“AiRace” has been an exciting race game for years on the Nintendo DS and it’s latest sequel is even better for the Nintendo 3DS. Great challenging and addictive gameplay, “AiRace Speed” is highly recommended!
Images courtesy of Qubic Games. All Rights Reserved.
VIDEO GAME TITLE: AiRace Speed
TYPE OF GAME: Futuristic Racing Game
PLATFORM: Nintendo 3DS (via Nintendo eShop)
DEVELOPER: Qubic Games
RATED: E for Everyone
RELEASE DATE: September 19, 2013
Take the challenge in AiRace Speed, the third sequel of the best-selling Nintendo DSiâ„¢ classic – AiRace, and pilot the most advanced and powerful jets as you compete to beat your best time. Experience the action as you race on stunning high-speed tracks featuring extremely difficult tunnels, spectacular halls and hidden shortcuts.
Take speed to a whole new level and enjoy a frantic new gaming experience including:
Take the challenge – fly extreme speeds across 18 adrenaline-fueled tracks
Stunning environments packed with challenging obstacles, tunnels, shortcuts and more
Take control of one of 5 high-speed futuristic jets powered with advanced technology
High-performance graphics and immersive 3D effects that put you in the middle of the action
Compete against fellow competitors around the world in online leaderboards
Fantastic replay value with special achievements to be unlocked
Third game of the successful and highly rated AiRace series
The futuristic racing game “AiRace” is back in its third sequel “AiRace Speed” (from independent development studio QubicGames) for the Nintendo 3DS via Nintendo eShop.  Fast and furious, try to use your futuristic jet as you navigate through environments packed with obstacles, tunnels, shortcuts and more. Try to beat your own personal time or against fellow competitors around the world via online leaderboards and unlock special achievements.
Have you ever watched the movie “Star Wars” and remember the scene where Luke Skywalker and the rebels had to navigate through the Death Star’s small areas as quickly as possible to destroy it? The feeling of going through the smallest areas at high speed.
Well, that’s how the AiRace games have been. Adrenaline pumping, speed race as you try to accomplish the best time by going through tunnels, obstacles with only enough space for your aircraft at different angles. You get a good sense of the feeling of speed and while I’m sure there are people who can probably use the 3DS controls and memorize certain patterns, I had a hardtime of using full speed and completing certain courses, in fact, braking became my biggest ally in the game.
The game sports up to 18 tracks and up to five vehicles and to move on to other levels, you will need to beat the previous level to move on.
The earlier levels are much more forgiving. Certain spacecraft have a health meter and if you hit walls, the health meter goes down but slow down and brake and the meter goes back up. But by the sixth level, the track doesn’t allow for brakes but then you will need to utilize your skill, get past that and you make it through a new level featuring different aircraft, environments and challenges.
As for the game, some levels will let you restart as many times as you want. After crashing, restart takes place where you passed a glowing blue marker, so you don’t have to replay the course after a crash which is good. But I noticed on the sixth course, three crashes and the game went back to the menu.
Crashing does dock you several seconds on your time, so if you are playing for the best speed…you want to not get into any accidents. Otherwise, I felt I was playing not much for records but opening up new courses and aircraft.
But for the most part, I found myself memorizing certain obstacles through a lot of trial and mishaps and certain courses that I thought would be impossible, actually very possible. Just need to learn from the certain segments after you pass each marker and prepare for it.
If you are a fan of these types of games, you’ll love “AiRace Speed”, I found myself addicted to the game and really love the challenge!
The main controls is using the stick or the directional buttons to steer, shoulder buttons to roll left or right, and A for nitro and B for brake. In the options menu, you are able to use button mode or stylus mode, flight assist and change invert up/down and also change miles to km if needed.
Graphics for “AiRace Speed” is very good. Each panel is well detailed, shaded, some with very good reflections and there are more than a number of obstacles during the game. The environments are very well-done but because the amount of speed that you are going, it’s one of the few games where you don’t get to admire the graphics so much because you’re racing through them quite quickly. But the environments are detailed, great use of lighting and the spacecraft are also well-done and good use of flame and electricity effects as well.
Audio features synth-based music and the main audio you will hear is if you speed up, slow down, crash or when you receive a warning alert, but the majority of audio is through the music playing during the game. And the effects do sound good via 3DS speaker but moreso with headphones.
“”AiRace Speed” does have replay value for those who want to receive special achievements or are interested in having the best speed in the leaderboard.
I have to say that this is one of the most challenging futuristic race games I have played.   It’s an addictive game for those who love futuristic racing game like “F-Zero” and “Wipeout” with the exception that you are not racing against other vehicles and most of the time, it’s about you trying to beat your own personal time or other times while going through courses with just a small amount of openings or just simply challenging yourself to beat each course in order to open another and open up other aircraft.
“AiRace Speed” featured well-designed exteriors with plenty of detail, the feeling of speed is also well-done and what I loved about the game is the feeling that courses that seemed impossible at first, become very possible and you start to realize that the more you play, the more trial and error through crashing, you eventually start to memorize those obstacles and find a way to get through them.
It’s a great feeling of accomplishment as I was able to advance through the courses and just became immersed by the game and its various challenges.
“AiRace” has been an exciting race game for years on the Nintendo DS and it’s latest sequel is even better for the Nintendo 3DS.
Great challenging and addictive gameplay, “AiRace Speed” is highly recommended!
PROS:
+ Challenging futuristic race game
+ Well-detailed environments with great variety of obstacles and challenges
+ Addictive gameplay
+ Achievements and leaderboard
NEGATIVES:
– It may be challenging for impatient players
– The further you progress, certain levels/courses becoming increasingly frustrating
