This game also launches at an interesting time — right as the new iPhone 3GS was released by Apple. I was lucky enough to have the privilege to check out Real Racing on both the 3G and 3GS, so I’ve be able to provide some comments on the differences between the hardware and what it’ll mean to you.

The tilt behind Real Racing is that it’s essentially a simulation racing game. Because there are several arcade-oriented racing games, I’d say there is room for a game like this to gain some heat. The game’s career mode is setup very similarly to the structure found in Sony’s Gran Turismo franchise. There are events that you compete in that are separated by the classes of cars (e.g. Hatch, Sedan, Muscle, etc.) that are required in those races. After you complete an event, two additional difficulty levels are opened up that allow you to unlock new cars. While Real Racing’s career mode is the primary mode you’ll spend most of your time, there are Quick Race and Time Trial options for those short windows to play a fast race.

The question I’m sure most of you are wondering about is, how realistic is the racing? The short answer is that Real Racing can be as realistic as you can handle. Smooth steering is handled by tilting the iPhone left or right, while acceleration is automatically done by the game. Braking is done by holding any area on the screen, and it works very well. The braking assist sensitivity level in the options menu will determine how realistic your driving experience is. When this option is turned all the way up, the game does much of the dirty work as your car automatically brakes on tight corners and bends. On the flip side, when this function is turned all the way down, you will have to do all the braking by yourself. My personal preference fell right in the middle, and it provided a satisfying control level to tackle the other 5 cars being guided by the tough A.I. competition.

The multiplayer and online options in Real Racing are ground breaking for an iPhone title. Using Cloudcell technology, users can upload their times to online servers to compare and compete with other folks that are also playing. While there isn’t any live online racing with people all over the country, Real Racing has a good substitute through online leagues. In an online league, you race a total of three courses (i.e. series) with the times being captured to sort out the leaderboard in the series. Upon completing a race, there’s a short wait to ensure all competitors get their times in before the next race starts. It worked as advertised, and I’d love to future racing games replicate what Firemint has done here. Rounding out the online features is the ability to upload YouTube video replays and have local WIFI race battles.

A few months back I hailed 2XL Supercross as the best looking game I’ve seen on the iPhone. After playing Real Racing for a few minutes, it quickly removes any doubt that a new level of technical and artistic mastery has been achieved. Everything about Real Racing is gorgeous. Not only are the game’s 12 tracks beautifully detailed and unique, they have a variety of particle effects and transparency tricks to bring the environments to life. Along with solid representations of the car models, Firemint has the gone the extra step to create fully functional interiors for each of the cars. You’ll see active gauges, shift changes, and a subtle vibration effect replicating the experience of driving a car. This may seem like a small touch, but this takes the immersion factor to all new levels. Depending on what device you’re using to play Real Racing, this visual spender can come with a cost…

As I alluded to in my introduction, I have had some time to play through Real Racing on both an iPhone 3G and a 3GS. Unfortunately for 3G users, there is a difference in performance that is impossible to miss. While Real Racing performed admirably on the 3G, the 3GS smokes it based on having twice the amount of RAM, an upgraded graphics chip, and about 33% more raw processing power. On the 3G, load times are long and there were some frame rate hiccups that somewhat hampered my ability to precisely control my car. Alternatively on the 3GS, Real Racing loads very quickly and doesn’t chug or hiccup at all. As a result, my racing times improved substantially while gaming on the 3GS. It will be awhile before a game is developed to fully exploit the capabilities of the 3GS, but I’m excited for that day to arrive based on what I’ve seen here.

I’ve given out a handful of perfect scores in the past, but Real Racing has changed my point of view on the mandatories required to earn the ultimate honor. Kudos to Firemint for outdoing themselves here, and I urge all racing fans to buy this ridiculously impressive game.

Watch the Real Racing video demo:

• app_name: Real Racing
• rating: 10/10

© AppCraver, 2009. | Real Racing: The Review and 3G vs 3GS | Get our iPhone Reviews on Facebook & Twitter!

Granted it has come in several different themes over the years (e.g. exotic cars, rally racing, street racing, police pursuits, etc.), the quality of the games has consistently been good to fantastic. Electronic Arts(EA) has brought over the popular franchise to the iPhone through it’s most recent entry in the series, Need For Speed: Undercover.

