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Gran Turismo

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 13 / 13
Date: December 05, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Its about time that the dreamcast had a decent driving game, and its more or less a rip of of Gran Turismo, and i dont mean that in a bad way. The graphics are good the game play is excellant, i havent been able to stop playing it since i purchased it. You have to get licences the same as in Gran Turismo so if you have played it you will be familiar with the concept of the game. This is the closest the dreamcat will ever get to a Gran Turismo and i think its a job well done

best dreamcast racing game yet

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 24
Date: September 10, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Of all the current dreamcast racing games, Sega GT is by far the best and most realistic. All the 100+ cars handle extremely well and accurately. The graphics are simpy stunning; just check out the background scenery.

If you played the Gran Turismo games on the playstation, this game will remind you ALOT about it; with better graphics of course. Everything, from the menus, to license tests, to the replays, will seem like your playing Gran Tursimo, only with a prettier face.

As of now, this is the best console racing game out; those into 'arcade' like racing will disagree. But for those who like realism and car tuning, this is it. Till Gran Turismo 2000 hits the playstation2, make mine Sega GT.

Great Game, but is it a Gran Turismo killer?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 18
Date: October 20, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Sega GT is a beautiful game. If you don't own a Playstation, and have never tried Gran Turismo, you should definitely get this game and see what the fuss is about. Sega GT is a Gran Turismo clone, but it is a good clone, and feature for feature, they are mostly equal. You still race real street cars on GT tracks, slowly building up your funds and buying more exotic cars. The gameplay style is fun but realistic. If you own and love Sony GT, then Sega GT will defintely get you excited about the genre again.

So how does Sega GT compare with Gran Turismo? It's a mixed bag overall -these games are neck in neck for every single feature- but I still prefer Sony GT. Gran Turismo is has more cars, more tracks, and a better training/liscense mode. The analog stick on the Dualshock is easier to use, although the physics are practically the same. If you've just spent 200 hours playing Sony GT, then Sega GT will certainly seem foriegn to you. The tracks also seem more fun to drive, and GT2 has rally racing, so its like getting Sega GT and Sega Rally in one game. Finally, there is more soul in Gran Turismo - you can really tell that the developers love cars.

Still, Sega GT holds its own in many ways. While the individual tracks aren't as inspiring, they certainly hold their own, and overall there is a more even progression from long fast courses to tight twisters. If you like a certain style of driving, you will find more examples of it in Sega GT than in Sony GT. The graphics are bright and clear, a pleasure to look at, and you can see farther ahead on the track, meaning your driving can be a smug more realistic. While the analog stick isn't as nice on the Dreamcast controller, the 2 analog triggers are perfect for breaking and acceleration. It really is the best gamepad overall for a race game.

Sega GT adds some needed realism with car collisions. In Gran Turismo, the cars hardly respond at all when you collide with another one, and I could often come screaming into the inside of a curve and slam into another car, using it for "braking" and thus passing it with extra speed. Sega GT can cause spins and severe loss of speed when you collide, so making your way through a pack of cars is very intense, and can take the entire race. Qualifying is now necessary. In essense, it's a whole new game.

Also, Sega GT added a "create-a-car" model, where you build a vehicle from the chassis up. The bodies are usually based on real cars, so don't expect huge visual leaps forward. However, these new cars are often completely untuned. I found I could get great improvements out of the custom cars by tweaking and experiementing with camber settings, gear ratios, etc. In most normal street cars, the settings are usually set at their optimal level, so this adds another great level to the game for me. Unfortunately, there is no indepth tutorials on this aspect, but no game yet provides this detail, so it's not required.

Get this game. Like Gran Turismo, Sega GT is a most own. The differences are negligable, but the fun is not.

gReAt racing game for dreamcast*

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 8
Date: January 25, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I think Sega Gt is one of the most thrilling car games around for dreamcast. Its hard at first becuase you start off with a car with only about 64hp.(thats only about 85mph tops) but after you win races and save up alot of money it gets very easy to get all of those sports cars that you want! I've gotten over half millon winning with the Viper and put over $100,000 of horsepower in it. It has about 1250hp right now in it,it can get up to about 245!mph That makes It very FUN AND FAST to race with. PLUS you can make your cars to put on any track! AND many other great activity's on it. THe only thing that upsets me a little bit is the steering(very slick! on the corners, but thats what makes it fun!) You can also download a minigame on your vmu, and with that you can race and save more money on it and then you can load it back up on to your game! A must have for any RaCing FaN!

