The game controlled well and was a fair deal more challenging. However, in terms of level design the tracks just weren't very memorable. This was a critical error as the new tracks encouraged backtracking.

Expectations for the game were initially very high. We were promised online and multiplayer modes. We never got them, which only added to the disappointment. What's even stranger was you can't change the difficulty settings like you could in the original, further hampering replay value. While Crazy Taxi 2 is fun--especially for its Crazy Box mode--I can only recommend this if you have already played the original.


18 Wheeler American Pro Trucker

Most of Sega's racing games are quite deep. 18 Wheeler is more on the laid back side. It's a game driven a bit more by its novelty and presentation than speed. You race a big rig down several highways while being hounded by a psycho rival. Your rival is prone to running you off the road and damaging your cargo, which will reduce your score. The game is actually pretty tough but you're allowed to retry each stage until you advance. This is a level of lenience very uncommon in a Sega racer.

18 Wheeler is more of a slow and methodical game considering your top speed is about 80 miles per hour. It's the most bare bones port of all the first party Dreamcast racers. If your only goal is to beat the game on the lowest difficulty you'll be done within an hour. It's a score driven game that encourages perfect playthroughs, so those looking for a challenge will be at it much longer. It's a charming title that can grow on you if you let it. Pro-tip, using the horn will actually make smaller cars veer out of your path on highways.


Sega Rally 2
Sega Rally 2 was criticized as an imperfect arcade port upon release. Regardless there is an amazing racing game under the hood. The goal is simple: Race four tracks in a row and slowly advance from 12th place to 1st. Each track will feature varying types of terrain, such as snow and mud. Sega Rally 2 is an exceptional introduction to more traditional racers because it's intensely challenging without requiring any real world driving technique. The controls are very simple.

Sega Rally 2 was very notable for introducing a lengthy and robust single player called 10 Year Championship. It introduced a ton of new tracks and weather conditions. The difficulty curve was much more gradual than the (brutal) arcade mode, plus you could customize your car between races. From a technical standpoint it's disappointing the Dreamcast version runs at 30FPS, but it doesn't stop the game from being one of the best on the Dreamcast. There is a simple cheat code to increase the frame rate in exchange for graphical detail.

Daytona USA 2001
This is arguably the best version of Daytona USA available. There are more tracks, vehicles, modes and customization options than any other version of the game. Fans of the Saturn version claimed the physics of the Dreamcast version were not authentic to the arcade original. This is a completely uninformed opinion, largely fueled by how much more difficult both the Dreamcast and original arcade game are compared to the more common Saturn version. Daytona USA on the Saturn was a highly simplified version of the game as it lacked analog control of any kind.

The Dreamcast version is fairly authentic to the arcade original, though the customization options have tweaked the feel. By default the game is significantly more drift happy and twitchy. It's because of the default tires. The hornet with medium-soft tires produces the feel most authentic to the original. If the controls are still too twitchy for you go down to soft tires or modify the controls. You can go to the Analog Calibration menu and tweak the play zone on the controller until you feel the controller is appropriately responsive. Don't play with the sensitivity setting at all until you've done this.

In general the Dreamcast version is a bit harder than the original. The AI is bit faster and tire wear is a standard feature of the game, while in other versions you can only experience this playing Endurance Mode. It really doesn't matter which version of Daytona USA you play so long as you try at least one of them. If you're just okay at racing games, play the original Saturn version. If you're pretty good at racing games, try the downloadable version. If you want the most customizeable version with the highest skill cap, go for Dreamcast without a question.


Sega GT
Sega GT is an anomaly. It's a game developed partially by Sega AM7 with work outsourced to the stealth developer Tose. There isn't much to say here: It's a Gran Turismo clone. It's actually a decent one considering there were few alternatives at the time. By its very nature Sega GT wasn't timeless, but it had some cool ideas. In addition to the option to modify your cars, you could build an entire car from scratch.

