F355 Challenge

F355 Challenge[lower-alpha 1] is a racing simulation arcade video game based on the race car and Ferrari event. It was developed by the AM2 division of Sega for the Sega Naomi Multiboard arcade system board under the direction of Yu Suzuki, and was later ported to the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 home video game consoles under the names F355 Challenge: Passione Rossa and Ferrari F355 Challenge[lower-alpha 2] respectively for both American and European releases. The only model of car featured in the game is the Ferrari F355 Challenge model. The game was considered the most accurate simulation of the F355 possible up until that time.[3]

This article is about the 1999 game. For the eponymous championship, see Ferrari Challenge. For the 2008 video game, see Ferrari Challenge: Trofeo Pirelli.
F355 Challenge
F355 arcade flyer
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Yu Suzuki
Producer(s)Yu Suzuki
Designer(s)Yoji Kato
Composer(s)Tomoya Koga
Platform(s)Arcade, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2
Release
July 1999
  • Arcade
    July 1999
    January 2001
    (F355 Challenge 2: International Course Edition Arcade)[1]
    • JP: January 2001
    Dreamcast
    • JP: August 3, 2000
    • NA: September 22, 2000[2]
    • EU: October 20, 2000
    PlayStation 2
    • JP: September 26, 2002
    • EU: September 27, 2002
    • NA: September 28, 2002
Genre(s)Racing simulation
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemSega NAOMI Multiboard

Some versions of the arcade cabinet are noteworthy for having three screens, allowing the player to look through the side windows as they would in a real car. The three-screen cabinet version also features an H-shaped gear stick and three foot pedals, and presents a tough challenge to any player who decides to use them. 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 an automatic transmission or paddle-shift the gears. It also uses a real-time "Magic Weather" system similar to Shenmue.[4] The Dreamcast version has link cable play for direct competition; however, as of January 2006, the online servers for F355 Challenge are now offline, and the website has gone offline.

The game features an original soundtrack featuring Genki Hitomi and Minoru Niihara that mimics the style of 1980s hard 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 station Bay FM.

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.[5]

Circuits
Sega F355 Challenge three screen arcade unit.

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 the F355 Challenge 2: International Course Edition arcade machine, released in 2001.[6]

Development

The game was announced at E3 2000.[7]

Reception

Passione Rossa received "generally favorable reviews", while Ferrari F355 Challenge received "average" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[8][9] John Gaudiosi of NextGen said that the former "offers plenty of eye candy and deep gameplay for dedicated, hardcore Ferrari aficionados."[28] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 29 out of 40 for the same console version,[13] and 27 out of 40 for the latter one.[14]

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.[31]

The same arcade version won the award for Coin-op of the Year at the Edge Awards 2000,[30] while Passione Rossa was a runner-up for GameSpot's annual "Best Driving Game" award, which went to Test Drive Le Mans.[32] During the 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated F355 Challenge for the "Console Racing" award, which ultimately went to SSX.[33]

See also

Notes
  1. Japanese: F355 チャレンジ, Hepburn: F355 Charenji
  2. Japanese: フェラーリ F355 チャレンジ, Hepburn: Ferāri F355 Charenji
  3. Three critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the Dreamcast version each a score of 7.5/10, 7/10, and 6.5/10.
  4. In GameFan's viewpoint of the Dreamcast version, three critics gave it each a score of 77, 92, and 71.