Great game, but for commited players only!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: January 12, 2001
Author: Amazon User

OK, first thing's first: if you want a racing game that you can just throw into your Dreamcast and play for a short time every now and then, you'd be better off going for something like Ferrari F355 Challenge or Rush 2049. This game is very involving, and you must expect to spend a long time working your way through it if you want to be successful. While casual gamers are treated to 'quick race' and 'time attack' modes, the bulk of the game lies in the championship mode, which requires a lot of time and effort to conquer. Buying the game just for it's 'single race' mode is like buying a Ferrari just for the comfy seats!

You start off with a little amount of money, then you gradually earn money and cars by winning races and special challenges. You might assume that the game doesn't get interesting until you've acquired the Dodge Viper and souped it up, but this is not the case. The fast cars are almost impossible to control on the very difficult courses, so you would be better to use a slightly less powerful car. Of course there are fast tracks where you can be a speed demon, so choosing the right car for the track is important. There are four classes of car based on their engine displacement: Extra, B, A and SA class. At the start of the game you will have to pass tests to earn each license. There are about 24 license tests, all from different manufacturers; if you can beat the current record for each license track, you will win a special 'works car' from that manufacturer. However, you are as likely to win all of these as you are to land on the moon tomorrow. The license tests are easy to pass, but to win the works cars is near-impossible, and will take you a LONG time. This isn't a negative aspect mind you, I enjoy the fact that the game offers so much to do and will keep you playing for months.

If you win every race/challenge in the championship mode (of which there are a lot) you will unlock a new mode called 'world speed king'. I can't say much about this though, as I'm a LONG way from seeing it!

The control in the game is superb; each one of the 130+ cars handle just as you would expect them to, and tweaking them in the garage makes a noticable difference to the way they perform. Arcade-style-racing fans will find the controls far too twitchy and unstable; this is definitely aimed at simulation fans although the controls can be configured to suit your liking, including steering sensitivity. I have used both the Dreamcast controller and the Madcatz MC2 Racing Wheel, and both worked excellently. For the ultimate experience however, I have got to recommend the racing wheel and pedals - you won't believe how realistically at handles the cars.

Although you probably can get through the game without too much mechanical tweaking, you will find it much easier to invest a little time in learning what you need to do to improve your performance. Practically EVERYTHING is adjustable and replaceable, from the wheel base distance to the gear ratios, and you can buy plenty of parts, from $2,600 aluminium hubcaps to $80,000 turbo engine makeovers.

Unfortunately there is no online multiplayer option, but you can play with two players using a split screen. You can also connect to the internet to get tips from the Sega GT website (which is, unfortunately, rarely updated) and also register your best lap times - however, don't expect to see your name at the top unless you are prepared to lose all your spare time trying to shave off 2 seconds from your already perfect lap!

The graphics are beautiful, there is hardly any draw-in and the frame rate never slows down. The cars are stunningly rendered. Cars are offered from the usual predictable manufacturers, including Toyota, Dodge, Ford, Honda and Mazda. The selection of cars is more than sufficient; I have heard people complain that there aren't enough, but trust me, 130 is plenty. Especially since you can build your own from scratch, and this is where the game gets really interesting.

The 'Carrozerria' allows you to build your very own car however you want it, with 2 million different combinations possible. At first you can only build E-Class cars (with a displacement less than 1000cc). To build better and faster cars you will have to pass a series of tough tests in the car you have made. Persevere long enough and you can soon be building 5000cc, 3000hp (yes, you read right) monsters. You will have to build your own cars to enter some of the races in the championship mode, most of which have restrictions on what you can race in. Build as many cars as you like, and if they turn out to be substandard, well then you can always sell them to some sucker in the 'car dealer' option as a 'limited edition concept car'. ;-) Each car does handle differently depending on how you choose to build it and modify it, and it will take a lot of experimentation for you to get it just right. You can save your cars onto your VMU to rave your friends, which is a nice feature. The game also offers a mini-game for the VMU (which takes up 128 blocks), and you can earn cash and unlock special cars for use in the main game, though if you aren't interested in that then you won't be at a disadvantage. Still, it's a nice little bonus to keep you occupied while you're away from the Dreamcast. The main game uses 42 blocks for its save game file.

