Superstars V8 Challenge

This is a budget title which plays just as well as its higher priced alternatives.

It’s based around racing V8 cars, hence the clue in the title, which means you get to trundle around tracks in a variety of meaty machines.

The game is split into several sections, with a nice multiplayer option along with a variety of single player games.

Within the single player, you can race one off races or one off weekends or if you are feeling brave you can plump for the full championship.

One of the excellent features of the title is that you can customize which circuits you race on and build championships over whatever courses you like rather than being dictated to by the game. In fact that sort of sums up V8. It’s a game that gives you the shell of a racing game and then you just pick and choose how you want to race. You want a quick race around Imola, that’s fine, you want a 6 race championship all at Monza that’s fine too. The flexibility of how and what you race makes a refreshing change from being told what to race and when.

The choice of cars is limited to about a dozen, but they all handle slightly differently and you can further enhance each one with set up tweaks. Because this is much more simplified you actually end up happy to make a few changes rather than being overwhelmed by an infinite choice on hundreds of cars like in Forza or Turismo.

There are plenty of courses and if you have raced any of the well known ones before they are easily recognisable here too.

The tracks and graphics are clear and sharp but as with most racing games they are merely functional rather than any genuine eye candy. What matters with racing games is the handling and V8 scores highly there too. The cars respond nicely to your input and encourage proper breaking points and good lines over the Burnout style of foot down continually.

The multiplayer you can have single races or set up a championship and it accepts a huge number of players. There is also time attack whereby you can set a time limit to see who gets the fastest lap in a glorified qualifying session style.

Races themselves pit you in single player against 18 other opponents and its great fun climbing your way through the pack over longer races.

You get the full race weekend of practice qualifying and race as well enabling you to fine tune your choice of car and driver before each event.

They have built in a terrific wet weather race style as well which really does affect the handling and if you are lucky enough to have a good surround sound then the thunder roars are immense.

You can select exactly how much help you want with driving aids and if you fancy it you can turn off all rules allowing you to plough off track without penalty. Whilst this is not really going to help you learn the tracks it does enable you to enjoy driving with complete abandon which is always a bit of a laugh.

The final feature built into the game is a series of driving schools which test you in the time honoured tradition against different racing/driving scenarios. This is not easy and having gotten through most of the single player game, I find myself struggling in the schools. This is going to add that longevity thing I like in games as I know I will keep the title until I have beaten every event.

The ach points have been well thought out with 50 different scoring beasts to get. Some are easy and other will take some skill, but a lot of them have been implemented with the intention of getting you to try different aspects of the game. Definitely a good racer if you like achs though.

So overall it’s a cheap title that should be added to any driving game fans collection. It combines elements of lots of games you will have played before and is all the better for that. It simplifies the over elaborate set up style titles and delivers a good few nights of racing fun.

The only niggles I have are minor in that when you are in the menus you sometimes find yourself naturally pressing B after you make any changes and in this game sometimes you need to press A first, and the interface whilst simple is a little clunky. And the sound effects of the engines and tyres are a bit bland. But apart from that it’s a winner

I would give it an 8/10

Great review mate.

I have truly loved playing this game and would highly recommend it to any racing fans.

Nice easy achieves too

is this out in the states?

No idea mate but if it is then its worth a buy


It reminds me of the original TOCA game I used to love on my PC

The challenges are tough but its got that one more go stylee about it

I know Kent and I are stuck trying to get the last Academy school tests done and they are definately tricky but its good to have a battle now and then

I cant see myself getting the S class awards done as I just dont think I am good enough but time will tell

Another good thing about the game is the load times. If you install it to HDD then the races come up very quick

agreed, that last test is so hard its crazy!

I fear I may be stuck on 800 for this game.

Are there any driving demons who can pop over and kick ass using manual gears for me???/

well having played this for many hours now I will have to say the ach have a bit of a flaw in them in as much as you need to get an S rating on all 20 tests to get any of the last 3 ach

not a problem in itself if the S rating was not nigh on impossible for your average punter like myself

dont mind at all having an ach based on it but as you need it to get 2 others as well I am stuck on 820 points and cannot see myself ever getting any more

I will carry on trying as you know how I like to beat every title, but I think its out of my reach

game is still excellent though and Milestone etc can feel proud of their efforts

I just want everyone to know that EVERTON is a GIT

He has completed the final race on the tests and I cannot do it!!!

I have my first EVER mental block on an achieve.

You must win from 19th position on a 3 lap race using only manual gears.

Yesterday I was in 2nd place twice on the final lap and once got clipped and spun off and the other time my heart was racing so hard that I blew it and had to have a lie down

if you are on later i will show you what gear i was in at the different sections

i did not find it too impossible once i had my tactics for winning sorted and i am sure i will be able to help you through

what i cant see is how its possible to S rate it

beating it was tough enough

did you get the messages on live matey re how i did it?

Yes I got the messages over live.

I just blankly staring at them for 5 mins, then I sobbed a litte.

I can't decide whether to dedicate my whole life to this 1000 or whether to never play it again.

Shows what a great game it is.

Lets edit the review and give it a 10!!!!

its like crack.

Buy it people, DO NO miss out.

After an awful 12 hours day at work I eased into my sofa for some 360age

For the last 4 hours I have been battling to get the 20 S ratings I need to max the game

Thinking I would try and get 1 a day and see if I could just grind these toughies down in a similar way to what I did with Burnout Revenge years ago.

I think I must have entered 'the zone' as I managed to get 18/20 S ratings done with just the last 2 left which sadly includes Kent nemesis!

This game reminds me so much of TOCA and its fabulous....frustating but fabulous

Fingers crossed I can beat it over next few days

As Kent says above its deffo worth getting

nailed them and maxxed the game out

really enjoyed it