Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

RACE! puts players behind the wheel of miniaturized racing machines in a top-down arcade format that marries simplicity with depth. The core controls are intuitive—accelerate, brake, and steer—while mastering drifting around corners becomes a key skill for shaving off precious milliseconds. Along the way, players encounter classic obstacles like oil slicks that send cars spinning and inventive hazards such as tornadoes that can hurl your vehicle off course in a split-second.

(HEY YOU!! We hope you enjoy! We try not to run ads. So basically, this is a very expensive hobby running this site. Please consider joining us for updates, forums, and more. Network w/ us to make some cash or friends while retro gaming, and you can win some free retro games for posting. Okay, carry on 👍)

The game’s performance-based upgrade system rewards skilled driving by boosting your car’s speed, traction, and acceleration. Nail tight cornering and maintain clean runs, and you’ll feel the difference as your car zips past competitors. Even the rescue helicopter, summoned after a crash, responds more swiftly to better lap times, minimizing downtime and keeping the action flowing at breakneck pace.

Arguably the crown jewel of RACE! is its track editor, which lets you craft bespoke courses from the ground up. Place hazards, tweak track layouts, and set your own difficulty curve before pitting your design against friends or the AI. With twenty built-in levels to inspire you, the editor extends replayability, ensuring no two races ever feel the same once you start unleashing your own creations.

Graphics

Graphically, RACE! embraces a vibrant top-down art style that pays homage to classic arcade racers while delivering a fresh, polished look. Each track features distinct visual themes—from lush green circuits to arid desert outposts—all rendered in bright, saturated colors that pop on screen. Cars are small but detailed enough to convey speed, complete with dust trails and tire marks for added realism.

Special hazards like oil slicks and tornadoes are animated with eye-catching flair. Oil patches appear as gleaming slicks under the track surface, leaking animated oil trails behind jostled cars. Tornadoes swirl dynamically across the road, their spinning windsocks and debris animations giving each encounter a sense of unpredictable danger. Even the helicopter rescue sequence injects cinematic drama, zooming in with rotors spinning at high speed.

Performance-wise, the game runs smoothly on a wide range of hardware, maintaining a steady frame rate that ensures tight control responsiveness. The UI is clean and unobtrusive, showing only essential information like lap timers, position indicators, and mini-map outlines. During split-screen multiplayer matches on the same keyboard, screen real estate is managed efficiently, keeping the action visible without feeling cramped.

Story

While RACE! is primarily an arcade racer, it peppers in a light narrative that frames each race as a quest for championship glory. Players are cast as one of a group of pint-sized speed demons, each with a signature car and a dream of conquering the miniature racing circuit. Each of the twenty levels unfolds a new locale for competition, from sun-drenched circuits to storm-lashed arenas, giving every victory a sense of progression.

The absence of a heavy-handed storyline allows the focus to remain firmly on the racing action, but it doesn’t leave the game feeling hollow. Simple text blurbs before traversing to each new track hint at changing environmental conditions and rising competition stakes, adding context to tornado-lashed stretches or slick, oil-coated corners. It’s a minimalist approach, but one that suits the pick-up-and-play style of the game.

Moreover, the track editor invites players to author their own micro-narratives. Designing a custom course with unique hazards can become a playful story in itself—maybe a treacherous desert dash riddled with cacti or an urban speedway complete with collapsing overpasses. Sharing these tracks with friends can feel like swapping short, adrenaline-fueled chapters of racing fiction.

Overall Experience

By blending tightly tuned mechanics with an inventive track editor, RACE! delivers a robust arcade racing package that’s easy to pick up and hard to put down. Whether you’re chasing the fastest lap on a solo run or squabbling for keyboard real estate in a heated local multiplayer showdown, the game’s simple controls and escalating challenges maintain a steady adrenaline rush.

There might be competitors with flashier 3D graphics or sprawling open worlds, but few offer the instant gratification and couch-friendly chaos that RACE! nails so perfectly. The short, self-contained courses make it ideal for quick sessions, while the editor and generous AI-cup of twenty levels ensure long-term replayability and creative experimentation.

In sum, RACE! is a love letter to classic top-down arcade racing, updated with modern twists like tornado hazards and a deep customization suite. It’s the perfect pick for anyone craving fast-paced action without the bloat—plus, gathering friends around a single keyboard has never been this fun or frantic. Strap in, dodge those oil slicks, and get ready to race to the finish line like never before.

Retro Replay Score

null/10