Flag to Flag/ Super Speed Racing reviews by RobisMarshall

[RobisMarshall]

Flag to Flag/Super Speed Racing is perhaps the most underrated Dreamcast racing game, and most under looked Sega racer. I know this is a crazy idea that this simple licensed launch title which has been overshadowed by the likes of Monaco online is the subject of review 21 years after its initial release. Yet here we are in 2020 talking about a game perhaps less then ten people have played in the last 18 months. Flag to Flag launched with our beloved system to mostly positive reviews and when compared to the other open car racer in the launch era, Monaco GP, it was seen as the better alternative. This might be a bold statement as the later has received increased popularity in the era of DreamPi and online gaming, but remember the launch version was an offline only f1 racer with poor control and comparable graphics. Where Flag to Flag wins and Monaco loses though, is in its gameplay. Monaco is a sim game and plays like a sim game which means casual gamers will be mostly frustrated with the controls and gameplay, Flag to Flag however manages to combine arcade gameplay with simulation customization in a way that is entertaining albeit subtle.
Truth be told I’m sure the majority of people who have played Flag to Flag post launch put it in did a race or two lost and never touched it again. I know I did for the first few years of owning it, thinking this sucks no wonder it was only 3 dollars CIB. But get past the arcade mode and into the only other mode out of the box the championship mode, and you will be rewarded with a complex and accessible 19 track trek through the 1998 season of the now defunct CART. If you are a fan of the sport you will recognize every track every car and every racer, be you ignorant of the sport as I you will find tracks you love (Fontana) and hate (Houston) but given 19 tracks to memorize in order to get the best score. If you manage to beat the championship mode you will unlock extra modes and cares depending on how often you beat it. What does it play like you ask, well to be honest it takes some getting used to, F1 cars are not regular cars they don’t drift or slide as do there Daytona counterparts. To get good at flag to flag track memorization and proper braking is key. This may turn people off but for people who give it time will see their efforts rewarded with one of the best championship modes n the DC.
The game has multiple viewpoints two first person showing the wheel and mirrors, but one from within the driver helmet complete with dirt and mud smacks which the driver needs to constantly clean is the best, along with two behind the car views. The wings fly off damage can be the end of your race or you can turn this option off. The customization is insane want it full sim with 100 plus laps sure, want 5% of the game length and race only 5 laps sure. Want to lower your fuel so you can go faster go ahead but you best be prepared to stop at the fully animated pit stops to get refueled. If you run over grass or dirt you will see the effects on your tires as they turn into green steaks. Tires can wear out damage can be ignored this game has options. It can have strategy or be set to easy and just throttle to win its up to you.

So how does it score well in graphics it holds up well, music is generic, but I like that. The sound effects are decent the gameplay has a curve but is fun overall I would say the game is a solid 8. You should play it and finish at least one championship.

8/10

[Ian Micheal]

Even the older version on the saturn is underated very good review it'sa good soild game i enjoy it

[Ryo_Hazuki]

I never played the game. I have to fix this soon.

[mistamontiel]

What's the Saturn one called again? Forgot if got to burn her

[Ian Micheal]

What's the Saturn one called again? Forgot if got to burn her

http://www.seganerds.com/2015/05/22/for ... challenge/ i own it still pretty great but unloved



game plays great with the wheel as well was one of my fav's i dare say it's better then virtual racer

Thing is the controlling the car is really good the 90's soundtrack rocks too

really a must have for the saturn so sega 90's music rocking soundtrack power slides and fun

(Protip: Be sure to shut off the in-game rear view mirror; otherwise it’s slow and laggy.) turn that off framerate is very soild and smooth on the real saturn arcade racing sega style game

[beanboy]

20 years and I still haven't played this game.
I think I'll have to play Flag to Flag soon. I've put off doing that for too long.

And nice review.

[RobisMarshall]

Thank you guys for the kind words about this review, I am glad other peopke want to check out the game. It sat on my shelf for a couple years going back to play it was a blast. I onow it gets a bad rep cgr hated it but I thought it was enjoyable.


I wonder of any of you got it on launch if you could share your experience. My first dreamcast was in 2013 so I always like to hear how people liked the game at the time of release

[Greg2600]

I'm a huge Indy Car fan, so this game kinda of felt like a spiritual successor to the Indy 500 arcade game. It's decent but frankly it's not a very challenging or fun game. Graphics were okay, could have been a bit better. Control was alright, but the AI were worthless. I mean, at the time it was cool they had the tracks and all but one driver licensed (Andretti), but back then I preferred to stay on an older sim like Indycar II.

[RobisMarshall]

I'm a huge Indy Car fan, so this game kinda of felt like a spiritual successor to the Indy 500 arcade game. It's decent but frankly it's not a very challenging or fun game. Graphics were okay, could have been a bit better. Control was alright, but the AI were worthless. I mean, at the time it was cool they had the tracks and all but one driver licensed (Andretti), but back then I preferred to stay on an older sim like Indycar II.

Thanks its good to know how people felt, as a indy novice I rather enjoy the game especially one I unlocked a toyota t1000 pickup thats awesomr

[beanboy]

I miss Indy 500. I played that game in the arcades, in the late 90's when I was small.
Too bad I was a bad driver back then.