The Latest on Speed Devils Online Racing

Today, GameSpot had the opportunity to test the latest version of Speed Devils Online Racing for the Sega Dreamcast. On servers based in Montreal and those on the SegaNet gaming network, we took Speed Devils Online Racing through its paces. The game's network mode is very intuitive, and it plays almost flawlessly over the network - there was hardly any hint of lag in the version we played. The environments were visible and detailed to the horizon, and the cars themselves incurred realistic looking damage during the races. The gameplay itself was similar to that of the original, partly because Speed Devils Online Racing uses the same physics engine as the first game.

In the game, players must buy a car and log on to the network. Then they can either race in an existing room or create one of their own. The game also allows for some level of online customization - players can enter taunts that are displayed after wins and other game events, store their car and race data online, and choose and name their own characters. Best of all, players can bet their cars in online races in the game's head-to-head vendettas mode. The winner of such a race can take the loser's car and adds it to his or her garage. Players can also take part in so-called deadly trials, where they can make and take bets with other players on the network. Other cool features include the ability to sell cars online and the ability to view the profiles of other racers. Up to five players can take part in an online race at once.

The tracks in Speed Devils Online Racing are very similar to those of the original version. In fact, most of the tracks are exact replicas. The one new track is based in Montreal and features sharp turns and plenty of lengthy shortcuts. There are also 22 vehicles in the game, with 11 new car models.

Speed Devils Online Racing will be released on November 20 and will retail for US$49.99. GameSpot will have more detailed impressions of the game soon, but in the meantime, take a look at several new screenshots and video clips from the game.