There are a lot of other unique touches that made Sega GT stand out, but ultimately the bulk of the game is passing license tests and winning races to earn money and buy new cars. Most players will probably already know if they enjoy this kind of game. Something that holds the title back is that the controls feel loose and cannot be customized. For many this was a deal breaker. The selection of cars is limited, but the European version has a more complete roster. Had a more experienced team at Sega designed Sega GT it could have become a legitimate Gran Turismo killer.


F355 Challenge: Passionne Rossa

If you want a simulation racer but want to just get straight to the racing; this game is basically a masterpiece. What's more, in terms of realism it was completely unmatched in its time. The only car you can use is the F355, a very challenging vehicle to drive. This game really requires you to understand the physics behind the game. The F355 is a mid-engine car, which basically means the front end is unusually light. Without a delicate touch you will fishtail and spin out in this game.

Thankfully the game does have an easy mode AND a training version of every track. For a true challenge, try to get first place on a track without using any handicaps. It's insanely tough, in fact it could take some people hours for a single track. Content should be no worry either unless you are insanely talented. F335 features 11 tracks and a very tough championship mode. Keep in mind the game does have music, but you need to enable it on the pause menu. The soundtrack is gloriously cheesy 80's hard rock. F355 is pretty much your final destination on the Dreamcast for realism. Thanks to its arcade-style gameplay, F355 Challenge is one of the few timeless simulation racers.


Third Party Exclusives

Super Runabout: San Francisco Edition

This is the star hidden gem of the list as it's pretty much not on anybody's radar. Parallels between Super Runabout and Crazy Taxi are easily drawn, as both games feature a San Francisco setting and emphasize reckless driving. The key difference is that Super Runabout is a mission based game with multiple objectives and a wide array of weird, unlockable vehicles. Do you want to take out kidnappers with the sports car? If not that then how about a bus, ambulance, F-1 racer or a tank?

Super Runabout has a fun arcade feel thanks to the exaggerated physics, the mass destruction and the catchy surfer rock soundtrack. Your car has a remarkable level of durability that allows it to take an impossible amount of punishment. Anything you crash in to will either crumple, go flying, or explode. You can wreak as much havoc as you want without really worrying until hard mode, at which point your car breaking down is somewhat a concern. On a technical level the game feels a bit buggy. There are some glitches, the frame rate is choppy during certain missions and the graphics aren't very polished. That said, the core game is very unique and very fun.


Surf Rocket Racers
Decent enough Wave Racer clone. Yet to play it enough to offer a solid opinion.


Tokyo Xtreme Racer
Tokyo Xtreme Racer is a unique beast. It's a street racing RPG inspired by an old manga called "Wangan Midnight." The entirety of the game is spent cruising the real life Shuto Expressway. The goal of the game is to hunt down and race rival racing gangs. You need to hunt down weaker racers to earn money and upgrade your car. This is where the RPG aspect of the game comes in.

Tokyo Xtreme Racer has been subject to some unwarranted criticism for its controls. Critics claimed the game was unresponsive. All I can tell you is cars don't turn very sharply at highway speeds. The controls and physics are actually very forgiving while still being vaguely in tune with reality. In general the game's quite beginner-friendly, though it does become repetitive grinding for cash. Some find the highway cruising and repetitive grinding for cash relaxing. Tokyo Xtreme Racer is one of the most unique racing games on the Dreamcast and was a real hidden gem, though it's definitely not for everyone.


Tokyo Xtreme Racer 2
Tokyo Xtreme Racer 2 sacrificed some of the prior games' accessibility in order to create a larger and more impressive experience. The sequel's main contribution to the formula is adding multiple highways and more realistic physics. The amount of road you can travel is much greater than the original. It's a novel idea but the new roads aren't terribly memorable and the rival racers have been spread much farther apart. That means more time trying to find races; less time winning races and earning money.

This problem is compounded by the fact that you earn far less money per race than you used to, resulting in a game that's much more technically impressive but also much more drawn out. Oddly enough, the sequel removed the multi-player option. I recommend you try the original first, but this particular game does it have its fans.


