[Update 14.10.08 @ 16.25pm]
As pointed out by one our readers ‘Monk’, Polarbit have indeed knocked 50% off the retail price of Raging Thunder, bringing it down to a very affordable £2.39 (~$3.99)!
This is said to be a limited time offer – get it while you can guys/gals! [App Store]
Original Article:
You’ve tried Asphalt 4: Elite Racing, you’ve tried Crog-Mag Rally and you may have even tried Moto Chaser, GTS World Racing and possibly Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart – but if you haven’t picked up Raging Thunder by Polarbit yet, here’s exactly why you should …
Raging Thunder shot onto the store on September 12th, and after Gameloft’s Asphalt 4, and GTS, a lot of users were becoming aware of seemingly shoddy graphics and slow in-game frame rates. I think it’s fair to say when Raging Thunder finally did hit the store, we were all slightly hesitant. Non-the-less most of us went ahead, the dropped the £4.99, secretly hoping it would the be console racing experience we’d been hoping for … and it lucky, it didn’t disappoint.
Gameplay
When entering Raging Thunder (as with any respectable racer) your faced with four gaming modes. These include;
Quick Race
This mode throws you into a random race with four to six other cars. Just for fun and no qualification needed, you’ll try to get into the top 3.
Arcade
This is where it’s really at. Create your unique personal profile, and get driving. Qualify in races and you’ll move onto bigger and better tracks.
Championship
Show your competitive side, and go head-to-head with other racers. You can earn money on these laps by collecting golden dollar signs. Qualify in races and you’ll move onto bigger and better tracks. Once you have enough dosh – crack up your drive ready for the next race.
Time Attack
Almost self-explanatory, this mode offers a set time in which a track must be completed in.
Now that we’ve got the types of game play out of the way, I suppose you want to know how you can drive your ride, right? – You have two options. The first is tapping, holding and dragging your finger across the screen, in relation to which direction you want the car to turn. This is quite hard to get used to and is like using two pieces of string to control the movement of the car. The second? – using what is called the ‘Gyro’ sensor. Yes, Polarbit have also taken advantage of iPhone’s built in accelerometer in this title, and you can use this as an alternative option to steer. Tilt or twist the device any way you want to ride.
The playing screen is that of what you’d expect from any racer really. Right at the top you have your speed gauge, and gear indicator. Top left is the amount of time remaining on this lap. You must reach your next checkpoint within this time window. Top right is your position meter. Monitor where you are in the race, and where you essentially need to be. On the bottom right is a small graphical map. The white dot is you, and your opponents are marked with other multi coloured dots. Bottom left is your lap indicator and ‘best’ lap time to beat. On the left hand of the screen you’ll also find your nitrous gauge. Each time you pickup a nitrous canister (marked by a lightening bolt on the track) your nitrous gauge will go up. Careful though, hit a golden skull, and this will decrease rapidly. You also have the option to pause the game at any time by hitting the pause button in the very bottom right hand corner of the screen.
Options and Settings
You’ll also find hidden in the game settings the ability to choose whether you want acceleration to be automatic or not, the sensitivity of the accelerometer when steering, and other helpful options which altogether will enhance your gameplay.
Obstacles
Apart from the obvious ones, like the left and right reservations and other players, the game also has one other obstacle. Golden Skulls. Collect one of these and you’ll know about it – See your nitrous just take a huge dive. In some cases these badges can also slow you down causing you to drop places rapidly. Especially when in Championship mode, avoid them at all costs.
Visuals
Lets put this into perspective here. The iPhone is a phone, and the iPod touch is an iPod. Before these two products hit the market, phones had mini-games or games which had graphics from the 1950’s, and before the iPod touch, iPod games where ‘ok’ but in all fairness looked 2D, uninviting, and least of all entertaining. Now look at us. We have full-on racing titles, with stunning 3D graphics, on our phones. Games we couldn’t have even of imagined on our music players – I find it incredible. I’m not sure Raging Thunder’s graphics show the full potential of iPhone’s processor, but I say it comes pretty damn close. Ok, in parts, yes the graphics are a little shaky and jagged, but for the most part, you don’t notice it. The simulation of driving is pretty good – it could be better, but it does give you the overall sense of moving fast. On a side-note I’d like to see what I call the ‘NFS’ (Need For Speed) effect implemented, where when you initiate nitrous canisters, you actually feel and look like you’ve entered hyperspace – You know the effect I mean right? – where everything around your car goes mega-blurry? – yeah. that.
The one hand-held console people seem to be comparing the iPhone or iPod touch to, is the Sony PlayStation Portable or PSP, and I can see where they are coming from. I used to own a PSP, as probably every self-respected gamer has at some point, some of you may still have one. We’re seeing something exponential beginning to happen here. Companies, including Apple, are now starting to see just what this platform is really capable of. Gaming manufacturers may now be looking at the device as not a ‘mobile phone’ to develop mobile gaming for, but a console – and that is, my friends, is the start of something great.
Price
Taking everything into account and the fact that Asphalt 4 by Gameloft (which currently has a frame rate issue which spoils the entire thing) is currently selling for £5.99. Raging Thunder is on sale for £4.99. Users sometimes moan at a game selling for £4.99 – I say to those people “Wake up and smell the roses” – You just have to walk into Game Station or any other self-respecting gaming retailer, and try to pick up any recently released console game for under £30, you just can’t. Your paying a 6th of the retail price, for pretty much exactly the same experience, just on a smaller screen. Make no mistake, £4.99 compared to £29.99, is a bargain any day. Asphalt was hyped up so much, I – as with many others – bought it without even blinking. I have to say, having played both Asphalt and Raging Thunder, I would have left Asphalt 4 in the dust. My advice? – drop the £4.99. As seen above combined with it’s console-like 3D graphics, customizable options and various game play choices, this title is one worthy of it’s high price.
Overall
Raging Thunder is a game changer. This is the first ‘real’ racer for iPhone and iPod touch. Yes, the visuals could be better, yes the steering could be tweaked, but the foundations of this game mean console-like games are very much on the horizon for the touch platform.
Rating: 9.3/10 (Well Designed, Highly Recommended)
App Store: Raging Thunder
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