References
  1. "F355 Challenge 2: International Course Edition (Japanese Release)". Gamervision. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  2. "ACCLAIM BRINGS SEGA ENTERPRISES' SMASH ARCADE GAME F355 CHALLENGE: PASSIONE ROSSA HOME". Acclaim Entertainment. September 22, 2000. Archived from the original on August 26, 2004. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  3. Wiley, M (September 19, 2000). "F355 Challenge [Passione Rossa]". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  4. Hargosh, Todd (December 18, 2000). "Shenmue: Vast World, Vast Game". Game Industry News. Noble Order Press Enterprises Inc. Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  5. Trent, Dan (July 21, 2020). "Sega's F355 Challenge versus ... the real thing". Autoblog. Yahoo. Retrieved October 15, 2020. 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.
  6. "F355 Challenge 2 - International Course Edition". The Arcade Flyer Archive. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  7. "Acclaim and Sega Enterprises, Ltd. Reach Distribution Agreement". Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. May 11, 2000. Archived from the original on June 12, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2021 – via The Free Dictionary.
  8. "F355 Challenge for Dreamcast Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  9. "Ferrari F355 Challenge for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  10. Mahood, Andy (September 29, 2000). "F355 Challenge [Passione Rossa]". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on October 25, 2000. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  11. Edge staff (October 2000). "F355 Challenge [JP Import] (DC)" (PDF). Edge. No. 89. Future Publishing. pp. 90–91. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  12. Mielke, James "Milkman"; Sewart, Greg; Dudlak, Jonathan (December 2000). "F355 Challenge: Passione Rossa" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 137. Ziff Davis. p. 201. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  13. "F355 チャレンジ [ドリームキャスト]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  14. "Ferrari F355 Challenge （フェラーリ F355 チャレンジ） [PS2]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  15. Helgeson, Matt (December 2000). "F355 Challenge: Passione Rossa (DC)". Game Informer. No. 92. FuncoLand. p. 124.
  16. Kato, Matthew (November 2002). "Ferrari F355 Challenge". Game Informer. No. 115. FuncoLand. p. 128. Archived from the original on February 24, 2005. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  17. Weitzner, Jason "Fury" (November 2000). "Ferrari F355 Challenge [sic] (DC)". GameFan. Vol. 8, no. 11. BPA International. pp. 70–71. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  18. Mylonas, Eric "ECM"; Van Stone, Matt "Kodomo"; Ngo, George "Eggo" (November 2000). "Ferrari F355 Challenge [sic] (DC)". GameFan. Vol. 8, no. 11. BPA International. p. 22. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  19. Dan Elektro (November 28, 2000). "F355 Challenge Review for Dreamcast on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 9, 2005. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  20. Kilo Watt (September 23, 2002). "Ferrari F355 Challenge Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 14, 2005. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  21. G-Wok (October 2000). "F355 Challenge [Passione Rossa] Review". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on December 29, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  22. Ajami, Amer (August 17, 2000). "F355 Challenge [Passione Rossa] Review (DC)". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on January 11, 2001. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  23. Ajami, Amer (October 2, 2002). "Ferrari F355 Challenge Review (PS2)". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on January 13, 2005. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  24. Holy Hand Grenade (October 13, 2000). "F355 Challenge: Passione Rossa". PlanetDreamcast. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 24, 2009. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  25. Murrin, John (October 20, 2002). "GameSpy: Ferrari F355 Challenge (PS2)". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  26. Krause, Kevin (October 8, 2002). "Ferrari F355 Challenge Review - PlayStation 2". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  27. Perry, Douglass C. (September 30, 2002). "Ferrari F355 Challenge (PS2)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  28. Gaudiosi, John (January 2001). "F355 Challenge [Passione Rossa]". NextGen. No. 73. Imagine Media. p. 94. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  29. "Ferrari F355 Challenge". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. No. 61. Ziff Davis. October 2002. p. 147.
  30. "Edge Awards 2000 (Coin-op of the Year)" (PDF). Edge. No. 82. Future plc. March 2000. p. 62.
  31. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - 完成品夕イプのTVゲーム機 (Dedicated Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 602. Amusement Press, Inc. January 1, 2000. p. 25.
  32. GameSpot staff (January 5, 2001). "Best and Worst of 2000 (Best Driving Game Runners-Up)". GameSpot. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on February 7, 2001. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  33. "Fourth Interactive Achievement Awards: Console Racing Game of the Year". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on April 17, 2001. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
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