Tron 2.0 3D
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| Tron 2.0 3D

The pursuit of speed has been spurring mankind on for decades. We have been graced with adrenaline junkies such as Richard Noble and his Thrust II, Chuck Yeager breaking the speed of sound, that Richard Hammond chap from Top Gear, and Michael Schumacher becoming the most successful F1 driver of our time.

Yet Schumacher's snarling, 2.4 litre V8 2006 Ferrari Formula 1 racecar is nothing compared to a lightening quick cycle made from light and computer pixels.

Lightcycles are the transport of choice in Tron 2.0 3D, a game based on the thrilling death-match duals in Tron the movie, a film from the early '80s that depicts a world within the circuitry and inner space of a super computer.

Can you recreate a powerful super computer on your mobile phone, though, even if you have got a swishy 3G handset? Well, first impressions are very encouraging, from the initial menus that feature a well-rendered and animated figure, to selecting the level to do battle on, the presentation here is a clear step above many of the current crop of mobile games.

The game itself is split in two. There's a Match setting where you take control of a lightcycle in any one of the five levels from the five arenas. Then there's the Tournament mode, which features more of a storyline. Here you must take on progressively harder opponents as the plot unfolds (based loosely on the film) and you get the chance to make your cycle more potent with power-ups.

Each level starts with you and your opponent in different positions of a wireframe grid and, as you fly forward, your cycle produces a wall of hard light as a kind of exhaust by-product (we'd love to know what the tree-huggers have to say about that).

Constantly laying down this wall of light serves to create a maze-like environment, the aim of which is to trap or cut off your opponent, causing them to slam into the walls and explode into a cloud of code and light.

Should that sound familiar to a mobile phone classic of days gone by, that's because Tron 2.0 3D bears a startling resemblance to Snake. Of course, Snake was great, so that's no bad thing.

Taming a digital chopper could prove more difficult than handling a rope-like reptile, but matters are made easier by the fact that your bike accelerates automatically. This leaves you free to concentrate on taking the tight bends necessary to literally run rings around your opposite number.

You and your opponent each have three orbs in the top right of the screen, which essentially depict the score. An orb is lost every time you crash and burn: you can think of them like lives. If you can reduce your foe's orbs to zero, you win.

Of course, your opponent is trying to do exactly the same thing to you, and you'll need to keep an eye on the map that's shown in the corner of the screen if you've any hope of out-witting him.

In fact, this is the game's sole drawback, as it takes a bit of practice to glance at the map without driving your cycle into something you shouldn't. The detail on the map is a bit too small for comfort and it's too easy to lose track of where you and your competitor are.

Still, to help you in your race of death, your cycle is equipped with a range of weapons, both offensive and defensive. You get a turbo boost, which enables you to briefly surge forward and try to cut up your opponent, a temporary shield that gives your lightcycle the ability to ride through the otherwise fatal walls, and a missile to fire at pesky Sunday riders or to open up gaps in the walls.

You'll be glad to know that using these weapons is easy, thanks to a control system that's intuitive and simple to employ. Pressing up on your handset's thumb-stick / directional pad will activate your turbo, pressing down powers up your shield, and pressing the OK / action button will fire a missile. You'll need to use these weapons sparingly as only get one each per race, unless you pick up the rare icons on the grid that replenish them.

The smooth 3D visuals do a fine job of depicting all of this action, aping the original film's style with sudden, split-second changes in direction. It recreates the speed and danger perfectly, and if you remember the film from your youth, the speed, excitement and danger will be instantly familiar. Very impressive. In the music department, Tron 2.0 3D also scores well, with a future techno-style ditty setting the mood perfectly.

As a thrilling rendition of the best bit of a pioneering cult movie, Tron 2.0 3D scores big bonus points with anyone with a fondness for neon piping on their clothes. But equally as a standalone game, Tron 2.0 3D is a polished piece of mobile entertainment for anyone looking for a heart-pounding bout of high-octane fun.

Tron 2.0 3D

Although it's tough, Tron 2.0 3D stays remarkably true to the film and is a good future twist on the Snake concept
Score
Chris Maddox
Chris Maddox
Liverpool fan, Chris, loves to watch the mighty Redmen play. In between matches however, he's an avid mobile games reviewer for Pocket Gamer. Chris has assured us that he only thinks about Liverpool FC a mere 80 per cent of the day.