Outlaw Racing 2011

It's almost an alien concept now, but the average arcade really was a veritable goldmine in its heyday.

The best and, not coincidentally, the most frustrating games were perfectly pitched to delve into your coffers, hooking you in and then draining your wallet as you got shot down, kicked in the face, or smashed headlong into a barrier.

The concept of dropping a coin or two into the slot to pick up where you left off and avenge those crushing defeats was an allure many couldn't resist – certainly not me, even if most of my cash was actually wasted on those two penny machines, attempting to win an East 17 keyring.

Outlaw Racing 2011, jam-packed with unashamedly old skool racing action, feels like a direct link back to the old days, though Tequila Mobile's take on clawing in the pounds and pence is quite different: it simply asks for your money, over and over again.

To be fair, it's worth pointing out that Outlaw Racing 2011 is currently available to download without charge and, when it comes to its gameplay, it's really quite good.

It's viewed from the top down, and there's an undoubtable Micro Machines feel to proceedings as you guide your weapon-laden vehicle around some simple and well-designed courses.

Each of the tracks consists of three separate challenges – a standard three lap weaponless race, a 'deathmatch' encounter where shooting down your rivals is the task at hand, and a simple checkpoint-based time attack challenge.

To gain enough points to unlock further tracks (without parting with your cash, of course), you have to come out on top in each mode, which, in most cases, isn't too difficult.

Paying the price

Though occasionally impacted by slowdown, the races themselves are enjoyable affairs, with most of the courses designed to make simple taps left and right (or '4' and '6') enough to guide you around, while a collection of fairly meaty challengers ensures the contests always feel alive.

The deathmatches are, comparatively, a little disappointing, if only because the weapons themselves (an invisible machine gun supposedly strapped to the bonnet of your car) never make an appearance beyond the odd flash of yellow that hits your rivals as you thrash the '5' key.

Overall, however, it would be churlish to suggest that Outlaw Racing 2011 is anything but solid.

The slightly sour edge that drags the whole experience down a touch comes from repeated attempts to get you to part with your cash, almost by stealth.

After each and every round, the game asks you to send an SMS for £1.50 to post your score on a leaderboard, while attempting to upgrade your vehicle (which isn't really necessary, in truth) results in you hitting a cumbersome pay wall or two.

There's nothing technically wrong with all this, of course, and as long as you keep your wits about you it's perfectly possible to decline all such invitations.

Still, it doesn't sit especially well with a game that, in terms of gameplay alone, would be worth paying a considerable amount of cash for upfront.