The length of the courses may surprise some as well. The average race can take well over 10 minutes, a far cry from more modern games that try to get the player in and out as quickly as possible.

Facts and Notables

Speed Devils Online would follow slightly over a year later with, obviously, online play. There is little point in the single player here, and SegaNET's no longer active, leaving this game a collector's piece only.

Lead game designer Patrick Fortier would go on to work on other Ubisoft projects including Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Myst IV.

Known as Speed Busters on Windows PCs. It featured a completely different storyline than its Dreamcast counterpart, but the game was otherwise the same.

Personal Reflection

Speed Devils is a regular rotator game, or one that routinely finds its way into my Dreamcast. When it released, it was a day one purchase after renting it only a few hours prior.

The idea of upgrading parts, earning money, and even betting on cars was a radical concept for the time. Split-screen multi-player would always lead to some intense match ups with friends, and that's one of the main reasons this one is still played around here.

I still have my save file with a fully powered-up car and unlocked extras. However, it's still fun to start over from time to time just to enjoy the casual pacing. It's also great to take a break from a genre that takes itself far too seriously these days. Speed Devils still fits.

Images and review courtesy of Digital Press.