F355 Challenge - Passione Rossa - Sega Dreamcast

With three racing modes--training, driving and racing--the learning curve presented allows you to slowly ease yourself into what is a very real and very hard racing game.

The Training Mode--where its advisable to start off--gives you help and guidance through voice and visual commands, showing you braking and gearshift timings, as well as the ideal driving line. The Driving Mode, however, allows you to practice to your hearts content, without the omnipotent voice in the background, and the Race Mode, of course, is where all the action takes place and involves you racing against other F355s to become the F355 champion.

As now standard in driving games, all the usual stunts and tricks are present--championship mode, versus mode and cable modes are all here--but the nice addition is the network option, allowing you the chance to connect via Dreamarena and register your driving data. Once done, you can then enjoy a time attack against two to 16 other virtual players.

With Yu Suzuki, Sega's leading game producer behind the helm, this game comes up with the goods that it promises and although at times is can be gruellingly difficult, this game certainly lives up to its title. --Stuart Miles