There’ll be some out there who could only dream of being able to afford a Radio Controlled (RC) car when they were young. The zippy, sharp feel of RC racing brings out the kid in all of us and now any missing childhood experiences can be fulfilled, without the need for expensive equipment, thanks to Smash Cars.
Set in a fictional seaside fortress and surrounding area, Smash Cars is a bright and breezy take on arcade racing. The fortress is split into different tracks which encompass everything from racing along a beach littered with people and rubber dinghies, to a small wharf replete with fisherman and passers-by. Everything on show has a lush, bright colour palette and the incidental touches, like a helicopter buzzing close to cars at certain points in the track, really add to proceedings.
Three classes of cars exist; Monster, Sports and Buggy. Monster is the preferred type for Off Road Racing, Sport is purely for roads and Buggy works for both. Controls are tight and the RC cars handle with a nice bouncy feel. While in the air, a front or side flip can be instigated by flicking the left stick up and down. By pressing the square button at the same time as moving the left stick, you can flip the car on its side. Successfully executing this results in extra boost being awarded for each full flip which, as the races become trickier, comes in extremely handy. Boost can also be earned from smashing into objects or even people, with the caveat that if you stay in front of them for too long they`ll lift you up and throw you down the track, thus losing your race position.
There are extensive customisation options on offer, which are unlocked as you progress. Everything from new body kits to the ability to add custom coloured liveries provides incentive to clear races and progress to see what will become available.
Slightly marring the festivities is the disparity between Time Trial and Race modes. Racing is frenetic and really keeps you on your toes, as race positions change on a constant basis. For whatever reason, Time Trial is less forgiving. Rrestarting will become a frequently used option since the slightest dink or hindrance effectively ruins a chance of achieving the required medal to progress. A more lenient time frame would be welcome and, as it stands, it might put off a great deal of people who will become frustrated with constant retries.
Although the above detracts ever so slightly, the overriding feeling from Smash Cars is one of puppy dog enthusiasm; that playful but not too serious vibe, which adds greatly to its appeal.
