Hi, I REALLY want a Dreamcast, what exclusive games are good

[Tarnish]

If anybody you know has this game and doesn't hate it they aren't human.

Cool, I never knew I wasn't human but I guess I'm not.

I guess I'm the only living being (since I'm obviously not human) on Earth that needed only 3 minutes to figure out how the handling works in this game and quickly get used to it.

The trick is to NOT counter-steer the car after cornering, since it does that automatically (to a certain degree anyway) after you let go of the D-pad/analog stick (haven't tried with a steering wheel yet, but I assume you just have to center the wheel). Is this strange/uncommon in racing games? Probably. Does it make the game unplayable/bad? Hell no. You just have to get used to the controls/handling, like you have to in every game. Besides this automatic counter-steering/centering, the physics and handling is just fine.

I had way, WAY more problems with the car handling in Daytona 2001 and Tokyo Highway Challenge, and those are popular and reportedly good games. In Daytona 2001 you can figure it out and get used to it, but in Tokyo Highway Challenge, the fact is simply that the cars can barely turn no matter what you do. Even the slighest turn you think you should have no problem with, 90% of the cars can barely take. Only the bonus car turns in a way I would call good. YET I don't hear/read people complaining about that game this much.

Racing games that I played and can confirm have crap handling are Roadsters and Exhibition of Speed (haven't tried Spirit of Speed yet). I gave those the benefit of the doubt, but those games really do have terrible handling. Vanishing Point is nowhere near as bad as those.

[streeker]

Seriously, "Vanishing Point" isn't all that bad. The stunt driver challenge adds a nice touch, at least. Take a game like "Ducati World" for instance, and you know what "overall bad racing game" means. By the way, one particular 2-wheel racing game, I absolutely enjoyed, was "Suzuki Alstare Extreme Racing" (Redline Racing). That's FAST-PACED.

As for the Saturn: GREAT console - but more in terms of 2D games. Racing.... not so much. The original Sega games (Sega Rally, Daytona, Manx TT) definitely stand out. But other than that, not many good racing (or even 3D games in general) I could think of.

[scaryred24]

Manx TT was brutal to me. The vehicles had too much grip, and the AI was relentless. I played in in the arcades back in the day, but I have never played the Saturn port after hearing it is a near carbon copy of the Model 2 board. 3D games were in their infancy back then and I didn't feel it it quite matured quite well until around 1998. Having bad racing games on the Dreamcast to me just feels unacceptable for me.

[lastcallgames]

If anybody you know has this game and doesn't hate it they aren't human.

Cool, I never knew I wasn't human but I guess I'm not.

I guess I'm the only living being (since I'm obviously not human) on Earth that needed only 3 minutes to figure out how the handling works in this game and quickly get used to it.

The trick is to NOT counter-steer the car after cornering, since it does that automatically (to a certain degree anyway) after you let go of the D-pad/analog stick (haven't tried with a steering wheel yet, but I assume you just have to center the wheel). Is this strange/uncommon in racing games? Probably. Does it make the game unplayable/bad? Hell no. You just have to get used to the controls/handling, like you have to in every game. Besides this automatic counter-steering/centering, the physics and handling is just fine.

I had way, WAY more problems with the car handling in Daytona 2001 and Tokyo Highway Challenge, and those are popular and reportedly good games. In Daytona 2001 you can figure it out and get used to it, but in Tokyo Highway Challenge, the fact is simply that the cars can barely turn no matter what you do. Even the slighest turn you think you should have no problem with, 90% of the cars can barely take. Only the bonus car turns in a way I would call good. YET I don't hear/read people complaining about that game this much.

Racing games that I played and can confirm have crap handling are Roadsters and Exhibition of Speed (haven't tried Spirit of Speed yet). I gave those the benefit of the doubt, but those games really do have terrible handling. Vanishing Point is nowhere near as bad as those.

Don't worry, I can confirm Spirit of Speed is bad. I think Roadsters handles worse, but it's not at all good. Plus it might be the only racing game since the 5th gen not to have any multiplayer modes.

