http://youtu.be/9KSBzCP-aRQIf you're at all familiar with Formula 1, more than likely, you've heard of Ayrton Senna. From the late 1980s to early '90s, Senna was a dominant force in the sport. The Brazilian's aggressive driving style and lightning-quick reflexes were the stuff of legends, earning him 41 race victories and three championships over the course of his career. Although Michael Schumacher is statistically the best in F1 history, many feel differently. In poll after poll, drivers and journalists alike reserve that honor for Senna.
While Senna was enormously popular throughout the world, his relationship with Honda Motor Company propelled him to even greater heights in Japan. From 1987 until the company's exit from F1 in 1992, he raced exclusively in cars built with Honda engines. Hoping to capitalize on this fame, Sega approached Senna seeking his endorsement for their follow-up to Super Monaco GP. The two eventually came to terms, and in 1992, Sega released Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II. Following Senna's tragic death at the '94 San Marino Grand Prix, Sega would again release another Ayrton Senna game, only this time as a tribute to the then recently deceased driver.
Ayrton Senna: Personal Talk is a 1995 media disc for the Sega Saturn. The main highlight here is a series of four interviews held with Senna between 1987 and 1993. Honda bigwig and longtime Senna friend Yoshitoshi Sakurai asks the questions. Though intended for a Japanese audience, these "personal talks," as they're labeled, are conducted entirely in English. Totaling roughly two-and-a-half hours, each one covers a broad variety of topics involving both the racing great's personal and professional life. While there's probably nothing here that hasn't been touched upon in his numerous biographies, it's still pretty neat hearing what Senna has to say in his own words.
Capping things off are two sentimental tributes to Senna, "Saying" and "Flashback." These mostly consist of text, images, short video clips, and music. Unless you understand Japanese though, you're not going to get much out of either one.
All-in-all, I really enjoyed Personal Talk. I often see people complain about how it isn't really a game, but given the circumstances, an actual Senna game wouldn't have been very appropriate. To me, this was a tasteful and fitting way to celebrate the life of an F1 legend.
