Ground Effect by Glenn Corpes released last week for $3.99, has dropped to $.99.  This extremely attractive high-speed racer is based on the real-world ekranoplan craft that skims meters above land and water on a cushion of air.

  

You race over 14 levels in your choice of 10 futuristic looking hovercraft that are actually classified as boats.  The different ekranoplans do not have to be unlocked but unfortunately there are no differences in handling.  Your craft races over water and low land elevations but will crash against hills and mountains. You must finish in third to advance to the next set of islands.

There are a total of eight racers in each race but you actually only seem to race against one at a time.  You’ll see other craft crossing your path as you follow the lighted checkpoints but you only seem to engage one racer at a time.  After you pass somebody   another racer will seem to come out of a side path or appear ahead of you so essentially you need to make five passes to come in third.

  

The game runs extremely smooth and fast and the handling with either accelerometer or touch is very good.  There’s a nice replay available after each race with different camera views and you also have the ability to race against a ghost racer of your best time but there’s no multiplayer.

Ground Effect is nice if all you want is some high speed skimming over island courses but may lack the depth needed to maintain it’s price.  3 stars.



(goyami@comcast.net)


Note:  Galactic Gunner is FREE for one day (Fri. 13th).  Check it out if you’re interested   
           in an entertaining outer-space touch shooter with nice effects, lots of cut-scenes and voice-overs.