The biggest drawback about this game is its lack of any damage modeling whatsoever. So, when you crash your brand new Dodge Viper head-on into a wall at 250mph, you won't even scratch the paintwork. You can just carry on as if nothing happened, with just a little rumble on the jump pack to indicate you hit something. This can distract you from the realness of the game very quickly, and that is something no game should do. Given the sheer depth of gameplay though, it is just about forgivable. It would also have been nice to be able to race more than just 5 other cars, but you can't have it all... The menu interface is quite clumsy and can quickly get tedious, but you just have to put up with it. By the way, if you select the 'Internet' option from the main menu, PLEASE remember to save your game beforehand or you lose everything you've done in the previous session. Unfortunately the manual has no mention of this - I learned the hard way!

Generally, this is one of the best racers available for the Dreamcast and if you are someone who likes to get really involved in a game then you will love this. However, others need not apply.

I would give this 4 and a half stars, but since it is so damn impressive in most respects I'll bump it up to a 5....

Sega GT: another worthy addition to your Dreamcast library

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 11
Date: September 09, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I'll be honest: I'm not into most racing games because many of them just don't appeal to me for one reason or another, but Sega GT is an exception. The graphics are pretty good, nothing revolutionary here, but very adequate. The game runs very smoothly and luckily, there are no irritating pop-ups, with the backgound and buildings gently coming into view as to not distract too much. The one thing that is great about this game is its use of lighting effects; everything is rendered beautifully and looks gorgeous. However, the one negative is that the controls are a bit sensitive and you have to get used to that, so a lot of practice is needed to truly master the game. The first time I played this game I wasn't all that thrilled because it does have a high learning curve, but then after you really sit down with it, you begin to appreciate its beauty. Sega GT offers a very realistic driving experience that will make you come back for more!

Swing and a miss...

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: October 12, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Sega GT was developed as a clone for the Playstation's Gran Turismo series. As a GT diehard, at first, I thought that this was a no-lose proposition: I'd get better graphics, different tracks, and even if the gameplay didn't hold up quite as well..., I would at least have something different to put in my machine.

After repeated plays of Sega GT, it's obvious that the little things within GT2 were what made that game so wonderful to play. The lack of attention to detail (extraordinary graphics aside) and the inability to understand just what makes a good racing game in the first place are what will keep me away from Sega GT.

First things first, the GT series focuses on near-simulation control for the cars. The variety of vehicles and the complexity of the tracks make it an extremely deep game (if you want to go there). BUT, though difficult, the game is FAIR, and thus playable. The mantra repeated to people who initially have trouble getting comfortable with GT is, "The cars control like real cars, you'll get used to it eventually."

My love afair with Sega GT ended the first time I needed to brake into a corner: the car would not under any circumstances turn while braking. The cars apparently act this way because someone on the development staff thought real cars behaved in this manner. However, as the computer competition shows (they CAN brake and turn at the same time), this is not the case. This alone makes Sega GT unplayable, or even worse, teaches you such poor driving habits that you will have a difficult time readjusting to the controls of every other racing game you own from Ferrari F355 Challenge to Mario Kart.

Going on isn't necessary, but I will. The menu system is difficult to navigate: the goals are not clearly defined, race entry guidelines are not listed, and even the cursors tend to be unintuitive to control. The tracks are extremely simple by GT standards (lots of ovals, or slight variations of them) and don't offer nearly the variety of types of driving available in GT2. For example, GT2 has power courses with high top speeds and sharp turns, tight technical courses, and very bumpy courses with a variety of high speed corners that are murder on mid-engine cars. This selection works well for the wide variety of cars available in GT2. Of course, Sega GT has about a fifth of the cars that can be found in GT2, so this wouldn't be much of an issue anyway, I suppose.
Even the great graphics of the game do get in the way at times. Whereas GT2's tracks were (necessarily) well lit or contained bright yellow markers to signify the curves, some of the courses in Sega GT get lost in the haze. It's difficult to make out some of the corners or where the walls begin and end until you're right on top of them.

In short, the more I play Sega GT the more I appreciate GT2. Now that Bleemcast for GT2 is available, there's no reason to even consider buying this abomination. GT2 aside, there are simply too many good driving games available for the Dreamcast for someone, even a driving game nut, to buy Sega GT.

