Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli

Ferrari Challenge was originally released on the Playstation 3, and got average marks. It was okay, but nothing spectacular and ultimately forgettable. Which doesn’t exactly bode well for the Wii edition.

We didn’t expect this game to look anywhere near as good as the PS3 version, but the sad truth is that its visuals would have been lacking five years ago, and we’ve seen plenty of proof now that the Wii is capable of more. The cars resemble simple toys and the damage effects are laughably simplistic.

The real problem with Trofeo Pirelli though is its control scheme. Most Wii racing games are simple, arcade affairs like Excite Truck, the reason being that the Wii’s controls do not suit a realistic racing experience.

Realistic racers demand accurate movements, and this is not something that the Wii remote handles very well. There is just not enough precision to make the kind of tight turns and handling the game demands.

It’s better when you use the Nunchuk attachment as that offers enough accuracy that you can drive without concentrating too much on the controls, but it’s still never as good as a proper wheel or analogue stick game pad.

But even when you do get to grips with the control scheme Ferrari Challenge still never quite clicks into place. Compared to the very best the racing genre has to offer the game is never especially exciting or challenging, and doesn’t offer anything new. It’s competent, but never gets above average.

Verdict: 57%

By-the-numbers racing game that only excels at being very average. It also suffers from weak visuals and unwieldy controls