V-Rally Edition 99

V-Rally Edition 99 is a licensed and more realistic take on the sport than 1997's Top Gear Rally, though the driving experience doesn't quite match that of the PlayStation's Colin McRae Rally.

The game features a heap of stages from across the globe and a good number of real-world cars. Cars can be tuned to some extent by adjusting a handful of settings, all of which noticeably affect gear ratios, suspension and such. Handling is a shade more sim-like than Top Gear Rally, but still not too far removed from arcade; some of the straighter and wider stages are actually boring given you can pretty much mash the A button and flick the stick occasionally. There's a sort of physics engine here, but it's not perfect, as collisions and crashes feel odd and send the camera into a wildly confused spin. Co-driver calls are a toned-down version of the real thing, using basic descriptors such as "easy left" and "hard right". Unfortunately, they're often inaccurate and sometimes completely wrong.

Pop-in is a common complaint, and whilst it's here in abundance, I didn't often find it to be an issue and it keeps the game fast and smooth. Visually, the game is reasonable overall and the weather and time of day effects are well-done.

Though flawed, Edition 99 can be fun when you get into the groove of a stage, and it's real-world cars and licensing are an appreciated bonus that had been sorely lacking on the N64 to this point.