While this title was released last holiday on all major consoles and handheld devices, I was nervous this version would suffer from a quick and dirty port. It turns out my fears were unsubstantiated as EA has unquestionably delivered one hell of a racing game.

Need for Speed: Undercover places you in the role of an undercover cop whose goal is to infiltrate an organized crime organization in Tri-City. With live-action video, you become enthralled with folks on both sides of the law. Through this story telling method your goals and missions are presented to you in the game’s lengthy campaign. Upon completing a race, a new one opens up to maintain the linear flow and tight storytelling. Luckily for us, the acting is good and you’ll recognize several celebrities in the cut scenes. All in all, it’s a welcome change from the typical “win first place” text prompts in some of the more formulaic racing games out there.

You’ll be hard pressed to find a more thoughtful brand of racing on the iPhone than what’s here in Need For Speed: Undercover. The mechanics and fluid, and with some practice, the innovative controls will feel like second nature. Steering is handled by tilt controls, and slowing down from the automatic acceleration is done by holding any area on the screen.

Where this game bucks conventional wisdom is through using touch gesture controls to influence some of the more advanced techniques. Everything from nitro boosts, speedbreakers (think Matrix’s bullet time), camera manipulation are controlled by one or two finger gestures. In between races, the game does a good job of reminding you of the mechanics, and you’ll soon have everything memorized. Considering that there are 8 unique racing modes (e.g. Circuit, Highway Battle, Cop Takeout, etc.), I’m so thankful that the controls are so refined and precise.

Winning races earn you money allowing you to customize your ride. There are 20 licensed cars from brands starting on the lower end like Pontiac and Nissan all the way up Porsche and Lamborghini that beg to be tinkered with. You can buy performance or cosmetic upgrades, and the depth of options that are available are staggering. If you’re short of cash, you can always trade in a vehicle collecting dust in your garage to upgrade to that next aspirational vehicle.

I’m happy to report that the visual and audible stimuli in Need For Speed: Undercover matches the level of the gameplay. The look, feel, and emotion of the Need For Speed franchise comes through completely intact. The licensed vehicles are wonderfully modeled and the textures are amazing for an iPhone game. Listening to the engines of the various cars throttle up and down is spot on, and the “swish” of the gears changing will excite fellow gearheads. If that isn’t enough, there’s motion blurring to jacks the sense of speed to another level across the game’s 24 races/missions. The main thing that keeps Need For Speed: Undercover from taking the graphics crown from 2XL Supercross are the frame rate hiccups. The stutters happen just enough to have an impact on the immersion of the game, so it must be noted.

Like all racers in the early going, there hasn’t been one game that excels in all facets yet. The glaring crime here is the lack of any multi-player modes which is a staple of the Need for Speed brand. Even with the lack of multi-player, Need for Speed: Undercover is undoubtedly worth its $10 price point. I urge all racing fans to purchase this game to ensure the iPhone sees another quality entry from the Need for Speed franchise.

• app_name: Need For Speed: Undercover
• rating: 9/10

© AppCraver, 2009. | Need For Speed Arrives on the iPhone in Style! | Get our iPhone Reviews on Facebook & Twitter!

Stunt Car Racing 99 Tracks FREE, from the usually reliable Digital Chocolate, is an ordinary side-to-side scroller. The challenge is to navigate a four-wheel, off-road truck up and over jumps, dips, hills and other obstacles as smoothly as possible while also grabbing bonus items to use for power extras such as nitro boost.

Stunt Car Racing 99 Tracks FREE has 6 tracks, despite what you may think judging from its title. The premium version, which is priced at a mere $0.99 cent, has all 99 venues. Maybe this version should have been titled Stunt Car Racing 6 Tracks SIX CENTS.

Play against friends and go head-to-head in Hot Seat Mode. You can perform wheelies, flips and other tricks on your way to the finish line to pick up goodies. Collecting gold, silver and bronze coins (or maybe they’re medals) along the way helps maintain your health and speed you to the finish line.

All things considered, however, this game is nothing special. The graphics tend to be pretty rough and the four-wheeler’s physics are off. The controls to wheelie and dip the truck aren’t particularly responsive either.