Alternate excellent driving games for the Dreamcast:
1. Test Drive LeMans
2. Ferrari F355 Challenge3. Metropolis Street Racer

Still better, but not highly recommended:
* Daytona USA 2001
* Sega Rally 2
* Vanishing Point
* F1 World Championship* Test Drive V-Rally

Good, but no Gran Turismo

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: November 02, 2002
Author: Amazon User

My original modern gaming console was a PlayStation, and one of the first games I bought for it was the original Gran Turismo. It was extremely popular, spawning Gran Turismo 2 and (on PlayStation2) Gran Turismo 3 - each far better than the previous game in the series.

Sega GT seems to be the DreamCast response to the ever-popular Gran Turismo series. For a first attempt at this type of ''driving simulation,'' this is an admirable effort... but there is still a long way to go.

On the very positive side, the license tests in Sega GT are VERY generous toward the player; whereas the Gran Turismo series sets very high standards, including keeping at least one wheel on the racing surface at all times and not permitting any contact with walls or barriers or other obstacles, the only requirement in the Sega GT license tests is that the player complete a lap at a given course or segment in the time posted. Another great point of Sega GT is the variety of courses available, from two drag strips to a high-speed course reminiscent of the Pennsylvania Turnpike through the tunnels of the Allegheny Mountains to a wintry course to several desert-based courses between tall rock cliffs. The ability for players to create their own cars (which requires A LOT of money) is a novel addition to a ''driving simulation,'' and there are specific licenses and races for which these Original Cars can only compete. Finally, the use of sponsors is great; for each race/series win, each sponsor pays a given amount of money, which can thus turn low-paying races into nice cash machines if a player can accumulate a lot of sponsors.

On the down side, Sega GT has some nice cars. but there are relatively few of them, especially compared to Gran Turismo 2. The navigation of the Car Shop to buy the cars (new and used cars are available) is a bit awkward. While there are a lot of tuning parts which can be purchased, there is little effect gained or lost in making adjustments. Finally, car control in general is awkward at best, especially with high-horsepower vehicles; many high-horsepower cars are simply impossible to drive at competitive speeds.

For those with young children, Sega GT will be good for the kids as well as the parents - especially since there are numerous pre-owned DreamCasts and associated games available (at least in the States) for fairly low prices. However, those looking for a true ''driving simulation'' would be much better served by acquiring Gran Turismo 2 (for PlayStation/PSOne) and/or Gran Turismo 3 (for PlayStation2).

Addictive racing with sub-par graphics

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: August 11, 2001
Author: Amazon User

When racing games are done right, they can be the most involving games you can buy. Sega GT is a racing simulation game that will capture the attention of racing fans and simulation fans alike. What makes Sega Gt a lot of fun to play and very addictive (I've had a few nights playing Sega GT till 5:30am) is the ability to customize your vehicle in many worthwhile ways.

You start off with $10,000. Unfortunately that amount isn't enough to buy a new car, so it's off to the used car lot. With this car, you can win races and earn money to customize it and win even more races. Once you have enough money you can buy bigger and better vehicles like the Mustang Cobra. This is where the game is bliss, buying the car of your dreams and then customizing it to exactly the way you want it. You can add larger engines, install race tuned suspensions and even buy rims for your car, among other parts. Then, you make adjustments untill the car drives just right. Making the wrong adjustments can make a car that has good steering response, into a swirling dervish and impossible to control. The learning curve is a bit high, but once you get past that the experience is rewarding.

The one weakness that keeps it from being one of the best racing sims is the grainy backgrounds. Even though pop up, which was evident in many racing games is totaly fixed in this one, the backgrounds are so hard to make out at times you really don't know if you need to make a right or a left turn. Memorization of the track then is a must by repetitively racing until you get each curve down. This grainyness makes me wonder why they didn't just spend a few more weeks developing this game and ridding this issue. The car models look crisp but the textures are dull, which didn't bother me.

Sega GT is a racing sim fan's oily dream come true. Once you get past the learning curve and the grainy background, you'll spend many nights tweeking your cars till 5:30.

WOW

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: August 27, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This has got to be the best Dreamcast car racing game yet. In fact, it was so realistic that I had trouble adjusting my driving style. Most games you have so much traction that you do a 180 without sliding an inch but if you try it on this game your going to end up in the wall. But it can be remedied, if you bought the adjustable suspension system you can taylor the car to your individual style. One thing I have never encountered before was having to earn a license to drive certain cars. It took me a while but finally I got all of them. After you earn all of those you can build a custom car then qualify for even bigger engines in your car. This is a Great Game and thats why I'm giving it 5 stars!

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