We love indie games here at Stoffel Presents. The creativity, originality and pure fun they bring to gaming is immense. Super Pixel Racers is one of those indie games that delivers on all counts and then some.
Fantastic game play. A ton of content, Nostalgia fuelled retro vibe. Thumping 16-bit soundtrack. Career and multiplayer mode. Super Pixel Racer has it all!!
Gameplay
Straight off the bat, Super Pixel Racers gains it retro credentials by offering you a simple (yet still tricky) steering control setup or a retro one. I’ll be honest here, I tried the retro steering and am ashamed to say I really couldn’t get the hang of it. So this review was completed with the simple steering controls.
Which ever steering controls you choose, the rest of the controls are the same. Your car automatically accelerates. The only over two buttons are to drift and nitro.
Drifting around corners will fill up your nitro bar. In no time at all, you will settle into a constant state of drifting and boosting. To the point that a 3 lap raise almost feels like one continuous movement. Races become fast-paced, skill full and fluid experiences that are a pure joy to play.
The retro vibe that permeates throughout Super Pixel Racers is superb. It is impossible to play Super Pixel Racers without remembering such gaming greats as Super Skidmarks and Rock ‘N’ Roll Racing. Super Pixel Racers maybe neo-retro but it takes its well-deserved place on the starting grid with those legendary games.
Content
Super Pixel Racers is crammed to the hilt with content and game modes. The sheer amount of content is unbelievable!
Career mode consists of 6 classes of races. each class numerous events each. The events are a nice mix of variety too. The obvious races are in there as well as drift challenges, time trials, hunt, rally, land rush and takedown.
Takedown is a burnout-esque type event. Quite simply you have to boost into cars and make them explode. Each car destroyed awards you points and you have a target score to reach in the allotted time.
Land Rush is quite simple. Race around the track and be in first place when the timer ends. Whereas Hunt has you chase down a target car on the track.
Rally has you racing from checkpoint to checkpoint on a procedurally generated track.
Takedown isn’t the time damage comes into play though. Your car can become damaged in any event. A damaged car moves and accelerates a hell of a lot slower than usual. If you go so far has to destroy your car there are a frantic few seconds where you wiggle the joystick like crazy as if you are in a retro arcade to repair your car.
Whilst this rewards you with a new car those valuable seconds normally result in you losing a few places in the race.
As well as the 6 classes to beat career mode also as 3 classes of cups with multiple cups in each to be won as well. Each cup consists of a number of consecutive events each. Finish first and you will be awarded 10 points. Be top of the table after all races and win the cup. simple as that.
On top of all these different events, classes and cups there is also a wide range of gorgeous little pixel cars to buy, race and upgrade. Each car can only be used in its class but this gives a nice progression to the game. Lose the same event enough and you can afford to upgrade your top speed, acceleration, nitro or durability.
All of these upgrades actually make a noticeable difference to the car and the race. So you can go from the frustration of losing to potentially grabbing pole position after just a few losses.
The career mode is astoundingly expansive but the game’s content doesn’t end there! Super Pixel Racers also includes Local multiplayer and Online Multiplayer.
With online multiplayer, the choice of cars is limited to one until you level up and unlock more. Unfortunately, at the time of writing this review, I was unable to actually find a race online. I can’t say how well the multiplayer works but if it’s anything like the rest of the game then I have no worries at all.
Graphics
As the name Super Pixel Racers suggests the graphics are done in a wonderful pixel style. Everything from the cars to the flames. From the road cones and tyres. They all add to the nostalgia and retro vibe that is not only prevalent throughout the game but is an obvious source of love and passion for the developers 21c.Ducks
Overall Thoughts
Super Pixel Racers is an amazing game. It invokes feelings of nostalgia. Epitomises everything great about retro gaming. Super Pixel Racers is exactly why indie games are so popular.
The amount of love and passion that comes through in this game from the developers is inescapable. The amount of content is the game is so vast it is almost ludicrous!
This review is already ridiculously long and I could keep talking about it even more. In short, buy this game and enjoy some pure, unadulterated, retro fun.
Overall Score – 9/10
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