Game Reviews

Speedway GP 2011

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Speedway GP 2011

There’s a reason game designers are more likely to create a Mario Kart rather than a Gran Turismo: if not handled well, realism can suck all the fun out of a racing game.

Speedway GP tries to include all the compelling parts of grand prix biking, but ends up stalling out on the starting line.

Big stats

Speedway GP is all about professional motorcycle racing. Set on a muddy oval track, each race pushes you to beat the other three competitors to the finish line.

What you’ll notice first about Speedway GP is the big graphics. We’re talking huge: your racer takes up the centre of the screen while your competitors motor past you, splashing mud all up in your face. The cycles themselves are colourful beasts, roaring through the rough terrain.

Fans of motorcycle racing will appreciate the detail, including a full roster of real professionals to choose from with their likenesses and stats built in. You also build your own history, with your individual profile tracking wins, losses, and other statistics.

The game has a Quick Race as well as a Career mode. There's no multiplayer, which would add tremendously to the game, but the graphics obviously took precedence over playing with friends.

When keeping it real goes wrong

The game is super-authentic. Hit the gas a millisecond too early at the starting line? You’re disqualified. Accidently bump into the side barrier? You’re disqualified. You have to respect Speedway GP loving the integrity of the sport, but we found the anally retentive gameplay overwhelming.

Picky rules are one thing, but picky controls are another. With the touch controls, a slight pull in either direction sends your racer towards the wall or the green. It's a struggle just going in a a straight line.

The tilt controls, meanwhile, are awkward at best. And sensitivity isn't the issue - the controls are automatically inverted. Tilting the iPad to the right pulls your biker to the left, and vice versa.

We’re not motorbike experts, so perhaps this is how the real thing feels, but for non-motorcyclists (and, we suspect, motorcyclists as well) the tilt controls are unintuitive.

Worse, Speedway GP doesn’t have any controller options, so you can’t tweak sensitivity or change the inverted default. For a hyper-realistic racing title, you’d think a whole cornucopia of control choices would be in here.

Stuck in the pit

Speedway GP has a lot going for it, from the snazzy graphics to the great stats. The problem is execution, as the game demands precise play but offers no adequate control options. You can't even play against friends dealing with the same handicap.

Perhaps an update will make it a better game, but for now Speedway GP pales compared to the less realistic but more fun racers out there.

Speedway GP 2011

Speedway GP looks great, but bad controls and anally retentive gameplay make it mediocre
Score
Damon Brown
Damon Brown
Damon Brown has been speaking the mobile game gospel since 2003 for Playboy, New York Post, and many other outlets. Damon writes books when he isn't busy gaming or Twittering. His most popular book is Porn & Pong: How Grand Theft Auto, Tomb Raider and Other Sexy Games Changed Our Culture.