Graphically this game is ultra-smooth. Gone is the polygon clipping of the GT series replaced by some by some incredibly well designed clip free tracks. At night in the city stage your headlights actually project light onto the track illuminating your way. Car models are the best yet seen anywhere on a home console (yes, beating even Ridge Racer V handily). Lending graphically speaking to the sense of realism is the games sense of speed (yes, it looks faster than RRV too) everything is fluidly animated and at the sense of flying out of one corner and barreling into another is excellent.

Control wise the game also excels. Using the digital buttons on the bottom of your controller you can feather the gas or slam on the brakes depending on how hard your press the triggers. Steering is a bit touchy at first but after a few minutes with the game it becomes an excellent complement to the graphical splendor of the game. All in all, control is rivaling the GT series.

Almost 200 accurately modeled and licensed cars coupled with over 20 tracks and a car editor sum up the gameplay options on the game. After successfully completing the license tests (thankfully only one event each!) your eligible to race in Grand Prix Races and Special Events ala GT. Building up your funds in allows players something welcome to the genre: a car editor. Starting with your car chassis and working your way up with every component imaginable the editor is every tuners dream.

Tracks in the game are extremely varied, both in their graphical themes and road layouts. From the obligatory high speed track (or, actually, three of them) to a winding romp along a mountain pass this game has a lot to offer in terms of her courses.

Sound wise the Sega team has faithfully represented all of the cars real life sounds in the game. In the Japanese version of the title the music is strictly J-pop, but the odds are good that come our stateside release Sega will have some big name American bands set to produce tracks. (Think Blink 182 in Crazy Taxi, with more songs).