The Sega Dreamcast has been out for a while now, a little over nine months. As the one year anniversary approaches the system there has not been a significant game that makes people stand back and look in awe at the game, especially in the racing department. There was Crazy Taxi but it really was not racing. No serious racer has made its way here, that is of course until now. Being released in September, Metropolis Street Racer is looking to be a contender for some serious credit. Developed by Bizarre Creations in the UK (you can tell because the drivers are on the left side rather than the left like here in the states), MSR has been in development for a while.

Features More than 200 different routes to race through in three well-known international cities: San Francisco, Tokyo and London More than 40 different licensed convertible cars from 14 manufacturers, including Mercedes, Toyota, Renault, Rover, Mitsubishi, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Jensen, Honda, Mazda and Ford Realistic cities created from more than 40,000 photographs and 40 hours of video footage to cover over 20 square miles of scenery! 25 chapters with 10 challenging stages each, including Hot Laps, Times Runs, Street Races, Street Championship and Head-to-Head Players can upload their performance in the Internet Challenge to be rated in online leagues Cities are accurately recreated and displayed in amazing 3D graphics Real-time racing and changing weather conditions affect car physics and road handling dynamics Sync to actual "Real World Time" means gamers will race in each city at the correct time of day! Authentic engine sounds are recorded from a wide range of racing cars delivering realistic sounds for each vehicle Musical scores vary for each city and include techno, dance, rock, jazz, and country songs Race against the best and show the world your skills in this exciting driving challenge!

First of all the most eye-catching thing would have to be the graphics in MSR. Never before has there been such lush, vibrant colors in a game. Plus the scenery is just photographic. By spending the time to take 40,000 pictures and a ton of footage, I think it is safe to say that Bizarre Creations has done its homework. On top of all this there are even country-specific landmarks and noises. While racing through Tokyo there are pagodas at every turn while in San Francisco there are nice compact streets with plenty of turns.

As of right now this is my most anticipated title yet for the Dreamcast. Since its conception I have followed it to understand more about the title. The overall realism is what really hooked me. Not only does it sound awesome but it also contains licensed manufacturers along with actual countries. Ford, Toyota, Mercedes, and Renault just brisk the top of the barrel of actual car manufacturers. Imagine racing through a different country with a car that you are familiar with but have never driven before.

In order to make this a sure hit there has to be a couple things that Bizarre NEEDS to pay attention too. First of all, with realism being the main drive in Metropolis Street Racer, there has to be accurate physics for each particular automobile. Second, the traffic has to have a mind of its own. Finally a game is coming out that has winding roads and shortcuts everywhere, instead of the boring, straight, boxed roads of the previous "free-roaming" racing games. On these streets there have to be intelligent drivers that look like they know where they are going. Third, there has to be constant checking of frame rates in order to maintain a smooth ride like those found in actually driving these beauties. Lastly, I would expect this but I need to mention it, what MSR needs is a nice upgrade system where it involves a little more strategy on what to spend your money (or "kudos" as they are called in MSR) on.

If a sophisticated racer can be born then I will be happy. Never before have I seen such realism in a game. Although, many people may already be tired of waiting for MSR from all the delays. It creates a bit of animosity towards companies who hype a game but then delay it. But if Bizarre plays their cards right and releases a worthy title, then people like me will finally receive a title that will take the Dreamcast to a new level and out of the racing crapper.

-Nick Steinhauer