I've heard with Daytona you need to use the analog stick like an actual steering wheel, turning it around instead of straight to either side. It works well enough, and I'd still recommend it over either of the games I mentioned before, but I think for DC exclusive racers, I'd go with MSR.

[Tarnish]

Don't worry, I can confirm Spirit of Speed is bad. I think Roadsters handles worse, but it's not at all good. Plus it might be the only racing game since the 5th gen not to have any multiplayer modes.

I've heard with Daytona you need to use the analog stick like an actual steering wheel, turning it around instead of straight to either side. It works well enough, and I'd still recommend it over either of the games I mentioned before, but I think for DC exclusive racers, I'd go with MSR.

I'm still gonna try Spirit of Speed out for myself, since I'm the weirdo who really liked Moho, the Floigan Brothers and found Ducati World to be okay (definitely not amazing or anything, but in the later part of the game where you get faster bikes, it became easier to control and had some fun with it).

In Daytona I don't know about turning around the stick, what worked for me was (who would have guessed it) slowing down before sharp turns. The cars don't slide around that much at lower speeds, so it was just a matter of figuring out the best speed for each turn.

[Charlton]

Over the years more and more title's got ported over to other systems and/or got new editions on other platforms. So there are hardly any exclusive Dreamcast racing games left where you can't play a better port or new installment for on a other system. However I believe these racers are definitely worth your while:

F355 Challenge
If you have a Logitech steering wheel for PS2, then go for the PS2 version, if not the Dreamcast version is the way to go thanks to the VGA-support (4:3 only!) This is a F355 racing simulator, with a very high difficulty standard.

Crazy Taxi
This is the definitive version with original sound track, so forget about the ports of this one. Timeless classic in my opinion.

Daytona USA 2001
This one is debatable, seeing that it's basically the arcade original with higher poly models. If you rather play this game with arcade-visuals go for the PSN/XBLA re-release, otherwise go for the 2001 Dreamcast version.

Hydro Thunder
Hands down this is the best arcade port out there of this title, however XBLA (Hydro Thunder Paradise) got a very nice remake of this title with HD graphics. So this comes down to personal preference.

Rush Rush Rally Racing
This is an amazing indie developed top-down 2D racing game, easy to play hard to master. (also available as a WiiWare downloadable with 16:9 support, supposedly Dreamcast version has better quality sound track)

Re-Volt
Definitive console version.

i actually love the n64 hydro thunder more when it comes to visuals. in the venice level on n64 there is a part with beautiful tiles below the canal. though a alternate route goes around this that cuts off quite a bit of much needed time. this eye candy is missing from the dreamcast version. i was very bummed out. another sad sight was that the n64 did better water graphics in my opinion. not trying to cut down the dreamcast. just talking what i saw with hydro thunder i love both consoles. i am yet to buy surf rocket racers and compare it to n64 wave race which is one of my favorite racers ever.

glad to hear the positives about rush rush rally racing. i tried to buy it and another game off redspotgames but they never sent them. still gotta get em from someplace.

[Charlton]

Don't worry, I can confirm Spirit of Speed is bad. I think Roadsters handles worse, but it's not at all good. Plus it might be the only racing game since the 5th gen not to have any multiplayer modes.

I've heard with Daytona you need to use the analog stick like an actual steering wheel, turning it around instead of straight to either side. It works well enough, and I'd still recommend it over either of the games I mentioned before, but I think for DC exclusive racers, I'd go with MSR.

I'm still gonna try Spirit of Speed out for myself, since I'm the weirdo who really liked Moho, the Floigan Brothers and found Ducati World to be okay (definitely not amazing or anything, but in the later part of the game where you get faster bikes, it became easier to control and had some fun with it).

In Daytona I don't know about turning around the stick, what worked for me was (who would have guessed it) slowing down before sharp turns. The cars don't slide around that much at lower speeds, so it was just a matter of figuring out the best speed for each turn.

don't worry about finding games fun that others don't. i can find the good even in superman64. not that it don't have major and sometimes laughable glitches and programming in it.