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Vektrax rockets onto App Store

S.T.U.N. Runner clone looks great on the iPhone

Vektrax rockets onto App Store
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| Vektrax

Retro adaptations always get me a bit over-excited, and I must confess an affinity toward clones rather than officially licensed adaptations. They tend to be less constricted since they're not obliged to remain inappropriately faithful to the original.

Which is shy Vektrax caught my eye on today's App Store prowl. This "virtual reality rollercoaster ride into oblivion" appears to borrow quite heavily from Atari's classic futuristic 1989 3D racer S.T.U.N. Runner, though it also has strong overtones of freeware J-pop god Kenta Cho's Torus Trooper (lose 10 bonus points if you thought "WipeOut" when you saw the screenshots – we expect more imagination from our faithful collective of pocket gamers!).

Whatever its inspirational origins, Vektrax looks like a dynamic, high-octane iPhone racer making full tilt 'n' touch use of the intuitive handset as you blast and boost your way through the super-slick tubular levels. And with 30 tracks weighing in at only £0.59, Vektrax also plays the bargain chip quite hard, so head on over to the App Store and check it out (after hitting the 'Track It!' button, of course).

Oh alright then. You can have five bonus points back if you thought "Tempest" after you bit your tongue for saying "WipeOut".

Spanner Spencer
Spanner Spencer
Yes. Spanner's his real name, and he's already heard that joke you just thought of. Although Spanner's not very good, he's quite fast, and that seems to be enough to keep him in a regular supply of free games and away from the depressing world of real work.