Hydro Thunder
Hydro Thunder is one of the best racing games on the Dreamcast hands down. The ports that were later released on N64 and PS1 are serviceable but lacking (The PS1 version amazingly has a greater sense of speed than the N64 version. Go figure.) The concept is quite simple: It's a shortcut oriented boat racer. The key to victory revolves around your ability to grab boost tokens. Those boost tokens are usually hidden on detours and shortcuts. The tracks are extremely imaginative and grandiose, though it quickly becomes hard as nails.

Unlocking every boat and track in the game will take a very long time. If you can manage to get first place in Nile Adventure, congrats. You're a champ. Hydro Thunder is yet to have another game properly fill its niche unless you count the (solid) downloadable sequel on the 360. The Dreamcast port is great, but has a somewhat cumbersome interface that doesn't let you retry races. Another issue is that this is the only game on this list that lacks VGA support. For a lot of Dreamcast fans that's a deal breaker. There was a reprint. If your GD-ROM is blue, you have a non-VGA copy of the game. If it's red, you have the VGA-enabled version of the game. To my knowledge every single "Sega All-Stars" copy will have a red disc.

Metropolis Street Racer

MSR was one of the better racing games on the Dreamcast thanks to responsive control and very unique ideas. Developed by Bizarre Creations in conjunction with Sega, this was an attempt to get a more mainstream street racing game on the Dreamcast market. MSR was quite notable at the time for its attention to detail. You could race through real life replicas of London, Tokyo and San Francisco. Each area had radio stations and unique music, plus there was an in-game clock that replicated time zones. If you chose to race in Tokyo and then in London, the time of day would change appropriately.

The game is extremely innovating for its time, but it has its flaws. To advance through the game you need to accumulate "kudos" which are given to you for driving stylishly and completing race challenges. The problem is you could lose kudos for making mistakes. Points you earned could actually go negative, thus negating progress you'd made in other races. Additionally the problem with time zones is that driving at night is much harder, but you don't earn extra points for it. Still, the handling is a very satisfying blend of realism and arcade, and the visuals are quite nice. MSR, while flawed, will always be remembered for its innovation.

Test Drive Le Mans

Le Mans may be the single cheapest game on this list. You can buy new copies for 5 dollars.

However it won't work on my mod chipped Dreamcast so I haven't gotten to this one yet.

PS1/N64/PC Ports

San Francisco Rush 2049, released concurrently on: N64
Rush 2049 is a semi-futuristic racing game with an emphasis on shortcuts and extremely unrealistic jumps. It was a cult-classic at the time. Let's clear something up, though: This is not an arcade-perfect port. Not even close. In terms of control Rush 2049 is severely lacking. Whether you're going 60 or 200 miles per hour the cars will pretty much always under steer. The track design really reflects this, because you're going to see a lot of straight roads. This might have made the game friendly to beginners, except the cars are very unstable and prone to flipping after going off a ramp.

The reason everyone loved this game was multiplayer. The 4 player stunt and death match modes were a lot of fun. Visually the Dreamcast and N64 versions are nearly identical. The N64 version required an expansion pack AND a controller pack. Without them you can't save the game and a lot of the content is not accessible, so if you don't have them you really should get the Dreamcast version. The original arcade version of San Francisco Rush 2049 has never received a faithful port. The version of the game included in compilation packs is just the Dreamcast version.


Star Wars Episode One Pod Racer, first released on: N64

This is a nostalgic title for the youth that didn't grow up hating Phantom Menace. This gem by LucasArts is actually the best selling Sci-Fi racer ever made. Little known fact: Sega made a shortened arcade version of this game.The replica pod racer cabinet was very cool.

The sense of speed in Pod Racer is quite nice and there's a lot of content. The entire package has a very authentic Star Wars feel. The main problem is many of the tracks are extremely similar. Even so the amount of content available makes up for it. The Dreamcast version is identical to the N64 original, provided your N64 had an expansion pack. Most people remember this as an N64 game, but the Dreamcast version is solid.