Last March, I reviewed Monster Trucks Nitro, from RedLynx, which is conceptually similar. I did not effusively praise the game although I found enough about it to like. In comparison, Monster Trucks Nitro features better graphics, with more of a 3D feel, game play and challenges than Stunt Car Racing 99 Tracks FREE . Monster Trucks also features better controls using the accelerometer  and physics. It’s on sale for $0.99 at the moment — it’s also been updated since I reviewed it — so this is a fair comparison, not only in price, but in depth.

Digital Chocolate has released a number of free titles so you can try before you buy: I’m a fan of the company’s and I’m looking forward to test piloting Mini Golf 99 Holes, Kamikaze Robots and other that are new to me.

Stunt Car Racing 99 costs nada to try. Download it and let me know what you think and whether the premium version is worth the money.

• rating: 7/10
• app_name: Stunt Car Racing 99 Tracks FREE

© AppCraver, 2009. | Stunt Car Racing Goes Off-Road Scrolling | Get our iPhone Reviews on Facebook & Twitter!

In this game, your a little creature named BubbleHead. Don’t let the confused and dazed look your character has fool you, he’s incredibly fast and nimble. Something tells me BubbleHead’s not this way out of pure desire, but rather, it’s a requirement to take on the challenges he faces across 25 levels (split in 5 themed worlds).

The goal of BubbleHead is to get from one end of a level to the other as fast as possible to set a good time. Along the way, you’ll need to pick up stars to that take seconds off your final time. The path is littered with objects and obstacles, but it makes things a little more tense and interesting. Unlike some games that only have offline top scores, you’ll have incentive to do your best as your performances will be compared with others through the game’s online leaderboards.

BubbleHead has some the most refined tilt and touch controls I’ve experienced in an iPhone game. The game is played from a top down perspective, and moving your touching the screen accelerates your character while removing your finger stops momentum and allows backtracking. The most impressive thing about the controls is the accelerator that controls left and right movement. A gradual tilt moves your character slowly while a sharp turn triggers a fast movement across the screen. With a little practice, you’ll be zipping around at amazing speeds, and you’ll be having a ball trying to go for a perfect run.

BubbleHead’s zaniness comes across most in its visuals and sounds. The high resolution hand-drawn art is beautiful to watch. Across the game’s five themed worlds (e.g. fast food, sports, forest, etc.), you’ll see related objects and obstacles in the level. For example, in the fast food world, you’ll have to navigate around burgers, donuts and pizza among other things. It’s quite cute and funny to look at though, so it isn’t as corny as it may sound. BubbleHead also supports playback from your iPod library, and it listening to Eminem’s new album while playing felt strangely perfect. The one downer of using custom soundtracks was that some subtle frame rate hiccups started to occur. I’m confident this can be addressed with a software update though.

Do yourself (and Crowdcafé) a favor by picking up this inspired and polished little game. BubbleHead controls wonderfully, looks gorgeous, and has more than enough depth to justify the two dollar barrier to entry. BubbleHead is an extraordinary debut game from Crowdcafé, and I’m anxious to see what their next effort will look like.

• app_name: BubbleHead
• rating: 9/10

© AppCraver, 2009. | Bubblehead is One Zany Game | Get our iPhone Reviews on Facebook & Twitter!

In terms of the game’s presentation and gameplay layers, Fast and Furious The Game is mainly solid. The 3D cars and environments are detailed while running at a smooth clip. It’s very clear that this game leverages the engine found in Pink Slip, but there are some subtle changes for the better. The accelerometer controls the steering and while I find it a bit sluggish, the controls get the job done. That being said, I can’t help but wish there were options to adjust sensitivity so I can recreate the perfect tilt controls found in Fastlane Street Racing. Unlike FFTG’s predecessor, I’m happy that manual braking was implemented as you couldn’t do that in the previous title. Of the new features in Fast and Furious The Game, there are two specific features that you’ll probably be the most interested in hearing about.

The first big headline feature is the game’s Story Mode. It’s here where you’ll play through a Fast and Furious campaign that has you going through a narrative that reprises the roles of characters played in the movie by Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and Michelle Rodriguez among others. Most of the storytelling is presented by text overlays on top of static imagery, but it’s cool to have a context for the different races you’re going through. This is great because it provides iPlay flexibility to add more modes like Tunnel Race (i.e. Drag Racing with quick-time events sprinkled in) and Pursuit (wreck opposing vehicles) to drive the storytelling.

