Comments (1)

By Sam, September 18, 2009 2:59 am

Halfbrick Rocket Racing – Racing & Flying – 240 Points – Download
Halfbrick Rocket Racing is the third game released by Halfbrick and is probably the most fun and polished so far. The basic premise is to control your rocket ship around various levels in the quickest time.

What sets Halfbrick Rocket Racing apart from other top down racers is it’s control scheme. Each trigger controls one of two thrusters on the back of your ship. Holding either trigger down on it’s own will make the ship turn whilst holding both will make the ship go forward. The controls take some getting used to (it took me over an hour to start making real progress through the single player mode), though once you get the hang of them it makes for a unique and challenging game. There is also a beginner control scheme that allows you to use the analog stick but I don’t recommend it as it takes away what makes the game unique.

Whilst sharing the same viewpoint as games like Little Racers, the game actually plays completely different. It plays more like Super Monkey Ball than Micro Machines and most levels consist of you trying to get to the checkpoint as quickly as possible without hitting the walls. Other levels see you trying to pass through all the checkpoints or trying to complete a set amount of laps around a praticular course. There is a nice risk/reward system in place where if you get close enough to a wall you ‘grind’ along it and get a speed boost. Later levels require you to master this technique to earn the top scores.The game comes with full online leaderboards for all 40 levels and there are already some challenging times to beat.

Halfbrick Rocket Racing also includes local multiplayer for up to four players. Players share the same screen and games can get really intense. I wish there was online racing though or even an offline tournament mode against A.I. as it would provide a nice distraction from the endless restarts you’ll inevitably have in the single player mode as you try to beat a certain time.

A special mention must go to the graphics and sound design. Both are extremely polished as we have come to expect from Halfbrick.

Overall, Halfbrick Rocket Racing is a unique, fun and challenging experience. I fear the trial of the game doesn’t do it justice as you won’t have time to appreciate the control scheme. But if you purchase it I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Once you master the controld Halfbrick Rocket Racing is one of the most challenging and polished games on the service.

Comments (1)

By Sam, September 3, 2009 2:37 am

Nine new games released over the last four days.

Note: These impressions are based off 8 minutes of gameplay and are not an accurate assessment of the full product.

Dark Skies: Constellations – 240 points – Educational – Download

Nice star gazing app that can teach you the constellations.

Crystal Spear remake – 80 points – Racing & Flying – Download

Simple and fun game where you must dodge obstacles down a 3D tunnel. You don’t need to purchase to enjoy the full game either as each game only lasts a couple of minutes.

シャイニング　ブラッド shining blood – 400 points – Shooter – Download

Virtual-On-like game. Seems in depth but it’s confusing as it’s all in Japanese.

Sky_Arena – 80 points – Racing & Flying – Download

Dogfighting game with quite nice visuals. The gameplay isn’t bad either.

Mini Golf 360 – 80 points – Action & Adventure – Download
Very simple mini golf game with not much imagination in the course designs.

Halfbrick Rocket Racing – 240 points – Racing & Flying – Download

Innovative racing game where you have two boosters on your ship. Power one at a time to turn or both to go straight. Once you get you used to the controls it’s great fun. Full review soon.

Fitba – 240 points – Sports & Recreation – Download

Sensible Soccer-like football game. Great fun and it has full team editing and online play! I hope a decent community forms around this game. Edit: Seems this came out a while ago and I missed it…

Avatar Golf – 400 points – Sports & Recreation – Download
The sequel to Easy Golf with Avatar support. Also has better ball physics and improved course features which can be used in the excellent course editor. 8-player online play too! Buy this game!

The Answer To Life – 80 points – Action & Adventure – Download

Pay 80 points to find the ‘Answer to life’ apparently. Padded out with useless mini games.