Re-Volt, first released concurrently on: PC/N64/PS1

Re-Volt is a unique beast; a remote control racing game that strives for a sort of miniature realism. There's a grand sense of scale as your tiny car races through neighborhoods and over rooftops. Re-Volt could have been one of the must haves on the console but it's a somewhat confused game. It's an odd beast because it apes Mario Kart tropes while simultaneously striving for realistic physics.

The RC cars are tiny, snappy and unstable. In a sense, that's quite authentic but not necessarily fun. Some people do find the authentic representation of RC cars engaging, while others find it unrewarding. Re-Volt is a good game; it's just extremely niche. It does feature 4 player split-screen and a track editor which are big selling points for fans. Every version of Re-Volt is a scaled down port of the PC game, but the Dreamcast release is by far the closest to its source material.


Gran Turismo 2 (Bleemcast!), first released on: PS1
Mechanical Knowledge Required: Average - High
Driving Technique Required: Average - High

Ironically the very game that Sega was trying to clone managed to find its way on to the Dreamcast. Polyphonal Digital's legendary Gran Turismo 2 can be played with wonderfully cleaned up graphics thanks thanks to a program called Bleemcast. Produced by Bleem, this was actually a retail PS1 emulator that enjoyed a very short life-span. Bleemcast wasn't actually illegal and Sony never won a court case against Bleem, but they got squashed anyway. Bleem couldn't handle the court costs associated with being on Sony's hit list.

Only 3 Bleemcast discs were released, each one allowing you to play a different PS1 game. So long as you have a real copy of the game and you're willing to sacrifice an entire memory card it's really interesting to see in action. The regular Dreamcast controller won't provide analog pedals but the game actually looks better here than it does on a PS3 . The resolution was doubled and added graphical effects like anti-aliasing make Gran Turismo 2 look as nice as some of the actual PS1 ports. Being such a historic game Gran Turismo 2 still has its fans and in its own way has stood the test of time.


Miscellaneous Driving Games

Toy Commander
Toy Commander is just as much a flight game as it is a driving game, but there's still a lot of cars here. This is primarily a single player experience where you control a variety of toys to complete objective based missions. Because the game takes places in a child's imagination you can do things like drive up walls and fight a rampaging Godzilla. The sense of scale and creativity involved can be quite impressive.

In terms of control everything handles as responsively as it has any right to. The toy vehicles are more stable here than in other toy themed games. The controls demand a lot of you, as missions require a lot of precision and patience. The single player is quite long with a gradual difficulty curve, but past the half-way point in the game the missions get pretty aggravating. Despite the toy theme I'd argue the game is way, way too difficult for kids. Something that makes up for that is the multiplayer mode. It has limited options and features but it's fun, 4 players and is relatively easy for kids to pick up and play.


Red Dog: Superior Firepower

This is the other star gem on the list, though this is really more of a combat game. You're placed in control of a weaponized all-terrain buggy with missiles, shields and boosters. The greatest virtue of this game is having an extremely fleshed out 4 player death match mode that was far more suited to the Dreamcast controller than other shooting games.

The control in Red Dog is spot on and very predictable. While the single player campaign is a bit short you'll need to get an 'A' rank on each level to unlock all the multiplayer content. Multiplayer is obviously the focus of the game as it features tons of maps, modes and weapons. Individual players can create their own profiles and it runs flawlessly in split-screen. The nice thing about Red Dog is that there is some finesse involved in the run and gunning. Rather than feeling like Twisted Metal this is more like Quake III on wheels.