The other big headline feature is Fast & Furious The Game’s emphasis on online connectivity and gameplay. Besides leveraging the WIFI multiplayer also found in Fast and Furious: Pink Slip, iPlay has integrated the hot Cloudcell API that’s been getting a ton of attention lately. Cloudcell allows an easy to use interface to compete and compare gameplay experiences with strangers and friends alike. After registering through the game, you’ll be able to race and upload your performance/times to compete for placement on national leaderboards. If you link your Cloudcell and YouTube accounts together, you’ll also be able to upload video replays of your races for everyone to check out. To top it off, there’s weekly competitions that’s giving away extras like DVDs, Blu-Rays, and iTunes gift cards too.

Fast and Furious The Game is a worthwhile and substantial upgrade to its predecessor. Though the racing itself hasn’t evolved to “best of” status yet; the polish, depth and replay value that’s in this offering makes it easy to take another ride in the Fast & Furious universe.

• app_name: Fast & Furious The Game
• rating: 8/10

© AppCraver, 2009. | iPlay Unleashes It’s Fast and Furious Sequel | Get our iPhone Reviews on Facebook & Twitter!

Touch Ski 3D isn’t your standard racing game. Instead of racing others, you race the clock. Over the course of Touch Ski 3D’s expansive 16 courses, the goal is to properly navigate through slalom flags while trying to post the best time you possibly can. If you miss flags, you suffer time penalties. Digging into the slalom system, you have to make sure that you’re to the left of the blue flags and to the right of the blue flags. The system works well, keeping you focused on the correct path to take.

On the whole, Naquatic has crafted a beautiful game. It was a good choice to go with a first person perspective for Touch Ski 3D as the courses are 3D and expansive. Though there is some noticeable aliasing that produces “jaggies” on the environments, it should be forgiven based on how large the courses are. The use of different lighting schemes does a good job of mixing up the look of the courses as well.

To elaborate on the unique control scheme referenced in my introductory paragraph, Touch Ski 3D is doing some pioneering things relative to control. Most racers use either the accelerometer or an on-screen control pad to influence steering. You will not find any of that here though.

Touch Ski 3D handles it’s mechanics by using two index fingers. Upon pressing both of your fingers onto the horizontally-oriented screen (your phone will need to be rested on a table or your lap), they will control the left and right skis. Accelerating your skier is accomplished by having both of your fingers parallel. Slowing down is done by crossing your fingers. Lastly, steering is managed by smoothly tilting your fingers left or right in sync. This scheme paired with a real physics engine makes Touch Ski 3D a pleasure to control.

As an additional freebie, you can waste time in the Ski Jump mode. In this mode, it’s all about racing down a slope before jumping off a cliff to amass big air. The farther you jump, the better, and you can upload your best stats to Touch Ski 3D’s servers for leaderboards.

Not everything in Touch Ski 3D is great though. There is one head-scratching omission that drags down the experience for me. That being you don’t have any clue about what’s a good time to have on the courses you’re skiing on during gameplay. There’s no “top time” to beat or checkpoints (with +/- time indicators) during your run that serves as a status check. The closest thing that gives you a barometer on how well you’re doing is from uploading your score to Touch Ski 3D’s servers. But I’d argue that determining progress shouldn’t be exclusively relegated to comparing myself to the top human players. Naquatic has a high scores section accessible in the main menu, but that kind of information needs to injected into the main user flow (e.g. during gameplay and upon concluding a course).

All things considered, Touch Ski 3D is a great case study for any developer looking to take the iPhone as a gaming platform seriously. Instead of making some throwaway game with some minor iPhone specific touches tacked on, Naquatic made a game that plays on the inherent strengths and features of the iPhone. For anyone on the fence, there’s a free version of Touch Ski 3D available, but this game is worth ever penny…all three hundred of them!

• app_name: Touch Ski 3D
• rating: 8/10

© AppCraver, 2009. | Touch Ski 3D Is An Original Game, Done Right | Get our iPhone Reviews on Facebook & Twitter!

