Starts slow, needs patience, but it pays off. Alongside F1 WGP the best sim-racing on the N64.
Graphics - Great. Better than those of Gran Turismo (PSX versions). The game can be played even in high resolution letterbox mode without the need of an expansion pack (excellent for the replays, however sometimes slows down the title). .
The cars (more than 30, which unfortunately aren't licensed but look like the real ones) look fantastic with high polygon count, fake reflection mapping and great light sourcing. There is even a semi-realistic physics model with four-point suspension system that makes the replays (the camera angles have a large variation and give a very dynamic representation of each race, jaw - dropping for a N64 title ) even more awesome. What 's more there are 8 cars on track at the same time in each race( sometimes there is a frame rate drop when all the cars are on-screen ) and that's an accomplishment. .
The tracks (10 tracks, with 3 variations each that you can race backwards or mirrored) also look fantastic (my favourite ones being Las Vegas and Kyoto). No fog at all, unbelievable details for a game of that era, each track has its own characteristics and small things that 'll make you love the graphics of the title (the lens flare of the sunsets is simply breath taking). Perfect graphics for a racing game of the 32/64 bit era. Too bad there is no car damage though....
Sound - Average sound effects, not enough variation (most cars have the same engine - noises ) and average music (catchy tunes that become repetitive and boring after a while). Personally i enjoyed the different sound of the road noises (according to what surface you are driving your car ) + the sounds from the environment that you are driving (airplanes taking off etc).
Gameplay - At first the game is a bit boring. The first tournaments have very slow cars. You can choose between two teams. Then you race in a particular cup that has a bunch of races in different tracks. According to the place that you 'll finish , the pole positions etc you take points that 'll help you to advance and become a better driver. At the beginning you won't finish first. You 'll have to take points, unlock better cars in your team or accept the offer of another one (with better cars). Gaining trophies in each tournament helps you to get a higher rank, more offers and more cars to choose. There is a RPG element in that system that's very nice and adds lots of replay value (there 'll be times when by choosing one offer of one particular team you 'll lose the interest of some of their competitors -> you won't be able to choose their cars for the rest of the game). .
After the first 10 challenges (there is a variation in tracks, laps etc that make each cup and race more interesting than the others) you 'll unlock the GT1 tournament, which has the best teams and cars. This is where the game really shines. The races become faster, the handling of the cars is excellent and the game becomes very competitive. .
As far as the handling of the cars is concerned you 'll need to use your breaks. The first cars feel a bit heavy and hard to control. The later ones are much better, however before every turn you'll need to break and powerslide (very challenging and looks awesome in the replays) + you can use your opponents to your advantage by pushing them out of the road and keeping your car in the right position in order to take the next hard turn ( although when the opposite happens it becomes very frustrating). It's a very fulfilling and rewarding experience. .
Value - Big game, many challenges, many tracks and races, many cars to choose, excellent RPG-like advancing system. You 'll spend many days in the single player experience + there is a two player option that plays great (however there are better multi player racing experiences on the N64). .
Final Thoughts - Amazing title that is worth buying and playing... not exactly a GT killer that some people thought it would be (GT remains the best racing sim series ever) but a different and very rewarding experience with absolutely jaw - dropping graphics -for a n64 game. As far as racing sims on the N64 is concerned this is as good as it gets.