Rail Racing Review
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Rail Racing Review

Our Review by Jennifer Allen on January 15th, 2014
Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: ENJOYABLE RACING
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Fast paced and consistently entertaining, Rail Racing is a fun take on slot car racing.

Developer: Polarbit
Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 0.9.1
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 5

Graphics / Sound Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
Game Controls Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
Gameplay Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
Replay Value Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar

Overall Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar

Slot car racing is a pastime that many of us will have enjoyed as children. Offering a more tactile experience than any game could have provided, fond memories are easy to come by when it comes to creating one's own race track before trying to negotiate it safely and successfully. Rail Racing can't quite capture that magical spirit, lacking the tactile edge, but it's still a great form of racing game with a twist.

Players must outrace the competition across 50 imaginatively themed stages, gaining up to three stars to gauge success. It's a simple concept but one that's fun and easy to lose time to. Each race only takes a couple of minutes to complete, making it ideal for a mobile format. Stages are designed according to various locations that such races would take place; such as a child's bedroom, the backyard, and even a dusty attic. It's a neat touch, although ultimately many of the tracks are a little samey.

Controls are easy to learn with some room given for mastering them. Left and right directional arrows dictate the direction while an accelerometer pedal must be squeezed at all times, with pressure taken off when taking corners. The directional arrows sound restrictive but this is a slot car game, meaning that one can easily leap between tracks using this method. It's almost like an Endless or Auto-runner in its execution, and it's simple to learn.

Besides trying to outdrive the opposition, there are go faster and go slower stripes to drive over, as well as coins and letters to collect, offering some benefits. It's possible to 'tackle' opponents, shoving them out the way and thereby gaining a crucial advantage.

It's just unfortunate that, despite offering Game Center challenges, there aren't any leaderboards or achievements to work towards. Rail Racing thrives on such competition and is certainly fun without, but it'd be all the better with the icing on the cake. An enjoyable re-imagining of a childhood pastime, it's easy to lose one's self to the simple joy of slot car racing.

iPhone Screenshots

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iPad Screenshots

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