Like its arcade brethren, Alpine Racer has two primary modes of play (Story Mode and Time Attack). Story Mode consist of taking a character through three races to earn points to level up attributes of your character. This mode can typically be blown through in roughly 10 minutes. As you beat the game, you unlock characters and courses. Time Attack allows you to pick any of the four courses in Alpine Racer and compete to set time records. Scope of Alpine Racer seems very basic and somewhat underwhelming.

There are two options to pick from to control your skier. One, an onscreen control pad which gives the most precise control. Two, using the accelerometer is fairly accurate, but not better than the first option. An “action” button also allows you to do tricks in the air. On that point, tricks don’t provide any performance boosts; tricks are there purely for cosmetic reasons only.

One of the biggest pros of the Alpine Racer series from the arcades were the beautiful graphics. While Alpine Racer for iPhone isn’t anywhere close to the standard set in the arcades, the effort here is good. Everything in Alpine Racer is in 3D, and the characters and courses look good. On the flip side, the sense of speed isn’t very satisfying even with a fully maxed-out character. The low, but consistent, frame rate doesn’t help in this regard either.

Overall, Alpine Racer is a solid game. My main quibble is that the depth (3 selectable characters, 4 tracks, no multiplayer, etc.) here doesn’t add up to the $6 price tag. If you’re a hardcore fan of the franchise, feel free to give Alpine Racer a shot. Otherwise, there are more attractive and meatier options available on the App Store.

• app_name: Alpine Racer
• rating: 6/10

© AppCraver, 2009. | Alpine Racer Shows Promise But Lacks Depth | Get our iPhone Reviews on Facebook & Twitter!

Scope in Aqua Moto Racing is ridiculously deep for being a $3 title. In plowing through the game’s championship campaign, you can unlock 18 tracks (reverse variants essentially bumps that number to 36 tracks) that are split amongst 3 distinct environments.

In the earlier championship circuits, you’ll be able to win 1st place without breaking a sweat. In the later circuits, the courses become much more demanding and the A.I. steps up it’s challenge as well. Winning the circuits — 6 circuits total — gives you points to level up your jet ski by assigning attribute points to top speed, acceleration, steering and boost. All unlocked courses can be played in the game’s additional Time Trial mode to churn out times to compete for a spot in the online leaderboards.

Aqua Moto Racing controls like a dream. Resolution Interactive AB has nailed the feeling of controlling heavy jet skis that are racing on open water. The physics are fair, and it’s really easy to capture the rules of the water in a fairly minimal amount of time. Tilting the iPhone left or right manipulates steering, and on screen buttons control the braking and boost (accumulated speed bursts). To top it off, there are even options to pull off stunts from pressing onscreen buttons as well.

I’m not sure what graphics engine is powering Aqua Moto Racing, but the developers should license it out because it’s incredible. I will not say anything as hyperbolic as PSP-level graphics have finally arrived, but Aqua Moto Racing pushes the needle in that direction in a serious way. The courses are beautifully rendered, the water waves and ripples realistically, environments properly reflect off the water, and it does all of this while maintaining a silky frame rate most of the time.

While Aqua Moto Racing largely gets the job done in every respect, there are a few things that could be tightened up. The championship campaign can get repetitive because the game only has a total of 3 environments. For example, I recall playing courses in the same environment for about 6 or 7 races before I saw something new. Lack of any multiplayer (Local or WIFI) is a glaring omission as well. When the racing feels as good as this, it’s a shame that some live competition isn’t an option here.

Small quibbles aside, Aqua Moto Racing is in the conversation for the best racer currently available for iPhone. Get it!

• app_name: Aqua Moto Racing
• rating: 9/10

© AppCraver, 2009. | Aqua Moto Racing Makes a Huge Splash | Get our iPhone Reviews on Facebook & Twitter!

FFPS is a high speed arcade racing title. Fast and Furious: Pink Slip has four racing types — Race (beat the field), Drift (win by style), Drag Race (point to point), Cop Chase (avoid police) — that are the venues for the game’s 32 cars and races. Progression is made by playing through the Arcade option that serves as this game’s campaign mode. Through successfully completing objectives in the various races, new races are unlocked. Though this a fairly standard convention in the racing genre, the twist to the formula is hinted at through the subtitle of this game.

