Zoom zoom do you hear it? The iPhone’s best racing game is fast approaching!

Real Racing ($9.99)

I played a few racers on my phone including NFS, and the like, but I kept hearing about Real Racing and all the hype related to the title. Upon launching the app I noticed a few things different from the competition, it is LOADED full of features.

So as a gamer and a fan of racing games, hats off to Firemint for the hard work. It looks like EA has some competition to deal with for a change.

My Take

I live 15 minutes from Texas Motor Speedway. I hate it when there is a NASCAR or when Danica Patrick is in town racing an Indy Car as these circuits come to town for the weekend. Traffic around me is thicker, places to eat are packed. I can’t figure out what brings out all these rednecks and racing fans to spend the weekend watching a bunch of cars turn left all day. Boring…except for Danica of course. But on the other hand, I love racing games on my xbox, DSi and of course my iPhone.

Presentation

Simple UI, clean graphics with cut scenes, the touch controls are responsive. I like the fact that the graphics are getting a tad better now. As much as I’ve played game after game in the past, by the 2nd and 3rd year of a platform, the quality of the games tend to get better. Real Racing delivers a fast loading app that takes you right to action rather quickly. It’s something that is a necessity in any game, T R44ARN 96K 4RX
good speed and optimization.

The site owner asked me about how it looks on the 3G as opposed to the 3G S. The graphics are just above PlayStation One, and the frame-rate isn’t bad at all. I’m not expecting PS3 settings, but I can see the improvements in the frame-rate on my 3G when I compare to other racing titles. That means the 3G S is that much better due to the speed bump between iPhones. But again, it’s not slow or does it lag and there’s 6 racers going at the same time. Yeah, it’s that good.

Game Play

The bottom line object of the game is win your given race to unlock more cars, tracks and competition. OK, that’s just like the rest! The difference in this one is the amount of interactivity you can push the app into far reaches of social networking. I’ve haven’t seen an app allowing you to post your best racing on YouTube automatically (of course you need to set up a free account and link it up within the game prior to racing). Why I think that’s a huge selling point is because it’s one thing to post a fast time, but to visually prove you did it, well that’s another step further into our gaming world and where it’s headed.

On the controls, Firemint has given you the option of several different ways, and how sensitive the controls can be. You have a choice of accelerometer or touch controls, automatic or manual for acceleration and brake. Yes I said auto-braking too. Adjustment is done by slide controls before the race in your settings. It’s worth it to try out a track and find the balance needed in each race. It’s nice to tune up the controls before a race, just in case there’s a few more hairpin turns than the previous race.

The AI is tough to beat, and they make you pay for overturning into the rough. I’ve gone from first to last on the last lap due to my mishandling a corner. Not even the auto-braking will help you! You will have to win on pure skill and learn the controls. There’s plenty of “trading paint”, some of which is part of the race and helps you stay on track. Let me remind you I am playing in the “C” league, there’s “B” and “A” yet to be unlocked and played.

With 2 cars to start with, a 1.8 and 2.0 litre hatchback, you race to unlock better, faster cars. There are 48 to unlock, with 12 different tracks and 5 game modes on top of the three levels of difficulty and two different racing views to choose from as well. There’s plenty to do Besides the hours of unlocking, Firemint has a Facebook Fan Page, Twitter account, and within the Cloudcell account you sign up for your profile, there are more options and ways to play the game. this game is definitely worth more than 10 dollars, it feels like a 20-30 dollar app you would buy for you PSP. It’s that good.

The Cons

There is a good amount of setup involved concerning your profile and such. However since you have paid 10 bucks for the game, you have already made a commitment to the game by purchasing, it’s still a new routine to get in, sign up, sync and so on. There has to be a short cut, something not so much but if the end user decides to take a leap into YouTube or to a league online, it wouldn’t be so bad. It’s a complaint that needs to be heard, since there’s so many variables in the game already, why not make a stripped down free version to entice the buyer into taking a 10 dollar plunge?

I would like to see a some damage to the cars, something to make me and the AI a little hesitant to smash into each other or into the sidewalls.

Conclusion

Besides my complaint (I’m being constructive, not destructive!), Real Racing is one to buy. Dive into the activity surrounding the game. It’s so much fun, easy to use and a blast to play. I’d pass up Need for Speed and purchase this app instead. Fantastic game and fanboy hysteria inducing!