Review by Red Ronin

I recently dropped by Sega City Irvine to play Virtua Fighter 3 again, they now have two of the angular/boxy console 50" screens (4 tokens per play) and one of the rounded/softer 40" (3 tpp) models for play. Anyway, aside from being astonished by the proliferation of topline Namco titles on display there (Alpine Racer, Alpine Surfer, Time Crisis, PropCycle, et. al.) and the expected Sega arcade games (Sega Rally, Daytona USA, Virtua Cop 2, Manx T.T., Indy 500 [8 players!], VF3 and whatnot...) I was happily surprised to find that Sega's new Model 3 Racer was on hand as well! Originally billed as "Super Car" by most magazines, this game appeared in Japanese arcades with the inexplicable name "SCUD Race". Well folks, take heed, this game is titled for US release as "Super GT" and is without doubt the best racing game of all time hands down.

I am among those who agreed with Next Generation magazine's assessment of "Virtua Racing" as the best racing game of all time in their recent listing of the "Top 100 Games". "Virtua Racing" simply had the best feel of any racing title - you could tell exactly how the suspension and tires were reacting to the surface at all times and the combination of strong forced feedback in the steering wheel along with subwoofers that vibrated the footpedals and superb sound effects coming from the headrest made for a truly realistic driving experience. Comparatively, "Ridge Racer", "Daytona USA" and yes, even "Sega Rally" felt as if you were driving on glass - in "Virtua Racing" you drove on ASPHALT and the game let you know it.

Today the superb balance and feel of "Virtua Racing" has finally been surpassed by none other than "Super GT". This game is great for all the same reasons as "Virtua Racing" but it offers so much more. Being generated from Sega's much celebrated Model 3 board, the graphics of the game are absolutely stupendous to say the least. This game looks great, but even so, the feel of driving the cars is what truly makes "Super GT" special. The forced feedback steering wheel is stronger than ever before, there is energy abounding beneath your feet, the music and sound effects blast from the headrest and through your skull incessantly, the very chassis quivers with anticipation even when you are at a dead stop - I loved it!

Sega has been experimenting with motorized cockpits for years and this one is their best effort yet. I actually didn't notice until I hit perhaps the third banked turn why I was leaning so deeply to one side of the cockpit! The transition between levels in the motorized seats is perfectly situated to the onscreen action and happens smoothly and seamlessly. Sega has come a long way in designing their motorized cabinets from the lurching you would experience when playing G-LOC!

After popping in six tokens, you can choose from four cars: a Porsche of some sort (I HATE Porsches... 959 it may have been), a Ferrari (I'm not sure if it was the F40 or the new F50), a Dodge Viper GTS, and the unstoppable McClaren F1. (Sorry folks, no 'Vettes, NSXs or RX-7s to be seen...) You can choose between automatic or manual shifting, the usual "Beginner, Intermediate, Expert" tracks, and whether to drive in daylight or nighttime. Once the race begins, you can choose four different views "Bumper Cam, Driver's Seat, Chase View, or Helicopter View". The manual shifter seemed to be set up as are the ones for Sega Rally and Daytona USA, without a clutch pedal on the floor.

I have to go now, but take my word for it - Super GT is NOT a game you want to miss! If you find it, PLAY it! Take care, happy gaming, enjoy life!

Unta Glebin Gloutin Globin,

Red Ronin, The Cybernetic Samurai
EMAIL: redronin@geocities.com
HOMEPAGE: http://www.primenet.com/~babamat/rr/rrmenu.htm