Tag: arcade racing

  • Ridge Racer Fan Ported to Game Boy Advance: Retro Racing Fun

    Ridge Racer Fan Ported to Game Boy Advance: Retro Racing Fun

    Key Takeaways

    1. Ridge Racer has been successfully adapted for the Game Boy Advance, retaining its core excitement and polygonal graphics.
    2. The game runs consistently at 30 frames per second, a notable achievement for the GBA’s limited hardware.
    3. Compromises were made, including simplified car models and a limited draw distance to enhance performance.
    4. Some features, such as race positions and multiple camera angles, were removed to maintain smooth gameplay.
    5. The project is still in development, with updates available on the developer’s itch.io page.

    A beloved arcade racing game has been transformed into a portable version that showcases impressive technology on an unexpected device.

    Ridge Racer, the iconic racing game from 1993, has made its way onto Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance (GBA). This adaptation is a fascinating effort to keep the excitement of the original racer alive, and it mostly achieves this goal, though there are some downsides.

    Key Features Retained

    The port keeps the core elements of Ridge Racer intact, especially its fast-paced excitement and, most crucially, the polygonal tracks and vehicles. While the GBA had a few fully 3D titles, many faced challenges in maintaining smooth framerates and often relied heavily on 2D graphics. Nevertheless, this adaptation of Ridge Racer consistently runs at 30 frames per second, as demonstrated in the demo video.

    Compromises Made for Performance

    To reach that framerate, the developer, Gustavo Valiente, had to make a few sacrifices. The cars are simple, solid-colored polygon models without textures or bitmap graphics. The game’s draw distance is quite limited, leading to noticeable pop-in effects. Some features were removed from the user interface, including race positions, different camera angles, and lap times.

    However, these trade-offs seem to be justified by the enhanced performance and smooth gameplay. The draw distance is sufficient to allow players to react to track curves in time. Plus, Valiente managed to include the announcer’s voice, which adds to the authentic Ridge Racer experience.

    Impressive Achievement on Limited Hardware

    Overall, this port is truly remarkable given the limitations of the GBA. Although the demo isn’t available for public play just yet, it seems to be actively under development. You can follow the project updates on Valiente’s itch.io developer page here.

    GValiente on itch.io

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  • AAA Racing Game with 100K Reviews Now Just $3.50 from $70

    AAA Racing Game with 100K Reviews Now Just $3.50 from $70

    Key Takeaways

    1. Setting and Gameplay: Need for Speed Heat is set in the fictional city of Palm City, featuring both legal daytime events and illegal nighttime street races, where players can earn cash and “REP” respectively.

    2. Customization and Variety: The game allows extensive car customization with 127 unlockable vehicles, enhancing the gameplay experience through upgrades and unique designs.

    3. Visuals and Soundtrack: Built on EA’s Frostbite engine, the game showcases impressive visuals, particularly at night, complemented by an exciting soundtrack of electronic and hip-hop music.

    4. Mixed Reviews: While receiving a score of 75 from GameStar and positive feedback on Steam, the game faced criticism for its slow start, forgettable story, and occasional AI issues, reflected in lower scores on Metacritic.

    5. Pricing and Availability: Currently, Need for Speed Heat is on sale for $3.50 (95% off) for the Deluxe Edition, which includes exclusive vehicles and outfits, with a regular price of around $70.

    Need for Speed Heat, created by Ghost Games and published by Electronic Arts in November 2019, serves as the immediate precursor to Need for Speed Unbound, which is the newest addition to the beloved arcade racing franchise. The game takes place in the fictional city of Palm City, featuring a unique racing system that offers both legal circuit events during the day and adrenaline-pumping street races after dark. During daytime, players can earn cash by participating in official competitions, while nighttime brings the chance to gain “REP,” representing respect in the underground racing scene, all while facing high-stakes police pursuits. As players increase their Heat Level, police become more aggressive in their attempts to stop them.

    Explore Palm City

    The open-world environment of Palm City is brimming with challenges, including hidden jumps, collectibles, and thrilling street races. Staying true to the Need for Speed tradition, players can extensively customize their cars, making upgrades to engines, tuning exhausts, and applying unique paints and decals. There are a total of 127 vehicles that players can unlock. The game also features an online mode, allowing competition against up to 15 other players, and SteamDB reports that the arcade racer maintains over 5,000 concurrent players regularly. Built on EA’s Frostbite engine, Heat shines visually, especially at night when neon lights illuminate the streets. The game’s soundtrack, a blend of electronic and hip-hop music, keeps the excitement alive.

    Review Insights

    In a review from the German gaming publication GameStar, Need for Speed Heat received praise for its impressive presentation, noting realistic lighting, weather conditions, and smoke effects. The combination of structured races and exhilarating police chases was highlighted as both diverse and engaging. GameStar also appreciated the expansive open world and the online racing options, which provide good long-term engagement. However, the game’s slow beginning faced criticism, with early progression and a limited selection of cars feeling somewhat sluggish. Additionally, the story was considered largely forgettable, with dialogue that at times felt repetitive and cringe-worthy. The behavior of AI opponents was pointed out as occasionally awkward, adding to the critique.

    Reception and Pricing

    Despite its shortcomings, GameStar awarded Need for Speed Heat a respectable score of 75. The game has been positively received on Steam, accumulating over 100,000 reviews since its release, with 84% of them being favorable. However, on Metacritic, the scores are lower, with a Metascore of 72 and a User Score of 6.3.

    On Steam, Need for Speed Heat is available only in the Deluxe Edition, which comes with a special starter car (K.S Edition Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X), three additional unlockable K.S vehicles, four exclusive outfits, and a 5% boost to REP and in-game currency. Regularly priced around $70, the arcade racer is currently on sale for just $3.50 due to a significant 95% discount, a deal that runs until March 27.

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  • Innovative Racing Sim Returns After 19 Years, Gets Great Reviews

    Innovative Racing Sim Returns After 19 Years, Gets Great Reviews

    Tokyo Xtreme Racer is a racing game that first launched in 1994 for Nintendo’s Super Famicom, known as Super Nintendo in other regions. The game draws inspiration from the street racing culture of the Shuto Expressway in Tokyo and features a distinctive SP (Spirit Point) Gauge system that makes it quite different from others.

    Race Mechanics

    In the game, the main objective is to reduce your opponent’s SP gauge while keeping yours intact. Players can achieve this by pushing rivals into errors or by staying ahead in the race. Once someone’s SP gauge is empty, the race concludes. Additionally, players can explore the streets at their leisure and challenge other racers simply by flashing their headlights.

    Rivalry and Customization

    The competitors in the game can either race alone or belong to a rival crew. Winning races rewards players with currency that can be used to unlock visual upgrades for their vehicles, enhance performance, and even acquire new cars to experiment with. The ultimate aim is to conquer rival bosses, leading up to encounters with top-tier racers. This progression system has indeed influenced several other popular series, such as Need for Speed and Burnout.

    Early Access Plans

    Genki has announced plans to keep the game in Early Access for “approximately 4 months.” The final release will depend on “how the progress of development goes throughout Early Access.” At this stage, the game features 50 different cars and over 200 rivals to compete against, “each with their own unique storyline.”

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