Potential list candidates

Exclusive:
4 Wheel Thunder
F-1 World Grand Prix - N64 / PS1 / PC (enhanced for DC)
Flag to Flag
Exhibition of Speed
Looney Tunes Space Race
Pen Pen Triceleron
POD: Speedzone
Rush Rush Rally Racing
Spirit of Speed 1937
Stunt GP
Suzuki Alstare Extreme Racing
TNN Motorsports Hardcore Heat
Toy Racer
Trickstyle
Wacky Races
Zusar Vasar

Ports:
4x4 Evo - PC
Aqua GT - PS1
Demolition Racer: No Exit - PS1 w/DC Specific Content
Ducati World Racing Challenge - PS1 / PC
Jeremy McGrath Supercross 2000 - Technically DC / N64 / PS1
Magforce Racing - Killer Loop PS1 / PC
Monaco Grand Prix / Monaco Online - PS1 / N64
Roadsters - N64 / PS1
SnoCross Championship Racing - PS1
South Park Rally - PC / N64 / PS1
Speed Devils / Speed Devils Online - PC
Star Wars Demolition - PS1
Test Drive 6 - PS1 / PC
Test Drive V-Rally - 4 players, actually a port of V-Rally 2 on the PS1
Vanishing Point
Walt Disney Magical Racing Tour

[Ben]

You might want to add a segment on how to play DC racing games with the DC controller. I just read in a thread here the other day about Daytona being unplayable without a wheel. It seems like a lot of the old DC knowledge is being lost, but the trick is to realize that the DC stick has a big dead spot in the center. So the key is to push it all the way forward, and then ride the outside edge of the circle it can make, if that makes sense. You can play Daytona or any of the other games you mentioned like a champ, that way.

EDIT: Also just a thought, right off the bat. I'm with you on Daytona 2001 being the best version, but I still prefer the original soundtrack from the Saturn release over all the others.

[BogusMeatFactory]

Just a thought, you might want to add a segment on how to play DC games with the DC controller. I just read in a thread here the other day about Daytona being unplayable without a wheel. It seems like a lot of the old DC knowledge is being lost, but the trick is to realize that the DC stick has a big dead spot in the center. So the key is to push it all the way forward, and then ride the outside edge of the circle it can make, if that makes sense. You can play Daytona or any of the other games you mentioned like a champ, that way.

Yeah, that is something I have always done in racing games as soon as the analog was introduced, so I always thought it odd that people complained about the unplayability of the racing games. I definitely think it is worth referencing.

[wryguy87]

This is always an area of misconception because different games are programmed to use a different amount of the stick's play area. The Dreamcast analog stick is actually extremely delicate with no dead zones unless you've worn out your controller. That's why Daytona USA 2001 throws people for a loop. It uses the entire analog stick whereas most racing games did not. You tend to think you have delicate fingers until you play a game that's not holding your hand.

I arranged these games in order of difficulty and there's a reason Daytona's near the top. Something that all the Sega made racing games have on this list (Daytona, Sega Rally, F355 and I think Sega GT) is that you can adjust the analog dead zone yourself (it's called "play" on the menu options. Some people use it to describe the condition of auto parts as well, such as a turbocharger that has "little to no play" in its shaft. The word "play" essentially means wiggle room.)

To achieve the same play sensitivity as the Xbox 360 or PS3 version of Daytona USA, it's about 3 notches down for the dead zone and 2 notches down for sensitivity. Though that's off the top of my head. I personally play Daytona 2001 with 1 notch down on the dead zone and full sensitivity.

I've played both the downloadable version and Dreamcast version to death, and you can get near identical control out of them. The problem is that when people complain about Daytona's settings on the Dreamcast, they just try to jerk "sensitivity" to its lowest setting and complain that it's still "too sensitive" because lightly tapping the analog stick will still do something.

[Ben]

This is always an area of misconception because different games are programmed to use a different amount of the stick's play area. The Dreamcast analog stick is actually extremely delicate with no dead zones unless you've worn out your controller. That's why Daytona USA 2001 throws people for a loop. It uses the entire analog stick whereas most racing games did not. You tend to think you have delicate fingers until you play a game that's not holding your hand.
I

I bow to you sir, I am a humble Shmup/Fighter/RPG gamer and a lot of that was Greek to me. To be honest, I never change those settings, I always just try to adapt to the default ones, so that was really informative. It would be great if you could incorporate it into the article. I'm also a Luddite who refuses to pay for download only games, so I can't speak about those versions, but I've never gotten why people think Daytona is so hard on the DC and your assessment seems spot on to me.

