The Marmite of racing games, you'll either really love it or really hate it.
You can see what Bizarre Creations tried to achieve, and for what it's worth..i think they did it. It's the whole package you have to look at when you look at a game like MSR, the music, the physics/gameplay - the sound i logged more than 200 hours on this game ata a time when i had SoA, JSR, PSO and Grandia 2 in my collection, waiting to be played - i couldnt tear myself away.
This isn't your Gran Turismo Sim, or your Outrun Arcader, Its plays at being a bit of both and does it to a very good standard.
Gameplay: wjen this was released i thoght it had the best car physics of any racing game around, i swear i could feel the weight of each car as i hand brake turned some of the corners, the later high end cars especially give you a good imersive racing expierience because you feel like its all down to you and not luck.
Graphics: For its time are, well 8/10, the DC wasn't the graphical beast of the ps2 but they did some wonderful things here, sometimes the game can look a little dark (even in the daytime) but some of the night races around Japan look very spectacular when you see the Ai brake lights flash and BLAM into a tight corner with the street ligts up past you bedtime ;-).
Sound: Has become a Taboo subject regaurding this game, some people took it too seriously and the point was that..you shouldnt. R.Jacques the main man at Sega's sound studios does some damn good work here, the feel of the radio stations is organic, each station in each city last about 15 mins, much more than any race and so you really get an in-car stereo feel.
Overall, i wouldnt recommend this game to just anyone, this isnt really a review for the current day, asking you to go back 8 years and play a game that has vastly superior sequals is not what im here to do, all im here to say is..
If you missed it at the time (1999/00) you missed out!
Juken