This week has been pretty incredible one for iOS gaming. From Gameloft back in top form (such as that is
) to great games from indie devs and well known properties, it's not surprising that StarRacing got overlooked. That's unfortunate: as it happens StarRacing is one of the better kart racers on the platform, up there IMO with Sonic All Star, and one of the few that tries to do something different than Mario Kart. It has a few issues, but I would easily recommend it to anyone who digs kart racers -- or well polished arcadey games.
The basic mechanics are familiar: silly cars, special powers, crazy tracks with environmental hazards. StarRacing shines in the overall presentation and framerate (on a 4S); it has a nice sense of speed, and the physics are cartoony but consistent. What sets the game apart is the way the power-ups are handled; instead of appearing at random on the track, they take the form of "cards" that you unlock and equip before races. Each card has a set number of charges (which can be refilled with in-game currency) and can be upgraded to reduce cool down time, extend effects, etc. Since using a power up consumes a charge, you can't just spam them through out a race. And since you choose three cards per race, you can effectively customize your run -- make it all defensive, all offensive, or a mix of the two.
Add to that the fact that the game is level based, rather than cup-based, and that there are races with different objectives built into the campaign, and you have something that feels fresh and different in an well trodden genre.
A couple of caveats:
*the English translation is pretty poor. Not incomprehensible, but not good.
*there are IAP (of course). So far I haven't needed to buy anything, but I'm nowhere near unlocking any of the new cars or drivers.
All in all, though, this is a very pleasant surprise.
06-20-2012, 08:42 PM
StarRacing(TM)
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Linear Mode
