"Stick to what you know Capcom.."

Simply put, F-1 Dream is a strange racing game that just breaks away from the normal presentation and even control of a usual racing game. With no sit down cabinet, no steering wheel and no acceleration pedal, you have a game that just seems to defy the laws of racing games everywhere. The visuals are below the standard and even the lack of tracks helps to nail the coffin closed on this game, simply because the computer seems to outrun you at every portion of the game. For the die-hards who have played every game, this is one to check out, but for racing fanatics, you might want to steer clear of this Dream.

-The Game Play-

The game play that you find here in F-1 Dream is something that you would expect out of the older games that run along the lines of Championship Sprint. Though the tracks are much larger, you’ll still find that the game just doesn’t have the same racing feel because the control interface is something completely different. F-1 Dream also seems to have a problem with the computer being able to completely whip your ass at every turn and corner with an unfair advantage. There are no upgrades to your car, and unlike Championship Sprint, there are no in-game hazards that you have to avoid.

With the lack of overall additions in the game, is there anything here that you would find redeeming about the game? Probably not with the way that the game play is set up and the lack of ideas that are actually put into the game. Most of what you find here is straight up racing without the fun of learning how to control your car or having any real control over how the races are supposed to go. With the tracks that are limited in number and even originality between them, there is hardly a challenge besides the unfair computer intelligence that just won’t forgive your mistakes.

Now, if this wasn’t bad enough, you have to look at the way that the game is set up for control. You’ll find that F-1 Dream is missing some of the key components to a racing game, mainly in the steering wheel and the gas pedal. You have neither in this little outing, and you’re forced to run at a speed that is constantly changing depending on which of the four tracks you’re running on. The lack of overall control in the game leaves plenty to be desired, especially when the computer gets a high run on you and you can’t catch up because the machine is controls your acceleration!

-The Visuals-

From the top-down perspective, you’re looking at a small car on a rather large track that loops and winds around from start to finish. There is very little here that will impress you, though some of the smaller features in the game caught me by surprise. Mainly the way that the tracks were set up in the way that you have little warning arrows that keep you on your toes and let you know when a curve is coming up. When you get to the point that you can see where the arrows are coming up, then you adjust your turn and make it around the cure without any real visual fanfare. All in all, this is disappointing from the small cars to the lack of intricate detail on the tracks and locations.

-The Audio-

The audio that you find here is a simple tune that is supposedly the main theme of the game. While the attempt is to instill some sort of feeling of racing and pace setting action, it is rather unmemorable, and you may forget that the music is even playing when in the middle of the busy arcade. The sound effects also seem to fall by the wayside, putting very little into the overall game of giving you something impressive to listen to and the smaller sound effects like the roaring of the engine is missing. These small presentation problems is really a downfall for any racing game that is trying to compete with the rest of the racing genre and it shows in this title!

-The Verdict-

F-1 Dream is a game from Capcom that you really think is a nightmare from the moment you plunk your quarter in to the moment you walk away from the machine. With the lack of any true game play variables, there is hardly anything here that will keep you on your toes or even test your skills, but rather your patience. The disadvantage that you have with the limited control of your car as well as the small visuals and lackluster sound will more than likely leave the gamer in a daze that is just like a dream, but less interesting. If you see this machine in the arcade, then you might find that instead of participating in the nightmare, you might want to move onto something a little more appealing.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 08/09/02, Updated 08/09/02