Super Monaco GP

"F1 Unofficial Appearance"

Formula 1 is one of my favorite motor sports. In fact, it is one of the best motor sports in the whole world. One day, I encounter this game called Super Monaco GP. Judging by its title and its cover box, it looks to me that it is a F1 game for Sega Genesis. So I buy the game. When I play the game, I am surprised to find out that the game does not include real F1 teams, real F1 drivers, real F1 circuit. While this is looking rather disappointing, Super Monaco GP still offers a solid and a challenging gameplay. Here is the review of Super Monaco GP:

Graphic: 10/10
Graphic in Super Monaco GP is superb. The F1 car looks very amazing and very detail. The driver's eyes view is drawn very well. The circuit is also well drawn. Every corner of the circuit is rendered beautifully. Overall the graphic looks amazing. The only thing that missing is the view of your whole car on the track. Having said that, the option to switch view is not yet invented during the game release.

Sound: 10/10
Sound in this game is awesome. The sound of the F1 engine is loud and clear. You can also hear the sound of F1 car travel at 300 plus kph very loud and clear. The music in this game is also awesome. You can feel that the music sounds very energetic and ready to pump your adrenalin for the race.

Control: 7/10
This is the only letdown of Super Monaco GP. The control scheme is quite easy. The A button is for acceleration. The B button is for brake. The C button is for pit in. One D-Pad (Up or Down) is for changing gears depending on which control mode you select. The control mode is divided into 3 modes which are: beginner, semi pro, and pro. The beginner gives you automatic gear changing. The semi pro gives you four manual changing gears. The pro gives you seven manual changing gears. This is where the problem started. While the semi pro and the pro control mode give you more power and speed, they also quite tough to master due to the precision required to brake the car during the race.

Gameplay: 7/10
As I mentioned above, the control mode can be tough to master. Braking the car into the corner requires the precise speed. Therefore, the gameplay can be quite frustrating. The hard learning curve also can easily make players lose their patience. Overall the gameplay while solid and challenging, it can be very frustrating.

Story: 8/10
There is one story in this game. The story is to become F1 world champion.

Overall: 8/10
Despite some minor flaws, Super Monaco GP remains a solid and a challenging game. It requires patience to master the control mode. If you are a F1 fan, go buy this game. If you are non F1 fan, rent this game first and see if you like it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/21/06