By Kieron Gillen on August 7th, 2009 at 6:05 pm.
Back from an interview with Gobion Red Redemption – more of which in the near future – I decide to ease myself back into the day of work avoidance with an indie-racer I’ve been meaning to play for a while. It’s the splendidly named Super Laser Racer, from the makers of New Star Soccer 4, where play racers made of lasers superly racing. In other words a Top Down Super Sprint (With Gun Pick Up) game with Geometry-Wars-esque retro-modern sprites. The demo features four course, and three of the – oooh – many vehicles to drive, while the full game features a track designer, more levels and campaigns and similar for seven quid fifty. I liked this. Well balanced – i.e. weapons don’t dominate over the racing – and cut to the (er) quick, and very much the sort of thing I played a lot of time with on the Amiga. Only problem is a lack of multiplayer. Video follows.
(Hang on. “superly” – Ed)
07/08/2009 at 18:17 Howard says:
Awesome. Those huge table top racers were always the biggest draw in the arcade for me as a kid. There’s been a few attempts to recreate them at home but none have really hit it so far. Will give this a try.
07/08/2009 at 18:19 Στέλιος says:
Err, is it just me or do those levels look an awful lot like the ones from the Turrican II high-speed flight sections, only oriented differently (in Turrican II it was a side scroller, versus this top down thingie).
Looks good though.
07/08/2009 at 18:32 James Allen says:
I concur with your assessment.
07/08/2009 at 18:34 CMaster says:
It’s almost exacly like a 2D Hi Octane.
In fact, it all around reminds me hugley of various shooty-racer demos I played as a kid.
07/08/2009 at 18:34 RandomCommentDude says:
This needs to be on XBox Live.
07/08/2009 at 18:39 TheArmyOfNone says:
Approve.
07/08/2009 at 19:28 faelnor says:
a 2D wipeout without the fun ?
GREAT !
Though hi-octane has been mentioned, i’m surprised no one mentioned wipeout yet. The bonuses, the voice, the music, the sparks on the track sides, the recharge zone, they are all very similar.
(BTW, i was being an ass, I rather like it. Not enough to buy it though)
07/08/2009 at 19:37 Gabanski83 says:
Sounds like an awesome A1200 game I used to play, called Roadkill. Came out on CD32 as well. Remember it? Great game.
07/08/2009 at 19:54 IcyBee says:
No XBox 360 controller support. Bah.
Otherwise – great!
07/08/2009 at 21:52 Al says:
Um, I just used my 360 pad no problem. Wired or wireless? I’m tethered.
07/08/2009 at 21:57 Joe says:
Death Rally?
07/08/2009 at 22:16 Rosti says:
I quite like this, although perhaps not as much as £7.50. I’ve loved a fair few top-down racers in my time and this one compares favourably (and I’d probably bite if it cribbed a little more from F-Zero and a little less from GeoWars – it’s all about Big Blue, baby!).
08/08/2009 at 09:45 Bob Bobson says:
I think you mean Gobion from (or of) Red Redemption, rather than Gobion Red Redemption. Superly is a super word used here rather superly.
08/08/2009 at 10:04 Caiman says:
It’s Supercars! Of course, the entire point of Supercars was sabotaging your opponent – sitting next to you – by the most nefarious means possible so they’d lose concentration and crash. Muahahaha. I’d love to play an 8-player Supercars without all the nonsense of these hyper-realistic 3D racers.
08/08/2009 at 11:07 Lewis says:
Reviewing this at the moment. I like it a lot — but does beg for multiplayer.
More to follow Tuesday at Reso.
08/08/2009 at 14:17 Kieron Gillen says:
Bob Bobson: When you work at a company, your surname becomes that company. It’s just how it works. It’s like the Ramones.
KG
08/08/2009 at 14:26 Gap Gen says:
Man, Kieron Future, Alec Future, John Future and Jim Future were far better than your current ones. Although Jim Rockpapershotgun is pretty cool.
08/08/2009 at 14:34 Tom says:
I know 7,50 ain’t much, but it’s still 7,50 more than you have to pay for GeneRally (http://generally.rscsites.org/download.shtml). It’s better in every way, bar the weapons which GeneRally doesn’t have.
And I second the wish for 8-player hotseat version of Supercars. Supercars really was the best of the top-down combat race game thingy’s.
08/08/2009 at 15:01 PFL says:
I really like this. It is a bit Roadkill/Super Cars but it does feel like it’s own game. I’m using my wireless XBox 360 controller with it…great fun! There’s a game for the GBA called Dot Stream that I wanted to play on a big screen – this is as close as I’ve found. :)
08/08/2009 at 19:32 Ragnar says:
Meh, because of this post, I spent the entire day playing different demos from New Star Games.
10/08/2009 at 14:52 Gobion Rowlands says:
Kieron: haha – I had wondered why I had to redo my passport… Reminds me of the novel Jennifer Government by Max Barry. In that universe I really would be “Gobion Red Redemption”. That would make you “Kieron Rock, Paper, Shotgun” which is pretty cool too :D
Gobion