A few years back, Sega unleashed Ferrari F355, an arcade game that was the first of its kind. It not only brought an accurate racing simulation game to quarter munching machines, but also utilized 3 screens for pure environmental excitement. A year later it was ported to the Sega Dreamcast and was received rather nicely. With the obvious omission of the 3 screens, the game was an almost flawless arcade port. The great visuals, and the awful music carried over intact. The only problem was that the replay value was tainted somewhat due to its lack of any real extras. Now in late 2002 Sega has re-ported the game to the PlayStation 2. What does this reincarnation have to offer that its Dreamcast counterpart didn't? Not much. Is it worth a purchase now at 50 dollars? Not really. Here's why.

Graphically the game looked great in the arcades and on the Dreamcast, but the PS2 port not only looks obviously dated, but not as sharp or detailed as the DC version either. Gone are the splendid crisp lines and textures and sparkling lighting found in the Dreamcast version, which gives kudos to the now deceased system in how powerful it really was. What's left looks good, but far from great. The track designs are still stale, but doable. The car designs are sharp and detailed, which is easy considering that the game just displays Ferraris, Ferraris, and more Ferraris. The sense of speed is very realistic, which may steer arcade fans away. Some nice backdrops are once again represented, but improving the real time lighting effect wasn't on AM2's mind I guess. All in all, if you are a fan of the Ferrari, the game will appeal to you, otherwise, you may find yourself a little bored after a few laps.

Audio is dreadful. After a couple years, AM2 could have at least incorporated some new bands. Instead they opted to stay arcade true and use the "amateur night" glam metal soundtrack that must be turned down at all cost. Provided are some decent representations of a Ferrari's high-end engine, but the lack of crowd involvement and commentary just seems bland.

Gameplay is pure simulation. Want to take that curve at 160? Nope. Think you can do it without spinning out? Forget about it. If you want a game that simulates racing almost to a fault, this is the title for you. There is no hint of arcade gameplay here. The game does give you some ABS and traction auto guides, but even with all those features on, the game will make you its bitch in a hurry. This is one thing that die-hard fans loved about the series. Unfortunately that's also the problem, die-hard sim lovers need only apply, as the rest of us may find the game too difficult and frustrating. Even after 3 years of knowledge of this title under my belt, I still have to literally lose my sanity in order to finish in first place. The game is that damn hard, that realistic, and the A.I. is that good. Controls are top notch, even on the PlayStation 2. With the addition to a behind the car camera, the game will be friendlier to those who choose to play that way. I for one still prefer the first person view.

The game offers five gameplay modes, with the inclusion of the new Great Driver Challenge mode. This new mode is a test of skill that not only grades you on how fast you complete a course, but how well you drive it as well. Other modes are Arcade, Championship, Versus, and Race. The only real sense of replay is trying to obtain first place, which leads to having to compete in multiple races over and over again. One thing I'm shocked to see omitted is the recreation of the 3 screens. Gran Turismo 3 did it, why not here? I know not everyone has 3 TV's and PS2's, but there are some who would've liked to see this feature ported over.