QuickLook: GTS World Racing for iPhone

Posted by: dgoldring on Sep 02 2008

Imagine yourself in a high octane hotrod, zipping through a mountain pass.  Cars fly by as you fight against the wheel.  You bank right, then left.  Your wheels hang off the cliff as your heart beats with adrenaline.  The finish line waits ahead.  Although this may seem like it, this is not the latest episode of Speed Racer.  Instead, it is the first offering by mobile gaming powerhouse, Astraware, for the iPhone.  And I, for one, am thrilled to see them cross over to the new platform.

We can just cut straight to the chase on this one.  This is a car racing game.  You choose your car and the track you want to race, but in the end you have a pretty good idea of what to expect.  You and nine other cars, racing through all manner of rugged terrain, striving to be the first to cross the finish line.  I have been playing car racing games since Pole Position for my Atari, and I suspect many of you have been as well.  So, I will not bore you with the intricate details.

I will, however, spend a few minutes talking about the controls.  As you can see in the video, above, the controls are unlike any mobile car racing game I have ever seen.  When I played this one on my Windows Mobile device, the controls were clunky and difficult to steer.  In fact, I have never liked car racing games on Windows Mobile, because the controls are constantly terrible. 

With the iPhone version, however, Astraware really got it right by making full use of the accelerometer.  Rather than driving with artificial controls, such as pushing buttons in a particular order, Astraware has turned your entire device into a steering wheel.  Just tip it forward to accelerate, back to decelerate, and left or right to steer.  Magnificent.  Just don’t tip it too far or you will go flat, causing problems with your vision.

I absolutely loved the creative use of the accelerometer.  Astraware has done a fantastic job with this one, taking a mediocre car racing game, and turning it into a fast-paced adventure.  Now, buckle up, start your engines and the race is on.  Just watch out for those trees!

Name: GTS World Racing

Developer: Astraware/Handmark (created by Pazzaz games)

Where to Buy: iTunes App Store

Price: $7.99

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