When arcades were still a thing (and later when Chucky Cheese became the closest thing to one), I loved to sit down in one of the extra large racing game cabinets with wheels and pedals and drive. I was terrible at them, never making it more than a few checkpoints in before time ran out. Granted I didn’t really know how to drive but then again, those machines aren’t great simulations for driving anyway.
These types of games though became less popular and as home gaming got closer to arcade quality, games in their spirit took their place. Stuff like Burnout and Need for Speed became the kings of arcade style racing. And while I love Burnout and Need for Speed, there is something special about those old style racers that were designed to eat your tokens and quarters. Sumo Digital’s Hotshot Racing attempts to tap into that nostalgia without the constant money suck.
Visually Hotshot Racing has a slick looking retro look, like what you remember Sega’s Virtua Racing looking like but way cleaner. It also has the trappings and feel of an actual arcade racer with tons of exaggerated drifting, boost, and checkpoint countdown timers that refill your time as you hit them. It’s what my memories of those arcade sessions are in my head, even though I know I hardly ever finished a race.
In Hotshot Racing, I finished every race. The checkpoint timer is generous enough that unless you are doing donuts at the start line or driving like it is a Sunday morning, you’ll make the next checkpoint with plenty of time to spare. The timer is just never really a concern to worry about. What you will have to worry about though is the classic rubber banding AI. It isn’t too impactful on the standard difficulty but hard and expert will require you to be more on your game. One mistake on higher difficulties can ruin a run. Thankfully they are short.
If you’ve ever played Mario Kart, you’ll recognize the setup. Standard races run three laps and generally take about three or four minutes. And a grand prix is four standard races, so they can be completed in about 15 minutes or so. Meaning all four of the grand prix can be completed in about an hour.
The game has 16 courses and each can be run in mirrored mode making for 32 courses. There is a good selection of drivers and each has their own set of four cars in different classes. And each of their cars can be cosmetically upgraded, by completing a set of challenges for the drivers and cars.
Hotshot racing has more than just straight racing though. There are a pair of goofy modes that can be played. Cops and Robbers is a vehicular version of Infection, where the cops are trying to catch the robbers and when they do so, they become cops and help chase down the remaining robbers. And there is Drive or Explode, which is basically the premise of the movie speed. You’re given a speed limit to maintain and if you don’t… boom. It can get pretty crazy.
The unlockables and crazy modes might be enough to keep people coming back but I likely won’t. It was fun but it was fleeting, much like my adventures in the arcade cabinets years ago.
3*
