Codemasters prepares to roll out F1 2009 onto iPhone
Bet you didn’t see it coming
If proof is needed that the iPhone (and iPod touch) is increasingly viewed as a genuine alternative to the ‘traditional’ gaming platforms by the industry’s big players, consider Codemasters’ latest move.
The publisher has now entered the iPhone arena with F1 2009, a reworking of its hugely likeable official Formula 1 title already available on handheld and console (check out our F1 2009 PSP review).
On iPhone, things are a little more restricted – the game here is time trial based, with your performance posted onto online leaderboards (courtesy of free social gaming platform AGON). This means you’re alone on the track, fighting against virtual competition.
But you do at least get all 17 circuits to try and master and can jump into the race suits of any of the 20 drivers (those that started the 2009 season) from the ten official teams.
As with the PSP game, a number of driving aids have been implemented to help you to grasp the controls (steering is accelerometer based, with throttle, brake and KERS as virtual buttons), while the visuals appear pleasingly convincing.
F1 2009 is due out on iPhone very soon and we’ll be taking it for a spin even sooner.