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One genre of racing that I particularly enjoy is CART racing. While NASCAR games are fun, they do not have the personality of CART games. CART racing offers a great sense of speed and a nice variety of tracks. Flag To Flag is the first CART game for the Dreamcast. It offers 27 actual CART drivers from 18 teams and 19 true-to-life courses. From jetting down the runway at Cleveland to negotiating the street course of Vancouver, Flag To Flag offers great arcade CART racing. While the depth and physics of this title may disappoint sim-racing enthusiasts, Flag To Flag will fill the need for casual fans of CART racing.

The graphics of Flag To Flag are not perfect, but they are quite nice. The cars look outstanding and realistic. The lighting on the cars brings out a brilliant shine. While on the track, the cars look gorgeous as well. The wheels spin realistically and the car movement is very convincing. The graphics of this game are further enhanced by the in-car view. The gamer is treated to a CART-style LCD display that shows all the vital information. An added touch is the animation of the driver’s hand changing gears. Racing from this perspective can be quite a rush. In addition to the superb car graphics, the tracks are phenomenal. Each track looks pretty realistic compared its real-world counterpart. From the characteristics of the pavement to the stands and backgrounds, Flag To Flag does not disappoint. Additionally, the actual sponsors are in the game. Fuji Film, FedEx, and Firestone are just a few of the many sponsors represented in this title.

On the track, Flag To Flag is not a great simulation of CART racing. The car physics and game control were clearly designed to be more forgiving than other games of this genre. The decision to give this title an arcade flavor may turn off sim fanatics, but it will give fans of CART racing that feel dogged by incredibly realistic physics models of other games more reason to pick up this game. It is possibly the most playable CART game I have played. Unfortunately, this “playability” may insult hardcore CART gamers. Winning races is relatively easy since the physics model is far from perfect. Concepts such as understeer, oversteer, and weight transfer were neglected by the developer. It is far too easy to hit the wall or run off the track, and quickly recover and contend with the leaders. Of course, hitting the wall and the like will eventually degrade the car’s performance, so the gamer cannot make an unusual number of mistakes. Since there are multiple difficulty levels from which to choose, the game can be made more difficult, but even at the highest setting, Flag To Flag is too easy for the seasoned gamer. Finally, the car setup in the garage is not very deep. Wing angle, type of tires, fuel amounts, gear ratio, and suspension are about the only elements that can be adjusted.

While the gameplay may not be overly realistic in Flag To Flag, the sounds of the car are very realistic. I absolutely love the sound of the engines of CART vehicles. This engine sound has been wonderfully captured in Flag To Flag. Also, the advice from the crew is captured well in this game. The crew chief will inform the gamer on aspects of the race, as well as offer timely advice. Flag To Flag is one of the better sounding CART games I have played.

Ultimately, the appeal of Flag To Flag boils down to gamer preference of sim versus arcade style of racing. If you are looking for a realistic physics model and smart AI, then steer clear of this game. However, if you desire a CART game that offers a short learning curve and arcade-style racing, then Flag To Flag is worthy of a look. The solid graphics, CART license, excellent recreation of courses, and good control of the cars will fill the need for casual racing. I initially had a lot of fun playing Flag To Flag, but eventually grew tired of the game after completing all the courses. It is not a “must have” Dreamcast title, but is certainly worthy of a look.