| F355 Challenge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | |
| Publisher(s) | Sega DreamcastPlayStation 2 |
| Director(s) | Yu Suzuki |
| Producer(s) | Yu Suzuki |
| Designer(s) | Yoji Kato |
| Composer(s) | Tomoya Koga |
| Platform(s) | Arcade,Dreamcast,PlayStation 2 |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Racing simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player,multiplayer |
| Arcade system | Sega NAOMI Multiboard |
F355 Challenge[a] is a 1999racing simulationvideo game developed and published bySega forarcades. It was developed for theSega Naomi Multiboardarcade system board and was later ported to theDreamcast andPlayStation 2 home video game consoles under the namesF355 Challenge: Passione Rossa andFerrari F355 Challenge[b] respectively for both American and European releases. The only model of car featured in the game is theFerrari F355 Challenge model. Unlike Sega's other arcade racers likeOut Run titles,F355 Challenge aimed to be realistic. The game was considered the most accurate simulation of the F355 possible up until that time.[3]
Some versions of thearcade cabinet are noteworthy for having threescreens, allowing the player to look through the side windows as they would in a realcar. The cabinet itself is composed of four NAOMI units: one for each of the three screens and one to sync them all. The game also allows the player to use anautomatic transmission orpaddle-shift the gears. It also uses a real-time "Magic Weather" system similar toShenmue.[4]
The 1999 arcade version of the game includes six circuits:
In addition, the home console versions of the game include five extra unlockable circuits:
All these circuits can be unlocked by either finishing in certain positions in a certain race or championship, driving over a certain cumulative distance in the game, or by entering a password in a revealable password entry screen. These tracks were also included in theF355 Challenge 2: International Course Edition arcade machine, released in 2001.[5]
The Dreamcast home version has link cable play for direct competition, but by January 2006, the online servers and website forF355 Challenge were offline until November 2023 when online component was restored.[6]
The game was announced at E3 2000.[7] Yu Suzuki is a keen Ferrari enthusiast who allegedly used data from his own Ferrari 355 at certain tracks to implement in the game during its development.[8]
The game features an original soundtrack featuringGenki Hitomi andMinoru Niihara that mimics the style of 1980shard rock/heavy metal which is integrated into a radio station format during gameplay (some music was later reused for another AM2 game,Shenmue). The radio DJ and the announcer are played by Alan J (Alan John Peppler), an American DJ who works at the Japanese radio stationBay FM.
| Aggregator | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Dreamcast | PS2 | |
| Metacritic | 85/100[9] | 70/100[10] |
| Publication | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Dreamcast | PS2 | |
| CNET Gamecenter | 9/10[11] | N/A |
| Edge | 7/10[12] | N/A |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 7/10[13][c] | N/A |
| Famitsu | 29/40[14] | 27/40[15] |
| Game Informer | 7.5/10[16] | 7/10[17] |
| GameFan | (J.W.) 92%[18] 80%[19][d] | N/A |
| GameRevolution | B−[20] | N/A |
| GameSpot | 9.1/10[21] | 7.5/10[22] |
| GameSpy | 9.5/10[23] |   [24] |
| GameZone | N/A | 6/10[25] |
| IGN | 9.2/10[3] | 7.8/10[26] |
| Next Generation | [27] | N/A |
| Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | N/A | [28] |
| Publication | Award |
|---|---|
| Edge | Coin-op of the Year[29] |
Passione Rossa received "generally favorable reviews", whileFerrari F355 Challenge received "average" reviews, according to thereview aggregation websiteMetacritic.[9][10] Dan Elektro ofGamePro's December 2000 issue said of the former, "There will be no in-between when it comes toF355 Challenge – you'll either immerse yourself in truly mastering one of the world's most powerful sports cars, or you'll find this about as much fun as taking your driver's test. If you accept its inherent challenges,F355 will deliver the real deal."[30][e] 23 issues later, Kilo Watt said of the latter, "What the game lacks in the bells and whistles department, it makes up for in its insane depth. Ferrari fans who enjoy strict racing simulations, have a lot of patience, and enjoy using the control pad versus a racing wheel will get the most out ofF355 Challenge."[31][f] John Gaudiosi ofNextGen praised the former's realistic driving physics, AI, the addition of assist programs for inexperienced players, and graphics, but noted the absence of online multiplayer despite the game featuring two-player option.[27] In Japan,Famitsu gave it a score of 29 out of 40 for the same console version,[14] and 27 out of 40 for the latter one.[15]
Also in Japan,Game Machine listed the arcade version in their January 1, 2000 issue as the seventh most-successful dedicated arcade game of the past year.[32]
The same arcade version won the award for Coin-op of the Year at theEdge Awards 2000,[29] whilePassione Rossa was a runner-up forGameSpot's annual "Best Driving Game" award, which went toTest Drive Le Mans.[33] During the4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominatedPassione Rossa for the "Console Racing" award, which ultimately went toSSX.[34]
The game's creator, Yu Suzuki, had already put a generation into the driver's seats of Ferraris in the legendary Outrun. His success gave him the means to buy one for real, inspiring a near-obsessional desire to share the joy of driving it with gamers the world over. If Outrun was a bit of cheesy, throwaway fun, though,F355 Challenge was the real deal. Suzuki genuinely wanted you to feel you were at the wheel of a Ferrari. And put his heart and soul into making the experience as authentic as possible, the iconic arcade machine requiring a separate Dreamcast processor for each of its three screens.
