Group S Challenge

Group S Challenge, known in Japan as Circus Drive (サーカスドライブ, Sākasu Doraibu), is a racing video game developed by Japanese company DigitalStudio for the Xbox. It features 87 fully licensed cars, including cars from Ford, Chevrolet, and Ruf. The game lacks Xbox Live capabilities, and does not support custom soundtracks or high quality video.

Group S Challenge
Developer(s)	DigitalStudio
Publisher(s)	Capcom
Platform(s)	Xbox
Release	JP: August 28, 2003 EU: September 26, 2003 NA: November 11, 2003
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single-player multiplayer

Arcade mode

Group S Challenge features four styles in arcade mode: Single Player, Two Player Versus, One Make and Time Attack.

Single Player allows the player to race against AI (artificial intelligence) drivers. In Two Player Versus, two players race on a split screen. One Make measures who possesses the best driving ability, with the player choosing one car for both his or her use and the use of all AI drivers. In Time Attack, the player focuses on trying to post the fastest lap-time.

Circuit mode

Group S Challenge also offers a career mode. Unlike many games featuring a career mode, Group S Challenge contains no cutscenes and lacks a developing story. Instead, the game offers three different racing types: Championship, Line and Dual.

In Championship, the player races his or her car to unlock different classes of cars and earns money for upgrades or a new car. Championship has four different "classes" or "tiers", for cars, with higher tiers offering faster cars. Group C is the lowest tier containing the slowest car. Groups B and A contain progressively faster rides. Group S is the top class and it contains supercars and hypercars. (Note: A car from a slower group is allowed in a higher class race, but faster cars cannot enter a lower class race.) The player can earn money by driving in the racing line on the track during Line mode. Dual mode allows the player to unlock special cars that cannot be bought. In order to acquire these cars, the player must race and win against the car he or she wishes to unlock in three different cars that the player already owns.

Tracks

Three different race courses appear with six variations per course: Part A, Part B, Full Track, Part A Reverse, Part B Reverse, and Full Track Reverse. The three different race tracks are Monaco in Europe, Surfer's Paradise in Australia (found in Queensland, Australia), and Shibuya in Japan.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score Aggregator Score Metacritic 57/100[1] Review scores Publication Score Edge 5/10[2] EGM 5.33/10[3] Famitsu 28/40[4] Game Informer 6.75/10[5] GamePro [6] GameSpot 6.2/10[7] GameSpy [8] GameZone 7.7/10[9] OXM (US) 7.8/10[10] TeamXbox 5.6/10[11]

The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[1] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 28 out of 40.[4] Many reviewers gave it positive to mixed reviews a few months before its U.S. release date.[2][3][5][6][8][10][11]

See also

• Auto Modellista

References

1. "Group S Challenge for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
2. Edge staff (October 2003). "Group S Challenge". Edge. No. 128. Future plc. p. 101.
3. Sewart, Greg; Linn, Demian; Chou, Che (September 2003). "Group S Challenge". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 170. Ziff Davis. p. 116. Archived from the original on January 1, 2004. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
4. "CIRCUS DRIVE （サーカス ドライブ） [Xbox]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
5. Kato, Matthew (September 2003). "Group S Challenge". Game Informer. No. 125. GameStop. p. 121. Archived from the original on September 20, 2003. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
6. Pong Sifu (October 1, 2003). "Group S Challenge Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 8, 2005. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
7. MacDonald, Ryan (December 17, 2003). "Group S Challenge Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
8. Meston, Zach (October 11, 2003). "GameSpy: Group S Challenge". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
9. Aceinet (December 2, 2003). "Group S Challenge - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on May 25, 2009. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
10. "Group S Challenge". Official Xbox Magazine. Future US. September 2003. p. 84.
11. Soboleski, Brent (September 30, 2003). "Group S Challenge Review (Xbox)". TeamXbox. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2019.

External links

• Group S Challenge at MobyGames