[wryguy87]

This is always an area of misconception because different games are programmed to use a different amount of the stick's play area. The Dreamcast analog stick is actually extremely delicate with no dead zones unless you've worn out your controller. That's why Daytona USA 2001 throws people for a loop. It uses the entire analog stick whereas most racing games did not. You tend to think you have delicate fingers until you play a game that's not holding your hand.
I

I bow to you sir, I am a humble Shmup/Fighter/RPG gamer and a lot of that was Greek to me. To be honest, I never change those settings, I always just try to adapt to the default ones, so that was really informative. It would be great if you could incorporate it into the article. I'm also a Luddite who refuses to pay for download only games, so I can't speak about those versions, but I've never gotten why people think Daytona is so hard on the DC and your assessment seems spot on to me.

It's simple enough to break down. Analog sticks can be manipulated whereas digital cannot. You press forward a certain amount and the character moves in reaction to how far you pressed. Super Mario 64 at the time was revolutionary for this. The analog stick allowed you to tap the stick to make Mario tiptoe or press it all the way forward to make Mario run. Super Mario Brothers on the NES on the other hand only had digital. You could move right but it was either "on" or it was "off." The only way to make Mario run was to hold an additional run button.

The amount of play on the stick is just how far you have to press until it actually reacts to you. A lot of racing games only used, say, 80% of the stick so that it wouldn't feel jerky to players who didn't have delicate fingers. So if you only tapped the stick lightly, the car wouldn't move very much even if you were going very fast. It'd be like playing Mario 64 and just slightly tapping the stick to sneak past a sleeping Piranha Plant, and realizing Mario's not moving at all because the innermost area of the stick is "dead."

It's just a way that game developers compensate for the fact that people aren't very gentle with their controllers. Sega wanted to give you a real sense of feedback with Daytona. In a real race if you just slightly jerked the steering wheel while moving at 100 miles per hour, even that would cause a significant response. You're moving at 100mph and the wheels just turned. You just redirected a massive amount of kinetic energy by turning your front wheels just barely.

[wryguy87]

I'm personally a Platforming/Fighting/Racing/Puzzle player who also dabbles in a fair amount of JRPG and am just starting to get in to shmups. I dabble in a little bit of everything.

[Sload Soap]

Looks like a cool article. I was just playing F355 Challenge the other day. I lazily describe it as the Dark Souls of racing games. Pretty on the surface, but if you don't pay attention you will be chewed up and spat out. Very rewarding though.

My suggestion would be to give Le Mans a go as I remember it being quite highly thought of by the Official Uk Dreamcast magazine. It has a 24 hour race mode, that's gotta be worth something.

EDIT: What about the F1 World Grand Prix games?

[wryguy87]

Looks like a cool article. I was just playing F355 Challenge the other day. I lazily describe it as the Dark Souls of racing games. Pretty on the surface, but if you don't pay attention you will be chewed up and spat out. Very rewarding though.

My suggestion would be to give Le Mans a go as I remember it being quite highly thought of by the Official Uk Dreamcast magazine. It has a 24 hour race mode, that's gotta be worth something.

EDIT: What about the F1 World Grand Prix games?

Le Mans I have a copy of and hit a roadblock. It doesn't work on mod chipped Dreamcasts like mine. The F1 World Grand Prix games I have personally not played. At a glance I didn't see anything about them that might be noteworthy, so I'm hoping people who have played those especially lesser known games can tip off which ones should be looked into.

[Sload Soap]

Ah yes, sorry. That's a shame. Might be worth borrowing a regular DC for a spell.

As for F1, it was quite well rated on the N64 and if you're looking at rally, track and stock car style racers it might do well to add an F1 racer for balance.