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Slot car racing gives you hours of fun as you chase the leader to win

Slot car racing gives you hours of fun as you chase the leader to win

Vote: (100 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Gameloft.

Version: 1.3.4d

Works under: Android

Vote:

Program license

(100 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Gameloft.

1.3.4d

Works under:

Android

Pros

  • A game that's enthusiastically devoted to the source material
  • Simple but engaging gameplay well suited to younger players

Cons

  • Very steep pay walls limit progress
  • Currency systems may be a bit complicated for the targeted age of players

Cars: Fast as Lightning leverages the popularity of the popular Pixar franchise to create a racing and city building game that's tailored for younger players enamored with the series. But the presence of obtrusive pay walls could be a concern for parents, and the lack of complexity in the systems means that it likely won't hold the attention of anyone but the most die hard fans for too long.

Regardless of its inherent flaws, this is a game that does licensing right. The art assets capture the look and feel of the animated films perfectly, and the team has even managed to recruit Owen Wilson to voice hero Lightning McQueen. Players looking to experience the world of Cars first hand will find all of the most popular characters represented lovingly as well as lesser known secondary characters. Then there's the town of Radiator Springs, which is brimming with life and filled with plenty of Easter eggs for hawk eyed gamers.

But it's unlikely that any two versions of Radiator Springs will look the same. This city builder gives you a number of popular landmarks to build, but where you choose to place them is entirely up to you. But for more impatient players, the prevalence of in game currency may outpace their sense of wonder. Building a property is set to a timer, and many of the more famous landmarks require the investment of diamonds. While diamonds can be earned in game, the rate is slow, even by the standards of the genre. Players who aren't willing to invest hour after hour into the game are unlikely to unlock all their favorite buildings without sinking a little bit of real cash into the experience. That's a double egregious sin considering that players will need to shell out cash just to play the game in the first place.

The city builder is just one half of the Fast as Lightning experience. The core premise of the game has you building race tracks to populate Radiator Springs, and it's a fun little wrinkle on what could become tedious races. The races themselves are a simple affair handled by a virtual gas pedal, and succeeding means gaining an understanding of when to hit the pedal to the metal and when to loosen up for upcoming turns. But adding a fun wrinkle to the affair is the ability to upgrade your tracks with new tricks that can earn you extra points in races. These races may be simple, but they're the main pathway to unlocking more options. Coins can be used to upgrade your cars, while experience unlocks new tricks and tracks, and stickers can be used to buy more cars for your fleet. It's a complicated economy of rewards to juggle, but it's one that ensures there are always new prizes right around the bend.

Pros

  • A game that's enthusiastically devoted to the source material
  • Simple but engaging gameplay well suited to younger players

Cons

  • Very steep pay walls limit progress
  • Currency systems may be a bit complicated for the targeted age of players