Entries for the 'Racing' Category

The Iphone continues to accelerate on the lead as the most prolific mobile gaming platform as each ground-breaking new app sets a pace that few handhelds can match. The latest pacesetter is the aptly named hardcore racing simulator Real Racing from Firemint. Although Iphone games are reasonably priced in comparison to games for other platforms, with so many titles being released, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to decide where to spend your hand-earned gaming buck.

When launching a flight simulator you have to know going in that it’s virtually impossible to satisfy everyone. A developer has to decide which wildly divergent audience they’re targeting: arcade (Top Gun), hardcore (Xplane), or somewhere in between. Red Bull Air Race World Championship by Artificial Life aims for the arcade side of center and for the most part lands on the runway.

Some games are ported over to the Iphone virtually intact and simply fitted with new controls (Resident Evil Regeneration) while others come with slight tune-ups and updates

(Galaxy on Fire 2). Then there are some like Need for Speed Undercover by EA that are given major overhauls, virtually rebuilt to race the Iphone track. The end result, in this case, is a game that is bigger, bolder and many times better than it’s Java origins could of ever suggested.

Hot on the bumper of the Fast & Furious Pink Slip, Firemint and I-Play have fired up Fast & Furious 3D for the Iphone and Java to coincide with the movie release. While games that are released to capitalize on movies have a generally rotten egg smell to them perhaps Firemint, who delivered a nice ride in Pink Slip, can buck the trend. Still, this makes for some heavy traffic with fast and furious street racers crowding all the mobile lanes to await the green light.

Dakar 2009 by EA and Spiced Bits is the officially licensed mobile game for the recently completed Dakar endurance rally open to anyone with the money and desire to take on this grueling 2-week challenge. With the large number of off-road titles available for your mobile pleasure one might wonder if another one needs to be squeezed onto your device. Let’s take Dakar 09 for a bumpy ride and see if it lives up to its billing as “the ultimate rally“.

Gameloft has released another in their series of HD games and Ferrari GT Evolution remains true to form. This is a sparkling showroom of Ferraris assembled to dazzle the masses with their visual splendor. Is it all a flashy show or is there some real horsepower underneath the glitz? Let’s pop the hood and kick the tires of these high-priced thoroughbreds and see if they fulfill a young man’s fancy.

The fertile Need For Speed series has spun out yet another offspring for your mobile device in NFS - Undercover by EA. Released to coincide with its similarly named sibling for consoles, has it delivered another chip off the old block? Let’s take a peek under the covers and see what the newborn brings. 

The family resemblance is apparent as you choose your races from a jigsaw puzzle map of the city in your quest to conquer areas. In fact, the sense of déjà vu’ is undeniable as you run races, win money and upgrade and buy cars.

Rally Master Pro, one of 2008’s finest mobile offerings, is available for free from fishlabs.net, at least the first 9 races. Whether or not you will want to pop for the full games depends on how much of a challenge you want on your mobile phone. Nevertheless, don’t pass up this opportunity if you’re interested in mobile racing. 

Without having to worry about having other racers on the track with you, Fishlabs was able to use the extra resources to thoughtfully fine tune other areas of Rally Master Pro and give us features not found in any other mobile racer.

Woo Hoo! As soon as that maniacal marsupial Crash Bandicoot spins onto your mobile screen with his trademark theme song you know you’re in for a wild and woolly ride. Vivendi Games Mobile and Polarbit have brought Crash and his cohorts to 3D life on your mobile device in Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D and in the process have sent a warning shot across the bow of Nintendo.

 

With more and more kids at a younger age walking around with more powerful cell phones with bigger and better screens the market is expanding exponentially for better 3D mobile games. One lap around N-Sanity Island will convince you that while Nintendo may lead the pack in casual on-the-go gaming, mobile devices have closed the gap and are poised for a strong second lap.