Pink slips (i.e. ownership of the car) are wagered before all races (expect Cop Chases), and that is the main way to acquire new vehicles in this game. Picking the right car to bet against is essential as you’ll want to make sure you’re challenging a car that’s beatable. Winning adds a new car to your garage, while losing takes a car away. So you need to be careful with wagering your pink slips in Fast and Furious: Pink Slip.

Control is straightforward in FFPS. The accelerometer controls the steering while the acceleration is all done automatically. For the most part the control scheme holds up well in most of the race types, but they falter a lot in the Drift race mode. My main quibble with the controls in this mode is that the cars feel like they are driving on ice. It’s in this mode that the ability to manually accelerate and brake are greatly missed. I found myself steering out of control several times, and it effectively forces you to use the restart option to try the race again.

Overall, the racing feels good. As I started to acquire more powerful cars, the sense of speed became fulfilling. The later levels step the game up, making Fast and Furious: Pink Slips much more competitive. The standout racing mode is Cop Chase. I’m a huge fan of the Need for Speed franchise and it’s penchant for cop chases, so it’s good to see that type of gameplay replicated admirably here. Local WiFi multiplayer performs well as there wasn’t much latency interfering with games with my wife.

iPlay has done a great job with the presentation layers in FFPS. The menus look good while employing an easy user interface making it relatively fool proof. The 3D models cars and environments look very good and the frame rate is consistent most of the time. I’d be remiss not to touch on cool cinematic touches that give dynamic views of the action during gameplay. The high energy soundtrack and good car sounds round out FFPS’s great presentation.

iPlay’s Fast and Furious: Pink Slip isn’t the very best arcade racer on the iPhone, but it has enough going for it deserves serious consideration from all arcade racing fans.

• app_name: Fast & Furious: Pink Slip
• rating: 7/10

© AppCraver, 2009. | Fast and Furious: Pink Slip Is A Safe Gamble | Get our iPhone Reviews on Facebook & Twitter!

With that little preamble of sorts to give you context, I was very eager to check out Clever Coding’s Paper Pilot. The game is all flying around white paper planes in four different 3D environments to collect a designated amount of paper clips. Ranks are given for each flight run based on when the environment is completed. New levels open up upon successfully completing objectives on open levels. Pretty simple stuff.

Flying around is easy enough in Paper Pilot. Tilting and swaying the iPhone controls the pitch and yaw of the plane. Swiping up or down on your horizontally oriented iPhone adjusts the speed of the plane. The use of the accelerometer for this provides a good sensation of flying around in space that feels good. Sadly the control scheme is rudely interrupted by an issue that ultimately proves to make the game nearly unplayable.

Paper Pilot’s frame rate fluctuates all over the place and it’s madly frustrating. In a game where the controls are completely based on the accelerometer and success depends on how fast a level can be completed, an unstable frame rate can virtually be considered a game killer.

Though the frame rate jumps all over, it especially chugs when making turns in the different environments. Imagine setting up your plane for the perfect turn with a gradual tilt of your phone, then all of a sudden; the game hitches for a couple milliseconds throwing off your angle and essentially ending your attempt at a great time. Now imagine this scenario being repeated level after level, and hopefully you get the gist of why it’s a big problem.

Outside of the actual game play, Paper Pilot has a good layer of polish on it. The menus are clean and easy to navigate which is always great. The sound has a peppy and upbeat feel that works for me. Clever Coding’s graphics engine powering Paper Pilot has a shot to be really good. If you’re looking at screens in the game, you’d be impressed with the 3D modeling in the environments. The problem crops up when Paper Pilot is in motion. Here’s hoping an update in coming down the pipe soon as a graphics fix can help smooth out the actual game play.

Paper Pilot seems like a work in progress. I would have loved to see some multiplayer action as this game seems ripe for it. In addition, a few more environments would be welcome to add some replay value.

In it’s current state, Paper Pilot looks good but it’s frame rate seriously impairs game play. I’ll keep my eyes peeled for updates, but in the mean time it is hard to recommend Paper Pilot.

:Sigh:

• app_name: Paper Pilot
• rating: 5/10

© AppCraver, 2009. | Paper Pilot: Polished Graphics Still Stuck in Choppy Winds | Get our iPhone Reviews on Facebook & Twitter!