"I don’t remember marshals standing unprotected inches away from the track in real F1 racing…"

F1 Exhaust Note is a fun little arcade game, and has some great action involved. There is only one track, which is very disappointing. You can either drive on your own or with a friend in a two-player against 24 other cars. This arcade game is very old now, and quite hard to find, but if you do find it, have a go. You'll enjoy it if you are a fan of racing.

Graphics – 6/10

The track is done in mode 7, as this is a non-3D game. The car sprites look very good, are very detailed, and look just like the actual cars. The trees beside the track look good, too. You get a real sense of speed when driving along the straights. Everything is up to standards for it's time, but today, the graphics are very outdated.

Sound – 10/10

This is part of why I love this game so much. The engine sounds VERY meaty in this game, and gives you a great feeling along with the good sense of speed. It feels like you are driving something really, really powerful (which you are, really). When you spin, it sounds realistic, and tends to make you go on edge. There is a soundtrack with a deep bass playing in the background, and it gives it that extra touch to make the audio in this game complete.

Gameplay – 8/10

Great fun. As with all F1 games, it is very fun if you are a fan of motor sport, and extremely dull if you aren't. This time, though, there is a clock to race against, and it makes you push harder. You gain extra time when you complete a lap, and, if you run out of time, it is game over. It feels really good when you get the fastest lap for the day, and everybody sees your initials on the top of the list. The two-player is good, too, and you can have fun duels with your mate.

Challenge – 10/10

The difficulty of this game surprised me when I first played it. I am usually very good at racing games, but could only manage 14th on my first try! Since then, I have played it loads, but have only managed 7th as my best position. The computer cars drive very fast, and when you get in the lead, it is not for the faint-hearted. You have to push further than your limits, and they are all over the back of you! Once, I got into the lead off the start line, held it for the first 3 laps, but on the last lap, they drove so hard, it was almost impossible to stay there. Another factor that makes this game hard is that if you touch another car, you are likely to go into a spin. The leaders tend to try and hit you on purpous, to try and re-take the lead. The challenge of this game is probably what makes it so much fun. You just can' help but think, “ I must try again, I need to win!”

Reminders:
Graphics – 6/10
Sound – 10/10
Gameplay – 8/10
Challenge – 10/10

Positive points:
+ Very good sound
+ The difficulty is INCREDIBLE
+ Two-player is very fun
Negative points:
-Graphics are poor by today's standards
- Might be a bit too hard for some
- Frustrating when you spin out

Overall – 8/10

If you see one of these games in the arcade, have a go. It is so cheap now, you won't regret it. If you do play it, good luck, you're going to need it if you're to win the race.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/01/05