Realism is not something that I’ve come to expect in a portable game and it’s mostly not wanted. I mean, who’d want a realistic simulation of sling-shotting birds at pigs and brick walls (although that could be a laugh)? Driving games are another fine example of this, without a finely tuned control method the best you can expect is an arcade racer where the idea of drifting is stamping on the break and gracefully sliding around the corner as if you were on a rail, but Drift Mania is quite the opposite.
For those who haven’t tried a drifting game before let me just start by saying this: It’s not a racer, entering a drift event with a racing attitude will only bring disappointment. These cars are tuned to lose traction easily and it’s all about keeping control without getting your traction back rather than speeding to the finish line. You are scored on your drift’s speed, line, angle and impact. Chaining drifts together results in extra points, whereas collisions cause your current combo score to be lost. The scoring system sounds complicated, but the real complication is trying to judge your power and angle as you approach each corner which to be done well requires a lot of practice with each car and track. You won’t have to worry about learning many tracks as Drift Mania sadly only includes three different choices. With only five cars, that doesn’t present a lot of variety. Drift Mania doesn’t try to reach and be something it’s not by including several modes either, it doesn’t in fact include any modes at all beyond the regular drift mode.
What Drift Mania focuses on, it does well, I can’t claim to have any first hand experience in the professional Canadian drifting championships but the controls feel very realistic, especially for an accelerometer based game. The throttle can be controlled either with a press and hold pedal or a bar, as the side of the screen gives you analog control of your power. You tilt to steer and there’s a handbrake in the corner These controls come together to create a realistic feeling but very difficult to control vehicle.
The graphics and sound are also well worth mentioning, not only do the 3D visuals look great but the FPS of the action is both high and stable. Perhaps this is due to not having to render large tracks or other racers but whatever the reason, it looks great. During each race there’s also some great vocalized music tracks that suit the game well. It is a pity though, that for a game that looks so good, there is no way of viewing a replay after you finish a race and perhaps saving it, or better yet allowing these replays to be uploaded to YouTube.
Those who buy Drift Mania hoping for a racing game of any kind will no doubt be disappointed, but if you have an interest in realistic drifting then this is the best and only game in town.
When you’re ready, head over to the AndroidMarket and download this game by clicking or scanning the QR Code below.
Summary and Downloads:
Game: Drift Mania Championship
Developer: Ratrod Studio Inc.
Cost: Â $.96
Are you a gamer? What games do you play most on your Android device and what else would you like us to review? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below!
Developer: ngmoco
Cost: $0.99
