Speed Devils

Description

Speed Devils was part of the Dreamcast’s launch window catalogue in North America and Europe. The game reworked the earlier PC title Speed Busters: American Highways into a console‑focused experience, emphasising flamboyant track design and unpredictable hazards. Courses set in locations such as New York, Mexico, Aspen, and Hollywood featured dynamic events including tornadoes, UFOs, collapsing bridges, and roaming dinosaurs, creating a spectacle‑driven arcade atmosphere.

The career mode was central to the Dreamcast release. Players joined a fictional racing league, progressing through ranks while facing colourful rivals who issued challenges mid‑race, for example, finishing ahead of them, performing stunts, or winning under specific conditions. Success earned prize money, which could be gambled against rivals or invested in purchasing and upgrading cars. This gambling mechanic added a layer of risk‑reward strategy uncommon in racing games at the time. The title showcased the Dreamcast’s graphical capabilities, with detailed environments and stylised vehicle models. Multiplayer was supported locally, albeit only two player split-screen.

This Japanese localisation came approximately a year after the western release. Alas, this occurred weeks before Ubisoft expanded the concept in the west with Speed Devils Online Racing (2000), which added five-player online play, marking one of the console’s early experiments with internet‑enabled racing. The online revision never made it to Japan. I initially played the PAL release at launch and it really was ‘next-gen’, with inventive track hazards and career structure, albeit with uneven handling at times. The limited multiplayer options also reflect the launch period of the Dreamcast. In retrospect, Ubisoft’s early ambition on the platform and notable for its transition into online play.