In 1986 Sega designer Yu Suzuki, fresh off the motorcycle hits Hang-On and Enduro Racer, set out to build a car game inspired by the film The Cannonball Run, one focused on the joy of driving rather than exploding on every mistake. This deep dive follows what happened when Sega president Hayao Nakayama refused to let him scout the United States, pushing Suzuki toward a two-week European road trip in a BMW 520 through Frankfurt, Rome, Florence, Milan, the Swiss Alps, and the French Riviera. In Monaco he spotted a Ferrari Testarossa and decided it had to be the playable car, leading his team to photograph a real one from every angle and record its engine, all without a Ferrari license.

The hosts then examine the ten-month crunch with a skeleton crew of four programmers, five graphic designers, and sound creator Hiroshi Kawaguchi, during which ...