Spirit Of Speed 1937

Spirit Of Speed 1937 was released on June 9th, 2000 under developers Broadsword Interactive and published by Acclaim Entertainment, and like the title suggests it is based around the early days of Formula 1 racing in the 1930s. In the days before safety regulations and crash barriers, where the drivers raced with the very real danger of meeting death at every corner. (And no Murray Walker either!)
Players can race in some of the fastest cars of the day including the Mercedese Benz 125 and 154, Bugati 35B and the legendary Auto Union Type C designed by a certain Ferdinand Porsche.


Right, wheres the SatNav?

Circuits to race your tub, sorry F1 mean machine on are Brooklands, Donington, Montana, Montlhery, Monza, Pau, Roosevelt, Tripoli and Avus. And there are four modes in all ~ Quick Race, Single Race, Championship and Scenario, the latter being the chance to race in a famous race of yesteryear.
Spirit of Speed 1937 was largely panned by most gaming magazines but as ever I am going to go against the tide. Sure the load times can be a pain in the backside and some of the cars move like go~karts (this was the 30s remember?) but this game is NOT broken and not nearly as awful as some critics would have you think.
I had this back in 2000 and thought it looked and played pretty well, as I still do to this day. I booted it up last night for a spin and tracks like the dusty, palm tree lined Tripoli and the steep banks of Brooklands and Roosevelt felt pretty good to race on. Personally I think the reason some gave it a thumbs down is because the circuits proved too challenging for them and they couldn't understand the differences between racing in a modern day Ferrari compared to say a Napier Railton or Watson Flyer of the 1930s.
Of course they are going to be slower and feel 'rickity' to drive! This is pre WW2, duh! I think the attention to detail is spot on, even down to spectators standing behind hay bales and the jazz soundtrack that was popular in this era. And for those petrolheads among us there is the option to tinker with settings during pit stops.

Get your motor running

So there you have it. Spirit of Speed isn't the best racing game on the Dreamcast but its competent enough and is certainly not the worst racer available. In fact by going back to 1937 Broadsword Interactive have done something different, rather than sticking to the thrills of modern day Formula 1.
This can be picked up on the auction sites and car boots for as little as £1 or £2 (I paid just over £2 for my copy) and thats a steal if you fancy stepping away from that 2011 Ferrari.

The Dreamcast Collection Released !

A mile wide smile spread across my face this morning when I signed into Twitter and saw the news on Sega's 'Tweet'. It announced the release of the 'Dreamcast Collection', proving what we DC fans already knew ~ there's life in the Dreamcast yet. But its not all rainbows as you'll see below in the announcement:

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (January 14th 2011) – SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced that a packaged compilation of classic titles from SEGA’s popular Dreamcast™ console will hit retail shelves on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PC. The Dreamcast Collection will be available on February 25th 2011 in Europe and February 22nd in North America.

The Dreamcast Collection includes the fan favourites Sonic Adventure™, Crazy Taxi™, SEGA Bass Fishing™ and Space Channel 5™: Part 2. Players will get to enjoy four very different Dreamcast experiences, from hopping behind the steering wheel of Crazy Taxi, to taking things a little slower by luring in their fish before catching them hook, line and sinker with SEGA Bass Fishing. Alternatively, take over as intergalactic news reporter Ulala in Space Channel 5: Part 2 and dance your way past the evil Rhythm Rogues, or make it all about speed in Sonic’s first Dreamcast outing, Sonic Adventure!

SEGA’s Dreamcast Collection features enhanced graphics for both platforms versions, providing an even more engaging experience. In addition to this, achievements and online leader boards will be available for each game providing a competitive edge and allowing players to prove their skills!

“The Dreamcast console is still remembered as a pioneering console for online gaming,” commented Gary Knight, VP of Marketing at SEGA of America and SEGA Europe “We are delighted to be able to offer to our large community of dedicated fans a collection such as Dreamcast Collection for them to enjoy old favourites on this generation of consoles."

My Opinion ~ Its fantastic news for Dreamcast lovers, and especially now as this new DC splurge will revive interest in a younger audience who never gor the chance first time around but ! (Ah theres always one) the titles in this collection is not the best Sega might have offered up. People will have already downloaded Crazy Taxi and Sonic Adventure if they have any sense and Sega Bass Fishing, while not being a bad game, wasn't the best.
Still we DCites mustn't grumble as this collection will hopefully pave the way for better releases in the near future.