GDC '09: Hands on with Dirt Moto Racing on iPhone
First look at the landlocked follow up to Aqua Moto Racing
Racing games are a dime a dozen on iPhone, yet most soil the experience with poorly tuned controls and underwhelming design. Dirt Moto Racing, which we played during the Game Developers Conference last week, promises to leave those racers in the dust.
Building on the phenomenal mechanics of Aqua Moto Racing, this off-road speed fest is set to make a splash later this year.
Driving is a matter of tilting the handset left and right to steer, as well as touching the screen to accelerate. Options allow you to toggle automatic acceleration, although power-sliding can only be done through manual adjustment. Jerking the device up instigates a jump, which is important for pulling off tricks.
It all feels spot on, even at this early stage. Dirt Moto Racing clearly inherits the best qualities of its predecessor and modifies them for landlocked racing.
Our hands on with the game involved zipping across the packed sand and rocky outcroppings of the Dunes. Rolling hills of yellow dirt provide a playground for dirt bikes and ATVs, with big air caught on the highest of the hills.
Weaving between the mounds is a wide path rubbed raw from previous races, nudging you in the general direction of the race. Here the course is marked by loose edges, while others are more confined.
A total of four tracks are planned for the release, including a motocross Stadium and Forest level. As expected, navigating the Forest involves a bumpy ride beneath a canopy of thick tree cover.
The course is far narrower than in the Dunes, as it also is in Stadium. Unlike racing through the Forest, though, expect hairpin turns and steep manufactured ramps when competing in the Stadium.
All four tracks are featured in Championship play, the goal of which is to win half a dozen competitive cups of increasing difficulty. These races, as well as reverse tracks, can be played at any time via Quick Race mode.
New in Dirt Moto Racing will be stunt parks modelled after each of the four environments. This trick-only mode has you pulling off stunts for points, letting you mess around with a bike or ATV. Naturally, the range of tricks is being expanded with an overhauled system that has you drawing symbols on the screen with your finger.
Online rankings are planned, but multiplayer hasn't been confirmed. At the very least some form of local wireless multiplayer - whether requiring a router or Bluetooth (should the game release after the next firmware update) - would be a boon to its value.
Network multiplayer is unlikely given the game's scheduled release. Dirt Moto Racing will arrive on the App Store within the next few months, leaving little time to focus on anything other than finishing the core game. Considering the already solid feel of the controls, the engine is already revving up on this promising off-road racer.
